Drug News

METH – UK
Addicts warned about dangers of crystal meth – Peterborough Evening Telegraph

DRUG users in Peterborough are being warned not to get involved with highly addictive crystal meth after a “lab” was discovered in the city.
ALCOHOL – USA
3 drinks a day raises breast cancer risk – MSNBC News

All types of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday.
ALCOHOL – USA
Change In Historical Patterns Of Drinking In Mediterranean Countries – Medical News Today

Binge drinking appears to be on the rise in Mediterranean countries. Binge drinking has traditionally been more common in Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries than Mediterranean countries.
ALCOHOL – USA
The Perils Of Mixing Energy Drinks With Alcohol – Medical News Today
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol appears to be popular among Italian university students.

HEROIN – USA
Lethal Batch of Heroin Circulating In Huntington – The State Journal
Three people have been killed after taking black tar heroin that was either ultra-pure or laced with some kind of toxin, city police said.

METH – USA
Flight for Meth takes to the skies over Nampa Saturday – KTVB News
Local aerobatic pilot Greg Poe will be dazzling crowds this Saturday at the first ever “Flight for Meth” in Nampa.

METH – USA
Meth awareness presentation set – Terre Haute Tribune Star
Marathon, in partnership with Leadership Crawford County (Ill.), The Hershey Co., and Lincoln Trail College have developed a presentation to educate and promote awareness about methamphetamine use and the dangers posed by meth to the community.

METH – USA
Meth serious problem in rural Nevada towns – Ely Daily Times
The overall crime rate in Nevada’s rural communities is generally much lower than it is in the state’s urban areas. Yet the crimes of drug trafficking, domestic violence, identity theft, fraud and child abuse are not unique to Las Vegas and Clark County.

ADDICTION – USA
Overcoming addiction theme of month – Brookhaven Daily Leader
Zeus Cooper Jr. kept the music pumping through the halls of New Haven Recovery Center Wednesday and keeping everyone mindful of what they holding a reception to celebrate: Recovery.

ALCOHOL – USA
Hispanic Teens More Likely Than Whites, Blacks to Use Drugs – Join Together
A new report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) finds that Hispanic youth are more likely to use illicit drugs than white or black teens and says trying to adapt to American culture may be the cause.

ALCOHOL – USA
Disorderly Wisconsin Football Fans Breath-Tested, Banned – Join Together
Fans attending University of Wisconsin football games are being given breath tests for alcohol use before being allowed into the stadium if they previously have been kicked out for disruptive behavior.

ALCOHOL – USA
24-Hour Drinking Could Be Curtailed in U.K. – Join Together
Citing the growing problem of binge drinking, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said his government would consider reversing a controversial decision to allow pubs to serve alcohol around the clock.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine Abuse – GM TV News
A recent United Nations report has revealed that around 910,000 Brits (one in every 45 adults) regularly use cocaine.

HEROIN – USA
Special Series - Cheese Heroin: A Deadly Addiction – KERA
With school back in session, medical professionals and educators are concerned an increasing number of students will become addicted to cheese heroin.

HEROIN – USA
Local law enforcement worried about heroin use – The Urban Daily Citizen
A recent spike in drug overdose cases has local law enforcement searching for answers.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Related Deaths Triple; Chiropractic Care May Be the Answer – Associated Content

The report shows that over the last seven years, this country has seen an increase in the number of prescription drug related deaths as well as severe adverse reactions, according to CPR Communications.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction month is fresh chance for addicts – The News Record

September was National Addiction Recovery Month, but college students shouldn’t just rely on a month to cut back on alcohol, if they decide to do so. However, if it takes a reason like Addiction Recovery Month to get an addict on their way to a fresh start, then go for it.
 

ALCOHOL – USA
After Student Death, School Cracks Down on Student Drinking – Join Together
A hazing death that led to criminal charges being filed against administrations and other students at Rider University also has prompted a major crackdown on alcohol use at the New Jersey school.
 

ALCOHOL – USA
Finland to Add Alcohol Warning Labels in 2009 – Join Together
Labels on all alcoholic beverages sold in Finland will include a warning that states “alcohol endangers the development of a fetus and your health” beginning in 2009.
 

HEROIN – USA
‘Cheese’ death toll rises to 40 in North Texas region – Houston Chronicle
At least 15 people in two North Texas counties have died in the past several years from the heroin mix called “cheese,” bringing the death toll to more than 40 in the region, according to a medical examiner.
 

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens prone to abusing prescription drugs say docs – CNN IBN News

They get them from the family medicine cabinet or buy them on the street. Experts say prescription medications are misused by adolescents more often than any other drugs except alcohol and marijuana.
 

