Drug News

COCAINE – USA
Liverpool youngsters taking cocaine to enhance sexual pleasure – Liverpool Daily Post
The report by the Centre for Public Health at the university claims teenagers and young people are deliberately getting high on drink and drugs to enhance their sexual pleasure, and that there is an “epidemic” of recreational drug use and binge drinking.

ADDERALL – USA
More college students depending on prescription drugs to fight fatigue, cram for papers, final exams – Killeen Daily Herald News

Graduation is one of the most exciting events students have to look forward to this time of year. Before they can take the big walk in cap and gown for a diploma, they have to suffer through a rite of passage with which every student is familiar: finals week.

ADDERALL – USA
Adderall abused by college students looking for focus – Northern Star

Some students take drugs for medical needs, others for recreation. But some take them to gain an edge on school work.

DRUGS – USA
NJ Assembly addresses meds-in-water issue – Water Technology

The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee was scheduled to receive comments and testimony on May 12 from invited speakers regarding environmental and health implications of pharmaceutical products in New Jersey drinking water.

DRUGS – USA
Kits allow at-home drug testing – Monessen Valley Independent

Township police are making it possible for parents to test their children for drugs in the privacy of their homes.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
If stressed, men more likely than women to crave alcohol: study – CBC News

When it comes to stress, women are more likely to be depressed and anxious, while men are more apt to turn to the bottle, suggests a new study. Men who become upset are more likely to develop cravings for alcohol and develop alcohol-related disorders, say researchers at Yale University.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Bay State Worsens Prescription Drug in Drinking Water – Common Dreams

Chemicals in over-the-counter and prescription drugs as well as personal care products (PPCPs) are not completely metabolized by the human body and thus end up entering rivers and groundwater that supply our drinking water.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Clean out those medicine cabinets – Pryor Daily Times

With teenager prescription drug abuse at an all-time high, the time has come to clean out those medicine cabinets.

METH – USA
Taking on meth – The Shelbyville News

At a ceremony this spring to honor crime victims, Shelby County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen announced that the number of secret meth labs dismantled in Shelby County had risen from 12 in 2005 to 25 to 2006.

METH – USA
Mission Mission’s “I Lost Me To Meth” Coaster Contest – SFist
Oh wow. Mission Mission is offering a free pack of “I Lost Me to Meth” coasters to one lucky reader who can come up with the niftiest meth-related anecdote.

METH – USA
Missouri Legislature Approves Meth Bill – KBIA News

A new bill has been passed in the Missouri Legislature that would help crack down on those trying to purchase drugs to make methamphetamine.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana still drug of choice – The Delphos Herald

No longer solely associated with sandals and tie-dyed T-shirts, marijuana has transcended all social demographics. Adults and teens alike smoke it in “bongs” and fire up “blunts.” Local police say the country’s most popular narcotic is abused by those of various income brackets and social status.

MARIJUANA – USA
SURVEY: Marijuana most used illegal drug – The Daily Titan

Behind marijuana, cocaine is the most used illegal drug on campus according to an unscientific survey conducted by the Daily Titan this semester.

DRUGS – USA
Parental Awareness of Child’s Drug Use – Join Together

Parents are less likely to be aware of a younger child’s cigarette and alcohol use than that of an older child, according to analysis of multiyear data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

ALCOHOL – USA
Groups, Parents Urge Maryland Gov. to Veto Alcopops Bill – Join Together

Advocacy groups and parents of teens killed in alcohol-related incidents this week sent a pair of Mother’s Day appeals to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley urging him to veto a bill that would treat sweetened “alcopop” drinks the same as beer for regulatory and tax purposes.

ADDICTION – USA
Walking tall: Hudson walkathon raises drug addiction awareness – MetroWest Daily News

A group of spirited walkers put their feet on the streets yesterday to raise money for drug awareness and to help others with drug addictions.

