Drug News

METH – USA
‘Meth Scanner’ to be tested in Missouri – The Maneater

Soon inspectors might be able to detect methamphetamines with the click of a button. CDEX, a Tucson, Ariz.-based technology development company, is in the process of developing a new device that will do just that.

METH – USA
Rumor about meth pop rocks has some truth – Corsicana Daily Sun

Rumors have been swirling on the Internet for a few months — beware of a crystalline substance that passes itself off as a candy known as “pop rocks” but is really methamphetamine.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Drugs help driving – users – Melbourne Herald Sun

More than a quarter of amphetamine users who drug-drive think the dangerous stimulant improves their performance behind the wheel.

HEROIN – CANADA
‘Hillbilly heroin’ use is rising: MD – Winnipeg Free Press

The director of the addictions unit at the Health Sciences Centre said she’s seen a jump in the number of addicts seeking help for a drug nick-named ‘hillbilly heroin’ on the street.

ADDICTION – USA
Ohio campaign aimed at reducing stigma for addiction, mental illness – The Plain Dealer

The goal: to reduce the stigma associated with alcohol and drug addiction and mental illness so people suffering from them will undergo treatment, get well and contribute to society.

DRUGS – USA
UPDATE 1-Adams says FDA seeks more data to OK cough drug – Reuters
Manufacturers have until Nov. 25 to stop shipping the products that have not gone through the FDA’s approvable process.

METH – USA
Officials hope to curb Utah meth trend – The Daily Herald

Methamphetamine use is a growing problem in the United States, but with a statewide campaign against the drug in Utah, officials are hoping to curb the trend.

METH – USA
Montana Meth production decreases; use continues – Montana’s News Station

You’ve seen the ads, public service announcements put on by the Montana Meth Project showing the graphic reality of meth use.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Flushing prescription drugs hurting fish populations – Business North

Researchers are examining the threats posed to Lake Superior by new chemicals from prescription drugs that people flush down the drain. Danielle Kaeding reports.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Vic police to be tested for drugs and alcohol – ABC News Online
The Victorian Police Association says a new bill allowing drug testing of officers after serious incidents, has taken too long to come before Parliament.

ALCOHOL – USA
Don’t Over Indulge Heavy Holiday Drinking Can Pose Significant Health Risk – Medical News Today

Tulane University researchers found that heavy drinking — more than 21 drinks per week — may increase the risk of stroke.

ADDICTION – USA
Crime & Punishment: Breaking the cycle of addiction – The Daily Advertiser

More than three out of every four inmates entering the state’s prisons likely have problems with addiction and yet just one-third of them receive treatment for it.

MARIJUANA – USA
Sheriff’s office finds marijuana laced candy – KARE 11 News

Hennepin County Sheriff’s find potent candy during narcotics investigation.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin use is on the rise in Somerville – The Tufts Daily News

Heroin use by Somerville residents has spiked over the past several years due to the drug’s low price and easy availability.

ALCOHOL – USA
UTD releases drug, alcohol survey results – UTD Mercury

The results of the Core Alcohol and Drug survey conducted by the UTD Student Counseling center Sept. 14-30 have been compiled and released.

PRESCRIPTION
Edwards: 2-Year Ban on New Drug Ads – The Associated Press

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says prescription drug companies should have to wait two years to begin advertising their new products to consumers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
DEA to Host Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium “Good Medicine, Bad Behavior: Drug Diversion in America” – US Drug Enforcement Administration

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Karen P. Tandy and the DEA Museum Foundation will host a first-ever national symposium on prescription drug abuse.

METH – USA
Montana Meth Project gains funding – Montana’s News Station

A year long campaign to raise money for the Montana Meth Project has drawn about $1.2 million. The Meth Project fights the state’s methamphetamine use with shocking advertisements in various media outlets.

METH – USA
Halloween warning: New meth ‘candy’ threat – Battle Creek Enquirer
Drawing close to Halloween, a new, kid-friendly version of crystal methampetamine is hitting the streets, Calhoun County Prosecutor John Hallacy warned this week.

PAINKILLER – NEW ZEALAND
Parents ‘more aware’ of painkiller danger – New Zealand Herald
A trial project has been making parents more aware of the dangers of paracetamol poisoning in young children after it emerged that around 500 children a year under five are reportedly overdosing on the drug.

COCAINE – UK
Soldiers’ drug use ‘rising’ – Guardian Unlimited
The Independent on Sunday reported that official Ministry of Defence figures showed that cocaine use among service personnel had trebled since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
A smack on the wrist – The Sydney Morning Herald
JUST as the United Nations was warning Australia to prepare for a flood of heroin after bumper poppy crops in Burma and Afghanistan, the NSW Police Force went soft on petty crime.

