Drug News

COCAINE – AUSTRIA
US official says cocaine routes shifting from US to Europe – PR-Inside

The United States believes that South American cocaine traffickers are diverting shipments away from the United States to Europe.

COCAINE – USA
Caracas, Colombia, and Cocaine – Washington Post

When Colombian drug traffickers need to move cocaine out of the country, their first stop is often Venezuela (WashPost).

PAINKILLER – USA
Kids turning to ’script pills for highs – Munster Times

Teens are gathering up unused prescription pills from their parents’ and grandparents’ homes and are taking them to school so they and their friends can get a buzz, police say.

DRUGS – USA
More overdose deaths linked to legal painkillers – pillyBurbs

Lethal combinations of painkillers and prescription anti-anxiety medications were responsible for most accidental drug deaths in Bucks County last year.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Abuse Of Prescription Drugs A Problem Among Teens – CBS Denver News
The statistics are hard to believe. One in five teens has abused prescription drugs. The Denver metro area is slightly above the national average in such abuse, according to the Denver Human Services Office of Drug Strategy.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription meds most commonly abused drugs in schools today – Clearfield Progress

“My child doesn’t have a drug problem. If he did, I would know.” How many times have parents said that? How many times have you said it yourself? Is it true? Would you know?

DRUGS – USA
State pursues funds to educate kids about abuse of prescription drugs – The Salt Lake Tribune

With Utah ranked first in the U.S. for nonmedical use of prescription drugs, Lythgoe says pills obtained by adults for depression and other ailments are increasingly falling into the hands of people who shouldn’t have them: kids.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Addiction: A Click Away? – KGMB News

Morphine, vicodin, oxycontin… It used to be the only way to buy these powerful drugs was at a pharmacy, with a valid prescription from a doctor.

ALCOHOL – USA
Advocates Win Delay on Md. Alcopops Bill – Join Together

After meeting with MADD officials and parents, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley backed off plans to sign a bill that would have allowed so-called alcopop drinks to continue to be taxed at the same rate as beer.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs Seized in Improper Arrest Can Still Lead to Conviction, Supreme Court Says – Join Together

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that criminal charges arising out of a police search during an arrest can stand even if the arrest was later shown to be improper.

DRUGS – USA
Tazewell Hosts Anti-Drug March and Rally – WVNS TV News

Hundreds filled the streets in Tazewell County Saturday. They hoped to put a halt to what some call an increasing drug problem in the area. It was all part of the first Christians and Concerned Citizens for a Drug Free Tazewell County Anti-drug march and rally.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Crime and Justice Forum – Kitsap Sun

Some very brave souls agreed to be interviewed in Sunday’s story about the rise of prescription opiate drugs. Some of their accounts are in the story, while others, due to space constraints, were not.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Consumers Union Awarded Grant for Prescription Drug Awareness Program – EVLiving

Attorneys General from around the country announced a $4.4 million grant to Consumers Union that will fund a public education program designed to eliminate huge gaps in public knowledge about prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
State pursues funds to educate kids about abuse of prescription drugs – The Salt Lake Tribune

“Who knows what Percocet is?” said Agent Randy Lythgoe, of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, polling a group of 70 students. Hands shot up across the crowd as pre-teens easily identified the painkiller.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
More teens addicted to prescription drugs – The Columbia Dispatch

OxyContin ruled Jennifer’s days. She crushed and snorted the painkiller when she woke up, before she left for high school, during school, at home at night, before bed.

ADDICTION – USA
OxyContin and the FDA — This Week on The Prescription Addiction Radio Show - Breaking the Silence - April 27 and May 4, WGUL 860 AM, Tampa, Florida – PR Web

On May 5, 2008, the FDA is holding a hearing to discuss approving what Purdue Pharma claims is “a safer formulation” of OxyContin–”legal heroin” according to talk-show host Larry G. Larry Golbom, host of The Prescription Addiction Radio show, will be presenting information at the upcoming FDA hearing on May 5.