PAINKILLER – IRELAND
Over-the-counter addictions soaring, doctor warns – Independent

IRELAND spent a staggering €21m on the codeine-based painkiller Solpadeine last year and experts are warning of a growing addiction to the drug.

ALCOHOL – USA
Expert to discuss alcohol’s effect on athletics – Sheboygan Press

John Underwood, president and founder of the American Athletic Institute and an expert on substance abuse, will speak about the damaging effects of alcohol on athletic performance at Sheboygan South High School on Wednesday, May 14, from 6-8 p.m.

ALCOHOL – UK
Anti-alcohol campaign ‘failing’ – Telegraph

Young people particularly are ignoring advice about the number of units they should drink each week because they find the figure unrealistically low, it concludes.

ALCOHOL – UK
Men more likely to turn to alcohol when upset – In The News

Men are more likely than women to drink alcohol when they are upset, according to new research.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol makers try escaping new ‘alcopop’ taxes – Scopical

Alcohol makers will consider new ways to escape having their products taxed at a higher rate after the Government announced sweeping changes to the prices of ‘alcopops’.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
More kids think it’s OK to drink booze, survey shows – Courier Mail

MANY more underage Australians believe it is OK to drink alcohol on a regular basis than they did 16 years ago, says a national survey.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Teens more accepting of alcohol: survey – The Age

Many more underage Australians believe it is acceptable to drink alcohol on a regular basis today than they did 16 years ago, according to a national survey.

METH – USA
Death to Meth brings drug-free message to youths – Rapid City Journal

Death to Meth, an all-day music and art event Saturday at Pine Ridge High School, hosted several bands connected to the reservation in addition to local speakers and an art workshop, providing a positive, drug-free message for the youths of Pine Ridge.

DRUGS – INDIA
Young people Drink and Consume drugs intending to have better sex – Health Jockey

According to a study, one third of the 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females examined are consuming alcohol to increase the possible areas in their sex life. Cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis are used globally to boost sexual arousal or prolong sex.

DRUGS – UK
Government Of Canada Reaches Out To First Nations And Inuit Communities As Part Of Anti-Drug Strategy – Medical News Today

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced federal funding of $30.5 million over five years, under the National Anti-Drug Strategy, to bolster services across Canada that will help First Nations and Inuit who suffer from drug addictions.

DRUGS – UK
Use Of Drink And Drugs By Young People For Better Sex – Medical News Today
Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. Findings published in BioMed Central’s open access journal, BMC Public Health, reveal that a third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
High-alcohol drinks going – The New Zealand Herald

Two major liquor companies say they will have their highest-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages off liquor store shelves by the end of the year.

ALCOHOL – UK
Quit alcohol to reduce mouth cancer risk – Dentistry

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is calling for a reduction in the current daily alcohol intake safety guidelines.

ALCOHOL – UK
Two glasses of wine a day risks mouth cancer – Telegraph

Two glasses of wine a day can increase the risk of mouth cancer by up to 75 per cent, scientists warned. The research also showed two units of alcohol daily raises the risk of breast cancer by 22 per cent.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Teens turning to alcohol, drugs ‘for sexual high’ – NDTV News

More and more teenagers in Europe are turning to alcohol and drugs to improve their sex lives, a new study has revealed.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol retailers get schooled in the art of prevention – Simi Valley Acorn

Local business owners and managers gathered in Simi Valley Town Center’s community room on Tuesday to learn the ABCs of responsible alcohol sales.

COCAINE – UK
Teen sex and drugs ‘epidemic’ – ITV

Young people are using alcohol and drugs to increase their chances of getting sex, a study has found.

COCAINE – UK
Half city’s youth ‘take cocaine’ – BBC News

More than 50% of young people in Liverpool admit to having taken cocaine, a new report claims.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Keep leftover meds out of teens’ hands – Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

One in five teens has abused the prescription narcotic Vicodin. One in 10 has abused OxyContin. Another one in 10 has used stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall for the energy-boosting effect. One in 11 has admitted to getting high on cough medicine.

