Drug Use Among the Youth in America and The Need for Legal Representation
Drugs, both illegal and legal, have always been abused by a certain percentage of the population. In recent years, teens and students have made up an ever-increasing percentage of this population. According to recent statistics by the SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), the rate of illicit drug use among youths ages 12-17 has increased to 10.1 percent in 2010, a large difference from 2008′s rate of 9.3. Marijuana was found to be the most commonly used illicit drug, followed by psychotherapeutic drugs used for non-medical purposes (sedatives, analgesics, stimulants and tranquilizers).
Not surprisingly, the current illicit drug use rate was much higher among young adults aged 18 to 25. 21.5 percent of this age demographic admits to using marijuana, psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes, hallucinogens and cocaine. The study also showed that the illicit drug use rate varied by the educational status of adults age 18 and over, with the rate being lower among college graduates than the lifetime rate for high school graduates.
The rate of illicit drug use among college students, even full-time students, is similar to the rate among other persons aged 18 to 22. These numbers point to the fact that illicit drugs are being sold and distributed on college campuses. Students have admitted to obtaining prescription drugs used for non-medical purposes “from a friend or relative for free”. A follow-up question revealed that the friend or relative had obtained the drugs from one doctor. Only 2.3 percent reported that the friend or relative had bought the drugs from a dealer or other stranger. Vicodin, OxyContin and Adderall are some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs.
Model Severely Injured After Walking Into Plane Propeller
A professional model from Texas recently lost a hand in an accident at an airport when she walked into a moving propeller after deplaning a small airplane at night.
She was up and walking around after only a few days in the hospital with the help of a physical therapist.
The model and fashion blogger, 23-year-old Lauren Scruggs, suffered head, shoulder and brain injuries in addition to losing her left hand. She had gone up in the small, two-seat plane to view holiday light displays around Dallas from the air. Her family speculated that she was trying to return to the plane to thank the pilot when she unknowingly walked into the spinning propeller. Scruggs is the founder of LOLO Magazine and LOLOmag.com.
Small-engine airplane pilots are saying it is rare to let a passenger out of the plane with an open propeller until the engine is cut off and the prop has come to a stop. The plane, an Aviat Husky, has an engine that is far louder than the propeller and it might have been difficult to know in the dark that the loud noise was the engine and not the prop, according to ABC News.
The pilot of the plane is a friend of the Scruggs family and Lauren’s parents have said they have no plans to take legal action against him. But passenger safety is generally regarded to be the responsibility of the pilot – even on the tarmac.
The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the incident. There is no word whether the engine was running when Scruggs was hit or whether the propeller was powering down. Some pilots have speculated that since it did not kill her, it might have been powering down. It is rare to survive such a catastrophic event.
Five Reasons Why Your Product Planning Needs to Cover Legal Risks
In all the excitement of bringing a new product or service to the marketplace it is easy to overlook the related legal risks – which may, at the time, seem trivial or inconsequential.
However, at every step of the way from the naming of your product or service to the delivery of it, ‘hidden’ legal risks can potentially cause you serious embarrassment, and in some cases might place your business itself at risk.
Here are just five examples (out of many that may be relevant) which you should definitely consider:
1. It’s a fancy new product or service, so you’ll be wanting a fancy new name for it. A bit of brainstorming in the office produces a list of names, from which the CEO picks one to settle the issue. However, two weeks after the (extensive) marketing material has been printed, thousands of dollars have been spent on designing a logo to incorporate the new name, and the ad campaign is about to kick off, you discover the same name being used by another business operating in your area. This is similar to what happened to a major Australian brewing company who were forced to change the name of a whole range of beers, a dispute which ended up in Court but which could have been avoided if proper steps were taken initially to research and trademark the new name.
2. You genuinely believe that people who use your new product or service will be much better off. You say this in your advertising. However, a few months later you are served with a claim, brought by a disgruntled customer who says he was misled by your advertising. To top things off he has also made a complaint to the ACCC, who are investigating whether your advertising was deceptive behaviour under the Trade Practices Act 1974 (now known as the Competition and Consumer Act 2012). This is what happened to a large telecommunications business in Australia recently, who ended up paying out about $5.26 million due to customers having been misled by ‘false’ advertising.
Six Things You Need to Know About the Personal Property Securities Act 2009
This legislation introduces a single national system in Australia for registering security interests in relation to personal property. The new regime is arguably the most significant change affecting Australian businesses since the introduction of GST in 2000. Six things you need to know:
1. The legislation comes into effect on Monday 30 January 2012. From that date the new regime will apply to most transactions which involve secured loans, hire purchase, chattel mortgages, leases exceeding 1 year, and retention of title in relation to “personal property”.
2. Businesses and individuals have 24 months from the Act’s commencement date to register existing securities. However, in many cases it will be prudent to effect registration immediately to ensure the relevant interest is recorded and thereby brought to the notice of others who could claim an interest in the asset. Unregistered securities may have less priority against competing interests.
3. New security interests arising from 30 January 2012 onwards will need to be registered within 15 days. Failure to do this may result in loss of priority or difficulties realising the security.
4. Contractual retention of title arrangements will no longer be effective. Registration is required to “perfect” security interests. If a company goes into liquidation, unperfected security interests will be subordinated to all perfected (registered) security interests. This means the unregistered “secured” creditor loses its priority and may be relegated to the status of unsecured creditor.
5. If you are owed money which is presently secured against chattels or other assets, you should take steps to ensure your security interests are protected. Many businesses supply goods on credit subject to “retention of title” provisions in the credit agreement. Such provisions are now virtually worthless unless perfected by registration, and where appropriate any continuing interest in goods supplied should be promptly registered.
When Men Cheat
The man sitting in the van blended in with the urban scenery, nondescript and unnoticed by anyone. His calm demeanor and casual glances around the hotel parking lot led passersby to conclude, that he was merely waiting for someone. Hidden behind the tinted windows of the vehicle he drove, cameras were ready to roll. But not just any old cameras, these were state of the art, and with a zoom that could take a precise picture of a zit on your nose from 200 yards away. A grey older model Mercedes, pulling into a parking spot several spots over, captured the man’s attention and when “the other women,” dressed in a skin tight dress and hot pink stilettos exited the vehicle, the ordinary man sitting in his nondescript vehicle began to record. Cybil, “the other women”, walked to the back of her car, opened up the trunk and retrieved a small overnight bag. Dick, the cheating husband, was soon seen pulling into the hotel parking lot, and while the investigators camera’s rolled, the two lovebirds hugged and kissed passionately and then hurried into the front doors of the hotel.
Some statistics say that roughly 50 percent of married men will cheat, and at least 81 percent won’t admit to it even after a woman asks (The DailyBeast.com). While men who cheat are not necessarily bad people, they are however, through the act of cheating, causing severe pain to their family. The woman who is dealing with this heartbreaking incident will without fail feel as if she is in some way to blame for her husband straying. This guilt will overwhelm her world and change who she is forever. Being able to catch a cheating husband or boyfriend is a scary proposition, and one that must not be taken lightly. A brave woman will empower herself by finding out the truth, while other women will stick their heads in the sand and ignore what her instincts are telling her.