Drug News

OPIUM – RUSSIA
Opium Production Hits a Record High – The Moscow Times
Afghanistan produced dramatically more opium in 2006, increasing its yield by roughly 49 percent from a year earlier and pushing global opium production to a new record high.

COCAINE – UK
Minister promises campaign to discourage cocaine use – Belfast Telegraph
The Junior Minister with responsibility for drugs is promising to implement a hard-hitting campaign in secondary schools to discourage teenagers from taking cocaine.

COCAINE – USA
Fruit-Flavored Cocaine Joins the Trend in Flavored Drugs – FOX News
Strawberries and coconut, both flavors have a recognizable place in the world of candy, popsicles, and frozen drinks. Now, cocaine can be added to the list of fruity-flavored products.

HEROIN – UK
A world awash in heroin – Economist
THE smell of the Afghan poppy season is unmistakable, even from the open door of a Black Hawk helicopter.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
New Drug and Alcohol Policy in place – NSW Police Online
The NSW Police Force will introduce a new Drug and Alcohol Policy on 1 July which strengthens the current policy by extending the scope of existing programs and reinforcing community expectations of a drug-free Police Force.

METH – USA
Chronic Methamphetamine Abuse Linked To Cardiovascular Disease, Study Suggests – Science Daily
Scientists have found that chronic abuse of the highly addictive drug methamphetamine may be an unrecognized risk factor in the development of a number of potentially serious cardiovascular disorders frequently reported by methamphetamine abusers.

METH – UK
Crystal meth heading for Scotland, says drugs chief – Scotsman News
SCOTLAND’S elite crime fighting agency is preparing to tackle the impending arrival of the highly addictive drug methamphetamine on the streets.

PARTY DRUGS  – NEW ZEALAND
Party pills to be banned in New Zealand – The Age
New Zealand’s government has decided to outlaw party pills containing amphetamine-like drugs that have been on sale in the country.

METH – USA
Police Warn of New Type of Meth – Nebraska TV News
A new type of methamphetamine is showing up in the US, which could appeal to young people.  Authorities are prepared if it hits Central Nebraska.

METH – USA
New law to help protect kids from meth – San Marcos Daily Record
Police and social workers say a new state law allowing additional penalties for adults whose actions expose children to methamphetamine is an important new tool in the fight against the deadly drug.

METH – USA
Mothers Against Meth Organization Team Up with Dothan Residents – WTVY News
Two speakers from Mothers Opposing Meth teamed up with the Alfred Saliba Family Services Center in a workshop to fight the reality of crystal meth.

ADDICTION – USA
Featured Article: Awareness against drug addiction – Siber News
Drug adduction is the greatest challenge faced by the world. The younger generation which is addicted to drugs is the greatest concern of the global society today.

METH – UK
Methamphetamine Use Troubles the Heart – Heart Zine
If you are a regular user of methamphetamine, it is time you reconsider…

METH – USA
Crystal Methamphetamine Use In Young Adults May Be Higher Than Previously Reported – Science Daily
Crystal methamphetamine use among young adults in the United States is considerably higher than previous surveys indicate.

METH – USA
Flavored cocaine is latest ‘marketing tool’ for dealers – Chicago Tribune
In the legal marketplace there’s flavored water and flavored vodka. Now there’s a new product: flavored cocaine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Missouri Teens Above Average In Prescription Drug Abuse – KSDK News
8% of Missouri teens abused prescription pain relievers in the past year, which is slightly higher than the national average.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Spike in prescription drug abuse – KFVS News
The number of victims of prescription drug abuse continues to grow, and most of them are teenagers.

CANNABIS – NIGERIA
‘Cannabis, Most Trafficked Drug in Nigeria’ – This Day Online
Cannabis, popularly known as marijuana, is the most trafficked hard drug and the most consumed by drug abusers in Nigeria.

MORPHINE – USA
Lollipop Pain Reliever – WNDU News
It looks like a lollipop, but it is actually a super-potent pain killer designed to help seriously ill cancer patients. The problem is other people are abusing it, and with deadly consequences.

COCAINE – USA
Sweet, flavored cocaine now in U.S. – United Press International
Police in California report a growing trend in cocaine traffickers adding flavors to the powder and charging 40 percent more for it.

