Drug News

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
New research finds drug addiction can change brain function – ABC News

There is growing evidence drug addiction can permanently change the brain’s chemistry. A joint investigation by Swiss and Australian scientists has shown the chemicals in drugs can override basic survival instincts.

METH – USA
Report: Meth Use On The Decline In Twin Cities – WCCO

Methamphetamine use by Twin Cities area high school seniors fell to 2 percent, but other illegal drugs, including marijuana, Ecstasy and LSD are becoming more popular among 12th graders.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Deaths Rise in West Virginia – NPR

For the first time in U.S. history, drug overdoses and other types of poisonings now kill more people than guns, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

PRESCRIPTION – AUSTRIA
BALDWIN WARNS OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG DANGERS – PR-Inside
Actor DANIEL BALDWIN has spoken out about the dangers of becoming addicted to prescription drugs, warning it’s easy to accidentally develop a habit.

METH – USA
South Dakotan offers Indian-oriented anti-meth posters – The Havre Daily News

A South Dakotan who decided last year to make some posters discouraging the use of methamphetamine with an American Indian theme wants to let the Indian reservations in Montana know the posters are available.

METH – USA
Father, filmmaker working on sequel to documentary about meth addiction – WTHI TV News
Jack Bridges thinks the documentary he commissioned chronicling his son’s eventual death from years of methamphetamine abuse dissuaded others from using the powerful stimulant.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
Experts warn of cannabis cancer ‘epidemic’ – ABC News
Smoking a joint is equivalent to 20 cigarettes in terms of lung cancer risk, say researchers, warning of an “epidemic” of lung cancers linked to cannabis.
CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis Use Disorders Among College Students – Join Together

Nearly one in ten first-year college students at a mid-Atlantic university have a cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded study of drug use conducted by Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) investigators.

METH – USA
Meth use on the decline in Twin Cities metro area – KXMC TV News
But other illegal drugs, including marijuana, Ecstasy and LSD are becoming more popular among 12th graders.

DRUGS – UK
Young people drive under influence of drugs – Telegraph
Almost one young driver in 10 has driven while under the influence of illegal drugs, according to a survey published today.

ALCOHOL – UK
For more and more women, booze offers the only escape – Guardian Unlimited

Why do women drink themselves to death? Twice as many do, compared to 15 years ago.

DRUGS – UK
Drugs and drink a deadly cocktail on roads – The Argus
One in ten death crash drivers in Sussex had taken both drink and drugs, The Argus can reveal.

ALCOHOL – USA
Deaths in U.K. Caused by Alcohol Drinking Rising – AHN

Figures in the Office of National Statistics show that the number of people dying from alcohol drinking problems is continuing to rise.

ALCOHOL – UK
Young Drinkers Face Array of Health Problems Later in Life – Join Together

Heart disease, stroke and diabetes are just some of the health problems facing people over age 35 who started drinking heavily during their teens and as young adults.

ALCOHOL – UK
Soaring Alcohol-Related Deaths in U.K. – Join Together
Alcohol-related deaths among adults in the U.K. doubled between 1991 and 2006, according to research from the Office of National Statistics.

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana Smokers Face Breathing Problems at Young Age – Join Together
Long-term marijuana smokers are prone to develop bullous lung disease at a much younger age than cigarette smokers, possibly because they tend to inhale more deeply and hold hot smoke in their lungs up to four times longer.

DRUGS – USA
CDC: Cough, cold meds sending kids to ER – CNN News
Cough and cold medicines send about 7,000 children to hospital emergency rooms each year, the U.S. government said Monday in its first national estimate of the problem.

METH – USA
Saturday’s Our View: Tracking meth – Zwire
A bill that calls for the creation of a statewide system to track the sale of cold medicines used to make methamphetamine has been introduced in the Legislature.

METH – USA
Utah’s meth epidemic starting to wane – Police One

Utah’s methamphetamine epidemic could be waning for the first time in 15 years, but heroin use appears to be ticking up slightly, according to a state substance abuse report about to be released.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse In The Valley – WTAP TV News

Prescription drug abuse is a problem many people face regardless of income, class, or status.

HYDROCODONE – USA
Hydrocodone abuse is widespread – Tulsa World
One of the most popular and dangerous drugs on the streets these days could very well be lurking in the medicine cabinet down the hall.

HYDROCODONE – USA
Hydrocodone hits B’ville – Tulsa World
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates hydrocodone, which is known to many as Lortab, is the most abused prescription drug in the country.
ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Killing More Brits Every Year – Medical News Today
In 1991 the alcohol-related death rate in the United Kingdom stood at 6.9 per 100,000, it rose to 12.9 per 100,000 in 2005, and then to 13.4 per 100,000 deaths in 2006, according to the Office for National Statistics.