ADDICTION – USA
Religion in brief | Faithful to rally against addiction – The Tribune-Democrat

Faithful to rally against addiction: Breaking the Chains, a local faith-based organization combating addiction, will hold a rally at 10:30 a.m. today at the Cambria County Courthouse in Ebensburg.

ADDICTION – CANADA
Study reveals addiction cause and effect – Sherwood Park News

A new study from the University of Alberta reveals that substance abuse among oil industry workers is due to more than just too much money and too little to do.

ADDICTION – UK
Nine-year-olds caught up in booze culture – Kent Online

Children as young as nine are regularly drinking, according to a drink and drugs charity.

ALCOHOL – UK
Minister Gallagher Announces Strengthened Measures To Control Alcohol Advertising, Ireland – Medical News Today
The Government has agreed to accept the strengthened Codes on Advertising and Sponsorship negotiated between the Department of Health and Children, representatives from the Irish Alcohol Industry and representatives from the Irish Advertising Industry.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
7 Questions From Teens About Abusing Easy-to-find Substances – US News
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/04/25/7-questions-from-teens-about-abusing-easy-to-find-substances.html
Students from high schools and middle schools across the country submitted anonymous questions online—about alcohol, the brain, addiction, and everything in between—to NIDA scientists, including some of the nation’s top experts in substance abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug turn-in initiated in Alton – Laconia Citizen

In an effort to continue to raise public awareness of the dangers of prescription drugs, Alton police have initiated a prescription drug turn-in program.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Reports of prescription drug abuse ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ – Kingsport Times News

Prescription drug abuse and related overdoses are on the rise nationwide, and the Appalachian region is no exception.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Problem of prescription drug abuse to be discussed in Thursday meeting – Sikeston Standard Democrat

A town meeting scheduled for Thursday evening will address the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
15 Percent of Americans Say They Drive Drunk, Report Finds – Join Together

About one in seven Americans admit to driving drunk, and states in the upper Midwest — led by Wisconsin — have the highest rates of DUI.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes and Prior DWI – Join Together

Drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes are more likely than sober drivers to have a previous conviction for driving while impaired (DWI), according to recently released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

METH – USA
Battle against Meth – Stuttgart Daily Leader

Methamphetamine producers will now not only find the ingredients they need to produce the powerful drug behind counters, but will have another road block to stop them from purchasing mass quantities of the products containing ephedrine and psuedoephedrine by way of shopping at different pharmacies.

ALCOHOL – USA
‘Death by Alcohol’ story told to Superior students – Small Town Paper News Service

The coroner there ruled the death accidental and named the cause of death as alcohol poisoning.

MARIJUANA – USA
10 Questions Adolescents Have About Marijuana – US News and World Report

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently offered adolescents the first ever “Drug Facts Chat Day.” Students from high schools and middle schools across the country submitted anonymous questions online.

ALCOHOL
One in four Iranian students sees no problem with alcohol – AFP

A new survey in Iran shows that 25 percent of university students see no problem in drinking alcohol, which has been strictly forbidden since the Islamic revolution, Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Prevent drunk driving – Fergus Falls Daily Journal
Apparently, drunken driving rates are the worst in the Upper Midwest. Wisconsin leads all states, followed by North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Abuse of painkillers becoming growing concern nationwide – UNH The New Hampshire

According to a national survey done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services and Administration, four million young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 used prescription painkillers like OxyContin in 2006 for non-medicinal reasons. Of that four million, 1.7 percent met the criteria for dependence or abuse.

COCAINE – USA
Dangerous Addictions: Cocaine – Channels Online

Coke, blow, snow-the fun nicknames may help cocaine pass as a party drug, along with its ability to produce feelings of euphoria, sociability, alertness, and omnipotence in users. However, its dangers loom as strongly as ever, and its addictive quality is undeniable.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Booze-fuelled violence doubles in decade – The Sydney Morning Herald

NSW authorities have defended their efforts to tackle drunken crime after a report showed the number of booze-fuelled attacks had doubled in under a decade.

