Drug News

PRESCRIPTION – IRELAND
Prescribing drug abuse – Irish Medical Times

There has been a significant rise in prescriptions of drugs such as Valium (up by a fifth) and Xanax (up by 42 per cent) in the five years since the landmark Benzodazapine Report called for a ‘considerable reduction’ in use of such drugs.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Binge drinking part of culture, say 81% - The Age

A NEW survey shows 81% of people say Australia has a binge drinking culture. Only 15% disagree, and 3% are unsure. The survey was conducted across all ages, both genders and all voting persuasions.

MARIJUANA – USA
Fourteen-year-olds consider first marijuana use – The Reporter

I’m 14 and friends of mine (I’ll call them Janine and Claire), go to Mexico a lot with Janine’s family where they hook up with older people and get drunk. Now, as a “present” to themselves for eight grade graduation, they plan to smoke marijuana.

CANNABIS – USA
Drug Use Highest In U.S. – Ivanhoe

New research reveals despite strong drug policies, the United States has the highest levels of cocaine and cannabis use among countries surveyed.

CANNABIS – INDIA
Drug mafia in India switches to high profit hybrid cannabis – Economic Times

A hybrid variety of cannabis, which was found to be used in countries like Mexico, has increasingly become popular among the Indians who grow it illegally as it increases the intoxication level and also double their production and profit margin.

ALCOHOL – USA
What Is Your Alcohol IQ? – Health News Digest
Alcohol education is tricky business. We educate people not to drink and drive. We caution about drinking too much and the dangers of alcohol abuse, but rarely do we give people information on how to drink responsibly.

METH – USA
Education needed to tackle meth problem – Farmington Daily Times

Methamphetamine use in San Juan County is a problem. Since 2002-2003, use and abuse has begun to soar. Although each person may not use meth, everyone is affected in one way or another by someone who does.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Rising use of painkillers taking deadly toll – Las Vegas Sun

The skyrocketing use and abuse of prescription narcotics in Las Vegas is accompanied by a similarly startling increase in the number of fatal overdoses, a Sun analysis has found.

METH – USA
Fight against methamphetamine has evolved – Appeal-Democrat

Yuba County’s director of family court services, has been observing the local methamphetamine scene long enough to know how the drug got one of its early nicknames — crank.