Drug News

METH – USA

Meth to the madness as phone poles stripped for copper – ZDNet

The wholesale price of copper is rising. It is now up to $3.55 a pound. In fact, the scrap market will pay you more than $3 a pound for what is hauled in.Unfortunately, many of the customers who seek to sell copper to the scrappers are methamphetamine addicts.  That’s meth up there at the top of this post.

METH – USA

New fear for parents: candy-flavored meth – The Register-Guard

The fruity flavoring of strawberry, grape and watermelon are perennial favorites in countless sugary delights. And now, those kid-friendly tastes are turning up in another product: methamphetamine.

METH – AUSTRALIA

Dentists fear ‘meth mouth’ – The Border Mail

INCREASING drug use could spark an epidemic of tooth decay among young Australians, the Australian Dental Association says.

METH – USA

Anti-meth project calls on Yuma youth to not use, even once – Yuma Sun

Not even once. That is the pledge the Arizona Meth Project will ask Yuma’s teens and young adults to take this Saturday.

METH – AUSTRALIA

Meth mouth epidemic – Sky News

Dentists are warning of an additional but little-known side-effect of the ice epidemic. They’re worried tooth decay could become a major problem because of the acidic nature of several recreational substances, including methamphetamine.

ALCOHOL – CUBA

Alcohol Increases Colon Cancer Risk – Prensa Latina

Drinking a big glass of beer or wine a day increases the possibilities of suffering colon cancer in 10 percent, according to a study published Monday by the International Journal of Cancer.

PRESCRIPTION – PAKISTAN

Self medication is self destruction – The Daily Times

The trend of using drugs without consulting doctors is common in society. It is generally seen that medical stores sell medicines without asking for doctor’s prescriptions.

CANNABIS – UK

Cannabis is bad for you, but it’s also impossible to ban – Guardian Unlimited

It’s far more important to educate people about what dope does to the brain than reclassify and then crack down on it.

ALCOHOL – USA

Alcohol Poisoning a Reality - Not a Myth – The Signal

Alcohol poisoning is real and it can kill. As a high-risk teen counselor, I have attended my share of teen funerals to last all of you a lifetime.

ALCOHOL – USA

Talk to your kids about alcohol abuse – Chillico the Gazette

Alcohol consumption amongst teens also contributes to suicide, homicide, fatal injuries, unprotected sex and as many as two-thirds of sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students. 

METH – USA

Mural has a message for meth addicts – Yakima Herald

Located at 5102 Tieton Drive next to Glenwood Square, it’s a mural with a message warning against the dangers of methamphetamine use. 

HEROIN – USA

Authorities seize ‘cheese’ heroin in  Shreveport – The Shreveport Times

A multiagency investigation led to the area’s first seizure of the blend of heroin and crushed over-the-counter medications that contain a common antihistamine.  MARIJUANA – USA

Marijuana may increase psychosis risk, analysis says – CNN News

Using marijuana seems to increase the chance of becoming psychotic, researchers report in an analysis of past research that reignites the issue of whether pot is dangerous.

METHADONE – UK

How can we trust police to peddle a drug cure? – Sunday Herald

THE METHADONE debate has gone on for 10 years. It is back on the agenda now because we are at last coming to understand that using this heroin substitute to ease addicts off their expensive and dangerous habit is not working well.

COCAINE – USA

Bad cocaine lands Italians in hospitals –United Press International

Doctors in northern Italy warned of a poisonous batch of cocaine after 16 people were hospitalized within a day of each other.

ADDICTION – UK

Addiction show adverts row – The Scotsman

A CONTROVERSIAL art show in Glasgow featuring work by the children of drug addicts was last night at the centre of a censorship row after the city council refused to screen an advert for it - even though it partly funded the event.

COCAINE – SWITZERLAND

Researchers reverse cocaine effects in mice – Swiss Info

Researchers in Geneva working with laboratory mice say they have found a way to reverse the effects of cocaine on the brain.

METH – USA

Lawmakers Warn Children of ‘Meth Mouth’ Dangers – New Examiner-EnterpriseMethamphetamine users can turn the world off with their smiles and dentists and lawmakers plan to make that message clear to the nation’s youth. 

PRESCRIPTION – USA

Durant Police Concerned About Teenagers Using Prescription Drugs – KTEN News

The deaths of two teenagers in the past two months have Durant police concerned.  It is believed the teenagers died of a prescription drug overdose.

CANNABIS – UK

Cannabis use linked to 40% rise in risk of schizophrenia – Community Care

People who smoke cannabis daily have a 200% increased risk of psychosis, according to a study of previous research into the drug published today in The Lancet journal.

METH – USA

Meth Users Risk Smiles, Bills Warn – Fort Smith Times Record

Methamphetamine users can turn the world off with their smiles, and dentists and lawmakers plan to make that message clear to the nation’s youth. 

METH – USA

Teeth Provide Hard Truths About Meth Addiction – KHBS/KHOG News

Congress is hoping that pictures of meth users’ mouths and teeth will help stop children from ever trying the drug. Experts said meth use rots teeth, in addition to the harm it does to the rest of the body.