OPIUM – CANADA
Afghanistan opium production soars: UN – CTV News
A UN report released Tuesday showed that the “runaway train of drug addiction” has slowed, with estimated levels of global use holding steady for the third year in a row.

METH – USA
‘A Question of Life or Meth’ Wins Daytime Emmy Award – University of Kentucky News
Methamphetamine use and addiction is sweeping the country as thousands of families, children and young adults are destroyed in its path.

METH – CANADA
Crystal meth education urged – Nanaimo News Bulletin
There’s no question that crystal meth is on Nanaimo streets. It’s been here for years. The question city councillor Merv Unger wants raised is how to get the message about the drug’s dangers to school kids.

DRUGS – USA
Cocaine replacing meth in Eau Claire – WBAY News
There’s a good news, bad news scenario when it comes to fighting illegal drugs in Eau Claire.

DRUGS – USA
Meth Ado About Nothing? Flavored Meth and Cheese Heroin Stories Smack of Fearmongering – Join Together
Strawberry Quick is popular among new users who snort it because the flavoring can cut down on the taste. Teenagers who have been taught meth is bad may see this flavored version as less harmful.

PRESCRIPTION – AUSTRALIA
Prescription drug overdoses clogging services – NEWS
Melbourne paramedics attend an average of 19 overdoses a day involving pharmaceutical drugs, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

COCAINE – USA
Agents seize flavored cocaine – Sacramento Bee
In its unflavored form, cocaine is a powerful addictive stimulant, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine Cases Skyrocket In Eau Claire – WEAU News
Police say cocaine is causing huge problems in Eau Claire - the number of cocaine cases shot up last year.

COCAINE – COLOUMBIA
Science Magazine on Cocaine and Epidemiology – Shared Responsibility
Novel ways of measuring cocaine consumption are not only surprising in themselves but also yield eye-opening results. Here is a report by Science Magazine on two techniques that use epidemiology to determine how much cocaine is being consumed by certain communities.

METH – USA
County’s meth problem affects everyone – Salem Statesman Journal
Marion County’s meth problems aren’t going away. So it was good to hear recently that the Methamphetamine Strike Force isn’t going away either, through September 2008 at least.

DRUGS – INDIA
International Day Against Drug - 200 million people in world use drugs – Mangalorean News
About 200 million people around the world consume drugs each year, with cocaine, opium and its derivatives - including heroin - topping the list of favourites, a United Nations report said Tuesday.

OPIUM – USA
U.N.: Afghan Opium Production Up – Chicago Tribune
A U.N. report released Tuesday showed that the “runaway train of drug addiction” has slowed, with estimated levels of global use holding steady for the third year in a row. Afghanistan’s opium production, however, increased dramatically.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Missouri Teens Turning Away from Street Drugs to Prescription Drug Abuse – Earth Times
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and local Missouri experts urged parents today to take action against the latest drug abuse trend among teens: abuse of prescription drugs to get high.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
New Findings Show Half of Americans Surveyed Importing Drugs without a Prescription – Pharma Live
Concerned about a growing number of fake and counterfeit drugs entering America.

METH – USA
State Creates Convicted Meth Manufacturer Registry – CBS 2 Chicago News
Illinois launched an Internet database Sunday that enables communities to track convicted methamphetamine makers.

METH – USA
Polk Still Seen as Meth ‘Hot Spot’ – The Ledger
Fewer busts of labs does not mean that the county has shed its reputation.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Drug Addiction Slowing Down: UN Report – MeIndia
Drug addiction worldwide appears to be slowing down for almost every kind of illicit drug, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said on Friday.

METHADONE – USA
One father’s war on methadone – The Spokesman Review
Standing in the dim basement where a methadone overdose killed his son, Ken Zigler prepared to honor Tim’s legacy the only way he knows how.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Pharmaceutical drug overdoses ‘common’ – Sydney Morning Herald
Melbourne paramedics attend an average of 19 overdoses a day involving pharmaceutical drugs.

CANNABIS – CYPRUS
Cannabis most common drug in Cyprus – Cyprus Mail
Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in Cyprus, with almost seven per cent of the island’s population admitting to using it at least once.

CODEINE – USA
Army says drug abuse is up on camps in South Korea – Stars and Stripes
Drug abuse is on the rise at some Army installations in South Korea, military officials have confirmed.