ALCOHOL – USA
Madison Group Seeks To Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems Downtown – WISC TV
Authorities said that heavy drinking in the downtown area has contributed to crime, violence and vandalism.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Overdose deaths on the rise, CDC says – Los Angeles Times
Prescriptions — especially for pain-killers — and direct marketing are blamed. Many people don’t realize the dangers, experts say.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Parties – The Daily Colonial

One dangerous misconception is that drugs prescribed by a doctor cannot be harmful or deadly. Or, that they are a less serious issue than the use of illegal substances. But government findings suggest the opposite to be true.

PAINKILLER – USA
Drug-related deaths still on the rise in Cumberland County – Carlisle Sentinel
Drug-related deaths in Cumberland County rose for the third straight year in 2007, according to the coroner’s year-end report presented Thursday to the county commissioners.

METH – USA
Meth for kids: Police brace for arrival of new meth drug – Payson Roundup

It looks like pink crystal rock candy, but nothing could be further from the truth.

METH – USA
Learn the facts about meth – Payson Roundup
It is hard to miss the anti-meth billboard on the drive to the Valley. We hope the shock tactics of that ad, and the others originally created by the Montana Meth Project (www.montanameth.org) are making a lasting impression on those who see them.
 

METH – USA
Group hopes to CLEAR meth use from Loveland – Reporter Herald

John Giroux feels plenty of passion about methamphetamine. He has one simple goal: make it CLEAR that meth has no business in the Loveland community.

DRUGS – USA
What We Can Learn from Heath Ledger’s Death: Don’t Mix Downs!!! – The Huffington Post

Although “just say no” is certainly the safest position to take on recreational drug use, the vast majority of humans ignore this advice. Some use alcohol, nicotine or caffeine; others take prescription medicines in ways other than as prescribed; others use illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Add that all up and a significant majority of the population is “under the influence” at any given time.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol-related deaths ‘rising’ – BBC News

Office for National Statistics figures show there were 13.4 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 population in 2006 - up from 12.9 in 2005.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scots alcohol death rate twice that of UK – The Scotsman
THE rate of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland is rising – and is more than double the rate for the UK as a whole, figures out yesterday showed.

ALCOHOL – UK
Princess gives royal seal of approval to drug and alcohol project – The Scotsman

PRINCESS Anne has officially opened a groundbreaking new drug and alcohol project in the Capital.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol-related deaths have doubled in 15 years, report says – The Guardian

A sharp increase in the number of middle-aged people drinking themselves to death was revealed yesterday.

COCAINE – IRELAND
Study finds increased cocaine use – The Irish Times

A study into drug use is expected to show an increase in the use of cocaine in Ireland.

ALCOHOL – UK
We need to change children’s attitudes to alcohol – The Guardian

Mentor UK have studies showing that young people in rural areas are more at risk from falling into alcohol misuse and have identified boredom and a lack of hope and aspiration as specific problems.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
How to avoid prescription drug dangers – WATE

So, could it happen to you? The experts say doctor-prescribed drugs can be just as dangerous as those you find on the street.

DRUGS – USA
Local school districts that test for drugs – The Dallas Morning News
Most North Texas school districts do not drug test students. Shown are local school districts that do and what they test for.

METHADONE – USA
Deaths among Methadone users on the rise – The Journal Review
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, in a report released in December 2007, deaths from overdose of Methadone have increased 390 percent from 1999 to 2004 — and that trend is continuing.

ALCOHOL – UK
Third of teens ‘drink to get drunk’ – The Press Association

Young people are binge-drinking at an increasingly early age, with serious consequences for health and crime, according to new research.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Successful men coping with stress by overdrinking – Economic Times
Professionally successful men are coping with their stressful lifestyle by consuming above average amounts of alcohol, a study has shown.

PRSCRIPTION – USA
Prescription problems: What if yours is wrong? – KHOU
With new drugs coming on the market every day, and cheaper generic versions replacing the older ones, Americans are more heavily medicated than ever.

DRUGS – USA
Taxpayers: Fund Rehabilitation, Not Prison – Join Together

The vast majority of U.S. taxpayers say that youth offenders can be rehabilitated and that failing to do so is tantamount to giving up on their future, according to a new survey and study.

MAIJUANA – AUSTRALIA
Heavy dope smokers attract serious lung disease faster – News.au

HEAVY pot smokers will suffer serious lung disease two decades earlier than their cigarette-smoking counterparts, and the style of dope smoking is to blame.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Will New Ads Keep Kids From Abusing Prescriptions? – WSYR News

Every day, more than 2,000 teenagers abuse a prescription drug for the first time.

