Issue 267 | Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Fortnightly | Free
THE DRUGS ISSUE UEA’s Independent Student Newspaper
DERBY ELECTION DAY RESULTS Pull out inside Meet your new officers
Students: drinking to fit in • •
Over 90% of students believe cannabis should be legalised Almost half of UEA students have felt pressured to drink to fit in James Dixon News editor
Concrete’s annual student drugs survey has dredged up some interesting results, that reflect UEA students’ attitudes towards legal and illegal drugs. 69.9% of students surveyed stated that they had taken illegal drugs of some kind and 85.6% of students had no regrets for having done so. The cannabis question 71.5% of students who completed the survey stated that they had taken cannabis at some point in their lives. In response to the question concerning the legalisation of drugs, a massive 95.1% of students suggested that cannabis be legalised. This means that a large 23.6% of students believe that cannabis should be legalised despite having never sampled the drug. Cannabis is currently a class B drug, having been declassified in 2004 from B to C, only to witness a reclassification in 2009 back to a class B drug. The legalisation would echo countries such as Portugal where personal possession of drugs was decriminalised in 2001. If a drug user is caught in Portugal then they are referred to a panel that includes a social worker, a psychiatrist, and an attorney. Also, in Uruguay possession limits were never classified, therefore decriminalising personal drug use. A significant 70.5% of students stated that they knew someone that dealt drugs. This suggests that the attainment of illegal
drugs in Norwich is a relatively simplistic matter due to the large proportion of connections students believe they have. 10.2% of students claimed to take illegal drugs at least once a week, producing the idea that their access to illegal drugs is unbarred. Intense peer pressure Alcohol consumption was also surveyed and, perhaps unsurprisingly, found that 89.2% of students enjoy drinking with 71.3% of respondents believing that alcohol had enhanced their experience at UEA. 46.7% of students thought that UEA either “probably or definitely” has a drinking culture that encourages students to drink too much. 39.3% of students felt pressured to drink alcohol to fit in at UEA. Despite such an apparent culture of excess, 7.3% of students surveyed felt that they had a dependency upon alcohol whilst 88.2% felt their drinking was under control. Drinkaware recommends that men do not exceed 21 units a week, and states that women should stay under 14 units. These limits are not supposed to be consumed in one day. If a man were to drink eight pints of 5% lager over a week, he would exceed his recommended weekly allowance. The consumption of alcohol is ingrained in society and it is considered a socially acceptable drug in comparison to its illegal counterparts. From 2008/9, the NHS had to deal with 1,057,000 alcohol related admissions to hospital. Drugs form an unavoidable facet of society that will continue to save lives, intoxicate and harm.
THE CONCRETE DRUGs SURVEY
D A E R P S E R T N E C E SE
Laura Smith
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CONTACT US Address Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ
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EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor | Chris King concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy | Hannah Britt concrete.deputyeditor@uea.ac.uk News | James Dixon / Susanna Wood concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Joshua Resoun concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Features | Billy Sexton concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Travel | Greg Lewry concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Turf | Becky Hazlewood concrete.turf@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Hasina Allen / Rianne Ison concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk International | Rachael Lum ueaconcreteinternational@gmail.com Sport | Matt Scrafton / Chris Teale concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk concrete.sport@uea.ac.uk Copy | Amy Adams / Harry Slater concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographer | Laura Smith Deputy Chief | Harriet Jones concrete.photographers@uea.ac.uk
News | James Dixon, Michael Drummond, Susanna Wood, Jo O’Connor, Amy Adams, Beth Wyatt, Philip Thomas Comment | Nicola Walters, Charles Clarke, Joshua Resoun, Matthew Finucane, Simon Wright MP, Tim Rose, Chris King Travel | Joshua Resoun, Polly Grice, Greg Lewry, Cameron Tucker Features | Billy Sexton, Sam Emsley, Anthony Shaw Turf | Chris Teale, Becky Summers Lifestyle | Emma Williamson, Rachael Lum, Chris King, Hannah Britt, Lucy Jobber, Holly Kite, Olivia Watkiss, Rianne Ison, Hasina Allen International | Elizabeth Margereson, Rachael Lum, Ming Zhe Hon Sport | Chris Teale, Kris Nelson, Matt Scrafton, James Dixon, Billy Sexton, Sam Tomkinson, Chris King, Joshua Resoun, Greg Lewry, Emma Webb Proofreaders | Steph Gover, Charlotte Cox, Grace Morris, Kirsten Haywood, Alex George, Beth Wyatt
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I was sorry to read about the Union Council vote to oppose attendance monitoring at key teaching events. This is intended to be a supportive, not punitive measure. There is overwhelming evidence to support the view that students who miss key teaching events do not reach their full academic potential. We want to respond early to students in this position, help them understand the implications, and identify any problems. This is not about treating students like children. Only one sanction is proposed: if you miss a significant proportion of key events on a module (as defined by each School), you will not have an automatic right to reassessment. A good deal of academic research backs up our thinking. There is a striking correlation between sessions missed and degree classification achieved. For example, among biomedical students at
Salford University, those who graduated with a first class degree missed an average of 6% of classes, while that percentage rose steadily through 2.1 (10%) and 2.2 (12%) to 16% for those who got a third. Last year CMP (School of Computing Sciences) monitored first year students’ attendance, following up and identifying problems. The proportion having to undertake reassessments dropped from about 50% to below 10%. As more of the burden of paying for higher education falls on the student, it is quite right that the value of a university education is being probed very hard. I want all our students to achieve the best result they can. One way to achieve this is to do all we can to help students participate fully in their education. With best wishes, Tom Ward Pro-Vice-Chancellor
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Full time OFFICERS
Academic Officer Harriet Jones
Part-Time officers Non-portfolio Officers: Abbi Forsyth Bintu Foday Eliot Fallows Jessica Lewis
International Officer: Astrid Heidemann Simonsen
Ethical Issues Officer: Rosie Rawle
Women’s Officer: Tessa Gilder-Smith
LGBT Officer: Richard Laverick
NUS Delegates: Matthew Myles Meg Evans Liam McCafferty Sam Alston
Mature Student Officer: Trevor Killeen
Ethnic Minorities Officer: Yousef Balboul
Josh Bowker is a third year music and technology student, who was active in the Save UEA Music campaign. On winning: “I feel bad that people had to lose. I’m pretty astounded! Big shout out to Katy Daly, who is my campaign manager.” Josh won by a margin of 153 votes.
Communications Officer Matt Myles has been re-elected for his second term as Communications Officer. On winning: “Delighted to get job again. Shame 3 fantastic candidates couldn’t get role. This year, we made the Union good, but next year we’re going to tell people about it.” Matt won by a margin of 288 votes.
Hopes for more votes dashed Finance Officer Michael Drummond News reporter Voting numbers among students were only marginally better than last year, after the Union made attempts to intensify their election publicity. The Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) put a number of new strategies in place in order to increase voter turnout in the latest elections. The aim of these was to have more students casting their vote in the Union staff contest than ever before. This year saw a record number of candidates enlisting, with 28 (final count of 22) candidates originally campaigning for the four full time positions of Academic Officer, Communications Officer, Community and Student Rights Officer, and Finance Officer. Furthermore the part time positions of Women’s Officer, International Students Officer, LGBT Officer, and Ethnic Minorities Officer were all contested between at least two candidates, where historically there has only ever been one person applying for each post. Current Community
and Student Rights Officer, Tash Ross, believed that the significant increase in the number of candidates will result in a rise in individual voters. Ms Ross spoke to Concrete about the Union-organised hustings event held this year, the first time since 2008, which she thought would “drive interest” and improve voting turnout. However, she also pointed out that turnout is up to the candidates themselves. If people are interested in what a candidate is saying then they are more likely to vote. When asked about the importance of voting, Ms Ross spoke about the how those who work for the Union “try and lobby the university” and are the “voice of students”, making a staff that represents the opinion of the student population very important. She also informed Concrete that this year the Union set a target of a 15% (2,500 students) voting turnout, which would be a marked increase on last year’s 10% (1,700 students) final voting turnout. Voting closed yesterday (Monday 12) at 5pm, with final voting numbers of 1,999 in total, more than 500 fewer than hoped.
Joe Levell is a fourth year American and English history student. On winning: “Thank you to everyone who voted. All the other candidates were great and it’s really nice to know that people voted for me.” Joe won by a margin of 233 votes.
Community and Student rights Officer Sam Clark is a fourth year American and English literature student. On winning: “It feels great to win, but not nice to beat other people, everyone ran a great campaign. I’m going to throw myself into the Union and do as much as I can in my year!” Sam won by a margin of 333 votes. Photos: Pippa Artus
For video interviews with the candidates, in-depth interviews with the officers and further coverage, visit www.concrete-online.co.uk
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Escort agency targets students on Twitter Susanna Wood News editor It is a world that is often hidden under society’s surface, but the sex industry has been more prominent than usual after a marketing ploy by escort agency Anglian Escorts which has seen students being followed on microblogging site Twitter. Twitter users were left bemused by the interaction with the agency, which was targeting people in the East Anglian region, including students at UEA. The escort agency used its Twitter feed to promote their escorts and to urge recruitment, until the account was suspended last week. By this time it had already amassed thousands of followers. Anna Tomson, the Women’s Officer of the Union of UEA Students, told Concrete: “The fact that this organisation is adding students on Twitter really worries me. It is only a step away from coercing vulnerable women into doing things they would not ordinarily do for money.” Customers to Anglian Escorts pay for an escort’s time, with anything else “between two consenting adults” according to their website. While the company has not directly targeted students, its website does specify the availability of “uni students” for escort services. Under a false name, this reporter
Teenager assaulted on Colman Road An early morning assault took place on Colman Road on 29 February. At 7.40am, a 13-year-old boy was crossing Colman Road near the Co-op store. A yellow tractor/JCB passed the boy and stopped shortly after. The driver proceeded to stop his vehicle and get out. He then began an unprovoked attack on the victim. The driver is described as wearing a plain cream/peach t-shirt and blue jeans. He reportedly has blond curly, collar length hair. The attacker grabbed the boy by the throat and kicked him to the ground, where he continued to kick the victim in the shins and the feet. The young boy was left with severe bruising. PC Scott Malcolmson from the Norwich West Safer Neighbourhood Team is currently in charge of the case. If anyone has any further information then please contact PC Malcolmson by calling 101 or alternately call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. James Dixon
emailed the agency, describing herself as a university student looking to earn some money as an escort. The email received a prompt response from the agency, asking for photos and measurements as a prerequisite for an interview. Escorts can earn £1,000+ a week. With tuition fees at a hefty £9,000 per academic year from September 2012, the sex industry has come under fire for targeting students as employees as they are considered an economically vulnerable group. Famously, the UK vice president of the Spearmint Rhino chain of lap dancing clubs said that students could have “fun” working as a stripper back in November. The growing influence of the sex industry on higher education has also been highlighted in a recent study by a University of Birmingham medical student who has found that one in 10 medical students knows someone who works in the sex trade to supplement their income. The English Collective of Prostitutes has also noted a rise in the number of calls they receive from students working in the sex industry. These events also mark a development in the marketing of escort services, which traditionally publicised themselves in magazines, newspapers or inside telephone booths. With the advent of the internet, and particularly social media, the
exposure these companies can gain is far more wide reaching. Anglian Escorts set up a Facebook page on 6 March, which users can “like” to gain access to “the finest escorts in East Anglia”.
Concrete would be interested in speaking to any students who have worked in the sex industry alongside their degree. Email concrete.news@uea.ac.uk in confidence.
Sam Gladstone
Dangerous drug overdose at the LCR Jo O’Connor News reporter A UEA student was found to have ingested a potentially fatal dose of drugs whilst attending the LCR on Saturday 3 March. She consumed a large amount of Nytol and was found without a campus card. The senior doorman who found her stated: “in 15 years working the door, I’ve never seen anyone taking an overdose”. The student was thankfully unharmed after the incident. Following the current Concrete drugs survey, with students asked to honestly answer questions about their own personal drug use, it cannot be denied that this is an unavoidable issue that affects many people at some point in their university lives. A third year undergraduate UEA student, who would like to remain anonymous, said of their own experience: “When you’re at university, it’s difficult to not give in to peer pressure. You hear that phrase all the time, but it’s different when you’re with your mates, or at a party, where everyone’s having a good time. It takes a pretty strong person who doesn’t care about not looking cool to refuse it when
you’re offered.” Peer pressure still remains an unsolved problem, and one with limited solutions. With society’s current fixation on social media like Facebook, students are under increasing pressure to connect with friends through events such as gigs, parties and festivals, where the chances of being exposed to illegal substances are increased. Jono Read, Social Media Coordinator at UEA, said: “There have been studies that have suggested children using Facebook and social media websites increases likeliness that they will be more likely to binge drink or take drugs at some point in life. Although I think the jury is out on those theories, you only have to look at the latest Kony 2012 trend and the fact that the majority of those sharing the video are 1516 year olds to see how things shared on social media can have a significant effect. If your friends are promoting something through events, statuses, or photographs (whether it’s just a charity or more serious like underage drinking or drug taking) they are going to be more likely to get involved with it. That is why some parents, particularly in America, are calling for more opportunities to censor what their
children see on social media.” If you or somebody you know would like to talk about drug use then contact Nightline, UEA’s peer to peer counselling. or Talk to Frank on 0800 77 66 00.