COCAINE – IRELAND
Health staff to be trained in cocaine treatment – Sunday Business Post
Dozens of Health Service Executive (HSE) staff are to enroll for cocaine intervention courses at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) this summer as part of a drive to tackle dependency on the drug.

TRANQUILIZER - THAILAND
Special K party drug damages organs – Bangkok Post
The popular party drug ketamine can cause permanent organ damage, Hong Kong doctors said in a report released Friday.

COCAINE - UK
Cocaine use on the up – Lakeland Radio
New tests have shown that Cocaine usage is on the increase in the Lake District.

METH - CANADA
City signs on to deliver message on meth – Pentiction Western News
According to Penticton RCMP’s drug section, even the hard-core drug users are staying away from meth because of its reputation as a “dirty drug.”

DRUGS - USA
Abbett: Drug abuse contributes to other crimes – Opelika Auburn News
It’s a problem that affects people of all ages, races and genders. Prescription drug abuse: It isn’t a new problem, and it isn’t going away either.

ALCOHOL - USA
Alcohol Related Accidents on the Rise – KLFY News
After years of decline, alcohol related traffic fatalities are on the increase, both nationwide and here in Acadiana.

DRUGS - USA
Online Teens Openly Chat About Drug Use – Join Together
Check out their MySpace page or their instant-messenger conversations, where kids are often recklessly open in discussing their drinking and drugging.

OPIUM - UK
Addiction takes hold in the poppy fields of Afghanistan – The Independent
A peaceful garden lies behind a high gate amid the bustle of Lashkar Gah’s dusty streets, its walls decorated with Hogarthesque images proclaiming the evils of drug addiction.

DRUGS - AUSTRALIA
Drug Action Week – Future for Indigenous communities
A collective approach to tackling drug and alcohol abuse was vital to improving the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

METH - USA
Candy Meth Causing Concerns – KXTS News
A new form of a dangerous drug is popping up in New Mexico. Candy-flavored methamphetamine is causing concern.

ADDICTION - USE
Lollipop painkiller linked to addiction, overdose – King 5 News
When you think of a lollipop — candy comes to mind. But Ted Banasiewicz thinks of relief for his excruciating cancer pain.  

METH - USA
County warns dismantled meth labs pose danger to people who live there – Charleston Daily Mail
Kanawha County officials are drawing up new rules that could require property owners to hire a certified decontamination specialist to clean up after a meth lab has been uncovered.

DRUGS - USA
After OxyContin scare, Appalachian addicts turn to hydrocodone - AL News Flash
The drug OxyContin has been blamed for a wave of crime and drug addiction in Appalachia, but a less famous painkiller may actually be more harmful.

METH - USA
Flavored meth makes inroads with pre-teens – WAVE 3 News
A dangerous new form of meth is headed to the area and it’s aimed at kids. It’s called Strawberry Quick, but unlike the popular breakfast drink, this drug can kill.

DRUGS - USA
Teens Chatting Online About Drugs, Alcohol and Sex – The Trumpet
Millions of American teenagers have abused drugs or alcohol in the past 30 days, and many of them are chatting about it online with a frightening degree of openness.

ALCOHOL - USA
Youth Warned About Alcohol Dangers – Tyler Morning Telegraph
The Boys & Girls Clubs of East Texas, along with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, hosted a multimedia outreach program for 12- to 18-year-olds Wednesday to warn about dangers involved with drinking.

PRESCRIPTION - USA
Dispose of prescription drugs properly – The Herald Banner
With the rapid increase in the number of teens abusing prescription drugs in recent years, it is important to clear out your medicine cabinets and monitor remaining amounts regularly.

PRESCRIPTION - USA
Dangerous Habit: Prescription Drug Abuse – WRBL News
It’s a problem that affects people of all ages, races and genders. Prescription drug abuse: It isn’t a new problem, but isn’t going away either.

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
DA: Not enough govt action on drug addiction – Mail and Guardian
Key government departments are doing nothing to stop drug addiction, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday.

METHADONE – USA
METHADONE - Fast facts – Youngstown Vindicator
Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used for more than 30 years to treat opiate addiction. Here are some other facts associated with the drug.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink and drugs fuel rise in teen sex disease – Times Online
Rising consumption of drugs and alcohol among teenagers is leading to a surge in sexually transmitted diseases, as young people take more risks when under the influence.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol blamed for half of Russia’s premature deaths – The Independent
Excessive drinking causes nearly half of all deaths among Russian men of working age, researchers have found. But it is not just vodka doing the damage.