HEROIN – USA
Police say use of heroin by Nassau teens rising – News Day

Heroin, once the drug of choice for hopeless junkies, is becoming in vogue among an alarming number of middle-class Nassau County teenagers, police told local school officials at a meeting yesterday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Crime Rises with Alcohol Outlet Density, Study Says – Join Together

A new Australian study concludes that violence rose in Melbourne communities as the density of alcohol outlets increased.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Raises Cancer Risk in Men and Women – FOX News

Just two drinks a day for both sexes raises the risk of mouth cancer by 75 percent, according to the study from Australia’s Cancer Institute NSW.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol increases cancer risk – NEWS

NSW Assistant Health Minister Verity Firth, who will release the report today, said the alarming links to cancer had been generally ignored in debate over alcohol consumption.

METH – USA
Keokuk Police educating kids about meth – KHQA News

The Keokuk Police Department is educating kids about the dangers of meth. Keokuk Police Chief Tom Crew put this presentation together. He takes it to area schools to show kids the short-and long-term effects of meth on your body.

ALCOHOL – USA
July Fourth alcohol ban to continue in Del Mar – Sign on San Diego

An annual ban on alcohol at Del Mar’s 2½ miles of beaches over the Fourth of July weekend will continue for a seventh summer. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to prohibit the possession of alcoholic beverages on all public property including beaches, parks, streets and sidewalks from 6 p.m. July 3 until 6 a.m. July 7, a period of 84 hours.

CANNABIS – UK
Study warns of sexual health crisis due to drug use – The Guardian

The culture of binge drinking and drug use among young people in Europe is increasing the risk of a sexual health crisis, researchers warned today.

DRUGS – USA
Young People Are Intentionally Drinking And Taking Drugs For Better Sex, European Survey Finds – Science Daily

Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies.

METH – USA
Preventing Meth Use in the Central Valley – KMPH TV News

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, methamphetamine is the primary drug threat in California. And much of it is made right here in the Central Valley. The Kings County Partnership for Prevention is a group that is fighting against meth, and trying to prevent people from getting addicted.

COCAINE – UK
COCAINE TRACES FOUND IN ‘MOST’ STUDENT BARS – Evening Post

Tests have proved there is widespread use of cocaine in most Bristol University student bars. Students have used specialist swab tests to find traces of the Class-A drug at six out of seven bars at halls of residence in leafy Stoke Bishop.

MARIJUANA – AUSTRALIA
Marijuana flavoured candy banned – The Sydney Morning Herald

A new law in the US state of Georgia makes it illegal to sell sweets and other products made to taste like marijuana to minors, in what may be the first such ban in the country.

ADDICTION – USA
Town hall meeting outlines dangers of drug addiction – Northwest Arkansas Times

Circuit Court Judge Mary Ann Gunn emphasized prevention as the key to solving Northwest Arkansas’ drug problem.

METH – USA
U.S. Drug Czar Hosts Meth Conference In St. Louis – KSDK TV News

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and John Walters, the U.S. Drug Czar will host high-ranking officials from the world’s largest producing and some of the principal consuming nations of methamphetamine and meth precursor chemicals in St. Louis on Wednesday.

ALCOHOL – UK
London’s mayor bans alcohol on trains, buses – Reuters

London’s new mayor Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday that alcohol would be banned on the capital’s transport system from next month.

ALCOHOL – UK
Boris bans booze on buses – The Press Association

New London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an alcohol ban on transport in the capital.

ALCOHOL – UK
Johnson bans drink on transport – BBC News

Plans to ban the drinking of alcohol on London’s transport system have been unveiled by new mayor Boris Johnson.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
National Campaign to Prevent Misuse of Cough Medicine – Join Together

Five women have launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the problem of cough-medicine abuse, aided by a manufacturer’s association.