Laura Smith
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NEWS
Student officer fined after protest fracas Archant suffers Amy Adams News reporter Non-portfolio officer Liam McCafferty is facing almost £1,000 in legal bills and fines after losing an appeal against his conviction for fear or provocation of violence at an Unite Against Fascism protest against the EDL in Bolton in March 2010. Initially charged with assaulting a police officer, McCafferty, who is heavily involved in many student campaign issues, described the atmosphere at the initial protest as “chaotic”. Caught in the crush of protesters and concentrating on keeping his balance, he admits: “I probably did make some sort of contact, but my arms were everywhere, I wasn’t even thinking about it.” However, this was misinterpreted as a direct assault. No specific police officer has been identified as the one allegedly attacked, with witness statements from the two officers against McCafferty appearing inconsistent. The original charge was
therefore changed, and McCafferty fined £100. Judge Steven Everett then ruled against him in the appeal this month, saying: “Either the police officers got together to tell a whole pack of lies about a person they are indifferent to, or they saw a deliberate blow. Mr McCafferty saw the police officer in front of him and he decided in the heat of the moment to strike out a few sly blows.” In addition to the original fine, he now must also pay £830 in court costs and a £15 victim surcharge. When asked if he felt he had been unfairly treated, McCafferty said: “You’re always going to feel [that] if you feel there’s been an injustice.” With regards to the court fees themselves, he said: “[It] is a bit of a bizarre sense of justice, like you can only have justice if you can pay for it, if you can afford it.”
He also expressed concerns over the incrimination of peaceful protests: “... courts are used to make people frightened of peaceful protests, and I don’t think that’s right. I think people should feel they can go and protest about anything they want, and not feel as if they should be intimidated off the streets.” When asked if he had experienced any violence from the police, he said: “When I was arrested in that instance, the police were far from level-headed about it, there’s footage of me on the internet saying “Look, what’s going on?” and them being quite heavy-handed. It’s not the first time that’s happened ... But a lot of students who don’t know anything about police brutality often find themselves face to face with it, and a bit shocked, it changes their perceptions about the police and the role of the state.” At the same protest in 2010, footage emerged of 63-year-old UAF protester Alan Clough being struck in the face by a police officer, before falling to the ground and being hit with batons. After the IPCC investigated the case for 16 months, the police officer responsible may now face prosecution.
financial blow
Archant has announced that its revenues fell in 2011. The regional press company, which owns titles across Norfolk and Suffolk including the Norwich Evening News, said that revenues decreased by 3% year on year to £135m. Operating profit fell by a significant 29.4% (£10.4m). However, Archant also announced that its profits rose in the second half of the year, with operating profit increasing to £7.8m and revenues falling to £67.8m (2%), less than the 4% decrease in the first half of 2011. Despite claims that the figures for the second half were only improved because of the use of bulk copies and the giveaway of free copies of the newspapers in some premises, Richard Jewson, chairman of Archant, praised the company. He said: “Despite very difficult trading conditions, Archant has continued to invest significantly, both in revenue and in capital, to pursue its strategy of developing a customer-centric, multimedia organisation.” Beth Wyatt
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Nelson artefacts stolen from Norwich Castle Beth Wyatt News reporter Historical items associated with famed vice admiral Lord Nelson have been stolen from Norwich Castle. The raid on Saturday 25 February, which was only confirmed by museum staff over a week after it occurred, was the second incident in a week following the attempted theft of a rhino horn five days previously. Among valuable artefacts stolen were a ring valued at £25,000, and a saucer worth £10,000. Altogether, the items are thought to add up to the sum of £36,000. Vanessa Trevelyan, head of the museums service, speaking to the Norwich Evening News, said: “last Saturday we discovered one of our display cases housing a number of Nelson artefacts had been broken in to and several pieces were found to be missing. We informed Norfolk Constabulary who are investigating the theft. “We wanted to carry out a thorough investigation before going public to determine exactly what had happened but also to make absolutely sure nothing else had been taken. Of course enquiries were
under-way during this time.” However, Trevelyan’s justification for the delay was not accepted by county councillor George Nobbs, who said: “the chairman of the Norwich Area Museums Committee was at a reception at the castle on Friday and he was not told about it.
“The first he knew of the situation was when I told him after reading it in the paper. This situation is not satisfactory”. Nobbs also criticised those who run the museum: “will the cabinet member [James Carswell] consider that it is not just security which should be looked at, but
whether the entire management structure at the castle is fit for purpose?” Trevelyan announced that the museum would be undertaking a review of its security and would continue to support Norfolk Police, who are currently examining CCTV tapes.
Laura Smith
Cheating students exposed by newspaper FOI Act Philip Thomas News reporter A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that recorded cases of “academic misconduct” at the University of East Anglia are among the highest at top UK institutions. In the 2010-11 academic year, the University reported 139 cases of plagiarism and 23 instances of exam cheating, while the previous year it recorded 154 and 16 cases respectively. A spokesperson for UEA said: “as a University we take cheating very seriously, and work hard to identify instances of academic misconduct, such as plagiarism in coursework or taking notes into exams”. Across the UK, Freedom of Information requests revealed that 1,665 students at top institutions had been disciplined for academic misconduct last year. UEA emerged with a comparatively high rate of recorded misconduct among 20 leading universities ranked by The Complete University Guide. Nonetheless these statistics don’t necessarily suggest
that a higher proportion of students at UEA are cheating, but instead indicate that the University implements a more stringent conduct policy. The University’s spokesperson reassured students: “we very much doubt that our students are any less honest than those in other institutions, but we see it as vital to the integrity of the University that we identify and record such incidents thoroughly, and discipline any students involved”. UEA has experienced a negative trend in plagiarism in recent years, citing an awareness campaign as contributing to the reduction of illegally reproducing material. Additionally, advances in technology have transformed detection rates. The disciplinary action taken as a consequence of misconduct varies from reassessment, to exclusion in extreme circumstances. Nationally, only 20 of the 30 institutions contacted revealed their data, whilst only Lancaster reported more cases than UEA. These revelations have come amid wider criticism of academic standards, and the increasing pressure upon students to succeed in an ever competitive jobs market.
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Binge drinking can’t be ignored
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Russia’s tradition of control will remain a barrier to democracy As most people have gathered, the recent presidential elections held in Russia have stirred up a hornet’s nest of comment and protest. Vladimir Putin, who the electorate returned to power for a third six-year term as president, and his party supporters, have both been accused of fraud, ballotrigging, abusing absentee voting, denying opponents coverage in the media, the lot. The independent Russian election watchdog, Golos, described receiving up to 3,000 reports of voting fraud, and the League of Voters, a monitoring group set up by protestors, called the election “an insult to Russian society”.
secure and people knew what they had to do and when to do it. On this basis, it must be acknowledged that there is not the deep attachment to democracy as the best form of government that there is in the west, and that consequently the transition must be gradual. We would also do well to remember that we, as a nation, have gone through a gradual process to reach the system of government we have now. We began 800 years ago with the Magna Carta, progressed through killing our king and experimenting with a Lord Protector under Cromwell, then evolved to a constitutional
“Putin seems simply to be continuing a tradition of repressing and controlling the Russian people which was endemic under the Tsars and, if anything, got worse under communist rule” If the reports are true, it would seem there is only disappointment waiting for those who hope desperately for true democracy for Russia. If we look back through Russian history, Putin seems simply to be continuing a tradition of repressing and controlling the Russian people which was endemic under the Tsars and if anything got worse under the communists. It must be borne in mind that the Russian people have never experienced anything closer to democracy than the post-Soviet governments of Yeltsin and Putin, in which power has been concentrated in the hands of oligarchs and corruption has become widespread and commonplace. There is a fondness in Russia for strong leadership as there was under Joseph Stalin, when jobs were
COMMENT
monarchy, the Labour Party, trade unions and the rise of a situation in which ordinary people have a say. We have not always been a democracy: we have been where the Russians are now. However, it must also be acknowledged that there are those who believe not only that democracy is coming to Russia fast, but Putin will be the man to bring it. Former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, accused observers of succumbing to prejudice, saying: “I believe he [Putin] is seriously orienting his country towards being a democracy. That that is a lot to do, no one knows better than he himself.” It seems we can certainly look to the future, albeit with a degree of sceptiscm, and the Russian people can look forward to a future of democracy in Russia with cautious optimism.
Nicola Walters
Students have a big reputation, sometimes deserved, sometimes less so, for drinking a lot of alcohol. That’s true in Norwich, with the bars on campus as well as the pubs of the Golden Triangle and Prince of Wales Road profiting handsomely from the patronage of students from UEA and elsewhere. Students often resent the suggestion of their elders that this is some kind of problem. They point out, usually accurately, that there’s nothing new about students drinking, that their parents did it just as much as they do, and in any case they’re old enough to make up their own minds and decide how they’re going to behave. And in any case, it’s legal so what’s the problem? But the truth is that there is a problem. Alcohol is the main reason why people end up in A&E on weekends. Alcohol is the biggest cause of violent crime, and drunks are the biggest victims of violent crime. As Eric Joyce MP has just reminded us graphically, people do things whilst drunk that they would never do in full control of themselves, and they sometimes get a criminal conviction as a result. Repentance the morning after will usually simply range over a series of social and personal embarrassments, but can sometimes be a good deal worse. Less dramatically, over-consumption of alcohol damages your health, diverts your energies from more interesting and worthwhile activities, and can set back your educational progress. Worrying about all this is not just the
preoccupation of elderly old farts that seem to have forgotten their own misspent youth. If a culture of “binge-drinking” becomes established amongst a particular group of people, it damages the lives of all of them and reduces their potential self-fulfilment, as well as imposing the costs of crime and poor health upon the rest of society. Heavy drinking is often the consequence of low self-confidence or low self-esteem. Individuals drink to get the “Dutch courage” to go out with less insecurity and meet others with what they mistakenly believe is greater poise and selfassurance. This is sometimes accompanied by (usually low-level) bullying as the social group presses its members to conform to the culture of binge drinking. I believe that the answer lies in trying to change social behaviours by strengthening the real (not alcohol-enhanced) selfconfidence of young people. This is an educational task which should start in school, but can be reinforced at university, particularly in the first year, through a series of more demanding courses which focus on building students’ all-round educational capacity, including articulating themselves in a range of different mediums. Such an approach should be reinforced by trying to create social centres where consumption of alcohol is not the central activity, and where there are genuine and satisfying alternatives. This is easier as alcohol becomes more and more expensive, a trend which will certainly continue. These techniques, rather than draconian prohibition or removal of licensed premises and alcohol sales, are likely to be more effective in the medium term. Binge drinking cannot be ignored. It has to be faced-up to, and addressed. Its consequences are too serious for both individuals and wider society for it to be ignored.
Take pride in your University In all considerations, the American college arguably has a single concept which surpasses that of the British university. It is not the greater numbers, the house parties the keg stands. but rather it is what our American cousins would describe as “college spirit”. Here at UEA, there is perhaps a single day in the academic year which offers a chance for all students to don the blue and yellow and chant, sing, and support in true American fashion. This day is called Derby Day. Having taken place last week (7 March), the entire 22 hour day was a fantastic experience, despite the wind and rain, and a few instances of trouble between Essex fans and UEA players. It is clear Derby Day is a big issue, yet the Union of UEA Students did a poor
job of drumming up the hype which was in clear evidence across Essex. Having donned their red and black shirts, with faces painted and banners waving, the students at the University of Essex were clearly feeling the American spirit more so than the visitors. This can be taken as a learning curve though, and Derby Day 2013, taking place at home, is an opportunity to tell all that UEA really is wonderful. Even if you are not a big sports fan, Derby Day gives all a chance to take pride in your academic institution. It should be a primary goal of the Union to facilitate this, build up support, and to say to Essex that the only way is UEA.
