Drug News

METH – AUSTRALIA
GPs key to breaking ‘ice’ epidemic – The Age
A Sydney doctor is urging fellow GPs to lead the fight against methamphetamines and help end the nation’s devastating “ice” epidemic.

METH – USA
‘Candy-Flavored’ Meth Makes Its Way To Nebraska – KTIV
Most kids know how to “just say no to drugs.” But, when drugs like meth are disguised to look like candy it may end up being just too good for kids to resist.

METH – USA
Flavored meth presents dangerous new drug trend – KHAS TV
A new type of methamphetamine that targets young children is making its way across the country. It is candy–flavored meth.

METH – USA
Authorities on the Look out for Candy-Flavor Meth – KCRG News
It may sound like an Internet rumor, but candy-flavor meth is real, and is a real threat. But drug investigators tell TV9 they can’t find it in Iowa, at least not yet.

ALCOHOL – USA
Quebecers and alcohol in 2007: An overall healthy approach, despite specific problems to resolve and certain needs that must be addressed – News Wire
Quebecers have a healthy approach to alcohol. While, over the past five years, drinking habits have become more regular and the consumption of wines and spirits has continued to grow.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Use Up in Teen Girls – Web Med
The number of teens, especially girls, taking prescription drugs for type 2 diabetes, sleep problems, and other illnesses is up.

METH – USA
Nevada meth study panel hears examples from other states – WMC-TV Action News
Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel joined other state attorney generals in Las Vegas today for a conference on methamphetamine.

DRUGS – USA
Inhalant Abuse – Pediatrics Publications
Inhalant abuse is the intentional inhalation of a volatile substance for the purpose of achieving an altered mental state. As an important, yet-underrecognized form of substance abuse, inhalant abuse crosses all demographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic boundaries, causing significant morbidity and mortality in school-aged and older children.

DRUGS – USA
Sales of Home Drug-Test Kits Soar Despite Warnings from Experts – Join Together
The number of parents buying home drug-test kits has increased dramatically despite warnings from treatment professionals and government officials that home-testing adolescents is not a good idea.

DRUGS – USA
Industry Group Launches Website on Cough Medicine Abuse – Join Together
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which represents manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, has launched an educational campaign on cough medicine abuse focused on a new website.

HEROIN – USA
Deadly Combination of Heroin and Cold Medicine Invades Dallas – Join Together
A deadly mixture of heroin and cold medication, called “cheese,” has become a scourge among youth in the Dallas area.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens: Prescription Drugs & ‘Pharm’ Parties – Tampa Bay Local State News
Drug trends among teenagers are constantly changing. Next time your kids head to a party, marijuana and cocaine may not be the concern but legal prescription drugs.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Showing Up – Omaha News
Drug dealers are adding in powdered lemonade and Kool-Aid to make the meth look like the popular candy “Pop Rocks.”

METH – USA
Meth is Death draws large crowd – Arizona Silver Belt
Everybody in the community is impacted by the epidemic of methamphetamine abuse, and it might get worse before it gets any better

METH – USA
City employees learn dangers of meth labs – The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise
If a so-called “cook” was manufacturing methamphetamine here in Seguin, think that wouldn’t be your problem, even if you owned the place?

METH – CANADA
Crystal meth topic of forum – The Powell River Peak
A person can walk into a kitchen that is doubling as a lab for making crystal methamphetamine and not even know it.

HEROIN – FRANCE
‘Cheese’ heroin tempts Texas teens at two dollars a hit – France 24
Sold in torn paper still bearing class notes, a cheap and deadly form of heroin called “cheese” is sweeping through northern Texas schools where it has claimed the lives of at least 21 teenagers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Curbing drug abuse – The Washington Times
The nature of America’s drug problem is changing. No longer is the problem characterized exclusively by the stereotypical street-corner drug dealer with a bindle of heroin or a baggie of marijuana. Now, prescription drugs are being misused in record numbers.

METH – USA
Program raises methamphetamine danger awareness – The Prairie Star
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that is affecting every segment of society, especially rural America.

METH – USA
Madigan declares progress in fight against methamphetamine – The Southern Illinoisan
The message, which she delivered as keynote speaker at the fourth annual Southern Illinois Methamphetamine Conference, offered hope to those serving on the front lines of the war against the highly addictive and dangerous drug.