CANNABIS – UK
Police get high to find cannabis factories – Belfast Telegraph
Ulster’s increasing drug trade in home-grown cannabis is being foiled from the sky by police.

ADDERALL – USA
Prescription addiction – News Times SLO
Back in the day, students seeking an academic advantage chose stimulants like coffee, energy drinks and caffeine pills to help them stay up late and cram for final examinations.

OPIUM – BANGLAD
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran agree to stop drug trafficking – The Financial Express
Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to work closely to stop drug trafficking along their common borders by building more physical barriers, launching joint counter-narcotic operations and improving communication.

OPIUM – USA
Opium trade impacts military – United Press International
Congress wants the U.S. military to play a bigger role in combating the production of opium in Afghanistan.

COCAINE – USA
Cheap Cocaine: It’s a ‘Social Thing’ – ABC News
Despite 36 Years of Battling, the Government Has Been Unable to Halt Cocaine Use.

DRUGS – USA
“This Gives Me A Reason To Say No” – Pushing Back
Another school board in New Jersey has approved the implementation of a random drug testing program for its students.

PAINKILLER – IRELAND
Study finds ‘worrying’ lack of knowledge on medicines – Irish Independent
Almost one in every two people would give aspirin to a child under 16 years - even though it could have fatal consequences, a survey has found.

DRUGS – USA
Duval leads in drug deaths – Florida Times-Union
The Jacksonville area led the state in alprazolam, cocaine and hydrocodone-related deaths in a study released this week by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

DRUGS – USA
Oxycodone deaths double; cocaine declines – TCPalm Local News
The potent pain reliever oxycodone was found at lethal levels in more than twice the number of bodies that crossed the local four-county medical examiner’s autopsy tables in 2006 compared to 2005.

METHADONE – ITALY
A ray of hope – Dublin People
In Suluzzo, Northern Italy, a nun named Sister Elvira was concerned by the destruction she saw among young Italians through drug abuse and felt called to do something to help them.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol: A weapon of mass destruction – African Path
They call me alcohol. I live in a bottle but I like swimming in people’s heads. I’m unbeatable. I fail and fall people. I’m a weapon of mass destruction.

ALCOHOL – USA
Winfield board approves policy for alcohol testing – Winfield Daily Courier
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, students at Winfield High School and their guests at school events will be subject to preliminary breath tests administered by local law enforcement and school officials.

METH –CANADA
Sweet-tasting drug targets children – Today’s Family News
A new type of sweet-tasting methamphetamine, which is intended to lure younger children, may be on its way to Canadian streets.

CANNABIS – UK
Majority of cannabis ‘home grown’ – BBC News
Many cannabis plants have also been selectively bred, to produce a much stronger drug called super skunk.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Children part of drug solution – Herald Sun
CHILDREN in early primary school must learn about illicit drugs and should be part of their parents’ drug treatment programs, experts say.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
Cannabis education centre expected by end of year – ABC News Online
A new research and education centre targeting cannabis is expected to be up and running by the end of this year.

Do you know a dad who needs alcohol or drug rehab? Help him, and help the kids.

I just read a study on the impact of fathers on their children. It’s not about drugs or drug addicts; it’s just about dads and their kids. For years we’ve been hearing that stepfathers aren’t as good as biological fathers, that fathers in the home are better than fathers out of the home, that single parent families can ruin kids, and so on and so on. But the truth of the matter is that none of that really matters: what’s important is the closeness of the relationship. Since I spend a fair amount of my time focused on drug addiction, it’s hard not to think about how many of those fathers are alcohol or drug abusers and what a huge difference it would make in a kid’s life to have his father complete a successful drug rehab program.

How does the relationship with dad affect the child? It affects their school performance and academic achievement, whether or not they become juvenile delinquents, their general behavior, and even their health. Just being there is not enough. A father has to be involved in his children’s lives, and the closer they are, the better the child will do. If a father has all his attention on where the next hit’s coming from, you can be pretty sure he’s not also forming a close relationship with his kids. If you know one of those dads, get them into drug rehab. It will help him, and could be a major factor in the health, happiness, well-being and future of his children.