ALCOHOL – USA
Brunel University Academic Calls For Age- Based Drinking Limits To Be Introduced – Medical News Today
Age-based sensible drinking limits should be introduced, according to Mary Gilhooly, Professor of Gerontology at Brunel University’s School of Health Science and Social Care.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription abuse a growing problem – The News-Press
Lee County has a drug problem. And the source is as seemingly innocuous as the neighborhood drugstore and the family medicine cabinet.
CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND
Cannabis Use Linked To Psychotic Illnesses – Newswire
New research from the United Kingdom has found that smoking cannabis on a regular basis can more than double the chances of suffering psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.
ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
MySpace generation targeted by alcohol companies – News Australia
ALCOHOL companies are targeting teenagers through MySpace and Facebook in a bold attempt to reach a generation unaffected by traditional advertising.
ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol still a ‘major drug of concern’ – ABC News
A new report has confirmed alcohol is still the most widely used drug in Australia and the most common one for which people seek treatment.
METH – USA
Meth Epidemic Gets More Attention From NW Congressmembers – OPB News
Southwest Washington Democrat Brian Baird knows how to make an audience wretch. He holds up pictures of “meth mouth.” That’s the name for the hideous tooth decay and gum disease meth users frequently develop.

METH – NEW ZEALAND
Middle-class users of P turning off because of violence links – New Zealand Herald

A survey of regular drug users has found consumption of methamphetamine among the middle class may be on the decline because of its links to addiction and violence.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol abuse pioneer’s work is honoured – The ScotsMan
THE pioneer of a specialist service for people with alcohol problems at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital has been honoured for his work.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sunday alcohol sales – The Richmond Register
The issue of Sunday alcohol sales is back on the Richmond City Commission’s agenda and will be voted on during its next meeting Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m.

CANNABIS – SINGAPORE
Rehab, not jail, for early cannabis, cocaine offenders – Today Online
First- and second-time abusers of cannabis and cocaine will, from next month, get a shot at rehabilitation, without having to bear the stigma of a criminal record.

CANNABIS – SINGAPORE
Tougher approach against abusers of cocaine, cannabis – Channel News Asia
Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau and Prisons Department are going to get tougher on first- and second-time abusers of cannabis and cocaine.
MARIJUAN – USA
Know the facts about teen marijuana use – The Daniel Island News
Substance abuse is common among teens, and drug addiction does not discriminate. It invades all walks of life and transcends across race, gender, religious and economic lines.
METH – USA
Emergency responders learn signs, dangers of meth – Zwire
Crystal Meth has a wide variety of street names, including several which refer to its appearance, which resembles shards of glass or small pieces of ice.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Feds say, ‘Don’t flush prescription drugs’ – Mt Shasta News
Getting rid of prescription medications you no longer need used to be as simple as flushing them down the toilet - but things have changed.

ALCOHOL – USA
Overcoming Addiction: learn to deal with cravings – North Denver News
No one wants to be an addict. Anyone who has an alcoholic or drug addict close to them may find this impossible to believe but it’s true. Until that addict finds a way out of the trap of compelling drug or alcohol cravings, he or she may find it impossible to quit using drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – SOUTH AFRICA
Over-the-counter drugs abuse rife – IOL
Tens of thousands of “ordinary” South Africans are addicted to over-the-counter painkillers and sedatives like Codis, Stopayne, Nurofen-Plus and Valium.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Fort Peck ‘pill seekers’ go extra mile to feed addictions – Great Falls Tribune
When alcohol and drug counselor Eloise Youngman saw a young woman’s broken arm in a sling for the second time in as many months, she knew exactly what was wrong: The injured woman was a pain pill addict.

ALCOHOL – UK
One in 10 year six pupils classed as ‘drinkers’ – The Telegraph
As many as one in 10 children drink alcohol in their final year of primary school, figures show.

DRUGS – UK
Keep focus on existing drug issues – The Scotsman
IT’S the latest hottest drug scare and Graeme Pearson, the head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, recently warned that crystal meth could soon be heading for Scotland.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Party drugs helping spread HIV – The Australian
PARTY drugs such as crystal methamphetamine have been firmly linked to HIV infection among young gay men in the US.

CANNABIS – UK
Public consulted on drug strategy – BBC News
The government is to launch what it says is the country’s biggest public consultation on tackling drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking And Driving: Immediate Removal Of A Driver’s License Saves Hundreds Of Lives Per Year –
Alcohol-impaired driving causes roughly 17,000 deaths per year, according to a 2006 study.

CANNABIS – UK
U.K eyes tougher pot possession laws – London Free Press
Pressured by the opposition Tories, the flip-flop has been prompted by the supposedly stronger strains of cannabis available on the street.

METH – USA
Seminar will focus on methamphetamine use – The Reporter
Ripon Medical Center will host an educational outreach seminar on the “Methamphetamine Epidemic” from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, in the Green Lake Room on the lower level.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge-drinking teenage girls knock back more alcohol than boys – This is London
Teenage girls are regularly knocking back more alcohol than boys, a survey has revealed.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol warning for older drinkers – The Telegraph
Baby boomers, now in or entering their sixties, are likely to drink more alcohol in old age than previous generations because they have always done so.