Joshua Resoun
COMMENT THE DRUGS ISSUE
For Tim Rose
@TimCMRose
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THE BIG DEBATE With world experts stating that the “war on drugs” has failed, and a new drugs policy is being called for, Concrete asks:
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Against Chris King
@chriskking
Should certain drugs be legalised? In 2009 the Government’s Chief Drug Advisor Professor David Nutt published research that showed that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than many illegal drugs, including LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. The Government promptly sacked him. This is one of the most extreme examples of the insanity of our present drugs policy, which is seemingly more dictated by media hysteria than actual scientific fact.
hysteria contributes to our abnormally irrational drug laws, by making it politically untenable to talk sense on drugs, as Professor Nutt discovered. The global “war on drugs” causes far more harm than the actual drugs themselves, and has had little effect on actual drug use. This can be seen most vividly by the practical civil war going on in Mexico at present. More than 50,000 people have been killed since 2006, in fighting between
The legalisation debate revolves, in this writer’s view, around cannabis. Few would be brave enough to, at least publicly, endorse the legalisation or even decriminalisation of a drug as addictive and lethal as heroin, to take one example. Back in 2009, an article in the Guardian claimed that the legalisation of certain drugs would save the British economy £14bn. The Economist supported this claim, stating: “prohibition has failed. Legalisation is the least bad solution”.
This is a fallacy, and in a country of addiction, excess and a collective lack of control, an extremely dangerous one. Also, the cannabis debate is seemingly destined to remain forever unresolved. Every now and then it is raised, either enacted or defeated, then revoked, or never changed in the first place. This country has an almost inexplicable obsession with the legalisation debate. If cannabis remained illegal for the next ten years, it would not lead to the
“It is irrational to have tobacco and alcohol legal and not cannabis, when the harm they cause is possibly greater than most other drugs”
“With Britain suffering from a pervasive and damaging binge drinking culture, now really is the wrong time to be discussing cannabis”
It is entirely irrational to have tobacco and alcohol legal and not other drugs such as cannabis, when the harm they cause is as great, if not greater, than nearly all other drugs. It has been shown that alcohol is at least twice as harmful to users as cannabis and five times more harmful to society. Although it is clearly recognised that drugs can be harmful in many ways, if the drugs are only affecting the individual drug user, it seems perverse in a liberal society to prevent people from using them. Drugs illegality is also the main cause of the majority of harm created by them, as rather than seeking treatment, addicts are often forced into crime and even prostitution in order to fund their addictions. Illegality forces otherwise law-abiding people into engaging with criminals who they would otherwise have no contact with. Legalising drugs would also work to increase their safety, as consumers would be able to know exactly what they were buying, and their purity could be ensured. Many critics suggest that legalising drugs would lead to an upsurge in their use. However, after examining those countries where this has occurred, the opposite is true. Holland, which has long had extremely liberal drug laws, actually has lower levels of drug use among the general population than the UK. The media is a major barrier to a rational drug policy, due to its insane over reporting of drug deaths and vilification of anyone prepared to speak out in favour of legalisation. Deaths from ecstasy are over reported to the extent that the perception of a highly dangerous drug is given, when, in fact serious harm is incredibly rare. A study of reporting of drug deaths in Scotland over a 10 year period showed that the media reported just one in every 250 deaths from paracetamol, but reported every death associated with ecstasy. This
Indeed, statistics straight from Concrete’s drug survey show that almost 90% of students at UEA believe cannabis should be legalised. It would take a brave individual to try and counter such overwhelming popular opinion. So here goes. Legalisation of illegal drugs is not a blanket solution. It is an alternate means of coping with the problem of drug use. A concept which has worked in Portugal will probably not work in the United Kingdom, because the social pressures within the our borders are so different. In Britain, cannabis is one of those drugs you just “try”. Most people experiment with cannabis. Some go back, while others, for whatever reason, choose not to. There appears to be a collective lack of appreciation of the dangers of any illegal drugs, but particularly cannabis. Cannabis is almost seen as a “friendly” drug, a nice drug, whose effects are minimal, short term, and more than counteracted by the benefits the drug provides.
drug cartels and the government. None of this would have occurred if drugs were legal. The proceeds from drugs end up almost entirely in the hands of criminal gangs, who use them to fund other enterprises such as people trafficking and arms smuggling, creating a cycle of crime entirely resulting from the prohibition of drugs. The cost of fighting drugs every year in the UK is estimated to be anything between £1.5bn and £4bn. Given that the illegal drug trade is worth up to £8bn a year, surely at a time of economic austerity it makes far more sense for drugs to be regulated and taxed, rather than see this money end up in the hands of criminals. When other countries have far more liberal drug policies than our own, and are conversely much more successful at tackling drug addiction, it is clear we have been doing something wrong. It is time to get rational on drugs and end the madness of our failed drugs war.
ruination of society as we know it. Legalise it, and the practice of cannabis consumption will be legitimised, and at least indirectly, the effects of prolonged and/or irresponsible usage of the drug condoned. Britain needs to create an environment in which the legalisation of some drugs could be a progressive move towards a more pragmatic and liberal society. However, this environment does not currently exist, and social problems are so deep rooted in large swathes of the UK that legalisation will appear more like an invitation to drastically increase usage, not a subtle incentive to cut down or stop. There is certainly a belief in Britain that illegal drugs are something you “can’t do”, but also a rite of passage, almost. With the country suffering from a pervasive and damaging binge drinking culture, now seems the wrong time to be discussing the legalisation of cannabis. This is a drug which, after all, has the potential to supplant all other activities and interests (family, friends, a balanced social life and work) when regularly consumed. Legalisation would also remove the power of enforcement, a fact which, according to research from Robin Murray, a psychiatrist at Kings College London, could have terrible consequences: “the conclusion [from research] was that, if you took cannabis at age 18, you were about 60% more likely to go psychotic. But if you started by the time you were 15, then the risk was much greater, around 450%”. This is where the current system needs to be improved. It has to assume there will be illegal drug consumption, particularly of cannabis, beginning around the age of 15, and combat it here. Whether this requires a change of tact, style, or an improvement of facilities remains to be seen. What it does not need, however, is a blanket legalisation which, knowing the British government, will be rushed through, poorly-planned and ultimately unsatisfying to everyone.
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COMMENT
The hunt for Kony is best viewed in amazing technicolour Only those not acquainted with social networking could have missed the emergence of the Kony 2012 campaign, and its aim to “make Joseph Kony famous”. The video, and its accompanying message, have racked up 26m views in the last few days alone, and shows no sign of slowing down. The organisation behind this, Invisible Children (IC), hopes to draw attention to the crimes of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader, Joseph Kony. These include abduction, murder, and sexual enslavement, and this is by no means a comprehensive list. The director, Jason Russell, hopes that by making Joseph Kony a “household name”, the US government will be inspired to aid Uganda in capturing Kony. The campaign, and the organisation itself, have received fairly harsh criticism from the outset. While some of it has basis, a lot was founded on incomplete or poorly interpreted information. Indeed, this led to the ironic situation in which a commentator would slate Kony 2012 for manipulative use of facts, when the source of their own accusation was itself skewed. The epicentre, and most concentrated
criticism, comes from a Tumblr blog by the name of Visible Children. While the author does not doubt that “those in Kony 2012 have great intentions”, they raise a number of objections to the campaign, but as we will see, not all of them stand up to proper scrutiny.
operations. The second objection is to IC’s support of Uganda’s armed forces (UPDF), and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army: “both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army are riddled with accusations of rape and looting”.
“The video’s director, Jason Russell, hopes that by making Joseph Kony a “household name”, the US government will be inspired to aid Uganda in capturing him” First and foremost is the matter of finance. A great deal of hostility was raised at allegations that IC only allocated 32% of their budget to “direct services” last year. While this may be the case, there are certain costs that cannot be avoided, and in an operation where the primary goal is raising awareness, is it unreasonable to invest in the film that delivered such great publicity? Last year IC employed 45 full time personnel. Divided amongst them, the $1.7m dollars spent on salaries equates to $38,000 (£24,000) each. What’s important is that Invisible Children is not becoming rich from its charitable
This is an unfortunate truth. However, as unfortunate as it may be, it does nothing to negate IC’s statement that the Ugandan army is “better equipped than that of any of the other affected countries”. Some have even claimed the UPDF holds a worse record than the LDA, but this is hyperbole. A clear distinction can be drawn between the LRA and UDPF is that that the latter can be held accountable for their crimes. Red Pepper, a Ugandan newspaper, recently published an article detailing the imprisonment of more than 700 UPDF soldiers in Luzira Prizon. Despite its motivational content, what
the Kony 2012 movement actually calls for is quite unclear. Their intention is to raise awareness, but beyond that they desire some form of action from the American government, perhaps in the form of assistance and training (as has been their role since 2008) or possibly to go further, towards direct military intervention. If the latter is indeed their intention, I for one think they need to be extremely careful of what they ask, and from whom. There is a tremendous amount of political capital hanging in the air right now, the bleeding hearts of 26 million voters, and any irresponsible action to seize upon this opportunity could have dire consequences. I for one support the Kony 2012 campaign, much in the same way as I support any campaign that teaches people to be more conscious of foreign affairs. We must not, however, let our enthusiasm and endorsement run wild, lest they evade scrutiny, and we find ourselves accountable for all manner of wrongdoings.
Matthew Finucane
The UK can learn lessons from our European peers
Simon Wright MP During the 1990s, Portugal faced a problem with drugs that was strong and growing, particularly with heroin, and the social and health consequences were enormous. By the end of the decade, the country had become a gateway for drug trafficking. More than three quarters of drugs seized in Portugal were en route to other European countries. 2001 brought a radical shake-up by a government determined to address the country’s drugs problem. Based on our experience in the UK, you might be forgiven for thinking government action on drugs always means a hard-line crackdown on users, but you’d be wrong. While UK politicians frequently pander to the hysterics of our tabloids when it comes to drugs, Portuguese politicians took a different and altogether braver approach. The government came to the view that while drug abuse was becoming an uncontrollable problem, the criminalisation regime was draining resources and preventing an effective
response. Extensive studies in the years running up to 2001 assessed that criminalisation was in fact exacerbating the drugs problem. So instead of criminalising more and more users, Portugal changed the law to decriminalise possession for personal use. Possession remains prohibited, but those caught today face a “dissuasion board” with sanctions applied if they’re caught reoffending. Sanctions can be suspended by the board if users requiring treatment seek it. Users are no longer criminalised.
2001 – significantly amongst teenagers. And has decriminalisation made Portugal a tourist destination for drug taking? The evidence suggests not. Every year since 2001, roughly 95% of those apprehended for drug offences have been Portuguese. The response of police officers to the changes is also worth considering. Many officers are reportedly now more likely to act when they see drug usage, as they believe the education and treatment options are far more effective than the criminalisation of users.
“It’s time to take a hard look at how our European partners are succeeding where we are not” Given that these changes took place in Portugal more than a decade ago, there is now enough empirical evidence to judge the impact that decriminalisation has had. Astonishingly, drug rates in Portugal today are amongst the lowest in Europe, and much lower than the UK with our far more punitive laws. In almost every important respect, Portugal, since decriminalisation, has outperformed the vast majority of states where drug use remains a criminalised offence. Lifetime prevalence rates, that measure how many people have consumed drugs during their lifetime, have fallen in many age-groups since
Before decriminalisation, drug addicts in Portugal were fearful of seeking treatment in case it led to prosecution. That barrier has now been broken, which has meant effective treatment options have become more attractive to addicts. In addition, decriminalisation has freed up resources that are now used to support treatment and harm reduction programmes. As a result, the regime introduced in Portugal has had an incredibly significant impact in reducing drug addiction and the social problems that go with it. Nightmarish predictions made prior to the introduction of the new regime by its
opponents have not materialised. Indeed, political consensus in Portugal now seems to be firmly in support of the policy of decriminalisation. There are those in the UK that fear decriminalising drugs would send the wrong message to potential users, that to do so would undermine warnings that drugs harm users and those around them. While that concern may be understandable, we should focus primarily on evidence. The truth is that developing drugs policy has not always been an objective process, particularly in the UK. Politics gets in the way. You may remember Gordon Brown’s reclassification of cannabis against the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Professor David Nutt, the government’s former chief drug advisor, accused the then government of “making scientific decisions before they’ve even consulted with their experts”. Still, it went down well with the Daily Mail. The UK spends more than any other European country on tackling drug use, while at the same time having one of the biggest problems. It’s time to take a hard look at how our European partners are succeeding where we are not. A very good start would be to review the impact of the changes in Portugal. If we are serious as a country about putting evidence based policy above political opportunism, then why not?