HEROIN –AUSTRALIA
We cannot allow a repeat of the late ’90s heroin scourge – The Age

Tragically, smack is coming back and drug experts such as Nick Crofts, from the Turning Point centre in Fitzroy, say we need to do some serious thinking about our treatment service.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug thefts a growing concern in Floyd, Clark counties – New Albany Tribune
The theft of prescription drugs from private residences is a significant problem in New Albany, and an issue police in Jeffersonville are monitoring.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Drug, alcohol conference looks at family impact – ABC NEWS Online

Parental drug use and the impact of substance abuse on families will be the focus of a conference being held in Sydney today.

DRUGS – USA
Drug abuse a prescription for trouble – Venice Gondolier

Prescription drug abuse in Sarasota County is an epidemic. In 2006, the No. 1 cause of death in Sarasota County for people ages 15-44 was unintentional poisoning, surpassing motor vehicle accidents.

METH – USA
Meth awareness programs now on Comcast On Demand – Desert Morning News

Comcast On Demand has started airing four programs on meth use in Utah: “Mother Superior,” “The Aftermath of Meth,” “Hope After Meth” and “Meth Warning Signs.” All programs highlight increased meth use among women in their childbearing years.

METH – USA
Candy meth a myth? – Knoxville News Sentinel

With Halloween just a few days away, you too may have received the forwarded e-mail warning parents about meth disguised as candy.

METH – USA
Tucson firm’s meth detection device being tested in Missouri – Arizona Republic

Some Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers have been testing a device that can detect even microscopic traces of methamphetamine with the simple click of a button.

METH – USA
Truth Squad: Meth Problems – KBCI CBS News

In a 2006 study by the National Association of Counties nearly half of two hundred hospitals around the country reported meth is the number one illegal drug associated with their emergency rooms patients.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Alcohol still a problem – The Star

While social norms marketing focuses on stressing the majority of students who drink safely, there is still reason to be concerned about those who don’t because risky drinking can result in alcohol poisoning, injury, fights, sexual assault or unsafe sex.

DRUGS – CANADA
One woman’s battle – The London Free Press

Oxycodone is an opioid drug, like morphine, codeine, heroin and methadone. It’s also the key ingredient in the brand name drug OxyContin.

DRUGS – CANADA
Drug sweeping London’s downtown – Canoe

It’s tearing at London like almost nowhere else in Ontario. Next week, city hall gets told it’s time to lash back.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkillers, the dark side of sports – The Deseret Morning News

Prescription painkiller abuse is one of the dirty little secrets of college and professional sports.

METH – USA
Shred-A-Thon Benefits Meth Fight – KPHO News

The Scottsdale Police Department is teaming up with the Northeast Valley Coalition Against Methamphetamine for the city’s fifth “Shred-It” event on Saturday.

METH – USA
Agencies to converge on meth summit in Great Bend – The Garden City Telegram

Law enforcement, along with local social and prevention agencies, will come together Tuesday in Great Bend to discuss statewide awareness of methamphetamine and its impact in Kansas.

METH – USA
Meth Project draws about $1.2 million in donations – Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck

A yearlong campaign to raise money for the Montana Meth Project has drawn about $1.2 million.

ALCOHOL – BARBADOS
Role for alcohol producers to play – The Nation News

LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I was perturbed by the truth. Barbadian children in schools are drinking alcohol.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
Plan seeks driving alcohol-limit change – The Irish Times

Ireland’s third road safety strategy was published today amid claims it will save 400 lives by 2012 and announcements of a reduction in driving-test waiting times and the drink-driving alcohol limit.

ALCOHOL – USA
MORE ALCOHOL EDUCATION NEEDED – KDUH TV News

RICHARDS SAYS SELLING ALCOHOL TO EVEN ONE MINOR CAN DESTROY MANY LIVES, AND CAR ACCIDENTS AREN’T THE ONLY BAD THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN DRINKING.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug mistakes can cause wrongful death – Injury Board

Patients taking prescription drugs should watch out for more than just side effects. More and more patients have been given the wrong prescriptions at the pharmacy even though doctors have prescribed the correct drug in the doctor’s office.

CANNABIS – UK
Fewer young people using cannabis but more are turning to cocaine – Times Online

Cannabis use among young people has fallen since the Government downgraded it to a Class C drug, according to figures published yesterday.