ADDERALL – CANADA
Students admit abusing study drugs – The McGill Daily

McGill’s academic integrity policy lacks restriction on abuse of psycho-stimulants for academic purposes.
METH – USA
Get informed about the dangers of meth – Bonner County Daily Bee

Grab the nearest teenager you can find and explain to him or her that meth is dangerous.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis abuse grips Lancashire’s young – Lancashire Evening Post

More than 120 Lancashire teenagers were referred for cannabis abuse treatment in a year, it has been revealed.

ALCOHOL – UK
Barcodes to tackle binge Britain – The Telegraph

Supermarkets could be forced to put their identity on the alcohol they sell as part of a Government crackdown on binge-drinking fuelled by the sale of cheap alcohol.
 

METH – USA
Meth Awareness Meeting Informs Community – KFOX TV News

Although the County doesn’t consider it a huge problem, investigators say meth is here to stay.

METH – USA
Idaho teens see little to no risk of trying meth – KMVT TV News

A report released by the ‘Idaho Meth Project’ says that many teens see little or “no” risk in trying methamphetamine.

ALCOHOL – UK
Cleveland Addiction Agency and National Association Partner to Help Clergy Counsel the Children of Alcoholics – Earth Times

Recovery Resources, a nonprofit alcohol and drug treatment agency and the National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) have partnered to provide clergy and others involved in pastoral care with a free one-day training program.

METH – USA
Youth see meth ‘benefits’ – Idaho Press-Tribune
Experts say drug pushers are trying to make methamphetamine more appealing to young people by hyping its “quick-fix” qualities: an irresistible energy buzz and rapid weight loss.

METH – USA
Survey reveals teen attitudes toward methamphetamine – KBCI TV News

“Not even Once.” That’s the message behind graphic ads created by the Idaho Meth Project. The Idaho Meth Project hopes the new ads will convince young people not to use the highly addictive drug.

METH – UK
Idaho Meth Project Releases Results of Statewide Meth Use & Attitudes Survey – Earth Times
The Idaho Meth Project today released the results of a first-ever statewide survey examining the attitudes and behaviors that Idaho teens, young adults, and parents have toward methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Officials Push for Statewide Tracking for Meth – WOI News

Iowa’s drug czar is asking lawmakers to close a loophole in a state law that limits access to a key ingredient used in methamphetamine.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
Prescription ‘Mind Meds’ Pose Dangerous Threat to College Students – Earth Times

University students in America are turning to amphetamine-based prescription medications in overwhelming numbers to boost their focus, stay up late, and cram for finals.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dispose of old medicines safely – Herald Net

Pharmaceutical chemicals, when unintentionally released into the air and water, are not good for environment.

METHADONE – USA
Normal doses of methadone may trigger sudden death – Reuters
A number of cases of unexplained sudden cardiac death can be blamed on taking regular “therapeutic” doses of methadone

ALCOHOL – USA
More children drinking alcohol, fuelling violence – Reuters

Almost half of Britain’s youngsters are drinking in their pre-teen years, fuelling violence and anti-social behavior, a government-backed study said on Wednesday.

ALCOHOL – UK
British men drink twice as much alcohol as women: figures – AFP

British men drink twice as much alcohol as women, official figures showed Tuesday, with professionals downing the most booze.

ALCOHOL – USA
New Research Shows Public Wants Alcohol Content Listed On Labels for Beer, Wine and Distilled Spirits – Sun Herald

A new survey filed today as part of the public record underscores the importance of mandating detailed information about the alcohol content.

ALCOHOL – UK
Middle classes are Britain’s biggest drinkers – The Telegraph

The middle classes drink more alcohol than any other social group, a major survey of the nation’s drinking habits has revealed.

METH – USA
El-Amin teaches youth about the effects of drugs – Stuttgart Daily Leader

From drug characteristics to long term effects of what can happen if a person chooses to be a user was the topic of discussion in a Stuttgart Junior High School classroom Friday morning.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
List of problem prescription drugs is growing – Newsday

An increasing number of prescription drugs - some that have been widely promoted through seductive advertising - are turning out to have problems long after they’ve reached the market.

METH – USA
Survey finds 1 in 5 Idaho teens sees no risk in meth – Education Week

A survey of nearly 4,000 teens and young adults across the state found one in five believes using methamphetamine will provide significant benefits and little risk, Idaho Meth Project officials said Tuesday.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone deaths soar – The Enterprise
Methadone overdose deaths in the state rose from 86 in 2005 to 146 in 2006, according to preliminary numbers provided to The Enterprise.

DRUGS – USA
Born addicted: Drug abuse among pregnant women is on the rise – West Virginia Gazette

Drug use among pregnant women in West Virginia appears to be increasing rapidly, crowding hospital newborn intensive-care units and prompting state lawmakers to search for a solution.