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If Carlsberg did Features articles ... Billy Sexton studies advertising, sponsorship and the representation of drugs and alcohol in the media “Have you got a WKD side?” “Fosters. Good Call.” Most people recognise these famous slogans almost instantly, and whether we realise it or not, alcohol advertisements are all around us. Statistics from 2004 indicate that over £800m per year was spent on advertising alcohol in the UK. Although there are some restrictions on adverts promoting alcohol, these don’t tend to go very far. The British Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) Code regarding alcohol is that “advertisements for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18 years of age and should not imply, condone or encourage immoderate, irresponsible or anti-social drinking”. Not very restricting at all. Firstly, advertisers will not want to target under 18s, because they cannot legally purchase their products anyway. Secondly, if the advert shows anti-social behaviour or the negative effects of too much alcohol, their product isn’t going to look attractive and people won’t buy it. No brainer. Therefore, on the surface, alcohol adverts aren’t widely seen to negatively affect underage drinking, although younger people are more likely to remember the adverts due to the humour contained within them. Alongside this, sports teams or music events may be sponsored by alcohol producing companies, both of which can have particular appeal to the younger generation. Recent analyses suggest that the elimination of alcohol advertising could reduce monthly drinking amongst adolescents in the US from about 25% to around 21%, and binge drinking from 12% to around 7%. Quite haunting when you delve deeper. Say what you will about these statistics though, what needs to be asked is why there isn’t a complete ban on alcohol adverts like there is with tobacco. BCAP rule: “advertisements must not promote smoking or the use of tobacco products”. This makes sense, given that the World Health Organisation (WHO) finds that over 5m deaths per year are a result of excessive smoking, with smokers more likely to have a heart attack and get lung cancer. Those
who smoke for a lifetime have a 50% chance of dying from a smoking-related disease. The statistics concerning alcohol are not much different. One in three adults in the UK drinks enough alcohol to be at risk of developing alcohol-related liver disease. Binge drinking can put people at risk too. Men can double their chances of developing coronary heart disease by drinking more than eight alcohol units per day. Women are also at greater risk of developing
coronary heart disease when they drink more than six units a day. So, next time you fancy that £1.50 Jagerbomb from the LCR, have a think … With the statistics as widely available as they are, and the UK having as big a problem as it does regarding its drinking culture, it is frankly shocking that adverts promoting alcohol consumption are still legal. Sponsorship in sport is huge. More so than ever, sporting events and teams are being shaped by the needs of business. Look only to Newcastle United and Manchester City: both historic clubs have their stadiums named controversially after sponsors. But with regard to alcohol and tobacco, gone are the days when we saw
Michael Schumacher leaping to the top step of the Formula 1 podium, clad all in red and with Marlboro branded across his chest. This is quite bizarre given that Formula 1 drivers need to be unbelievably fit and healthy to even drive their car, let alone be as successful as Schumacher was. But midway through the last decade, EU law deemed tobacco sponsorship to be illegal on any grounds. Despite this, Ferrari still has a lucrative deal with Marlboro. Moving towards a more general picture, what, if any, are the effects of alcohol and tobacco sponsorship? Does it promote use of a product? And should it be allowed? The arguments surrounding the latter are similar to those that surround advertising, in that alcohol and tobacco companies are able to penetrate the youth market despite the younger generation being unable to actually buy their products. Switching focus to the former question, the lack of tobacco or alcohol sponsorship funding could result in an event no longer being held at a specific venue. This was shown by the continued sponsorship that Fosters gave to the Australian Grand Prix up until 2006, despite legislation being introduced in 1992 that prohibited alcohol and tobacco advertising at sporting events. It appears that the big business and profitable nature of such companies are needed to fund events, so that more attractive venues do not replace them. Having said this, some companies are promoting legality and responsibility. In Nascar (a form of American stock car racing) for example, drivers under the age of 21 must not have any alcohol branding on their cars. Unlike advertising, the sponsorship argument can go either way. Of course, being able to penetrate the younger market is never desirable, however the revenue that alcohol and tobacco can pump into a sporting team can be massive, giving them that extra few million to sign a star player on transfer deadline day. You wouldn’t complain if this were your team, would you? There are also intriguing developments in the world of television drama. Popular and critically acclaimed shows, Mad Men and Breaking Bad could appear, on the surface, to be promoting s m o k i n g , drinking at work and hard drug dealing. Take Don Draper, the main protagonist in Emmy Award-winning Mad Men. He’s good looking, he has a family, he has a
nice car, he has a beautiful wife (he has gorgeous mistresses), and he’s good at his job. And yet, he smokes constantly and drinks several measures of whiskey daily. You’d quickly come to the conclusion that Mad Men is promoting smoking and drinking, as “it is part of being successful”, right? Wrong. By the final episode of the most recent season, Don is red in the face, looking aged. His business partner, Roger Sterling, who lives very much an identical lifestyle, has suffered from his second stroke. When you look at things closer, it certainly makes you think what message the producers really want to get across. Even as a TV drama, Mad Men was pushing the boundaries when it first aired. Set in the advertising world of 1960s New York, smoking and drinking had to be included in the show to make it look realistic. On top of that, the fictional ad agency signed a lucrative deal with Lucky Strike tobacco in the opening episodes. Bordering on controversial, a very smart move was made by the producers in the most recent, fourth season: Lucky Strike pull their account from Draper’s advertising company, leaving them all but bankrupt. However, Draper proceeds to publish a personal advert titled: “Why I’m quitting Tobacco.” The ad is simply a letter but it labels tobacco as “a product that never improves, that causes illness, and makes people unhappy” and evokes that although the industry provided the bucks, he’ll be taking his business elsewhere. So does Mad Men promote smoking? In the end, no. It promotes good health and sends a clear message out that money isn’t everything. This leads nicely into high-end drug dealing, where there is a lot of money. Breaking Bad, another Emmy Awardwinning show, follows the life of Walter White, a poorly paid chemistry teacher, diagnosed with cancer and set to leave his family with nothing. Yet Walter can cook very pure crystal meth and one of his drop out former students can sell it on the streets. The drug dealing escalates as the show proceeds into four seasons, and although Walter has amassed millions by this time, it’s not all fun and games as he is constantly living in fear of the lives of his family, witnesses brutal drug related deaths and even has to resort to burning bodies in acid to destroy evidence. The message the Breaking Bad producers are conveying is: once you’re in, it’s hard to get out alive and sane. The debate about the advertising and promotion of alcohol, tobacco and drugs in the media will continue to rage on long after this article, but hopefully it reveals some of the key issues surrounding the ongoing arguments.
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The Concrete Drugs Survey 2012: The Results | The Stats GENERAL Gender? Male 48.0% Female 51.4% Other 0.5%
LEGAL DRUGS Have you ever taken legal drugs? Yes 90.8% No 5.5% Not sure 3.7% Which? Caffeine 95.4% Painkillers 94.6% Alcohol 98.4% Nicotine 71.0% Legal highs 36.9% None 1.4% Other 5.4% Do you smoke? Yes 16.3% No 59.3% Socially 24.4% How often do you drink caffeinated drinks? 5+ times a day 6.1% 3-4 times a day 13.9% More than once a day 20.8% Once a day 11.7% A few times a week 24.7% Once a week 10.3% Once a month 5.3% A few times a year 4.4% Once a year 0.0% Never 2.8% Where do you take legal highs? Party 32.1% Festival 25.1% House 31.8% Club 22.4% I don’t take them 54.5% Other 4.3% Do you consider legal highs to be dangerous? Yes 48.7% No 21.5% Not sure 29.8% Do you think legal highs should be made illegal? Yes 23.1% No 43.5% Not sure 33.4%
ILLEGAL DRUGS Have you ever taken illegal drugs? Yes 69.9% No 27.6% Not sure 2.4% Which? Cannabis 71.5% MDMA 30.5% Heroin 2.6% Ketamine 17.7% Ecstasy 23.8% Cocaine 21.2% Crack 3.5% LSD 9.0% Magic mushrooms 14.8% Speed 13.7% Crystal meth 2.3% None 27.0% Other 8.1% How old were you when you first took illegal drugs? Under 12 1.7% 12-13 3.3% 14-15 17.3% 16-17 25.6% 18-19 19.2% 20-21 3.3% Over 21 0.0% Never taken illegal drugs 29.5% How often do you take illegal drugs? More than once a day 2.8% Once a day 1.7% Once a week 10.2% Once a month 12.7% A few times a year 20.1% Once a year 5.1% Once every few years 7.9% Never 33.6% Other 5.9% Do you take more than one drug at a time? Yes 13.6% No 34.0% Sometimes 40.2% N/A 12.2% Have you enjoyed taking illegal drugs? Yes 58.6% No 8.2% Not sure 4.0% Never taken illegal drugs 29.2% Has anything bad ever happened to you or a friend after taking illegal drugs? Yes 53.7% No 41.7% Not sure 4.6% Do you know anyone that deals illegal drugs? Yes 70.5% No 22.7%/Not sure 6.8%
Would you say that you have ever been addicted to illegal drugs? Yes 5.8% No 92.7% Not sure 1.6% Have you ever had blackouts or flashbacks as a result of drug use? Yes 21.7% No 76.4% Not sure 1.9% Has drug consumption ever affected your ability to work or study? Yes 30.4% No 66.7% Not sure 2.9%
ALCOHOL On average, how many units of alcohol do you consume per week? None 4.3% 1-2 9.2% 3-4 12.5% 5-8 16.7% 9-12 21.0% 13-16 14.1% 17+ 19.3% I don’t drink 3.0%
Has anything bad ever happened to you or a friend after drinking alcohol excessively? Yes 69.8% No 26.2% Not sure 4.0% Have you ever drunk driven? Yes 14.2% No 83.4% Not sure 2.4% Do you believe alcohol has adversely affected your social or personal life? Yes 17.5% No 74.7% Not sure 7.7%
Have you ever had any medical problems as a result of drug use? Yes 6.8% No 90.6% Not sure 2.6%
How often do you consume alcohol? More than once a day 1.7% Once a day 4.2% Once every few days 55.0% Once a week 25.3% Once a fortnight 8.7% Once a month 2.8% A few times a year 2.1% Once a year 0.3% Never 0.0%
Have you ever felt pressured to take illegal drugs at UEA? Yes 8.6% No 90.4% Not sure 1.0%
Have you ever had any financial or social problems as a result of drug use? Yes 10.7% No 87.4% Not sure 1.9%
Do you feel alcohol has enhanced your experience at UEA? Yes 71.3% No 18.0% Not sure 10.7%
If you’ve taken illegal drugs, do you regret it? Yes 9.5% No 85.6% Not sure 5.0%
Have you or anyone you know ever experienced any personality change after taking drugs? Yes 46.5% No 48.4% Not sure 5.1%
Do you feel you have a dependency upon alcohol? Yes 7.3% No 88.2% Not sure 4.5%
If you’ve taken illegal drugs, how did they compare? Better 23.9% Worse 10.1% About the same 5.1% Not sure 6.4% Never taken illegal drugs 5.1% Never taken a legal high 24.6% Never taken a legal high or illegal drugs 24.9% Do you think any illegal drugs should be legalised? Yes 54.0% No 33.4% Not sure 12.6% Which? Cannabis 95.1% MDMA 31.1% Heroin 14.2% Ketamine 16.4% Ecstasy 25.7% Cocaine 16.9% Crack 12.6% LSD 21.9% Magic mushrooms 31.7% Speed 14.8% Crystal Meth 12.6%
Do you feel UEA has a drinking culture that encourages students to drink too much alcohol? Definitely 17.8% Probably 28.9% Maybe 18.5% Probably not 23.5% Definitely not 9.7% Not sure 1.7% Would you have come to UEA if the campus were “dry”? Yes 26.9% No 57.9% Not sure 15.2% Do you feel alcohol has had a negative impact upon your degree? Yes 16.9% No 75.0% Not sure 8.1% Have you ever felt pressured to drink in order to fit in? Yes 39.3% No 58.1% Not sure 2.7%
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Concrete doesn’t want to tell you what to do. Nor is it promoting or condoning excessive consumption of alcohol or the taking of illegal drugs. Some responses to the survey went unpublished out of respect. Concrete promotes safe and responsible consumption of alcohol, and encourages a reasonable attitude towards drug use
Good experiences
Why do you take drugs?
“Chemical Brothers at Creamfields was pretty intense, nodding clown heads in the sky were very trippy”.
“I enjoy it, it enhances emotions and creativity. The ones I take have as of yet displayed no negative effects, providing they are used correctly”
“Smoked cannabis, then realised that the entirety of Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin was actually a message from a higher power about the meaning of life ... the solo was in morse code”.
“Because I enjoy marijuana, it’s not addictive and it’s less detrimental to your health than alcohol.”
“Stripping down to my knickers and running down Market Street in Manchester screaming “I love you Justin Bieber!” That was fun ...”
“Cannabis is nice to relax with in the evening at the end of the day. “Harder” drugs (MDMA) are fun for the incredible amount of energy and happiness they give, which is great if you’re planning a long night out till the early hours. It can also often work out cheaper than drinking for a night out.”
“Swimming with dolphins in the UEA lake”.
“Music sounds better. Food tastes better. Colours look more vivid.”
Bad experiences
Social enhancement
“A friend became totally dependent on weed. He suffered memory loss, became paranoid, and ended up failing his degree and losing his girlfriend”.