ALCOHOL – USA
Cars, Alcohol & Women Are Deadly Mix – CBS News
Young women are quickly catching up to their male counterparts when it comes to alcohol-related fatal car crashes and other risky driving behavior, according to a new study.

PAINKILLERS – USA
A warning too big to ignore – Journal Gazette
Recent overdose deaths involving a prescription painkiller have prompted Kosciusko County officials to erect a graphic billboard warning residents of the potentially fatal consequences of abusing the drug.

DRUGS – USA
Prescription Painkillers Becoming Popular Target Among Thieves – KOTV News
Clearly, the friendly neighborhood pharmacy has become a more risky business. Pharmacies have security cameras.

HEROIN – USA
What’s in your cheese? How about a little heroin – Frost Illustrated
It has become the popular method to achieve a high in the classroom. Even with the media publicity over the number of youths dying, the number of users is increasing.

COCAINE – CANADA
Cocaine: the real thing? – The Labradorian
Of the many drugs which originate from plants, cocaine is one of the most powerful, if not the leader of the pack.

METH – USA
Meth Wars: Legislation Used In The Fight – KAUZ News
If you’ve been sick the past couple years and bought Sudafed you noticed a difference in getting the drug. Its because of the Combat Meth Act of 2005, which is aimed at limiting access to possible meth cooks.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
Super cannabis alarm – Herald Sun
Police fear a new form of incredibly potent cannabis is destined to hit Australia.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Gaining in Popularity – Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck
Some of the scariest monsters look lot like the guy next door. They’re out there trying to push methamphetamine on our children. Their latest tool…flavored meth.

CANNABIS – BELGIUM
One in four addicted to cannabis – Expatica
Almost one in four of the young drug users who seek professional help is addicted to cannabis. Seven years ago that figure was just one in ten.

CANNABIS – TURKEY
Europe unites against cannabis in Istanbul – Turkish Daily News
In an effort to fight against drugs European leaders meet in Turkey, one of Europe’s major drug traffic hubs, to advocate a cannabis free world.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scotland tops UK for those on benefits due to alcohol – The Herald
Alcohol abuse prevents thousands of Scots from working and the west of Scotland has the highest rate of drink-related benefit claimants in the UK, according to new figures.

HEROIN – USA
Is heroin becoming the new trend? – Gazette Extra
Heroin used to be the drug of choice for “experienced” addicts, Patek said. Now, it’s reaching a younger audience.

DRUGS – USA
New England Anti-Drug Testing? – Associated Construction Publications
Drug abuse across New England job sites is arguably as bad as, if not worse than, other regions of the country. And while drug abuse is widespread in general, it’s particularly severe within the construction sector.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
Asian gangs develop highly potent cannabis strain – The Daily Telegraph
Latest criminal intelligence suggests that Australia-based Vietnamese drug dealers have traveled to Canada to learn how to cultivate the highly addictive cannabis.

METH – USA
Rural Meth Users at Greater Risk – Nebraska Farmer
A new study has determined that rural methamphetamine users are younger when they start using meth, are more likely to use intravenously, have more psychoses, smoke more cigarettes and are more likely to be alcoholic than urban methamphetamine users.

COCAINE – GERMANY
Europe Rushes to Stem Flood of Cocaine Coming Through Africa – Deutsche Welle
round 10 million Europeans, or over three percent of all adults, have used cocaine at least once in their lives, a historically high figure, according to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

METH – USA
As meth cases increase, cleanup help coming – News Democrat and Leader
The production of methamphetamine is a dirty and dangerous- not to mention illegal- process. Poisonous chemicals are used, highly flammable solutions are created and toxic fumes are released. Because of this, meth labs are a health hazard and even continue to be so after they are shut down.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Targets Youth – WTVF News
Anti-drug advocates and law enforcement said drug dealers are selling flavored crystal methamphetamine, which targets new, young users.

METH – USA
Crack is the New Meth – WENY Local News
The drug of choice will always be replaced for something else, and in this fact we believe because of our close proximity to the New York area.

RITALIN – USA
Finals Week Means Popping Pills – Psych Central
A new study finds that students are using prescription stimulants to improve concentration during long study sessions and all-nighters.

ADDICTION – USA
Fight against drugs moves to living room – Detroit Free Press
In the Royal Oak home of Kirk and Catherine Goddard, about a dozen friends and neighbors gathered around a 27-inch television and settled in for an evening of pizza, salad, soda, movie watching and friendly conversation.