ALCOHOL – USA
One in six drivers drink sometimes: report – Reuters

About 15 percent of U.S. adults have driven under the influence of alcohol in the past year and in some states as many as 25 percent did, according to a government study released on Wednesday.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
New laws will clamp down on sale and advertising of alcohol – Irish Independent

The Government will launch a double-whammy assault on the alcohol industry this week with a clampdown on sales and advertising of drink.

METH – USA
State needs long-term meth solution – Tucson Citizen

In an effort to educate Arizona residents about the horrible impact meth has on people, lives and our community, a 30- minute documentary, “Crystal Darkness,” was shown on virtually every television station across our state April 15.

DRUGS – UK
Rat Study Suggests Why Teens Get Hooked On Cocaine More Easily Than Adults, And Find It Harder To Quit – Medical News Today

New drug research suggests that teens may get addicted and relapse more easily than adults because developing brains are more powerfully motivated by drug-related cues.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse – WTJA News

It’s a phenomenon that’s becoming more and more prevalent throughout the state - people turning to prescription medications for a quick fix.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis changed me from a happy confident teenager into a total wreck – Coventry Telegraph

CANNABIS use is soaring according to reports - and its popularity has been exaggerated by its reclassification as a ’soft’ drug.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Pontiac High School recognized for prescription recycling program – WJBC News

Just in time for Earth Day, a group of Pontiac High School students are being recognized for their efforts to cleanup the environment.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
St. Cloud man uses Web to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse – Fort Mill Times

A St. Cloud man is using the Internet to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse after his son died of an overdose.

DRUGS – INDIA
Keeping your child from Internet drugs – Sify

The number of Americans involved in abuse of controlled prescription substances has more than doubled over the past decade or so, to nearly 17 million.

ADDICTION – USA
Conference on Saturday will address addiction, counseling – Democrat and Chronicle

People interested in addictions counseling or affected by addiction are welcome at Monroe Community College’s annual human services conference.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Deaths Continue to Rise – About

Deaths due to the misuse of the painkilling drug methadone increased 600 percent from 1999 to 2005, according to the latest statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics. Deaths from methadone overdoes increased from 786 in 1999 to 4,462 in 2005, the agency reported.

ALCOHOL – UK
Conference to address alcohol and drug abuse amoung teens – Gazette and Herald

HEROIN dependence is the most common addiction among teenagers being treated by Swindon council’s youth drug and alcohol abuse service.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sting Reveals Jump In Underage Alcohol Sales – KPTV News

An alcohol sting involving underage decoys revealed a rise in the number of stores that sold alcohol to minors, according to an organization aimed at keeping minors from drinking.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Lighting the way to curb alcohol-related violence – Bathurst Western Advocate

A survey just released shows most Australians believe there is a direct link between increased binge drinking and increased alcohol-related violence.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drivers Back Lower Alcohol Limit – Gather

The majority of drivers would welcome tougher drink-drive laws, according to new research. Motorist breath tested by police. Two-thirds of those questioned by the AA said they backed a reduction in the current limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

METH – USA
Meth Use Becoming a Growing Problem in Michiana – FOX 28 News

Indiana State Police say the number of meth lab discoveries are up. 820 labs were discovered last year compared to 766 in 2006. That’s a seven percent increase, which reverses a two year decline in the Hoosier State.

METH – USA
Moms Off Meth head to national conference Friday – Mt. Pleasant News

The Moms Off Meth National Conference is set April 25 at Ottumwa’s Bridgeview Center and nine local residents will be attending. There will be an informal get-together at Hotel Ottumwa 5-10 p.m. April 24 for MOM groups from all over.

ALCOHOL – USA
Anita Bruzzese: Preventing alcohol addiction – Asbury Park Press
It’s not that we think they’re alcoholics, but we are aware that there could be a problem. And that’s where a little education can go a long way to making sure these little problems don’t become full-scale disasters that ruin professional and personal lives, says one expert.