“It has made me open up more socially, and livened up nights out. It has united me with people I would ordinarily not have been exposed to.”
“Nearly drowning in Vietnam after taking magic mushrooms and walking into the sea ...”
“It is easier to meet people/make friends. Drinking is a very social thing”.
“Whilst on ketamine my friend “k-holed” and was an incredible paranoid and nervous wreck. We couldn’t touch her to help her up or move her anywhere, she’d just go crazy. In the end she just had to vomit it all out of her system”.
“It makes the LCR bearable (or even fun)”. “I spent an absolute fortune on alcohol and was drinking every day to excess. I managed to quit and have no regrets. Alcohol is much more dangerous than people seem to think it is.”
“A friend of mine had to stop smoking cannabis due to psychosis.” “Not directly because of drugs, because if you know what you’re doing there should be little direct risk, but a promising friend ruined his life because drugs make you happy doing nothing of worth. He’s now in a deadend job with 30 grand of debt and no hope of ever paying that off. He just lives for drugs.” “Paranoia. Plain and simple”. “My friends have gotten into all sorts of trouble while taking hard drugs. These incidents range from being caught by the police to almost dying”. “A friend of mine was drinking and took ketamine and passed out. When somebody found her she was rushed to hospital mid festival and had her stomach pumped. It was pretty scary at the time and the doctors said that with only a little bit more alcohol in her system it would have killed her”. “Had to carry a mate back from the LCR. It literally took half an hour to go from there, to the LCR, to Sulfolk Terrace. Also nearly got into a fight outside Project”. “I felt nothing for hours, until I was watching a film with a friend. I felt like the slightest movement had me travelling at 100mph. It was very frightening, and I felt on the verge of a panic attack. The only thing I could think to do was keep as still as possible and breathe”. “I rode my bike around the aisles of Tesco Fiveways, falling off into the pizza fridge”.
Effect on education “I became addicted to drone during my AS levels, and as a result began to suffer from depression. My grades and attendance fell to an extent that my teachers had to call my parents in to discuss my future. I ended up underachieving and having to resit all of my as exams the next year.” “Weed has had an impact on my short-term memory, makes me feel hazy and lethargic.” “Been too hungover/drunk/stoned/deffing out/ on a terrible come down to even attempt to study.”
Considering drugs? “Try it if you want, but take less than you need rather than more. Also there’s obviosuly a massive difference between sharing a spliff and shooting up smack”. “Know your limits”. “Don’t do it, they’re dangerous and have a lot more risks than benefits. Why would you want to put yourself through that? You would also get kicked off our course if you were to be caught, so why bother risking it?”
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Is there a case for legalisation? Sam Emsley discusses the arguments surrounding the legalisation of certain drugs Ever since people have been able to produce them, drugs have been a part of society. But for the last century or so, governments across the globe have dictated what drugs people can or cannot use, keeping alcohol and nicotine legal, but outlawing other drugs such as heroin and marijuana. So, have such arbitrary laws actually worked in preventing drug related deaths? Not necessarily. During alcohol prohibition in America, bootleggers made a fortune brewing and distributing alcohol. Crime rose by 24%, homicide by 12.7% and drug addiction by 44%. Gangsters such as Al Capone carried out brutal mob rule in an attempt to take command of the lucrative illegal industry. It may be almost a century later, but the same thing is happening today with drugs all over the world, and with the business being so rewarding, it’s hard to understand why people don’t abuse
the law. Pablo Escabar made so much money from his drug empire that he had warehouses filled with what he couldn’t launder, constituting an estimated net worth of $3bn. He reportedly spent $2,500 a month on rubber bands just to hold all the cash together. Moreover, the Department of Justice has calculated that
The positive effects of recent drug legislation have been seen in Portugal and its decriminalisation of drug possession. Since its implementation, drug related deaths and the use of heroin, marijuana and cocaine all fell. The number of people seeking treatment for addiction doubled. Instead of imprisoning drug users at the
“There are darker shades to peer pressure too; drawing attention to flaws or weaknesses in order to coax someone out of their comfort” the annual earnings of the Mexican drug cartels are somewhere between $13.6 and $48.4bn. With 47,554 deaths since the start the Mexican government’s five-year war on drugs, one begins to wonder why a new approach isn’t being adopted. Moving closer to home, studies show that more than a third of Britons have taken drugs in their lifetime, and four million people use illegal drugs annually.
expense of taxpayers for no benefit, they are now encouraged to seek advice to break their habit. The money saved from ending drug prohibition in Britain could be valuably redistributed, especially in the current economic climate. This isn’t to mention the proven benefits of some drugs. Studies have shown marijuana effectively combats glaucoma, breast cancer, brain cancer, multiple
sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimers and skin disease. Not to mention the hugely beneficial effects of the drug for cancer and HIV/AIDS patients , who find themselves able to eat properly and feel far less pain, something that provides relief from the huge number of debilitating drugs they take to stay alive. Yet this drug is still widely prohibited. There is no question that deregulation and controlled legalisation of some drugs would be hugely beneficial to the economy, society and medicine. But so long as the voting majority perceive drugs as evil and harmful without having properly analysed the evidence, politicians will forever condemn them in spite of the terror and destruction their prohibition brings. If you want information on drugs or are concerned about somebody, head to TalkToFrank.com. Alternatively, you can visit matthewproject.co.uk.
You know who your friends are ... Anthony Shaw looks at the role peer pressure plays in alcohol consumption and drug use Momentarily, cast your mind back through your entire university life, and in particular on all the times you have been well and truly out of your right mind. One would hope that the elder of you out there struggle to recall the last time this was the case, but for first years and the young at heart, the internal search engine is likely inundated with all manner of black smudges and quite common “oh my god, did I?” Now you may think that you only have yourself to blame for these life affirming disasters, but who was it
the most steadfast student. Peer pressure is a mechanism by which your friends and acquaintances can influence you into making a decision that you wouldn’t usually make. Be it “just one more”, “don’t be a pussy” or “how can you know you won’t like it until you’ve tried it?” It comes in many forms, from reason to ridicule, through the unlikeliest sources. More often than not it will be a misguided attempt from close friends to improve your night, pushing you to drink too much, or try things that they
“There are darker shades to peer pressure too; drawing attention to flaws or weaknesses in order to coax someone out of their comfort zone” that instigated the downing of your last yjtrr drinks? Who supplied you with that “whole other level” wonder powder? Almost certainly it would’ve been the band of miscreants and stop outs that you refer to as your friends, at this fine establishment. This author is of course inferring that peer pressure was to blame. A far too often-seen tool with the malefic capabilities of bending the will of even
themselves have enjoyed or would like to try. Many of us may have personally felt the oesophagus shortening sting of being pushed to do that one last shot, resulting in taking a bin to bed three hours early, and also the rundown state of apathy continued nights like this can cause. Drinking and sharing new experiences is conducive to bonding, but one should never feel pressured by a friend who just wants to vindicate their own experimentation. There are darker shades to peer pressure too; drawing attention to flaws or weaknesses in order to coax someone out of their comfort zone. Such dangerous
manipulation can lead to drink driving, overdoses and all manner of doubt and insecurities in the pressured party. It can even be a completely subconscious affair. The innate human need to integrate can lead those who are less certain in themselves to try all manner of things they never would have in an attempt to fit in. It can be difficult to realise when you are being pressured into doing something. After all, you know who your friends are, but one should always stick
to one’s guns. Obviously this is easier said than done, but the power of “no” comes with practice. If you feel as though you are cavorting with people who are pressuring you into levels of drink and drug use that you are not comfortable with, try and spend some time with those who refrain from, or control these vices. Peer pressure can work for you as well as against you. Don’t let this author influence your opinions on peer pressure too much, however, as that defeats the object.
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Afghanistan’s opium production Taking it to the extreme
Elizabeth Margereson International writer Most people would know that the raw source of opium is the opium poppy, or Papaver Somniferum. It contains morphine which is then processed to create opium and heroin. Not quite the poppies you might see in summer meadows. Many will also have an idea that a big producer of the opium poppy is Afghanistan. The extent of opium production in the country is almost mind blowing. It is predicted that 89% of Europe’s supply of opium comes from Afghanistan alone, and the country produces 90% of the entire world’s opium. That’s 5,800 tonnes a year. Production within the country is growing too. A 61% increase was estimated in 2011. Afghanistan is an Islamic country and drug use is strictly prohibited within traditional Sharia law. This places even more confusion on the already unbelievable figures. However, the ongoing war which has raged in the country for over 10 years now puts financial pressure on individuals.
Rachael Lum discusses the contrasting drug policies of Portugal and Singapore
opium within the country not only affects the world on a global scale but also causes problems within Afghan society itself. The psychological and physical effects of the war have driven many people (women, men and children) into drug use, and heroin is easy to come by in the country,
“With war still raging in the country, national and international focus is drawn away from the drugs trade, leaving opium production to thrive and flourish within the vulnerable country” Opium production is a way to make money in a country where unemployment is high and poverty is rife. The result of the mass production of
with the street price of a gram of the drug being just over one pound. Men become addicted to the drug while working in neighboring countries
in the “Golden crescent”. When they come home, their wives and children may become addicted to the drug through inhalation of passive smoke. Due to the low prices and ready availability of heroin, parents might use it to treat their children for illnesses as it is cheaper than ordinary, legal medication. In the worst case scenarios, this results in children as young as two or three becoming addicted to the drug. The outlook seems bleak. With war still raging in the country, national and international focus is drawn away from the drugs trade, leaving opium production to thrive and flourish within the vulnerable country.
Shisha: is it really just smoke? Ming Zhe Hon International writer Shisha, also known as hookah or waterpipe, is derived from “shishe”, the Persian word for glass, named after the glass vessel that is used for smoking. These vessels can be made of pottery, wood, metals and even plastic. The contents are known as muaasel, a mixture of tobacco, molasses, vegetable glycerin and a component of flavoring agents. Shisha culture has been rapidly gaining in popularity over recent years. There are shisha lounges available, but some even buy shisa for themselves, which is often preferred due to legislation on public smoking. Culture, “experience” and exoticism are popular reasons for trying shisha, but most notably, it is regarded as a better alternative to smoking. It differs from regular smoking in that tobacco smoke is passed through water and drawn through a hose with an attached mouthpiece that is
used to inhale. This supposedly cools and humidifies the smoke, absorbing small amounts of water-soluble toxins from tobacco smoke (including nicotine) which makes it less addictive. However, some studies by Mayo Clinic have shown that a person inhales 100-200 times more smoke by volume during a typical one hour shisha session than when smoking a single cigarette, because it can be inhaled more deeply and held for a longer length of time. The World Health Organization has announced that the water does not strip out all toxic substances. Less than 5% of the nicotine is absorbed. It could be that they believe it is less harmful. However, this leads to people smoking for longer. This contributes even more to the health risk, as the coals used would result in substantially increased carbon monoxide in the vicinity. Health officials have also expressed concerns over the prolonged heating of chemical colourings and scents, as well as unscrupulous vendors using shishas made
from cheap materials that are not safely heat-resistant. At the end of the day, it really is up to personal beliefs, ideals and, ultimately, one’s choice with regards to whether one wants to smoke one way over the other, or to smoke at all.
The war on drugs is one that every country faces, but some have adopted extreme measures to solve this national affair. Taking a very liberal stance, Portugal opted to decriminalize the possession and use of illicit substances in 2001. The policy focuses on reducing the harm caused by drug abuse through investment in treatment services. Individuals caught owning small amounts of substances for personal use, and found to be addicted, would either be admitted into a drug rehabilitation facility or given community service instead of being thrown behind bars. At the time, Portugal was Europe’s most socially conservative country, which gave rise to criticism that it would attract “drug tourists” to Lisbon. This has not been the case. Five years after implementation, a report revealed a decline in teenage drug abuse and HIV infections among its users, while drug-related deaths fell by 50%. Much of this is attributed to the healthcare policy and the notion that it is no longer considered “cool”. Countries located around the famous narcotic-producing region called the “Golden Triangle”, which borders Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, are inclined to create stricter drug laws. Singapore tops the chart. Those caught in possession of small amounts of illegal highs would be charged a heavy fine or imprisoned for a maximum of 10 years. Those arrested for trafficking are given the mandatory death penalty, while drug addicts have few options in terms of public healthcare to aid their circumstance. Many countries have deemed this draconian. The Australian government, for one, criticised the country after one of its locals was convicted despite the request for clemency. Nevertheless, fear of the severe punishments is what drives people to think twice about committing these crimes. The 2008 World Drug Report reported that Singapore has one of the lowest prevalence of substance abuse in the world. Naturally, neither of these models is entirely flawless. Decriminalisation of drugs does not qualify as a health policy, while lack of treatment centers is not ideal in itself. At least for both Portugal and Singapore, these countries have found their respective ways of dealing with the issue, even if it does involve extremities.