METH – USA
Panel tackles meth addiction in Iowa – DesMoines Register
Treating abusers costs half as much as sending them to prison, but federal funding for such programs ends soon.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

METH – USA
Filmmaker urges action in meth movie – Grand Junction Sentinel
The filmmaker, who hails from Grand Junction, spent 16 months documenting the lives of meth addicts and drug treatment options around the West

RITALIN – UK
Ritalin Abuse Poses Risk During College Exam Week – Medical News Today
College is hard enough. But throw in end-of-semester exams, term papers and standardized tests, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Enter Ritalin, the latest drug of choice among sleep-deprived students struggling to make the grade.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol is a killer for Swiss – Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews
Alcohol is a major cause of death – in many cases premature - among the population in Switzerland, according to a study.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Teens in mass binge-drinking arranged over the internet – The Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/teens-in-mass-bingedrinking-arranged-over-the-internet/2007/05/12/1178899158412.html
YOUNG girls are the new face of underage drinking, lured to hastily organised booze sessions in parks and beaches by internet sites such as MySpace.

DRUGS – INDIA
Beware of Date Rape drugs – Hindustan Times
The effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can’t remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim’s knowledge.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Health Tip: Never Share Prescription Medications – Atlanta Journal Constitution
Although you may be tempted to use a medication that has been prescribed to someone else, this is a dangerous practice.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Don’t flush your old prescription drugs; they could harm the environment –WiscNews
Prescription medications can flush toxins from the body, but flushing the expired or unused remedies down pipes into the local sewer system may increase toxins in the environment.

METH – THAILAND
Crackdown against methamphetamine abuse is on – Nation Multimedia
Methamphetamine abuse in Bangkok and other urban centres is on the rise and the Narcotics Control Board will launch a crackdown between now and September.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol at home could help cut teenage binge drinking – Scots Man News
A survey of 10,000 British teenagers aged 15-16 found 75 per cent had drunk alcohol, but those who were first introduced to it at home were less likely to binge-drink, drink frequently or drink in public places.

COCAINE – UK
Euro Zoned Out: Euro Is Choice Of Cocaine – Anorak
The Euro is the No. 1 choice in the cocaine industry. Users might prefer to use rolled up fivers, but the traffickers love the euro.

COCAINE – INDIA
Banned ‘Cocaine’ drink re-emerges as ‘Censored’ – Daily News and Analysis
An energy drink that was barred by the US government from going on the market with the name “Cocaine” will re-emerge under the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Censored.”

DRUGS – USA
Drug dealers peddling new kid-friendly mixes – MSNBC
Meth, heroin laced with candy and strawberry flavoring to appeal to youth.

DRUGS – THIALAND
Companies ‘clever at giving alcohol a good image’ – National Multimedia
Alcohol companies are very clever at creating a good image of drinking by sponsoring sports and musical events, a mass communications lecturer said yesterday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Manufacturer Takes Steps To Help Reduce Teen Drinking – North Country Gazette
Beam Global, the nation’s largest distilled spirits company, has adopted a comprehensive set of new policies designed to reduce exposure of its advertising to underage persons.

METH – USA
‘Our No. 1 drug problem’ – Tucson Citizen
Gov. Janet Napolitano is calling for a crackdown on the cross-border methamphetamine traffic and an expansion of addiction treatment to combat the illegal drug’s growing threat to public health and safety.

METH – USA
Meth Strike Force should continue; only question is how – Statesman Journal
It shows what can happens when a community takes charge of a problem instead of leaving it for someone else to solve.

METH – USA
Is meth becoming the new white collar drug? – WFIE TV
It seems meth is used by everyone - from housewives, to teachers, to attorneys. Last Friday, police arrested a second Evansville lawyer on meth-related charges.

COCAINE – USA
‘Cocaine’ drink yanked from shelves nationwide – MSNBC
Company plans to rebrand the energy beverage after FDA complaints. An energy drink called Cocaine has been from pulled from stores nationwide amid concerns about its name.

METH – USA
Study: Meth addicts in rural areas face more health problems – Journal Star
Experts say rural addicts typically have limited access to treatment facilities and health services, but that’s become even more unsettling in light of a new study comparing meth users living in rural areas with their urban counterparts.

METH – USA
Meth overwhelms the nation – The Daily
While most of us have heard something about the national meth problem, most would probably not term it an epidemic. That’s dangerously incorrect, and our ignorance of the problem is leading to its fast proliferation in our very own backyard.