ALCOHOL – USA
Students say there’s lots to do without alcohol – Lawrence Journal World

The juniors and seniors who volunteered received training and also recently made presentations to classes at West Junior High School. They plan to visit the three other junior high schools before the end of the school year. Next year, advisers hope students can make presentations to other high school students.

METH – USA
Crystal meth awareness campaign comes to Arizona – ASU Web Devil

Bleach and drain cleaner, aren’t just for household cleaning anymore. They can be used as ingredients, along with battery acid, brake fluid and many other harmful chemicals, in one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs.

METH – USA
First Moms Off Meth national conference coming to Bridge View Center Friday – Ottumwa Courier

It started in Ottumwa, so it seems fitting that the first Moms Off Meth national conference will take place here, too.

METH – USA
Conference aims to pierce the darkness of meth use – Eastern Arizona Courier

Methamphetamine, often called crystal meth, is a drug that can plunge its users into a dark, bottomless cesspool of illness and despair.

DRUGS – CANADA
Navy test reveals use of cocaine, marijuana – The Province

A surprise drug test done in December indicates that six per cent of Maritime Forces Pacific members are using illegal drugs, the navy says.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Oregon is No. 1 in legal drug abuse – Mail Tribune

Oregonians lead the nation in the abuse of prescription and over the counter drugs and are showing up at Asante’s chemical recovery center in much larger numbers than users of meth, cocaine and heroin combined. Teens are helping expand that toll.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin use among young ‘rising’ – BBC News

Heroin is rapidly becoming the drug of choice for young people and the children as young as six have used it, drug workers in south Wales have said.

HEROIN – USA
Cheap heroin hooks a wider population – Atlanta Journal Constitution

The cause of Georgia Tech baseball player Michael Hutts’ death hasn’t been determined, but the mention of heroin in the police report on his death was a reminder that abuse of the addictive drug is on the rise.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen prescription drug abuse a growing trend – Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil

Sandi Delack has encountered middle school students who’ve taken their parents’ prescription medications in order to get high. Delack is a Rhode Island school nurse and president-elect of the National Association of School Nurses.

ALCOHOL – USA
Forum addresses alcohol abuse as ’societal problem’ – The Reporter
That’s the message local officials were hoping to drive home during a public forum titled “Responsible Drinking or Dead Drunk — It’s Your Choice.” The forum was held Thursday night in the Legislative Chambers of the City County Government Center.

ALCOHOL – USA
Being aware during Alcohol Awareness Month – Santa Cruz Sentinel

In 2006, 43,000 Californians sought publicly funded treatment for alcohol addiction, including vulnerable populations like seniors and youth. But, recent studies show that more than 2.2 million people in our state meet the criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Bradley greeks step up for alcohol awareness – Peoria Journal Star

In light of recent alcohol-related deaths on Bradley University’s campus, the school’s fraternities and sororities are stepping up their alcohol awareness program.

ALCOHOL – USA
Youth learn of alcohol’s perils – 2 The Advocate

Tracy Mitchell prepared no script for the message she planned to deliver to the audience of teenagers attending the alcohol awareness concert at LSU on Saturday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Boozy Betty: a warning of the effects of alcohol – Sunday Herald

A prevailing image of students has tended to be that of the Boozy Betty is no different. She’s out drinking kind. hard-drinking with friends into the wee hours, she can’t remember how she got home and her grades are beginning to suffer as a result.

METH – USA
Auditions Held for Anti-Meth Commercial Campaign – KNDO News

Actors of all ages came out in Yakima today to audition for a new county wide commercial campaign. A local production company along with Citizens for Safe Yakima Valley Communities is looking for actors for their upcoming “Meth-Lied” campaign.