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking On The Rise In Mediterranean Countries, Study SuggestsBinge Drinking On The Rise In Mediterranean Countries, Study Suggests – Science Daily
Binge drinking has traditionally been more common in Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries, known as “dry drinking cultures,” than it has been in Mediterranean countries. However, a study of drinking among adults in the Madrid region of Spain indicates that binge drinking is on the rise.
 

METH – USA
Utah launches new war on meth – The Salt Lake Tribune
Bucking stereotypes about drug users, Utah’s new anti-meth campaign zeroes in on those who at first blush seem the least likely to become addicted to the drug - including working moms.
METH – USA
Arizona Meth Project is working – Arizona Central News

Last week, we kicked off the second phase of the Arizona Meth Project’s media campaign. This is a milestone because Arizona is the second state in the United States that has implemented this mass-media youth prevention and education campaign.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Birth Defect Risks Not Always Known to Women – News Inferno
Women of child bearing age might not know that the common prescription drugs they take could cause birth defects should they become pregnant.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Counties combat prescription drug abuse – The Standard Democrat

Prescription drugs are more frequently getting in the wrong hands — and in large quantities.
 

ADDICTION – USA
Family table has a place in drug fight – USA Today
A new report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University shows that teenagers who average fewer than two family dinners a week are more likely to do drugs, smoke and drink compared with teens who have family dinners five or more times a week.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction focus on conference – The Robesonian
A special forum on drug and alcohol addiction will be held 8:30 p.m. Monday in the James B. Chavis University Center at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

ALCOHOL – USA
Employers Estimate Big Losses from Workers’ Drinking – Join Together
A British study finds that 40 percent of employers believe that employee drinking is a major cause of absenteeism and poor productivity, and one-third feel the same is true of illicit drugs.

METH – USA
Meth education is goal of group’s town hall meeting – Northwest Arkansas News
Project Right Choice members are planning a town hall meeting in conjunction with Methamphetamine Awareness Month.

METH – USA
October is Meth Awareness Month – Alamogordo Daily News
The mission of the Otero County Meth Awareness Coalition is to provide residents of Otero County with the best possible educational information concerning meth prevention, abuse, recovery and family support.

DRUGS – USA
Abuse can lead to serious charges – Mohave Daily News

Most drug cases that go before Mohave County judges involve illegal drugs but criminals can be arrested for illegally buying, selling or possessing prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse on the rise – Mohave Daily News

The impact of prescription drug abuse can take anyone, young or old, male or female, rich or poor down a path of addiction and ruin.

ALCOHOL – UK
Tackling society’s drug and alcohol crisis at its roots – Scotsman News
If you have seen or taken part in the debauch, the fact that consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs is on the increase will come as no surprise. There is a creeping acceptance that bingeing on drink and drugs is just part of being Scottish, young and/or male. How can we change this deep-seated belief?

METH – USA
Meth use not slowing – Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
While other states are seeing a decline in methamphetamine use, local officials say that isn’t the case here.

METH – USA
Huntsman Helps Launch New Meth Awareness Campaign – KCPW News
A new campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of methamphetamine use was launched today by Governor Jon Huntsman and the Utah Methamphetamine Joint Task Force.

METH – USA
US, Mexican attorneys general focus on stopping meth trade – KPUA News
State attorneys general from Mexico and the Western United States have agreed to work together against methamphetamine smuggling.
 

ALCOHOL – USA

Middle School Marks Most Critical Time To Start Ongoing Conversations About Drug And Alcohol Use With Kids – Medical News Today

Middle school is a crucial time for parents to start talking - research shows that by 8th grade, many kids have been exposed to tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and inhalants.

PRESCRIPTION – USA

Police: Prescription drugs the new meth – Sapulpa Daily Herald

Sapulpa and Creek County Law Enforcement both agree that prescription drug abuse is on the rise in the area.

PRESCRIPTION – USA

House Passes Prescription Drug Safety Reforms – Yuba Net

The House today passed significant reforms to the Food and Drug Administration’s drug safety review system. Part of a comprehensive FDA bill, the bill was a compromise between Senate and House legislation that passed overwhelmingly earlier this year.

ALCOHOL – USA

Carmel students tested for alcohol at football game – Indy Star

Students attending last Friday’s Carmel High School football game received an alcohol breath test before they entered the game.

ALCOHOL – USA

Finland to introduce warnings on alcohol – USA Today

Finland will introduce health warnings on bottles of beer, wine and liquor, following reports that alcohol has become the country’s biggest killer, officials said Friday.

ALCOHOL – USA

Highway safety improves: Alcohol-related accidents still a concern – NewsZap

Statewide there were 1,099 alcohol-related fatalities, 202 drug-related fatalities, 546 pedestrians killed, 124 bicyclists killed and 521 motorcyclists killed.