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Livin’ la vida loca with UEA Travel Society in Spain Joshua Resoun journeyed with UEA Travel Society on their spring term trip to the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona, soaking up the tapas and paella culture, visiting some of the most famous architecture in the world, and finding out the true meaning of a Spanish fiesta Gaudi’s “La Sagrada Familia”
A few of the group in Plaza Sol
The beach at Barceloneta
The Santiago Bernabeu stadium
Eating snails on a tapas tour
Whilst a gale blew across the United Kingdom, UEA Travel Society departed on a cheap-as-chips budget flight, courtesy of Ryanair, to leave the overcast skies of Norfolk behind and land two hours later in the golden sunshine basking over Spain’s capital city, Madrid. Compared to most Spanish cities, Madrid is relatively new, having only become the capital of Spain in 1561 after the royal court was transferred there by royal decree. Walking the streets of this regal city you find yourself immersed in the culture of Madrid. With its cobbled streets and medieval architecture, from the Palacio Real de Madrid to the Plaza Mayor, the city’s history comes alive as you stroll the streets with one of the free walking tours. Travel Society can safely recommend New Madrid’s tour, although beware of having three of your party labelled as “lazy, loser, and lame” (referencing three Spanish kings who we had the pleasure of portraying). Topping any activities list while in Madrid is sampling the local tapas bars. Spanish social life is built around tapas, which is essentially a snack served with an alcoholic beverage available all around Spain, but in particular the Madrid region where it originated. Spaniards tend to eat dinner from 9-11pm, and thus they “bar hop” from one tapas joint to the next, enjoying local brews and vineyards, and feasting on any number of Spanish dishes. Some of the weirder delights on offer include snails, razor clams and lamb stomach (all of which were tried by this writer). When abroad in Spain, or anywhere for that matter, tasting the local delicacies is a necessity for a true travel experience. One top travel tip that we picked up along the way is that overnight coaches in the middle of the week, even in the depths of a Spanish winter, do sell out, so do not risk having to walk the streets of Madrid in the early hours of the morning and be sure to book all your transportation needs in advance. Of course, if you fancy hooking up with some Romanians and storming a local karaoke bar to sing “Barbie Girl” at 3am, then by all means, forget to book in advance. Sometimes the most annoying situations turn into the most surreal. Barcelona, resting peacefully on the coast of the Mediterranean, is the second largest city in Spain, and is an odd mix of modern beach resort, medieval city
and Olympian developments (Barcelona underwent a huge facelift when it hosted the Olympics in 1992). The Olympic Park itself, inside the city’s Montjuic Park, is well worth a trek up the hill that overlooks the city. Not only do you get some fantastic views, but you can also take a look around the modern art gallery dedicated to the famous Catalan painter Joan Miro. Speaking of works of art, you can’t go to Barcelona without visiting the Sagrada Familia. Gaudi’s gothic cathedral, which still has over a decade to go until it is completed, is truly a masterpiece. The Unesco World Heritage site has its own metro station and can be toured, but it’s best to wait until Sunday when the building is open for free to the public. Putting aside the well-known attractions, the city offers one of the best nights out in Europe, with plenty of bars, restaurants and beachside dance clubs (the antics of Travel Society’s night out cannot be discussed here, yet if you listen to the lyrics of Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” you will get a fairly good idea of what went down). Moving on from beach volleyball and seafood paellas, Barcelona’s Gothic quarter, known as the “old city”, is full of Gaudi architecture, which stands in stark contrast to the hotels and apartment blocks that fan across the city’s wide boulevards. Couple these romantic attractions with one of Europe’s best football stadiums, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou, and you’ll find that the city offers an incredibly vibrant and diverse atmosphere for any tourist. Barcelona and Madrid are both incredibly different cities with very separate identities, however what they do share is a relaxed way of life and a culture of sitting out in the sunshine with a beer in the afternoon, and just watching the world go by. When we could have been in the library toiling over coursework and dissertations, it was great to shift all those worries momentarily to the back of our minds and relax a little. You are probably asking yourself how poor students can afford a week abroad, but this writer can safely say it was fantastic value for money, with travel and accommodation coming in at under £225. Considering the six memorable days that were had by all in Spain, this is a price worth paying. Now if only Michel Telo (YouTube him if you aren’t familar with the name) would come and perform in Britain.
Essential Madrid Getting away and around Madrid Barajas Airport is one of Europe’s largest and it is a simple metro ride into the city centre. Madrid’s metro is clean and efficient with single tickets at 1.50 Euros, but the best way to see the city is by foot.
Where to rest your head This writer stayed at Way Hostel in the city’s historic Sol district near the Plaza Mayor. Clean, with a free breakfast, but beds could be comfier.
You simply cannot miss The Santiago Bernabeu stadium tour. Home to Real Madrid, the €16 Euro tour is worth every cent, as you get to see the changing rooms, the president’s box and sit in team manager Jose Mourinho’s seat.
Essential Barcelona Getting away and around Barcelona’s airport is a train and a metro away from the centre but its bus and train stations are central.
Where to rest your head The Travel Society slept at HostelOne Sants in the south of the city near Camp Nou. The free dinner saved a few euros and the hostel was great for meeting other travellers.
You simply cannot miss Eating fresh seafood paella on Barceloneta, the city’s beach, which is lined with paella restaurants for you to search for the best deal and sit down for a meal.
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Have a Swede time in Stockholm When travelling around Europe, the countries that make up the cultural-linguistic region of Scandivania are often overlooked, but, as Polly Grice discovered in the Swedish capital Stockholm, the region is well worth a visit for the natural and man-made beauties open to visitors Hidden away in a dark corner of Scandinavia, Stockholm has traditionally been the tourist destination of choice for those who prefer to holiday slightly off the beaten track. After the international success of Steig Larsson’s epic Millenium trilogy and the subsequent Hollywood blockbuster set, both of which were filmed almost entirely in Sweden, more people are headed to Stockholm than ever before, and it’s not hard to see why. First, head to Gamlastan, the old town. With its cobbled streets and vividly painted houses, this historic quarter is bursting with typical Swedish allure. Gamlastan boasts a number of the finest shops and restaurants in the city, but also some of the most visited tourist attractions. The Royal Palace Kungliga Slottet is well worth a visit for its Baroque style architecture. Also, catch the changing of the guards if you can. It is a display not to be missed. A stone’s throw away from the royal residence is Stockholm Cathedral, Sweden’s answer to Westminster Abbey, where the country’s royals are christened, married and buried.
Take a leisurely stroll around Gamlastan and wherever you look, you’ll be charmed by the vividly painted building fronts and
quintessentially Swedsh culture. With lovely views out to other islands, it’s also the ideal place to take a few scenic snaps.
Another real must in Stockholm is Skansen. This self-styled “open-air museum” is in reality a cross between a national park, a zoo and a collection of historic buildings. With reindeers, demonstrations of traditional Swedish folk dancing and gorgeous scenery for long walks in the countryside, it’s little wonder that Skansen is Sweden’s most popular tourist attraction. Whatever your tastes and interests, Skansen provides an experience unlike any other. Undoubtedly, however, the best (and most relaxing) way of seeing Stockholm is by boat. There are many reasonably priced tour companies offering all kinds of different river cruises around Stockholm and its archipelagos. We plumped for an hour long canal tour, which takes you round most of the 14 islands that make up the city. It’s an easy way to see the most recognizable sights and natural beauty of Stockholm After all that nature, culture and architecture, the only place to go is the Abs ice bar for a glacial vodka cocktail or three. Well, when in Sweden.
Travel Euro-cheap Top 3: travel presenters One of the most popular options for student travel over the summer months is to go interrailing or travelling by bus around Europe. Spending anywhere between a week to a month journeying across the continent has been a staple travel experience for many years and there are quite a few way to do it cheaply.
travellers under the age of 25, and you can travel by train in any of the 30 countries that the pass is valid in. Another option is to go by bus. Busabout allow for freestyle bus travel around Europe. They have plenty of organised routes and trips to festivals, but you also have the option to buy a pass that
“With dozens of destinations available, you can make the most of Europe with either a bus or train pass” The most popular option is to buy a global pass from InterRail that ranges from £154 for five travel days within ten days to £371 which allows you to travel on most trains around Europe every day for a whole month. There is a 35% discount for
allows you to go on any bus from MayOctober, which costs £335 for students. With dozens of destinations available, you can make the most of Europe with either a train or bus pass. Greg Lewry
Travel tips #2
How to travel when you don’t speak the language You’ve just landed in a foreign country, all around you people are chattering away but you don’t understand a thing. It’s all gobbledygook to you. Gesticulating becomes your best means of communication, but investing in a phrase book can prove priceless, especially when
things go wrong. Memorising a few basic phrases can help you out as well, but make sure you’ve got the right pronunciation or you could be saying something completely different. Greg Lewry
By Cameron Tucker Alan Whicker
Seen as the father of travel journalism, Alan Whicker spent 30 years presenting the award-winning BBC series, Whicker’s World. Initially a war correspondent, in 1959 Whicker began presenting Whicker’s World in which he crisscrossed the globe, journeying as far afield to Bali and Paraguay, and interviewing leading world figures.
Charley Boorman | Ewan McGregor
Two best mates, two motorbikes, and 34,000 miles! In 2004 and 2007, Hollywood superstar Ewan McGregor and fellow actor Charley Boorman embarked on expeditions which would see them cross four continents, encountering unbelievable landscapes, vibrant cultures, and technical obstacles. The chemistry between the two adventurers makes their travels a must-watch.
Michael Palin
The former member of Monty Python is quite simply a legend. The affable, intrepid explorer has cornered almost every nook and cranny of the planet over the course of 30 years. The globe-trotting comedian has made seven travel series, documenting his various expeditions which have seen him travel from the North
to the South Pole and circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean. Like the famous Phileas Fogg, he has been around the world in 80 days. Palin is, in this writer’s mind, unquestionably the greatest traveler who has ever lived.
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Carbon project launches Chris Teale Turf writer UEA has been named as the first office in the United Kingdom for the Global Carbon Project, which gives up-to-date information on carbon emissions across the world. The Project already has offices in Australia, China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United States, and the combined expertise of more than 50 scientists helps provide scientific data on trends of carbon dioxide emissions. The UK Office will be located in the UEAled Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It will support the annual publication of the project’s “global carbon budget”, which measures global carbon dioxide emissions in the previous 12 months and shows how they are divided between land, seas and atmosphere. Professor Corinne Le Quéré, director of the Tyndall Centre and co-chair of the Global Carbon Project, said: “Without accurate, up-to-date information, policymakers lack the tools to plan effective future strategy in this vitally important field. “Establishing the Global Carbon
Project’s first UK office is a significant step in improving the quality of the data and reducing uncertainty in the science. Ultimately, our knowledge of global carbon cycles could be such that the weakening of a carbon sink would be precisely located and monitored and act as a kind of earlywarning system”. The Global Carbon Project was founded in 2001, aiming to provide data to underpin policies to reduce the growth of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, with the Project’s overall goal to develop a complete scientific picture of the global carbon cycle, including its biophysical and human aspects, and how they interact. Last year, the group reported that global CO2 emissions had reached a record 10bn tonnes, following a 50% rise over the past two decades in emissions from fossil fuels. They have also shown that the proportion of CO2 remaining in the atmosphere is increasing, thanks to the weakening of natural carbon on earth and in the seas. The UK office at UEA will pave the way for a new International Carbon Office that would compile, analyse and report on global CO2 statistics, identify and monitor CO2 sinks, and reduce uncertainty levels in this important area of climate science. Its base within UEA makes the University one of the leading international research centres into climate change.
TURF
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Saturday 24 March, 6pm - midnight
AFTER HOURS KINGDOM OF CHARACTERS
J-pop band Unshin, Nintendisco, cosplay, bar, retro arcade and more at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts Price: £10, £8 for UEA students. Call 01603 593199 to book.