METH – USA
Anti-Meth PSA’s By Tucson Students –  KOLD News

Students from Pueblo High School will release their two anti-meth public service announcements Thursday.  Students learned the possible link between meth use and crime.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine use ‘rising among under-24s’ – The Telegraph

The proportion of young adults taking cocaine has almost doubled under Labour, intensifying pressure on Gordon Brown to toughen up its drugs policy.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin use a problem in area, report says – Rider University The Rider News

The use of illegal drugs is on the rise, and America is the leader in this trend. Americans, who comprise only 4 percent of the world’s population, consume two-thirds of illegal drugs, according to Joseph Califano Jr., chairman and president of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

DRUGS – USA
Teenage Smokers May Also Be At Greater Risk For Alcohol And Drug Abuse – Medical News Today

According to a new report, smoking cigarettes may make adolescents more susceptible to depression, alcohol abuse, and illegal drug use.

DRUGS – USA
Parental Knowledge Of Teen Substance Use – Medical News Today

New research results from the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) suggest that most parents are aware of and accurately evaluate the extent of their teenager’s cigarette smoking, marijuana use, drinking and overall substance use.
 

METH – USA
Idaho Meth Project – KPVI News

Meth use in Idaho is among the highest of all 50 states. Idaho is ranked 5th in the nation.  Earlier this year, Idaho’s governor formed the Idaho Meth Project to change that.

METH – USA
Meth message: It’s everyone’s problem – Minneapolis Star Tribune
An assistant principal has lots to say to students about meth use. But he needs parents to listen. He’ll speak in Andover next month.

METH – USA
Learn about the dangers of methamphetamine use – KC Community News

On Thursday, the Miami County Connect Kansas Coalition and the Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA) will hold a community town hall meeting regarding methamphetamine production and use in Miami County.

ALCOHOL – USA
Exposure to alcohol ads high for kids – The Salt Lake Tribune

When children and teens in Salt Lake City turn on the radio, they are more likely to hear alcohol ads than their underage counterparts nationwide, researchers say.

ALCOHOL – CHINA
Study: teen smokers more apt to alcohol, drug abuse – Xinhua

Compared to 12- to 17-year-olds who don’t smoke, teenagers who do are over five times more likely to drink and 13 times more likely to use marijuana, media reported quoting a U.S. study Wednesday.

DRUGS – USA
‘These are good kids making a bad choice’; Prescription drug deaths zero in on athletes, one-time users – The Daily News of Newburyport

Police engrossed in the drug war admit the battle to stop recreational use of potentially deadly prescription drugs is different from the traditional campaign to stop the use of illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

CANNABIS – UK
Concern over heavy cannabis use – The Guardian

Heavy cannabis use among vulnerable young people has a greater detrimental effect than the user realises, according to a new study.

METH – USA
Getting The Word Out About Dangers Of Drug Use – KMVT News

A woman who lost her brother to methamphetamine is getting the word out about the dangers of this drug.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Prosperity ‘fuelling Australia’s speed binge’ – ABC NEWS

A leading crime expert says Australia’s economic boom is contributing to increased amounts of amphetamines getting into the country, as drug users have more money to feed their habit.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse Problem Growing in Moore – Southern Pines Pilot

Marijuana may still be king, but prescription drugs are gaining ground as the most abused illegal drug in Moore County, acccording to Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Kip Dennis.

ALCOHOL – USA
OU regents could change university’s alcohol policy – KTEN News

University of Oklahoma regents will consider making changes to the school’s alcohol policy when they meet starting tomorrow in Lawton.

ALCOHOL – UK
Female deaths through alcohol have doubled – Reuters

The number of women dying at an early age of alcohol abuse has almost doubled in the last 15 years, according to a government report on Monday.

METH – USA
Mothers Against Meth director motivates local students – Twin Falls Time-News

Signing on the dotted line wasn’t just a formality Monday at Twin Falls High School. It could also be a life-saver.

COCAINE – UK
The rising peril of crack cocaine – BBC News
Once the scourge of sink estates in the UK’s largest cities, crack cocaine has now spread all over the UK, according to a senior police officer.
HEROIN – IRELAND
Increased use of heroin poses danger – Limerick Post

THE use of heroin is on the increase in Limerick and the local politicians are refusing to speak out for fear of losing votes.

DRUGS – UK
Home Truths – Drink and Drugs
A recent Glasgow exhibition featured artwork by children of people with drug and alcohol problems. The works on display were shocking and moving.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drug and Alcohol abuse linked says Minister – The Belfast Telegraph
The new Drugs Minister says more needs to be done to tackle the deadly ‘cocktail’ of drug and alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol abuse claims twice as many female lives as 15 years ago – The Daily Mail
 
The number of women dying at an early age from alcohol abuse has almost doubled in 15 years, figures will reveal today.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
Prescription drug deaths double in a decade – The Telegraph
Deaths from adverse reactions to prescription drugs have more than doubled in 10 years, new figures show.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
A bitter pill Prescription medicines – Therapeutics Daily

Deaths from prescription drugs more than double in 10 years ++ Each year, Britons are dying in their thousands because of the side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin antidote use surges along with overdoses – The Capitol Times
While Jimi Reinke has trained 109 people to administer an antidote for heroin overdoses, he never thought he actually would have to do it himself.