METH – USA

Survey bodes ill on teen’s attitudes toward meth – Kansas City Star

Most teens find it easy to access methamphetamine, and of those who have tried it, more than 75 percent said they started when they were age 15 or younger.

COCAINE – USA

No Cocaine in Ghana – AllAfrica

Though Ghana has in recent times gained notoriety in the drug trade, it is not considered to be among the major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries in the world.

HEROIN –

Getting Better Numbers on Drugs – CNN Times

The result of needle pricks, cigarette burns and scrapes — mark more than three decades of getting high on heroin.

ALCOHOL –

Drinking linked to endometrial cancer risk – MSNBC News

Older women who drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day may have an elevated risk of endometrial cancer, a new study suggests.

METH –

Graphic ads will depict hazards of meth use – Idaho Press-Tribune

Nampans got a graphic look Wednesday at what could soon be coming to televisions in

METH –

Teens’ Attitudes Toward Meth Released by Meth Project Study – Associated Content

On Wednesday, the Meth Project released the results of the first known survey to examine attitudes and behaviors American teens demonstrate toward methamphetamine.

METH –

Meth conference set in

  The top state prosecutor left Wednesday for Mexico to discuss fighting the methamphetamine trade with attorneys general from Mexico and from other

METH –

Meth workshop to be held in

  A methamphetamine prevention workshop will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in the cafeteria at

Drug addiction topic of parental workshop – News-Journal

  Longview

ADDICTION –

Make a Date With Your Family: Kroger Encourages Families to Share a Meal on September 24, 2007 – CNN News

The Kroger Co. is partnering again this year with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

DRUGS – CHINA
Beijing introduces compulsory urine tests to keep drug addicts clean – People’s Daily Online News
Convicted drug takers in Beijing are to be subjected to compulsory urine tests to ensure they remain clean of illegal narcotics, the municipal drug control committee has announced.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Doctors warn about dangers of abusing prescription drugs – KOAA News

Emergency room doctors in Pueblo say they don’t see many cases of teens popping pills to get high. However doctors and pharmacists say its a growing trend.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
New Survey Finds Strong Public Interest in Prescription Drug Safety Issues – Earth Times

American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies will announce results tomorrow from a national survey assessing public views on safety of prescription medicines.

METH – USA
Fight against methamphetamine gets boost from federal funding – Bluefield Daily Telegraph
A significant federal funding award announced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., will allow the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department to combat the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine.

METH – USA
1 In 33 Teens Admit Trying Meth – CBS News
A new survey shows that one in 33 U.S. teens has tried meth, nearly a quarter say it would be easy to get meth, and some see benefits to meth use.

METH – USA
1 in 4 teens: ‘easy’ to get meth – Sun Times

Nearly a quarter of teens say it would be ”very easy” or ‘’somewhat easy” to gain access to methamphetamine, a survey out Tuesday shows.
METH – USA
Meth in Iowa still a problem, drug czar says – Des Moines Register
Iowa has seen reductions in the number of meth-related child abuse cases and the amount of money spent on meth-related burn cases at the University of Iowa Hospitals burn unit, Iowa’s drug czar told a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday.

PAINKILLER – USA
Once you pop (pills), you just can’t stop – The Daily Trojan
Drug rehabilitation clinics near campus have reported seeing an increase in the number of college students seeking treatment for painkiller addiction, a trend that underscores a national increase in painkiller addiction.

ADDICTION – USA
On Radio: Alcohol ads spill into young ears – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Four years ago the alcoholic beverage industry voluntarily pledged to refrain from advertising on radio programs that had large audiences of young listeners.
 

DRUGS – UK
Dirty Money From Drug Contamination Researched In The UK – Medical News Today
The research finds that geographical location has absolutely no influence on the distribution of drug contamination on bank notes.
ADDERALL – USA
More Students Using ‘Study Drugs’ – WJLA News
Emergency Rooms across the county are witnessing a disturbing trend where more students are being admitted for using “study drugs.”
ALCOHOL – USA
Some Colleges Take Tougher Line on Underage Drinking, Including Calls Home – Join Together

The University of Wisconsin is among a handful of colleges and universities that not only confront students about underage drinking reports from campus police but also contact offenders’ parents when their college-age kids are caught drunk in public.
RITALIN – USA
‘Study’ Drug Dangers – WJLA News
EMERGENCY ROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE WITNESSING A DISTURBING TREND - STUDENTS WITH ELEVATED HEART RATES AND OTHER SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE MISUSE OF SO-CALLED STUDY DRUGS.
METH
Survey: Some Teens Find Meth Easy to Get – The Associated Press
Nearly a quarter of teens say it would be “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to gain access to methamphetamine, a survey released Tuesday shows.
METH – USA
Youths see little risk in trying meth – USA Today News
Despite methamphetamine’s addictive and sometimes deadly effects, one in three youths sees little or no risk in trying the illegal drug, a new survey finds.