METH – USA
A thanks to media on meth program – Arizona Republic

On behalf of the Arizona affiliate of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, I thank the Arizona media for their participation and support of the recent Crystal Darkness program.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Painting Exhibition on Alcohol and Drugs De-addiction on Apr 20 – Daiji World

An awareness programme is being organized on ‘Alcohol and drugs de-addiction’ by Janajagruthi Vedike at SDM Law college here today, Sunday April 20.

METH – USA
Gatehouse Academy Drug Counselors Participate in Statewide Meth Hotline – Webwire

Television stations across Arizona simultaneously aired “Crystal Darkness” a documentary on methamphetamine use. Drug counselors and specialists answered calls from a toll free hotline, offering guidance and hope.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
School program in KC suburb warns of prescription abuse – Fort Mill Times

A suburban Kansas City school is the first to launch a national program warning students about prescription drug abuse.

PRESCIRPTION – USA
Teens Get Prescription Drug Abuse Warning – KCTV News

Drug and alcohol experts say more and more teens are passing on the regular street drugs and heading for their parents’ medicine cabinets.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
What’s in your water? – Chicago Tribune

The Tribune finds trace amounts of drugs and chemicals—including anti-seizure medication and a Teflon ingredient— in Lake Michigan drinking water.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Chemicals, Drugs Found In Chicago Water – NBC TV News

After a national story exposing pharmaceutical chemicals in the nations water supply prompted a test of Chicago’s water supply.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Use and Dependence in First Year After Initiation – Join Together

Substance use trajectories in the year after initiation vary greatly by substance, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

METH – USA
Idaho Methamphetamine Admissions Outpace Alcohol and Marijuana – Join Together
A nationwide study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows treatment admissions for methamphetamine use increasing faster than those from both alcohol and marijuana in Idaho.
DRUGS – USA
Survey shows one in five respondents have used Ritalin or Adderall – LSU Reveille

Final exams traditionally have students studying long hours to cram for their final exams. But some students are now using a quick-fix for brain retention.

COCAINE – USA
Sniffing out a fruit-flavored trend in cocaine – MSNBC News

Federal drug agents say candy-flavored cocaine is a new and troubling development and are hoping to keep it from spreading to the rest of the country after its recent emergence in California.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone deaths are rising in New England; police get tough – The Associated Press

Nationwide, methadone deaths are increasing at a faster rate than any other drug-related deaths, the National Center for Health Statistics reported in February.

METH – USA
Tribe fights meth with ad campaign – Sioux City Journal

Residents here are tackling methamphetamine addiction over the airwaves and on the street with a new ad campaign.

ADDERALL – USA
Adderall Alert – Trans World News

Studying for finals? Need to stay up late to get that last study cram in? If you are like many students in college campuses today, you will get a little help: Adderall.

DRUGS – USA
Facts on Rohypnol- The “Date-Rape” Drug – Trans World News

Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia reports that recent seizures and anecdotal reporting indicate that distribution and abuse of flunitrazepam, also known as Rohypnol, are increasing domestically, especially in southern and southwestern States.

HEROIN – UK
Police warning over high strength heroin – MK News

Drug users have been alerted by police that heroin of a dangerously high purity could be on the market in Milton Keynes.

ADDICTION – CANADA
Presentation Sunday night focuses on freedom from drug addiction – Northumberland Today

The Teen Challenge Outreach Team from Toronto will present a program focusing on freedom from drug addiction this Sunday, April 20.

ADDICTION – USA
Winnebago Tribe ad campaign targets meth addiction – Sioux City Journal

Residents here will be tackling meth addiction over the airwaves and on the street with a new ad campaign.
ALCOHOL –USA
Survey: 40 Percent Of Rogers High Students Consume Alcohol – Springdale Morning News

About 40 percent of Rogers High School seniors got alcohol from someone age 21 or older, according to the Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, given to students in November.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Price rise in mix to deter kids – Herald Sun News

THE price of pre-mixed spirit drinks favoured by teenagers is set to rise in a bid by the Rudd Government to fight youth binge-drinking.