ADDICTION – USA
Opening eyes to addiction – Brockton Enterprise
Colleen LaBelle was stunned when she handed out fliers at a middle school open house last month to promote a drug education forum.
METH – USA
Congress to send money to fight meth to northern Wisconsin –Business North
The U.S. Senate approved $800,000 to combat the spread of methamphetamine through education and clean up efforts.

METH – USA
Anti-meth campaign coming to Rowan schools – Kannapolis Independent Tribune
The Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education will be shown a drug-use prevention video called “Meth Watch” at its meeting today.

ALCOHOL – USA
National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week Focuses Campus Attention On Alcohol Abuse Prevention With ‘RU Connected?’ – Medical News Today

In October, college and university students will join with their peers on more than 1,000 campuses across the country to promote National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, October 21-27.

ALCOHOL – USA
‘Take it Back’ deals with alcohol issues – Laramie Boomerang

A group of high school students from around southeast Wyoming is meeting this weekend to learn how to create change in communities and fight alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Cracking the bottle – Sunday Herald

The country’s relationship with alcohol is under more scrutiny than ever before following years of rising levels of alcohol-related disease. Now a number of new initiatives to tackle the nation’s excessive drinking are under way.

PRESCTIPTION – UK
Special report: Prescription medicines – The Independent

Each year, Britons are dying in their thousands because of the side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Reported deaths are up 155 per cent in a decade – and experts are seeking new safeguards.

DRUGS – USA
Drug addiction not confined to certain class – Daily Record

October 14-20 is National Drug-Free Work Week 2007. We tend to think drugs affect a certain socio-economic class or people with a specific lifestyle.

METH – USA
Students to get dramatic view of meth – Marshall Independent

A close-to-real-life look at how one destructive decision can ruin a teen’s life and the harmful effects of an addictive drug will be presented at local schools next week.

METH – USA
Candidate focuses on fighting meth – Gazette Times

Kroger, on a campaign stop at the Gazette-Times, said his primary focus as attorney general would be to get the state’s meth addiction under control.

CANNABIS – UK
Mental illness soars in UK’s skunk hotspots – The Independent

The devastating effects of skunk cannabis on the nation’s mental health are revealed here for the first time, showing where the drug has hit hardest around the country.

COCAINE – USA
End cocaine disparities – Detroit Free Press

Most states, including Michigan, treat crack and powder cocaine the same. As drugs, the distinctions between crack and powder cocaine are negligible — but the differences in federal penalties are enormous.

METH – USA
‘Crystal Darkness’ meth special to be replayed on local channels – Newport News-Times

Crystal Darkness focused on facts and science, rather than fear and hype, and featured addicts and recovered addicts talking about the personal impacts of the drug.

METH – USA
Coalition takes meth seriously – Alamogordo Daily News

The Otero County Meth Coalition got people talking about meth Thursday night at its Methamphetamine Awareness Community Forum.

DRUGS – USA
FDA panel: Don’t use cold meds in kids under 6 – MSNBC News

Cold and cough medicines don’t work in children and shouldn’t be used in those younger than 6, federal health advisers recommended Friday.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Testing Has Little Effect on Student Athletes’ Drug Use, Study Says – Join Together

Drug testing has only a minimal deterrent effect on high-school athletes’ use of steroids, according to a new study.

DRUGS – USA
SAMHSA Takes Snapshot of Teen Drug Use – Join Together

On any given day, about 1.2 million American teens smoke, 631,000 drink alcohol, and 586,000 use marijuana, according to a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Crimes tied to painkiller - The Morning Sun

Tuesday night’s attempted robbery at a Mt. Pleasant pharmacy is the latest in an alarming trend of addicts seeking the powerful painkiller OxyContin, police said.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sobering depiction of teen drinking – The Kansas City Star

According to the U.S. surgeon general’s office, underage consumption of beer and alcohol accounts for a quarter of alcohol sales.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
State cracks down on prescription drug diversion, theft – Vermont Public Radio

Medical patients are increasingly being targeted by thieves who want to steal their narcotics or other prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Painkiller Abuse Rising – KFYR TV News

Not all substance abusers get their drugs from a shady dealer or a home lab. Many are getting them at the pharmacy. Statistics show prescription painkiller abuse has risen 90 percent over the past decade.