ALCOHOL – UK
Tackling alcohol abuse – The Scotsman
Alcohol abuse as endemic to Scotland is now a deadly truth (your report, 18 January). An increasing proportion of leisure time is focused on the irresponsible consumption of alcohol.

DRUGS – USA
Drug & Alcohol Abuse Committee seeking applicants – Stuart News
The Martin County Commission is seeking applications from individuals interested in being considered for appointment to fill a vacancy on the Drug & Alcohol Abuse Awareness Committee.

ALCOHOL – USA
Re-evaluating UVM’s alcohol policy – Vermont Cynic
The University should transform its alcohol policy to be centered on student safety and alcohol education and away from the policy’s current basis in detection and punishment.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FOCUS to round up unneeded medicine – Tuscaloosa News
With a rise in the number of people abusing prescription drugs, many experts are cautioning people to be wary of what medications get tossed in the trash. About 6.4 million Americans report nonmedical use of prescription drugs, according to federal government figures.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Are kids abusing prescription meds? – Lawrence Journal World
According to the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s annual tracking study, one in five teenagers reports abusing prescription pain medication or stimulants and tranquilizers.

DRUGS – USA
Finally, a safe, environmental way to get rid of old medicine – The Seattle Times
Old drugs left in the medicine cabinet are too often used by mistake or by someone seeking a high. If thrown in the garbage or flushed down the toilet, they can give an unintended dose to fish and other wildlife.

METH – USA
Moms on meth: Super moms kick drug – News 14 Carolina
According to government statistics, women make up 49 percent of all patients treated for a primary addiction to meth.

METH – CANADA
RCMP debunks claims Canada dumping ‘extreme ecstasy’ into U.S. market – The Canadian Press

The head of the RCMP’s national drug branch is debunking claims by the United States’ drug czar, who claims organized crime rings in Canada are dumping dangerous, methamphetamine-laced “extreme ecstasy” into his country’s illegal drug market.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Registration Requirements for Importers and Manufacturers of Prescription Drug Products Containing Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine, or Phenylpropanolamine – Trading Markets
The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (CMEA), which was enacted on March 9, 2006, requires DEA to establish an assessment of annual need for the importation and manufacture of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine.

ALCOHOL – UK
YOUNG DRIVERS WARNED AS DRINK DRIVING CAMPAIGN COMES TO AN END – Association of Chief Police Officers

Police forces throughout England and Wales breath tested in excess of 155,000 drivers during December 2007, according to results of the Christmas crackdown on drink driving.

ALCOHOL – UK
Random breath tests planned for motorists – The Telegraph

Motorists face being subjected to random breath-testing as part of the biggest shake-up of drink-drive laws since the introduction of the breathalyser 40 years ago, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

ALCOHOL – UK
France fears binge drinking bug has arrived – Telegraph

French doctors have raised fears about the growing problem of alcohol abuse among children, amid claims that the culture of binge drinking is making in-roads from across the Channel.

DRUGS – USA
Tough but Smart on Drugs – The New York Times

A dozen troubled men and women from Hempstead, N.Y., got an unusual break this month. They had been caught on tape selling drugs, and as repeat offenders faced serious prison time.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Calls to rein in alcohol abuse and violence – Herald Sun
THE Herald Sun readers’ survey reinforces demands for stronger measures to rein in the alcohol abuse and associated violence damaging our community.

DRUGS – USA
Family Healing in a Drug Rehab Program – Transworld News

An alcoholic or drug addict has no idea the impact that their problem is having on the lives of those they directly influence. Chiefly affected is the family.

METHADONE – USA
Officials See Rise In Methadone Abuse Cases – Times-Union Newspaper
It’s meant to heal, but when abused prescription medications like methadone can be deadly.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Coroner sees rise in prescription drug overdoses – Jackson Hole Star-Tribune
Five years ago, fatal overdoses in Natrona County usually stemmed from drugs made in clandestine labs or sold on the street. These days, the drugs that kill are just as likely to come from a pharmacy.

METH – USA
Head of Montana Meth Project stepping down – KPAX TV News

One of the most successful drug programs in Montana now needs a new leader. Peg Shea is stepping down as the executive director of the Montana Meth Project.

METH – USA
House votes to fight meth, boost conservation, help with winter heating bills – Kansas City Star
The Missouri House gave preliminary approval Thursday to more than $18 million in funding to help the poor with winter heating bills, to fight meth and upgrade conservation programs.

METH – USA
Meth Taskforce Meets – KOBI TV News
A group of Josephine County citizens looking to combat the meth problem in their area participated in the second annual Meth Summit.  Zonta hosted the summit.

METH – USA
Was your home once a meth lab? – KSWO TV News
 

Would you want to know if your rental home used to be a meth house?  Most would say yes, and most know meth labs use deadly chemicals to make the drug.  But, what happens when the lab is shut down?