Nexus - 0209 - New Times Magazine-pages

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LY D © oF VE? ing Roche Products, Wyeth ” and Upjohn, for failing to warn people that their tranquilisers can be addictive. Brand names of these companies include Serepax, Valium, Ativan and Mogadon. According to the National Health Survey, one in fifty Australians used tranquilisers every day for six months or more; another 750,000 Australians said they had taken tranquilisers in the two weeks before the survey. Representatives from one of the law firms involved said the patients would sue for dam- ages, claiming the drug compa- nies did not research or inform about problems of dependency and withdrawal. AUSTRALIA'S LAST LINE OF DEFENCE? Australia’s Defence Department has been most embarrassed by the leak of a classified document which con- tains details of an updated ver- sion of the "Brisbane Line”. For those who do not know, the "Brisbane Line" was a pro- posed line for fall-back defence during World War II. This meant that allied forces were prepared to sacrifice the top part of Australia, so as to be adequately able to defend the rest of the country. In this updated, and top secret guide, the modern fall- back line is proposed to be just above Newcastle, and extends across to just above Port Augusta in South Australia. The Defence Department appears to be trying to disown the guide, known as “The Army Development Guide". Although the Department insists the Guide is out of date, it is still classified as "Top Secret". Over the last two years, Nexus Magazine has received many pieces of information suggesting that there is a “hidden agenda” amongst the "Internationalists", whereby Indonesia will be ‘allowed’ to invade Australia. Interestingly enough, these morsels of information all hinted that Indonesia would be allowed to finally occupy the area of Australia above Newcastle. GOVERNMENT LEVY TO CUT MISUSE OF MEDICINE? This dramatic legal action follows what has been described as "the biggest law suit in British history", in which 17,000 people are suing three drug companies in the UK for alleged side effect from pills. (Source: The Sun-Herald, June 21 '92) A recent National Health Strategy Report has revealed that between 30,000 and 40,000 people are hospi- talised every year due to prescription drugs. This figure is higher than the figure for hospital admissions due to car accidents! According to the report, Australian doctors prescribe twice as many antibi- otics per head of population as Sweden, and more than doctors in the UK, USA and Canada. The distinction between fact and fic- tion in television news was in danger of becoming meaningless, a communica- tions expert warned. Associate Professor Peter Putnis, the head of communication and media studies at Bond University, said TV sta- tions could now use computers to alter moving pictures undetectably, and were misusing “file tape" to illustrate news segments. Professor Putnis has called for stricter guidelines on the use of file tape, and © says that part of the problem was that people were being filmed for one pur- pose but the film was being used for another. Hospital bills for drug misuse cost taxpayers nearly $90 million a year, and the situation is considered so criti- cal that the Federal Government is con- sidering imposing a levy on medicine sales to fund an education campaign on prescription drugs. Perhaps they should read the article on pages 21-24 of this issue of Nexus first. (Source: The Australian, July 15th '92, p) All this would have to turn up just when I moved up north wouldn't it? STOP PRESS: Recent develop- ments in this area include the Chinese “invasion” of the Spratly Islands, an oil rich cluster, parts of which are under claim by Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and others. All in all it is being consid- ered the next "flashpoint" for the south pacific region. To add fuel to the fire, Indonesia is to buy a chunk of the for- mer East German navy, including 39 warships, minesweepers, and landing craft. (Source: The Sunday Mail, June 28th '92, & The Australian, July 24th, 1992), PATIENTS TO SUE DRUG COMPANIES NEW EVIDENCE LINKS CHLORINATED WATER TO CANCER NEW Hundred of Australians and several prominent law firms have combined forces to begin a historic legal action against the major drug companies which sell tranquillisers. They plan to take representative action against drug companies includ- Chlorine, the chemical used to purify water supplies, has been linked to cases of rectal and bladder cancer. American 6¢NEXUS TV NEWS - FACT OR FICTION? AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1992