November 23, 2001
Violence
puts girls at risk
Teenage girls who witness or experience
violence may be at increased risk of engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as
smoking, taking illegal drugs, drinking alcohol and having unsafe sex, according
to a team of U.S. researchers.
Researchers in Texas interviewed
517 girls younger than 18 years who came to a clinic for birth control counseling.
All of the girls answered questions about their exposure to violence, including
robbery, assault and rape, and on health factors such as smoking, drug use and
sexual habits.
Overall, 48 per cent said they had
witnessed or experienced violence, with 13 per cent saying they saw or experienced
a violent act.
Girls who had only witnessed violence
were two to three times more likely to report using tobacco, marijuana, drinking
alcohol or using drugs before sex and having intercourse with a partner who
had multiple partners ,than girls who had not witnessed or experienced violence.
And girls who experienced violence
first-hand were also more likely to take these health risks. In addition, they
were two to four times more likely than those with no exposure to violence to
have sex at an early age, have intercourse with strangers, have multiple sex
partners, or test positive for a sexually-transmitted disease.
These girls were also three to six
times more likely to have thoughts of suicide or to attempt suicide than girls
with no exposure to violence.
"Exposure to violence is clearly
associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in multiple health-risk
behaviors, with adolescent girls who both experience and witness violence at
greatest risk,’‘ the study, recently published in the Archives of
Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, concludes.
The study suggests doctors should
examine girls who have been exposed to violence more closely for risk-taking
behaviors such as substance abuse, as well as mental health problems and sexually
transmitted diseases.
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November
23, 2001
Watch out for bogus offers
Pleas for help have been arriving
in Iqaluit, Kimmirut, Pangnirtung and Clyde River on the fax machines of government
offices, banks and individuals.
But the RCMP Iqaluit Commercial
Crime Section says these "letters" are fradulent and, if acted upon,
could cost you money.
The RCMP says the content and origin
of the faxed messages isn’t always the same, but the general concept is
similar: an individual has died and left money, but the beneficiaries can’t
get to it "due to the political climate."
The authors tell their story of
"woe" and say they’re willing to arrange a transfer of the money
to the recipient who would then get a cut of the money.
"This type of transaction would
require the exchange of banking information and account access," warns
the RCMP.
Historically this kind of letter
is called the "Nigerian Fraud Letter," although these recent faxes
appear to be coming from the Congo.
Anyone receiving similar faxes should
contact the RCMP.
TOP
November
23, 2001
Greenland leftist wins
Danish seat
This week Greenlanders elected two
members of parliament to represent Greenland at the Danish parliament in Copenhagen.
Voters chose Kuupik Kleist, a former
vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference and minister in the Home
Rule government, and Lars Emil Johansen, a former Greenlandic premier.
Kleist, running for the left-wing
Inuit Ataqatigiit Party, received 6,369 votes, or 31 per cent the vote. This
is the first time that the left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit Party has won a seat
in the Danish parliament.
Johansen, from the Siumut Party,
received 5,093 votes or 26.2 per cent of the vote.
Both candidates said they would
seek more independence for Greenland as well as a review of the U.S.-Denmark
defence agreement on the Thule Air Base.
Journalists in Greenland said the
election results were a clear signal that Greenlanders want to see change and
more power for their Home Rule Government.
Meanwhile, voters in Denmark moved
heavily towards the right.
The ruling Social Democratic party
suffered a massive decline in support, while right-wing parties did much better
than predicted.
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November
23, 2001
Cheer up and eat fish
Scientists say there’s increasing
evidence that eating fish oil may make you feel happy and think more clearly.
Oily fish, such as arctic char,
contains Omega-3 fatty acids. A lack of these fats appears to cause depression,
autism, dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Levels of depression are lower,
for example, in Japan where raw fish is eaten regularly in such dishes as sushi
and sashimi.
A British researcher says there’s
a link between the growing incidence of the mental and neurologicial disorders
and diet, and suggests eating more fish.
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