ALCOHOL – USA
Colleges test students with alcohol course – The Arizona Republic
Public health officials hope 5,000 incoming freshmen at North Carolina State University will see the progression beginning this month when they take a three-hour alcohol course required for admission - a first on campus.

ALCOHOL – USA
Females More Prone To Brain Damage From Alcohol Abuse – Science Daily
A new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center suggests that women are more prone to brain damage from alcohol abuse than men.

METH – UK
Keep focus on existing drug issues – The ScotsMan
IT’S the latest hottest drug scare and Graeme Pearson, the head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, recently warned that crystal meth could soon be heading for Scotland.
COCAINE – USA
Experts say it poses the same dangers as regular cocaine – The California Aggie
Coconut, strawberry, banana and chocolate may not sound like drugs, but those are a few of the flavors that cocaine now comes in.

METH – USA
Big Brother entering meth fight in Kentucky – WFIE News
It’s called MethCheck. By the end of this year, every pharmacy in Kentucky will have a high speed Internet link to check the purchase records of anyone buying ingredients that could also be used to make methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Foundation looking to buy former meth labs – Colorado 9 News
With potential contamination from carcinogens and explosive chemicals, to most people, a former methamphetamine lab would sound like a less than desirable real estate venture.

PAINKILLERS – CANADA
Painkillers invade Victoria streets – Victoria Times Colonist
An increasing number of Victoria drug dealers are selling prescription painkillers — sometimes referred to as hillbilly heroin — on the streets, pushing the city toward a troublesome trend already plaguing major Canadian cities.

ADDICTION – USA
OxyContin executives sentenced for misleading public on drug addiction risks – JURIST
Prosecutors had alleged that the company and executives were aware in 1995 that doctors were concerned about the drug’s high addiction risk, but its sales representatives continued to misrepresent OxyContin’s effects to physicians.

ALCOHOL – UK
Supermarkets selling cheap booze to young drinkers face Brown’s iron fist – The Guardian
Experts have told Downing Street that the easy availability of super-strength lager and cider lies behind the rise in alcohol-fuelled violence and the epidemic of related health problems, such as liver disease.

METHADONE – UK
Drugs rethink over quick methadone fix – The ScotsMan
A major overhaul of Scotland’s war on drugs will be unveiled this week as a report reveals a shocking rise in the number of addicts being ‘parked’ on heroin replacement drugs.

METH – USA
‘Meth Check’ System Being Tested in Kentucky – KTAR News
An automated system called “Meth Check” is being used in Kentucky to track purchases of cold medicine to specific individuals.

METH – USA
CBS46 Investigates: Traces Of Meth – CBS News
A CBS 46 News Investigation has uncovered potential dangers in former methamphetamine homes that experts say could be reaching epidemic proportions.

HEROIN ADDICTION – USA
Northfield heroin debate turns to talk of solutions – KARE News
The controversy over the true size of Northfield’s heroin problem took a positive turn today. A cross section of community leaders met to discuss prevention, enforcement and treatment solutions.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE – USA
Drug czar addresses prescription drug abuse – KVUE News
The latest research on teenage drug use across the country shows that, next to marijuana, the most common drugs teens use to get high are prescription medications.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE – USA
Caught in pull of pills – The Dallas Morning News
Teenagers now abuse prescription medications more than any other drug except marijuana, according to recent research. Overall drug use is down nationwide, but prescription drug abuse is booming.

METH – USA
Mexico limits some cold remedies in narcotics war – Reuters
Everyday cold medicines in Mexico will be moved behind the counter from September to stop drug gangs from using them to make illegal narcotics.

ADDERALL – USA
Easy Highs – WJTV News
It doesn’t take much for your kids to get high.  Believe it or not, you could be supplying them with their drug of choice and not even know it.

CANNABIS – UK
Minister backing cannabis review – BBC News
Scotland’s drugs minister has said he is “sympathetic” to UK Government plans to upgrade cannabis to a class B drug.

CANNABIS – UK
Judge warns of danger of cannabis – BBC News
A judge has warned of the “terrible” dangers of cannabis, as he jailed a drug dealer for three-and-a-half years.

ADDICTION – TAIWAN
Editorial: The reality of drug addiction – Taipei Times
The nation’s drug issues are trivialized, with sheepish celebrities pretending to repent, and kids getting the impression that drug addiction is nothing.

ADDICTION – USA
Meth addiction everyone’s problem – Clovis News Journal
A popular piece of advice for writers is to write about what you know. But writing about what you know can be extremely painful when you’ve been affected by the destructive demon of methamphetamine.

HEROIN – USA
Texas Stores Pull Tylenol PM as Youths Use It to Create Heroin Mix ‘Cheese’ – Fox News
Some area stores have stopped selling Tylenol PM or restricted access to the sleep aid that has been used by some Dallas youths to create the dangerous heroin mix known as “cheese.”

METH – USA
Glad You Asked: Of meth and metal – Napa Valley Register
I’ve seen a couple of reports of copper wiring stolen around town, and the incidents have seemed to be related to methamphetamines. Why do meth heads need copper wire?