DRUGS – USA
Teens target prescription drugs; watch public service announcement – Pougkeepsie Journal

More than half of teens agree prescription drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs, and 4.5 million American children have reported they’ve abused prescription drugs, according to the state Department of Health.

METH – USA
Declare war on ‘tweekers’ – The Eureka Reporter

“Tweekers” — the word sounds so innocuous, almost whimsical, but it is evil in its effects on our community. Tweekers ruin the local parks, leave needles in children’s playgrounds, perform theft and petty crimes or aggressive panhandling — all caused by the use of methamphetamine.

ALCOHOL – UK
Councils ‘fail’ on youth drinking – BBC News

More than a third of councils in Scotland have not suspended a single shop licence in the past five years for sales of alcohol to underage drinkers.

ALCOHOL – USA
Gender gap in alcohol drinking, dependence shrinks – Reuters

There have been marked increases in alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence among U.S. women, particularly among white and Hispanic women born in the U.S. after World War II, new research shows.

ALCOHOL – UK
‘Radical measures’ vow to cut alcohol abuse – The Scotsman

A long-term strategy on alcohol misuse is due to be published shortly and is expected to contain significant plans to cut alcohol-related harm.

ALCOHOL – UK
MP calls for alcohol ad ban at sports events – The Independent

A ban on alcohol advertising at sporting events is being demanded by a Labour MP in an attempt to tackle binge drinking among young people.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Overuse Of Non-Prescription Pain Drugs Poses Dangers – WBNS TV News

Overuse of over-the-counter pain medications can cause serious health problems. A new study shows that many people take far more than the recommended dosages of non-prescription analgesics.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Becoming Equal Opportunity Destroyer – Join Together

Alcohol dependence was once much more common among men than women in the U.S., but the gender gap is closing.

ADDERALL – USA
Bucky’s Little Helper: UW students turn to Adderall to get through finals – The Capital Times

With final exams coming up, Renee figures she could fetch about $20 per capsule for Adderall, a prescription amphetamine widely known across campus as a “study drug.” But she sells her surplus only to close friends, generally charging $5 per pill, which helps her cover her monthly refill costs of $25.

ADDERALL – USA
Students depend on study aids for cram sessions – The Daily Collegian

Pressured for time, many students turn to study aids such as coffee, energy drinks and Adderall to help them through finals week.

ADDERALL – USA
The Other Side of Adderall – BU Today

The stress of keeping up with academic life, especially around finals time, can be challenging, even for the best of students.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone overdoses continue to climb in state – Fay Observer

Methadone, a painkiller, has been used for years to help wean addicts off heroin and similar drugs. But in recent years, medical officials and lawmen have seen increases in overdoses of the drug.

CANNABIS – GERMANY
German Youths Choose Alcohol Over Cannabis, Drug Czar Says –

German youths are turning away from tobacco and cannabis. But there’s been an “alarming” rise in binge-drinking, according to the annual report released by the government’s commissioner on drug abuse.

CANNABIS – UK
Smoking, cannabis-use down among German youth, but drinking up – Earth Times

German youths are turning away from tobacco and cannabis, but there is an “alarming” rise in binge drinking, according to the annual report released by the government’s commissioner on drug-abuse Monday.

METH – USA
Some Former Meth Houses Sold Without Being Cleaned – CBS Denver News

Some Coloradans may be living in a home that once contained a drug lab and not even know it.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine found at university bars – BBC News

Drugs testing by students at the University of Bristol has suggested cocaine is used at most of its bars.

ALCOHOL – USA
College Party Characteristics Related to Likelihood of High-Risk Drinking – Join Together

High-risk drinking among college students is related to the types of parties they attend, according to a recent web survey of undergraduate students attending two large urban universities.

METH – USA
New Anti-Meth Campaign for American Indians/Alaska Natives – Join Together

T he Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the National Congress of American Indians to launch the first ever anti-meth public service campaign targeted toward American Indian and Native Alaskan populations.