Supported by Illustration Chie Kutsuwada
Mainstreaming Fairtrade: the future or future fail? With events and promotions all over campus aiming to raise awareness of Fairtrade, Becky Summers asks: “could Fairtrade become flawed?” An alliance between Nestle and Fairtrade seems somewhat of an irony. Fairtrade is a brand proud of its ethical and economical support of some of the world’s most disadvantaged people. Conversely, Nestle successfully holds top position on the “to boycott” list, largely due to past aggressive marketing of baby milk powder in Africa. Even the Union of UEA Students has a policy against Nestle
and does not stock the brand’s products in the UFO. So, what happens when the bad guys want to join the good guys, as happened in 2009 when Nestle began to stock Fairtrade Kit Kats? The mainstreaming of Fairtrade products has raised sharp debate over whether this growth in trading power represents a triumph for Fairtrade or the beginning of a slippery
slope into falling Fairtrade ethics and standards. Work by John Moores University has shown that the original message of 100% Fairtrade companies such as Cafe Direct or Divine is strengthened by mainstream attention, allowing communication of the deeper ethical message to reach a wider audience. The shift of Fairtrade out of a niche market into the everyday lives of supermarket shoppers show an alternative business model of commercial trade can work. Rather than watering down the message, wider distribution allows the Fairtrade logo to contact greater numbers of people and organisations. Crucially however, the Fairtrade mark is given to products, not companies. Therefore there are concerns over “Fairtrade Lite” and “Clean wash”, in which Nestle can derive positive customer benefits associated with the Fairtrade movement with little effort to live its values. Buying Fairtrade always guarantees a fairer process than conventional trading. Issues with up-scaling and motives are important, but no-one can deny that putting Fairtrade in your shopping trolley sends a message to the market and the
world that you are aware and conscious about the current injustice. Perhaps we will never live in a completely equal world, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to increase the opportunities of those most vulnerable. If you want to find out more, “the Fairtrade: What is a life worth?” documentary is being shown on 19 March in Lecture Theatre 1 at 7.30pm.
LIFESTYLE
Drugs & TV
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Addicted to addiction
Emma Williamson looks at how our attitudes towards drugs can Racheal Lum leads us into the recesses of the human mind, as she examines the psychology of addiction be shaped by what’s on television An addiction is the uncontrollable taste sweet. So much for comfort food. headaches. In a sepia-toned living room, four teenagers sit smoking joints on a battered and questionably soiled sofa. Their attire is straight out of Urban Outfitters and Beyond Retro, while their dialogue is complimented by the soft background music of Ben Howard. The smoke they exhale both hazes and enhances the cool of their image. The “heavy painkillers” they mix with their beverages is what makes them so impulsive, and so compelling. Switch the channel. In a grey, damp squat, a young, pale, vulnerable girl sits forlorn. Surrounded by graffiti, empty bottles and litter, she is joined by an older man. We watch as she is mocked, sexually pressured and finally manipulated into taking the drugs which finally render her unconscious.
Power off. When our media is this conflicted about the depiction of drug culture on our television screens, is it any wonder that Britain’s youth is so confused? Recently axed Skins and popular soap opera Eastenders both rake in audiences of millions per show, with young viewers comprising a significant proportion of this number. Despite their mutual popularity and shared audiences, it is quite clear that the two programmes hold different stances on their outlook towards drug use. Granted, Skins has come under fire for what some critics call unrealistic and sensationalist storylines. Likewise the BBC has a level of responsibility and accountability which it needs to employ in its programming. The British media also prides itself on the ability to showcase plural and independent opinions as part of the free press, and so it should, but broadcasters such as Channel 4 and the BBC still have a responsibility for the messages they project onto young people. Many young people are introduced to drugs from what they witness on their television screens, and to downplay the influence media outlets have on adolescents (in particular) would be to not hold the media fully to account. Although the United Kingdom’s freedom of press is a commendable feature of our media, its influence still remains a key factor in forming young people’s attitudes towards drug use. With television simultaneously depicting drugs as glamorous and repulsive, there can be little wonder that Britain’s perception of drugs is conflicted at best.
dependence on substances or activities that arouse a kind of pleasure. It used to be believed that such conditions were associated with substances possessing addictive properties like drugs or alcohol. But it really is not as simple as that. In recent years, people have spotted new forms of addictions that come from seemingly ordinary things. Variety may be the spice of life, especially when it comes to food, but some people take this to a whole new level. You might know someone who cannot go a day without having chocolate, an energy drink or yoghurt, but what about those with irrepressible desires to consume chalk, clay, dirt, iron nails, or even glass? This is a disorder known as Pica, whereby individuals get unconventional cravings for non-nutritional substances. Chalk eater Krystin revealed on My Strange Addiction, a US television series documenting people with obsessive compulsive disorders, that she has been hiding a box of chalk in her handbag and snacking on them like candy for years. Adele, a woman in Florida, admitted to eating the foam that can be found in sofas for 21 years, because she finds the
According to research, the condition is a result of mineral deficiency, usually iron, which can sometimes be found in the substances they eat. Naturally, this is not a proper source of nutrition and so marks the start of their dangerous lifestyle. Eating sofas for years can put a strain on one’s digestive system and eventually cause it to become fatal. In other cases, swallowing glass or iron nails can be physically and chemically
Most of these addictions are psychological, the main trigger of which is the age-old stress. The desire to escape from stressful events drives people to find relief through other means, be it the sweet taste of sofas or the gratifying sensation of buying several pairs of shoes. Low self esteem is another factor, particularly for people addicted to activities such as tanning, cosmetic surgery and teeth-whitening.
Adele, a woman in Florida, admitted to eating the foam that can be found in sofas for 21 years, because she finds the taste so sweet. So much for comfort food” harmful to the body. Then there are the activity-based obsessions that push beyond the boundaries of normality. Tanning might be an occasional beauty splurge for some, but those addicted to it frequent beauty salons to get their weekly session. Other forms of unusual addictions include work, running and even reading. Should they stop, they would experience the same withdrawal symptoms as that of alcoholics, gamblers and shopaholics, such as sweaty palms, anxiety and
At the end of the day, many of these addicts do not find their habits strange, or if they do they keep these habits a secret because they are afraid of being judged. Like every addiction, they ought to be causes for concern should they pose health risks or consume one’s finances or social life. The fact is anything can turn into an addiction when it is not taken or carried out in moderation. As a simple test, how long do you suppose you can stay away from the internet?
Easing the pressure one problem at a time If you have a burning issue, Clive Ashcroft is the man for the job. Email clivecaresconcrete@gmail.com
Caffeine crisis Dear Clive, I have three deadlines looming that are due in at the end of this term. I’m finding it impossible to fit everything in and I’m spending all my time in the library. To keep myself awake, I keep buying Pro Plus and Red Bull so that I can complete my essays. I know all this caffeine is not good for me. What should I do? Anonymous Dear reader, I have known students in the past who have stayed in the library for up to 23 hours! It can’t be healthy for your body and you do not want to become exhausted. Please try to take time to rest. It will give you a more relaxed approach to meeting your deadlines, without the caffeine boost. Good luck!
Read more of Clive’s solutions on our website: www.concrete-online.co.uk
Lies about highs Dear Clive, One of my close friends made a comment about taking MDMA in front of myself and another of my friends. At the time, I was a bit taken aback, because she has said on many occasions that she would never take drugs. She has never even smoked a cigarette. I don’t know how to broach the topic with her, because I don’t want to imply that she made it up to impress people, but I just don’t believe she would have done it. What should I do, Clive? Dear reader, Your friend may just be boasting to impress you all. Many people may take drugs as an escape from reality, or it is just an experience many people have for their own reasons. Please have a serious talk with your friend and don’t worry about being blunt, it’s only because you care! Should your friend be taking drugs, please point out the dangers of addiction, as the individual may need medical treatment. I do hope your friend was just trying to impress and that it is nothing too serious. Take care.
CliveCares
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 13 March 2012 - Issue 267
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LIFESTYLE
My relationship with alcohol We’ve all been there. The pounding headache, the looming sense of dread manifesting itself in an unwillingness to check last night’s texts and tweets, and the feeling of uncontrollable sickness that characterise the “day after”. You log onto Facebook and every status bemoans the evils of alcohol, as person after person affirms that they will “never drink again”. Unlikely, as drinking to incredible excess is so ingrained into university culture that it will never die out. But we might. Students are so blasé about drinking, as though no matter how many units you consume, the day after really is a “clean slate”. Under these rules, calories consumed on the “big night out” are empty, and binge drinking to dangerous proportions is literally free of consequences. I enjoy drinking. Statistics from our drugs survey show that 89.2% of respondents feel the same. But even now, as a graduate, I don’t know my limits. I regularly forget large portions of nights out. Conversations disappear into the ether, and I lose all sense of self, while chronically draining my bank account. It’s great, but as with most things in life, it isn’t good. Not for me, anyway. I arrived at university having played amateur football
weekly for three years, and swam twice a week. My fitness dipped precipitously as exercise was replaced by alcohol, and the only way to avoid the physical consequences of alcohol is either to live the sort of balanced lifestyle few students
you’re not: comfortable with yourself and others, popular, interesting, funny, or perhaps even good looking. The irony of it all is that most students’ unions rely on the sale of alcohol. While attempting to promulgate a “responsible”
“Moving onto the humiliation alcohol has caused me, where do I begin? I’ve been sick on myself due to alcohol” ever achieve, or forgo food. Many choose the latter, either due to the reasons outlined or because of financial pressures.
Alcohol creates a parallel universe where you can be all the things
attitude towards drinking, what the hardnosed financial staff members want is for you to buy that fourteenth VK which makes you throw up on the dance floor, or tear your social circle apart by getting with “the wrong girl” after downing a snakebite. Moving onto the humiliation alcohol has caused me, where do I begin? I’ve been sick on myself due to alcohol, forgotten entire nights, insulted people around me, and more than once jeopardised in a few hazy seconds a friendship built over years. This shouldn’t be okay, but at university it passes entirely
without consequences. Sure, you may be the “big joke” for a few days, but that’ll be it. On the surface, at least. People never forget what you did, those videos will probably never be deleted, and the worst thing? You’ll go and do the same again next week. We rarely discuss student drinking, because it’s something that just happens. It’s a ritual, and like most rituals, it is adhered to by misguided freshers and battle-hardened second years religiously and without question. You are swept away on a wave of booze, forgotten nights and partly-formed memories. Friendship groups as solid as concrete are maintained by the bonds of mutual humiliation, regret and a strange sort of bullish pride. Yes, I was that drunk. Yes I did do that. No, I haven’t learnt my lesson. And without this, without those “I can’t believe I did that” moments, and the more salacious aspects of over-consumption, life would be pretty boring. And we won’t change. Nor should we have to, but a bit of sober circumspection should never go amiss. After all, at least I’ll remember writing this. Right, I’m off for a pint. Chris King
My relationship with drugs Picture the scene, if you will. You’re in Vietnam, Nha Trang to be exact. You’ve had three weeks of intense backpacking. You’ve been down the Vietcong tunnels. You’ve been to a preserved war torture chamber, and now you have a few days off to relax ... Nha Trang has always been a place for relaxation. In fact, during the Vietnam War soldiers were sent there when they got a little time for some R&R. Now it’s not soldiers who frequent it, but travelling hippies who go there to chill out. During your time in Nha Trang, there are many ways to relax other than by reading a good book on the beach or listening to Love On Top by Beyoncé ... Instead, if you fancy it, in many bars along the beachfront you can order a “happy shake”, i.e. to have a milkshake of your choice laced with magic mushrooms. Well, that is where I found myself. In a bar in Nha Trang at night time, ordering myself a vanilla “happy shake”. I thought it was a fabulous idea. I was 18, the age you believe yourself to be invincible; the
age at which you believe that if you got hit by a double-decker bus, it would just bounce right off you. What they don’t tell you in those bars in Nha Trang is that one “happy shake” is enough to fell a baby elephant. It is
mentioned this to me, however. So I drank the whole damn thing. And, within minutes, everything looked amazing. As the effects of the mushrooms intensified, so did the beauty of the sand and I headed for the beach. One
“I was drowning and I didn’t care. I was drowning and I didn’t care, because I was on drugs” perhaps even enough to fell an adult elephant on a calorie controlled diet. One
shake should be shared between at least four people. Nobody
of the miscellaneous Australian hipsters drinking with me in the bar followed. We danced a little on the beach, holding hands. Then, for no apparent reason, I let go of his hand and walked straight into the sea. I waded into the water, further and further, and it felt amazing. All I wanted in that moment was to be further in. The miscellaneous Australian hipster shouted after my disappearing figure to come back. I ignored him and continued. I continued until, out of nowhere, a wave smashed over my head. The force of the water lifted me off my feet and twisted me under the water, like
something from Cirque du Soleil. “I can’t breathe,” I thought, not doing anything about it. I let myself twirl. The next thing I knew, were Issythere Mitchell hands on my legs. They were grabbing. The nails were pulling at my skin. It hurt, it didn’t feel nice like the waves did. It was miscellaneous Australian hipster trying to pull me out of the water. He was pulling me out because I was drowning. I was drowning and I didn’t care. I was drowning and I didn’t care, because I was on drugs. My night started off with the ordering of a “happy shake”. It ended with me slumped on the sand, coughing sea water out of my lungs. This article isn’t meant to be particularly didactic. I’m not about to whip out my travel-size pedestal to stand on as I deliver a “drugs are bad” lecture. It’s merely an example of why I personally wouldn’t choose to do them again. Because if miscellaneous Australian hipster hadn’t been there that night when magic mushrooms told me to walk into the sea, I would be dead right now. Hannah Britt
LIFESTYLE
101 tips
For students, by students Holly Kite and Olivia Watkiss reveal their tips for university life
38.
