SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE
Greenland's former premier was on national television last week to talk about how he dealt with his alcoholism.
Lars Emil Johansen was one of the first high-ranking home rule government politicians to admit to having an alcohol problem. Almost 10 years ago, he went into a treatment program in Denmark, a stay that was widely covered by Danish media.
"Since 1995 we have had a treatment center for alcohol abuse. We started to admit our alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is just like any other defect, like in other illnesses. But you have to say you need help, so you can overcome the problem. I was premier when I went through treatment, so I couldn't keep it secret, even if I had wanted to," Johansen said.
SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE
Canada's New Democratic Party launched a national petition against the U.S.-led National Missile Defence plan last week.
Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, said Canadians should have a say on whether Canada participates in the missile shield system.
"Canadians have always taken a view that a gradual reduction in nuclear weaponry worldwide is what we want," Layton said.
Layton said Canadians already rejected the "Star Wars" defence plan in the 1980s. He said the NMD is another attempt by military industrialists who want to build more systems.
The NMD issue is still under discussion by the Canadian cabinet, although a decision announcing Canada's participation is expected to occur in the very near future.
SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE
After a steady decline during the 1990s, suicides among women in Finland started to rise three years ago. As well, the number of Finnish men committing suicide is increasing.
Researchers say the rise is due to an increase of risk factors for suicide in Finland, especially alcohol abuse and depression.
"Alcohol consumption began to rise in 1995, and this has a delayed effect on suicide rates," Jouko Lönnqvist of Finland's National Public Health Institute. Lönnqvist told the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. "Depression is the greatest risk factor in suicides, and alcohol is the second-greatest."
Finns drink twice as much as they did in 1970 – the equivalent of more than nine litres of pure alcohol per person each year.
"The significance of alcohol consumption is great in Finland, because alcohol is often what Finnish men use as a refuge in both joy and sorrow, in victory and defeat," said Malla Upanne, head of development at Finland's National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health.
Depression is also common: 3.6 per cent of men and 6.5 per cent of women suffer from depression. About 44 per cent of Finns took medication for depression last year, up from just over eight per cent in 1991 and 16 per cent in 1994.
The greatest number of suicides in Finland occur among middle-aged people.
SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE
Last week's deal between Denmark and Greenland, which promises Greenland a larger role in international affairs, seems to have pleased even the country's opposition political parties.
"We are happy with the result of this agreement-in-principle," said the head of Greenland's left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit Party, Josef Motzfeldt. "Now Greenland can participate, not only with respect to the Thule air base, but also with respect to other issues."
The Democratic Party is also satisfied that Denmark seems to have made a commitment that Greenland will participate in any discussion of matters that concern Greenland. But they don't see the deal as an automatic approval of the U.S. plans to upgrade the Thule Air Base.
"I realize that the Danish media has misunderstood that point and sees
this agreement as saying 'yes' to missile defence, but it's not like that,"
said Per Berthelsen who leads the Democratic Party
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