METH – USA
Study: 1 in 4 teens say access to meth easy – WLFI News
According to a new study, almost 25% of teenagers say it would be “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to gain access to methamphetamine. The survey was conducted by The Meth Project, a nonprofit anti-drug group.

METH – CHINA
The Meth Project Releases Results of National Survey Revealing Teen Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Meth – PRNewswire
The Meth Project today released the results of the first-ever national survey examining the attitudes and behaviors that American teens have toward methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Meth Epidemic: A helpful message – Seattle Post Intelligencer

When the meth epidemic hit Western states in the 1990s, there was a lot of confusion, ignorance and even misinformation. One of the biggest, most discouraging myths was that meth addicts were untreatable.

METH – USA
1980s: Meth explodes in San Diego – North County Times

For most of its history, methamphetamine had been a second-class drug, never as popular as amphetamines and never as glamorous among drug users as cocaine, heroin or LSD.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
New drivers facing zero alcohol limit – The New Zealand Herald

The Prime Minister has revealed that new driver licence holders of any age could soon face a “zero alcohol tolerance” policy.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol misuse ‘harming productivity’ – In The News

Four out of ten employers believe alcohol misuse to be a significant cause of lost productivity and employee absence, according to a new survey.

CANNABIS – UK
Skunk strength has doubled, studies suggest – The Guardian

The unpublished results of authoritative research into cannabis confirm the “skunk” now on sale in England is stronger than it was a decade ago, but demolish claims that a new “super-strength skunk” - which is 20 times more powerful - is dominating the market.

ADDICTION – USA
Health notes – Baltimore Sun

Events offer addiction help, in honor of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

ADDICTION – USA
GUEST COLUMNIST: Families face addiction, recovery issues too – The Paper 24/7

Despite what they may tell themselves, people using drugs are not the only ones impacted by their choices. Family members, of both addicts and addicts in recovery, find themselves asking tough questions - “did I let them down?” or “what could I have done differently?”

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis skunk on UK’s streets ‘has doubled in strength’ – 24 Dash

Highly-potent cannabis skunk readily available on the UK’s streets has doubled in strength in the last 10 years and may be more damaging to health than previously thought, according to new research.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis use among young offenders rockets by 75 per cent in just three years – This is London

The number of young criminals using cannabis has shot up since Labour downgraded the drug’s legal status.

ADDICTION – USA
Community will celebrate addiction recovery – New Haven Register
People recovering from addictions and their families, community and faith leaders will gather on the Green today for the city’s second annual observance of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

ADDICTION – USA

National Recovery Month highlights substance abuse – Cumberland Times-News
September is National Recovery Month, which is a time set aside to highlight the benefits of substance abuse treatment, applauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible.

METH – USA
Let’s not retreat from the war on meth – Kalamazoo Gazette

Police worked overtime, money became available to help property-owners clean up contaminated sites, children were removed from dangerous homes where meth was cooked, addiction-treatment programs geared at getting people off of the very addictive drug were set up.

METH – USA
Meth abuse workshop offered by WJUSD – The Daily Democrat
In partnership with Creative School Resources, Yolo Family Resource Center, and RDM Audio Visual Rentals, the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Office of Woodland Joint Unified School District is hosting nationally recognized methamphetamine expert, Dr. Mary Holley, in Woodland during the first week in October.

METH – USA
Tribes host conference against meth – Statesman Journal

Trombla was one of about 100 participants in a two-day meth prevention conference hosted by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Members of law enforcement, educators, treatment providers and other meth prevention specialists were in attendance.

METH – USA
Federal government shelling out big bucks to fight meth – WFIE News
The federal government is sending over 800 thousand dollars to southwestern Indiana to battle the meth problem. The justice department awarded community oriented policing services or “cops” grants to the city of Evansville, Gibson and Daviess Counties.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Overdose deaths rise sharply – The Roanoke Times
More people died from drug overdoses in Western Virginia last year than from homicides, house fires and alcohol-related automobile accidents combined.

METH – USA
Arizona Launches Second Phase of Meth Campaign – AdRants
While not quite as powerful as the recent Montana Meth campaign, the second phase of the Arizona Meth Project delivers the same powerful message: don’t do it even just once.

METH – USA
“Drug czar” in Seattle to kick off anti-meth media blitz – The Seattle Times
The nation’s “drug czar” visited Seattle today to launch a nine-state, $10 million anti-methamphetamine media blitz that highlights the drug’s dangers and promotes the benefits of treatment.

METH – USA
Former Meth User Approves New Ad Aimed at Kids – KTAR News
A former meth user says a new Arizona ad campaign aimed at kids has just the right message - “Not even once.”