METH – USA
Meth Update – Oroville Mercury Register
Many parents may needlessly worry that their teen or even preteen is using alcohol or other drugs. There may be a political conflict between a child’s rights as a member of a free society and a parent’s obligation as a caretaker of a developing individual.

METH – USA
Candy-Flavored Meth Targets New Users – CBS News
Officials say the “designer meth” can smooth the chemically rough ingestion of the drug, making it easier for first-time users to try.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Parents, Check Your Medicine Cabinet –
If it passes later this month, a bill introduced by Suffolk County Legis. Lynne Nowick (R-St. James) will ban the sale of DXM products to minors. What could be bad about that?

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens seen turning to legal drugs for a ‘high’ – The Daily Record
The latest drug danger for teenagers and young adults is not new; it’s legally purchased prescription drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Few parents tune in to teen drug talk – The Daily Herald
Information about drugs favored by local teenagers and how best to connect with them were some of the things parents learned at a special program staged by Warren Township High School on Thursday night.

DRUGS – USA
More Than 10 Percent Of Adults Abuse Or Become Dependent On Drugs During Their Lifetime – Science Daily
Approximately 10.3 percent of U.S. adults appear to have problems with drug use or abuse during their lives.

DRUGS – USA
Dramatic play changes opinions of drug abuse: study – Yahoo News
A dramatic play about drug abuse can change the opinions of the audience and even prompt them to donate money to prevention programs.

DRUGS – UK
Don’t do drugs…Drugs are bad…Okay? – Drink and Drugs News
Let’s learn from the failures of drug education in schools and change the emphasis to drug prevention.

METH – UK
Crystal meth: coming to a town near you – Times
It has been an epidemic in America and a major problem in many other parts of the world. Now it may be our turn to be hit by the world’s most addictive drug

DRUGS – GERMANY
Report Paints Mixed Picture of German Drug and Alcohol Use – DW World
Germany’s annual report on drugs and addiction was released this week showing a overall decrease in drug-related deaths, but alarming data on prescription drug addiction and youth drinking.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine use rising locally – Standard Speaker
Cocaine use may have eclipsed heroin in the Hazleton area for the first time in years, according to police and a drug-prevention expert.

COCAINE – USA
Crack cocaine now a local ‘epidemic’ – The Daily Review
While methamphetamine use has declined in Bradford County, crack cocaine use has now reached “epidemic” proportions in the county.

METH – USA
Meth marks the Tier: What you should know about this dangerous drug – Press and Sun-Bulletin
Meth is a very large problem in this country as well as the world. It shows no boundaries and spares no one. Since d-Meth was invented, the meth epidemic has taken off.

METH – USA
Dealers’ latest lure: sweetened meth – Indianapolis Star
Manufacturers adding powdered drink mix to bitter drug to take edge off for new users.

METH – USA
Strawberry Quick, Meth’s Dangerous New Form – Associated Content
They are calling this new form of meth “Strawberry Quick” and it looks like Pop Rocks candy that sizzle in your mouth. In it’s current form, it is dark pink in color and has a strawberry scent to it.

CODEIN – UK
Taking painkillers can make your headaches worse – The Daily Mail
Taking too many headache tablets can made headaches worse, doctors have warned.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Use Among Young Military Personnel Differs From Civilians – Join Together
Young adults in the military report substantially different patterns of substance use than their civilian counterparts.

DRUGS – USA
Study finds alcohol advertising and marketing are associated with adolescent drinking – RAND
Children’s exposure to alcohol advertising during early adolescence appears to influence both beer drinking and their intentions to drink a year later.

METH – USA
New form of meth heading this way; ‘Strawberry Quick’ combines drug with mix to give better taste – The Benton Courier
A new form of methamphetamine called “Strawberry Quick,” targeted at a new, and possibly younger, market, could make its way into Saline County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen girls, young women outpace males for prescription drug abuse, dependence – Battle Creek Enquirer
A new data analysis finds alarming trends in prescription drug abuse. While overall illicit drug use is declining, the abuse of prescription drugs, particularly narcotic pain killers, remains disturbingly high.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alice shops urged to stop selling mouthwash with alcohol – ABC Regional News
One pharmacist is no longer selling mouthwash, after noticing a 500 per cent increase in sales over the past few weeks.