METH – USA
Tweaked Anti-Meth Campaign Posters – SFist

Addendums to the anti-drug campaign posters have reflected all kinds of sentiments to the most recent effort to get the homosexuals off the crazy crack. Here are just a few.

ALCOHOL – USA
Booze group rejects labels – Herald Sun

THE alcohol industry has denied Australia is in the midst of a binge drinking epidemic and is resisting a push for product warning labels.

ALCOHOL – USA
Adolescent rats help prove that early alcohol exposure alcohol can quickly lead to heavy drinking – Eureka Alert

No one can become alcohol dependent (AD) without repeatedly drinking alcohol, but not everyone who does so will become AD. Certain characteristics – adolescence, novelty seeking, reaction to stress, and response to first alcohol exposure – are believed to influence the vulnerability of developing AD.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More teens abusing prescription meds to get high – The Coloradoan

n 2006, abuse of prescription painkillers was second only to marijuana as the nation’s most prevalent illegal drug problem, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug and hypodermic needle disposal day – Arlington Advocate

Arlington residents may bring old prescription drugs and needles for safe disposal. Needles should be brought in a closed sharps container or a plastic laundry detergent bottle with the cap on.

HEROIN – UK
Police warn on ‘Hillbilly’ drug – Hampshire Chronicle

POLICE are warning the public about a prescribed drug called Oxycodone Hydrochloride that may be circulating and being misused in the Winchester area.

CANNABIS – UK
Skunk cannabis hauls are on the rise – Guardian

A Home Office report, based on information from police forces, suggests that 81 per cent of cannabis seizures are of sinsemilla - the dried, herbal strain of the female cannabis plant - that contains high levels of psychotropic substances.

CANNABIS – UK
Coroner in cannabis campaign – Western Telegraph

The numbers of deaths caused by driving while under the influence of drugs is a growing trend in Pembrokeshire according to the county coroner, who wants more campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Overdose Deaths In Utah Higher Than Auto Deaths – KUTV News

Prescription drug overdoses cause more deaths in Utah than do automobile accidents. The death toll continues to rise every year and now the Department of Health wants to launch a new campaign to prevent more deaths.

METH – USA
May is Meth Prevention Month – ZWire

Partners for Meth Prevention was formed in 2004 when two separate coalitions working on ways to prevent meth use and abuse joined forces. Initially comprised of eight nonprofit organizations from Pottawattamie County and Council Bluffs, the group has grown to 33 organizations in both Iowa and Nebraska.

METH – CANADA
Youngsters learn about dangers of crystal meth – Nanaimo Daily News

Mark and Ruth McLaughlin have toured the province for several years, talking to more than 25,000 students about the devastation caused by crystal methamphetamine.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Police say painkillers at middle school were stolen from medicine cabinet – NBC News

Hydrocodone is a prescription-strength painkiller that can be addictive. Police believe one of the students stole the drugs from his parents’ medicine cabinet.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Calls for binge warnings on alcohol packaging – ABC Online

The Public Health Association (PHA) says warnings about the dangers of binge drinking should be pasted on all forms of packaged alcoholic drinks.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Alcohol in India at a new high – The Hindu

India is one of the largest producers of alcohol in the world and there has been a steady increase in its production over the last 15 years, according to new statistics.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Health officials should take lead in battling drug abuse – Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

ONE of the easiest ways for young people in Fairfield County to get high isn’t by going to a drug dealer. It is right in their own home - their parent’s medicine cabinets. It also comes from their friend’s parents and grandparent’s cabinets. It is through stealing prescription drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Brewers Urged to Stop Marketing Beer Shirts to Young Girls – Join Together

The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urged Miller Brewing Co., Foster’s, and Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, to stop allowing logos for those beers to be used on tee shirts sold at Forever 21, a retailer popular with teenage girls.