blogging it real

So a terminally ill Israeli, imprisoned at Rimutaka, has died in hospital.

The Parole Board earlier this week refused to give him a compassionate release, which begs the question how much more dire a predicament that being brain dead and on life support does it take to be given a compassionate release? Wankers.

Even Justice Minister Phil Goff was saying release the poor guy.

Rumour has it the Israeli, Aviv Atias, attempted to commit suicide although his relatives say his condition was brought about by head injuries he recieved in a hiding he was given in prison several weeks ago.

Once again the success of prison's rehabilitative environment is plain for all to see.

Atias' crime?

Being part of group importing ecstasy - that evil drug whose side-effects are so toxic it last killed a New Zealander in 1998.
Here's what Russell Brown had to say about it back then:

So - New Zealand notches up its first Ecstasy death, occasioning a front page lead in the Herald and all sorts of shock-horror reportage on TV. But woah ... People have been taking Ecstasy and partying in New Zealand for about 10 years. How many young New Zealanders have turned themselves to hamburger driving drunk in that time? How many rapes, assaults and murders as a result of alcohol intoxication? How many cases of paracetamol poisoning?
The sad and somewhat unnerving fact about E is that traumatic and fatal toxic reactions to it are very rare - but almost wholly unpredictable. It could happen to you. In all overwhelming probability it won't - but there's no way of telling.

That hasn't stopped honourable MPs like Jim Anderton (who does not distinguish between GHB and ecstasy in a dishonest attempt to boost his argument) battling to re-classify the drug so as to dish out harsher penalties - "now that's progressive".

Meanwhile:

FACTS AND FIGURES • Tobacco causes one in four cancer deaths in New Zealand. • At least one-third of the shorter life expectancy of those living in the most deprived areas is accounted for by tobacco consumption. • The decline in the prevalence of smoking among adults has slowed, with only slight gradual decreases during the 1990s. • In 2002, 49% of Maori, 35% of Pacific and 21% of European adults smoked daily. • Smoking rates are highest amongst groups that are most deprived, with smoking rates in decile 10 at 38% as compared to 15% in decile 1. • Occupation strongly correlates with smoking prevalence with smoking rates amongst beneficiaries (male: 42.3%, female: 45.3%) and Blue Collar workers (male: 30.1%, female: 30.6%) significantly higher than those of White Collar workers (male: 19.1%, female: 16.3%). • Cancer is the leading cause of death for Maori women and the second leading cause of death for Maori men. • Lung Cancer is the main cause of death for Maori.