Invest in colour catchers and cleaning products from Poundland. That way you can put all of your washing in together, without worrying about dying your white top red.
39.
When you move into a house in second year make sure you open a joint bank account, which means that all will have equal responsibility to pay the bills and buy food. It also works out cheaper when you do it altogether.
40.
Do not try and scam the car park with their payment system.
41.
For every fancy dress night you go to, either at the LCR or for a social, take a trip to Primark to get your costume. It doesn’t matter if you don’t wear it again, because it’s cheap.
42.
In order to have extra money each month to spend on your social life, get yourself a part time job in a supermarket. Asda are always recruiting for new team members.
43.
Whether it’s here on our very own campus, or if you and friends have to take a road trip to Essex, Derby day is a must. Be sure to go next year!
44. Do care.
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www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 13 March 2012 - Issue 267
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Social networking: the internet’s heroin Lifestyle writer Lucy Jobber gives an insight into the increasing popularity of social networking As I somewhat reluctantly close down my Facebook page to write this article, I can’t help but laugh at the irony. It appears that each and every one of us has become drawn into this virtual world, with social networking even overtaking email in the popularity stakes. If someone announces that they “don’t have Facebook”, we look on in horror and wonder how on earth they have either friends or a social life. It’s almost as if our existence has become verified by our very presence on the internet. These websites provide a place where people can share anything, from their favourite websites, to statuses announcing academic achievements and sexual conquests. Facebook‘s popularity seems to stem from its ability to unite students together in the “university lifestyle”. The latest example
being the UEA meme page which helped many students bond over the viciousness of the library barriers, and the “success” of being taught by a legendary teacher.
easy interactions (because who needs to venture into the cold, when you can have a chat over messenger instead?) Seeing photos of our secondary school friends on
“If someone announces that they “don’t have Facebook”, we look on in horror and wonder how they have either friends or a social life” In the click of a button, someone can connect with a friend and build up a picture of what they’ve been up to for at least the past three years. It helps us to construct a
feigned intimacy with people we’ve briefly met, and allows us to form quick and
a night out makes us feel as if we’re still very much a part of their lives. Other social networking sites such as Twitter allow us to “follow” (if Twitter calls it following then it definitely is not stalking) those who we wish we were friends with. As university students preparing ourselves for an ever more brutal job market, social networking sites are also swiftly becoming a further method of “advertising” ourselves. On these we can easily create a fun-loving persona, without anyone knowing that we are actually a sociopath. The popularity of social networking is based on the belief that we can manipulate the internet to serve as a function for our own sake, with only the occasional distressing layout changes reminding us who is really in charge.
Need Advice? Drop-in and talk confidentially to a Matthew Project worker Wednesdays, 2-3pm The Hive Juice Bar, UEA Student Union We offer advice on alcohol, drugs & offer help to anyone who wants to quit smoking. All advisors are NHS trained to offer advice on NRT products. We can offer support with other concerns, and sign post to other agencies. Call or email us on the details below, for one to one sessions; esther.heybourne@matthewproject.org 07765 232028 Supporting people with drug and alcohol related issues Providing innovative education about the risks of drugs and alcohol Empowering people to make more informed choices
The Matthew Project 24 Hour Helpline: 0800 764754 If you have a tip that you would like to share with the rest of campus, tweet us at: @Concrete_LifeS #101tips
The Matthew Project: Company limited by guarantee Registered office: 24 Pottergate, Norwich, NR2 1DX Registered in England – number: 6388343 Registered charity – number: 1122801
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Tuesday 13 March 2012 - Issue 267
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LIFESTYLE
Indian feast for five Hasina Allen gives a step-by-step guide to making classic Indian dishes that will drive your taste buds wild
Starter | Onion bhaji Ingredients
Method
> 2 free range eggs > 3 onions, sliced > 120g/4oz plain flour > 1 tsp ground coriander > 1 tsp cumin seeds > 3 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra if required > Raita or sweet chilli dio to serve
1. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the onion rings and mix well. 2. Add the flour, ground coriander and cumin seeds (powder works as well) and stir well to combine. Adding chilli
powder or flakes also gives a nice kick. 3. Heat the oil in a deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add a large spoonful of the bhaji mixture and fry for 30-45 seconds, until golden-brown. 4. Turn the bhaji over and fry for a
further 30 seconds, until crisp and golden brown all over. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. 5. Repeat with the remaining bhaji mixture, replenishing the oil in the pan if it runs low and allowing it to heat up again after a new addition.
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Main | The ‘little bit of everything’ vegetable curry Curry paste is spiced up with some scotch bonnet peppers, ginger and honey to create a simple curry that tastes like it’s been made from scratch. This basic recipe can be adapted to include any vegetables you have left in the fridge. Serve with some basmati rice dressed up with black pepper and lemon juice. Serves 6 (with leftovers!) Ingredients
Method
> 1 packet of mushrooms, halved > 1 onion, chopped > A thumbs worth of ginger, finely chopped > 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped > 3 potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes, chopped (leave on the skin, it’s tasty!) > 1 courgette, chopped > 1 stalk of broccoli, cut into florets > 200g sultanas > ½ jar of curry paste > 1 scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped > 300ml warm water > 3 tbsp of honey
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, once hot cook the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger until soft, then add the courgette and cook for another 3 minutes. At the same time, in a separate saucepan, parboil the potatoes (for about 15 minutes). 2. Add the curry paste and flour and
stir well, then pour over the 300ml of warm water. Chuck in broccoli and mushrooms and any other vegetables you want to use. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 40 minutes. 3. Add the parboiled potatoes and the sultanas. Leave to simmer for another 20 minutes at the very least, but remember as with all curries, the
longer you can leave it simmering the tastier it will be. Make and eat the onion bhajis in the recipe above while the curry cooks. 4. Serve with lemon and black pepper spiced basmati rice, with homemade naan bread (recipe below) on the side.
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Side | Grilled naan bread Ingredients
Method
> 250g/9oz plain flour > 2 tsp sugar > ½ tsp salt > ½ tsp baking powder > 110-130ml/3½-4½fl oz milk > 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing > chopped garlic, coriander, black pepper and mixed herbs for topping > 1 tbsp butter, melted, to serve
1. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl and in a measuring jug mix together the milk and oil. 2. Make a hole in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the combined milk and oil. Slowly mix together the dough, making it smooth, soft and stretchy. 3.Cover your hands in flour and knead
well for 10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky (it will be). 4. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes. 5. About 10mins before you are ready to serve the main, preheat the grill to medium and place foil on the upper shelf of the grill to heat. 6. Form the dough into five balls and
TIP RETE’S CONCex y different tr l, ta perimen
ing If you’re feel the naan toppings on
roll them out quite thinly, then sprinkle over the chopped garlic, coriander, black pepper and mixed herbs (or whatever else you fancy using as a topping) and press slightly into the surface of the dough. 7. Place the naans onto the hot baking sheet and grill for just 2-4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with butter and serve hot.
SPORT
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Editors’ column
Canary Corner by Kris Nelson
Derby Day was an absolutely brilliant day for those of us involved with Concrete Sport. After a 6.30am meet on campus, with our surroundings still clearly feeling the effects of the previous night’s events, we travelled to Colchester and got straight to work. When I say work, I mean we went for a cup of tea in the café. However, after this quiet start, our live coverage of the day’s events began through social media, with our regular tweeting hopefully keeping as many of you as possible abreast of what was going on. Apparently a good number of you followed our updates, and our first acknowledgement must go to the bars on campus for showing our live feed all day. In fact, we gained nearly 100 followers to our @concretesport account. From our point of view, Concrete Sport’s coverage had been being planned since late January, when we first had a provisional schedule sent through. From there, we worked hard to make sure we had reporters and photographers at every game, from 9.30am until 10pm throughout the day. The day itself was easily one of the longest we have ever experienced as Sports editors, with the variable weather also making things interesting for all involved. My personal highlight of the day was watching the Men’s Hockey team make an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down to earn a 4-3 win, in what was becoming an incredibly hostile atmosphere. However, while UEA did lose in the end, it was a superb experience for all involved, especially as it is so rare to see so many of our sports teams play at the same time. In this issue of Concrete, you will have the opportunity to read our eight page pull-out, featuring highlights from the day itself, with more match reports being uploaded to our website: www.concreteonline.co.uk. We hope we have done the day justice. Our thanks go to all our writers and photographers for their work that day: James Dixon, Chris King, Greg Lewry, Josh Resoun, Billy Sexton, Sam Tomkinson and Emma Webb on the writing side, with Ga Chun Yau, Max Hetherington, Lizzie Margereson, Tom Oliver and Callum Howell for taking photographs on the day. Here’s to next year! Chris Teale
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Despite arguably two of their most stagnant performances of the current Premiership campaign, Norwich City took another step towards Premiership safety with a 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic. In a week where media and fans alike were questioning whether Paul Lambert’s side were in the midst of a slump, Wes Hoolahan’s opener after
www.concrete-online.co.uk Tuesday 13 March 2012 - Issue 267
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players away for a week of training in southern Spain with the intention of bedding in new squad members Ryan Bennett and Jonny Howson ahead of the busy end of season run in. While neither were involved against the Latics, it was clear Norwich had benefited from the experience, starting brightly and asking questions of the Wigan backline in the early exchanges.
Despite numerous chances being floundered by the front-pairing of Victor Moses and Hugo Rodallega, Wigan eventually pulled level when the former was able to latch onto a defensive mix-up, round John Ruddy and slot into an empty net. This forced Paul Lambert into a double substitution, introducing Anthony Pilkington and Elliot Bennett, and Norwich immediately looked brighter, playing with more width and fluidity than at any other point during the game. The opportunity was presented to Steve Morison to win the game late on, after good wing play by Simeon Jackson allowed the Welsh International to head an effort at goal, only to see Al-Habsi make a superb spontaneous save to deny him. In a season in which Norwich have dumbfounded many, it is of great relief that they are all but secure and thus can afford occasional off-days. Paul Lambert will be mindful however that they will need a much more convincing performance away at sixth-placed Newcastle United next Sunday.
“In a season in which Norwich have dumbfounded many, it is of great relief that they are all but secure and thus can afford occasional off days” good link-up play with Simeon Jackson would have been a good tonic to lift spirits at Carrow Road. Despite eventually being pegged back by Victor Moses’s second half strike, Norwich will be content to be occupying twelfth place in the table with 28 games played and look set to push on during the rest of the season. After the 1-0 reverse to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium last week, a game in which the Canaries never threatened, Lambert whisked his
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This paid dividends only 10 minutes into the game when Simeon Jackson was able to deliver a strong cross into the box which allowed playmaker Wes Hoolahan to improvise a volley over Ali Al-Habsi and hand Norwich the lead with their first meaningful attack. While many, myself included, expected this to be the catalyst for a rout of the Premiership’s bottom side, Wigan upped their game considerably and controlled proceedings throughout.
“The greatest footballer you never saw” Kris Nelson remembers Robin Friday, a footballer ruined by addiction It is a sad state of affairs that modern sport seems inundated with controversy regarding drug abuse. Last week, hurdler Dai Greene claimed he was anticipating calling LaShawn Merritt a cheat at the London Olympics if their paths cross in the wake of the latter testing positive for steroids. However, as a society we should be thankful that support is often in place to stop the damage created by addiction going further and claiming a life. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case. Arguably, the most tragic and poignant example of an athlete hitting selfdestruct on his career and his life is that of footballer Robin Friday, a cult hero at both Reading and Cardiff, dubbed by many as “the greatest footballer you never saw”. Labelled by his peers as “the complete centre-forward”, Friday was amongst the best, awarded player of year at his first professional club Reading as well as being leading goalscorer in consecutive seasons after a string of dazzling displays for the Royals. However, Friday was never able to reach the heights of his mercurial talent due to his addiction to heavy smoking, drinking and every drug imaginable. As good as he was on the pitch, Robin Friday made current Premiership bad boy
Mario Balotelli look a saint. Various drugfuelled incidents included stealing angels from a graveyard on an away trip, dancing naked in Reading’s Churchill nightclub and smoking cannabis in the church at his own wedding. Eventually drugs got the better of the enigmatic striker and, after a failed transfer to Cardiff, he retired aged 25. In ensuing years, Reading manager Maurice Evans would try to tempt Friday out of retirement, claiming if he could settle he could play for England. This was
rebutted by the addict, claiming: “I’m half your age and lived twice your life”. Tragically, on 22 December 1990, Friday was found dead in his flat in Acton after overdosing on heroin at the age of 38. While it’s undoubtedly sad when modern athletes are swayed by drugs, at least support is now provided to attempt to counter their effect. The travesty in the story is that Robin Friday was born into the wrong generation: had he been playing today then perhaps he would have gone on to be one of the greats.