ALCOHOL – UK
New study suggests alcohol promotes breast tumour growth – Cancer Research UK
Scientists have discovered that breast tumours in mice given the equivalent of two alcoholic drinks per day grow twice as fast as tumours in mice given no alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Local study links alcohol to brain shrinking – MetroWest Daily News
A new study by a researcher at Wellesley College found that increased alcohol consumption is related to a reduction in brain volume.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Press Release - Alcohol Advertising Review – The Scoop
In their report released today the Alcohol Advertising Review Steering Group has made some useful recommendations however, they have fallen short of doing what is necessary to reduce youth drinking and reduce alcohol-related harm.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol Report Findings Disappoint Health Group – NewsWire
A health lobby group says a report favouring industry self-regulation over liquor advertising does not go far enough.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol advertising report released – The Scoop
Associate Health Minister Damien O’Connor today released a report into alcohol advertising.

ALCOHOL – USA
WW County youths use alcohol – The Union Bulletin
The 2006 Healthy Youth Survey, taken by the Washington state Department of Health, shows Walla Walla County youths above the state average in alcohol consumption by as early as sixth grade.

ALCOHOL – SWEDEN
RAND Study Finds Alcohol Advertising And Marketing Are Associated With Adolescent Drinking – All American Patriots
Children’s exposure to alcohol advertising during early adolescence appears to influence both beer drinking and their intentions to drink a year later.

ALCOHOL – USA
Campaign takes aim at underage drinking in Montgomery County during May — and beyond – The Journal Review
Parents of pre-teen and teen-age children can help reduce underage drinking by beefing up their “supervisory” skills, through a campaign launched in May by the A.H.E.A.D. Coalition.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol & proms: A deadly mix – Daily Courier
For high school students everywhere, prom is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. And it is right around the corner.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Getting High From Prescription Sleeping Pills – Local 10 News
The new party pill for teenagers is a popular sleeping pill. It’s easy for young people to get the pills because millions of Americans already have them at home in their medicine cabinets.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol: the problem – The Age
Australia’s cultural love affair with booze is jeopardizing the country’s health and taking a large chunk out of its hip pocket.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol: the solution – The Age
There is a recurring problem in the attempt to reduce alcohol harm. “What’s popular doesn’t work and what works isn’t popular.”

ADDICTION – UK
Fears over painkiller addiction – Metro UK
Growing numbers of people are becoming addicted to over-the-counter painkillers, doctors are warning.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs stand between kids and emotions – Star Gazette News
Weekdays, weekends, free periods during school days, are all common times for substance use and abuse.

DRUGS – USA
‘Drugs 101′ informs parents – The Indiana Gazette
At first glance, it looked like a typical teenager’s bedroom. Clothing and magazines such as “Seventeen” and “People” littered the floor and bed, and soda cans and makeup sat atop a table. A closer look, however, revealed items - pills, pipes and clothing emblazoned with drug-related slang and imagery - that hinted at something more dangerous.

ADDICTION – USA
The addicts on more than 70 over-the-counter pills a day – The Daily Mail
Growing numbers of housewives and professionals are becoming addicted to over-the- counter drugs, doctors have warned.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Doctors Sound Alarm Over Sleeping Pills – Red Orbit Breaking News
More young, overstimulated, stressed-out Americans are taking prescription sleeping pills before stumbling to bed.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Michigan Ranks Among Top States In Nation In Teen Abuse Of Prescription Drugs – Medical News Today
The latest research shows that Michigan has one of the highest rates of teen prescription drug abuse in the country, as teens turn away from street drugs and use prescription drugs to get high.

DRUGS – USA
Hanover Park details drug test plan – The Daily Record
small but supportive group of about 40 parents showed up Wednesday night for the Hanover Park Regional High School District’s panel discussion of its proposed drug-testing policy.

METH – USA
Meth plagues Indian Country especially hard – Billings Gazette
Not long ago, most people here had never even heard of meth. Today, most know someone on meth or in prison because of it.

DRUGS – USA
Drug overdoses up: Coroner sees more drug-related deaths – Shelby County Reporter
Shelby County Coroner Diana Hawkins continues her mission to combat an increase in the number of teens and young adults dying from substance abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Prom night: Limos, tuxes, dresses - and safety – Gloucester Daily Times
When it comes to high school graduation plans, no parent wants to be this year’s “Prom Grinch.” But most parents worry about safety.

DRUGS – USA
Drug use survey results to be released – Sun Journal
The act of using inhalants to get high is one of the topics Patricia Duguay will speak about during a special public program on Wednesday at Mountain Valley Middle School.