Drug News

METHADONE – USA
Misuse of Narcotics May Call for Additional Doctor Training – Pharmaceutical Technology Magazine

The US Food and Drug Administration may soon ask doctors to undergo special training to be able to prescribe powerful narcotics, Dr. Bob Rappaport told The New York Times last week.

METHADONE – USA
Doctors and Narcotics-More Training, Please – Pharmaceutical Technology Magazine

More recent drugs of choice for thrill-seekers or drug abusers include methadone and fentanyl, both opium-based drugs. But these medications, officially referred to as controlled dangerous substances, are also being improperly prescribed in some cases, leading, in part, to an increase in deaths and serious side effects.

ADDICTION – UK
Unit opens to help patients with addictions – Evening Times

A NEW unit to support people with drink and drug problems in Glasgow has opened, promising better care for people who need intensive support but not full-time hospital care.

ALCOHOL – UK
BMA Scotland response to the Scottish Government’s proposed strategy to tackle alcohol misuse – BMA Scotland

Doctors today (Wednesday 20 August 2008) called for action, not words, to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland.

RITALIN – AUSTRALIA
Medical experts expose ADHD misdiagnoses – The Daily Telegraph

The alarming figure comes as a leading psychologist warned there was no evidence of the long-term benefits of medication such as Ritalin.

RITALIN – AUSTRALIA
Children misdiagnosed with ADHD – Adelaide Now

AT LEAST one in three Australian children is misdiagnosed with ADHD when they may have something much simpler like learning difficulties, a leading child psychiatrist has said.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Epidemic Among Bay Area Teens – KTVU News
Addiction specialists say a disturbing trend has overtaken teenagers, especially those in affluent communities such as Marin County. It is addiction to pharmaceutical opiates, painkillers, including Vicodin, Percocet and especially the more powerful Oxycontin.

PRESCSRIPTION – USA
FDA Considers Training Docs to Prescribe Narcotics – Join Together

Amid growing reports of patient deaths and complications caused by problems with legally prescribed pain medication, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is discussing the possibility of requiring doctors to receive specialized training before prescribing narcotics.

ALCOHOL – USA
Latino Parents Urged to Counteract Effects of Targeted Alcohol Ads – Join Together

With Latino/Latina youths viewing a disproportionately high number of alcohol ads compared with other young people, parents need to have open discussions with their children so they will delay drinking.

MORPHINE – CANADA
More breastfed babies at risk of morphine overdose than thought: study – CBC

Nursing mothers who use painkillers that contain codeine could be putting their infants at risk of a deadly overdose, Canadian doctors warn.

CODEINE – USA
Codeine Not Safe For All Breastfeeding Moms And Their Babies – Science Daily

Lead author Dr. Gideon Koren published research in the journal, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics which suggests that the codeine used in some pain relief drugs can actually have harmful and even fatal results for infants when ingested by some breastfeeding mothers.

CODEINE – CANADA
SickKids scientist confirms the risks of codeine use and breastfeeding – Newswire

Using pain treatments which contain codeine may be risky for some breastfeeding mothers, according to research published this week by researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

CODEINE – CANADA
Codeine pills taken by breastfeeding moms can harm some babies, study warns – The Canadian Press

Some women given codeine after childbirth may be unknowingly putting their infants at risk because their breast milk carries an abnormally high dose of morphine derived from the commonly prescribed painkiller, researchers say.

MORPHINE – CANADA
Codeine use while breastfeeding may be dangerous – CTV

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have found the codeine in some pain relief drugs can be harmful and possibly even fatal for infants when taken by some mothers.

ALCOHOL – UK
Tighter alcohol controls required to protect young people – Health Promotion Agency

As thousands of young people await their GCSE results and plan to celebrate or commiserate this week, the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) is drawing attention to the serious issue of underage drinking here and is calling for tighter alcohol controls to protect our young people.

ALCOHOL – UK
Beer mats highlight link between drinking and domestic violence –

Fifty thousand beer mats are being handed out to pubs, bars and clubs across Leicestershire to raise awareness of alcohol and domestic violence.

DRUGS – IRELAND
Concern over use of legal party drug – Irish Times

A SENIOR consultant in emergency medicine has expressed serious concern at the appearance on the youth scene in Ireland of an ecstasy-like party drug which is legal here but has been banned in a number of other countries because of its psychotic effects.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription & Painkiller Drug Abuse Treatment is a Tremendously Challenging Pursuit – Trans World News

Prescription and painkiller drug abuse treatment is a tremendously challenging pursuit. That’s why it’s so important that you find a treatment facility that can meet each and every one of your needs.

PAINKILLER – USA
Overdose fears for desperate toothache sufferers – Wales Online

WARNINGS have been issued today after a rise in the number of overdose cases linked to the painkiller Paracetamol.

ADDERALL – USA
Adderall Abuse Stems from ADHD Treatment Becoming Latest Weight Loss Drug – Associated Content

Read the Adderall insert, and it becomes plain that Adderall is little more than an amphetamine.

DRUGS – USA
HIGH: Resources for a story about kids and drugs – KRQE News

New Mexico Attorney Generals Office and SafeTeen New Mexico want to empower and support young people to discover their own solutions to life-threatening behavior and situations. In doing so, we all hope that the youth of New Mexico may come to understand how valuable they are in our families and communities.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse: Part One – KAUZ News

Texoma is facing growing drug problem. Experts say more residents are becoming addicted to prescription and over-the-counter medications.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking summit – ABC News

Dr Nelson is convening a four hour summit on binge drinking in Canberra today, with about 20 people from various interest groups.

ALCOHOL – USA
College chiefs urge new debate on drinking age – CNN News
College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

ALCOHOL – UK
Deaths by drugs or drink ‘are now run of the mill’ – Wales Online

A CORONER who has overseen the spate of apparent suicides in a Welsh community said drug and alcohol deaths had gone from non-existent to “run of the mill” during his time in the role.

DRUGS – UK
Drugs fuel admissions to Bristol hospitals – This is Bristol

More than 280 people were admitted to hospitals in the Bristol area due to drug problems last year, according to new figures.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge drinking is turning Britain into ‘Wild West’ – Telegraph

The Tory leader claims a culture of excess is “taking over our streets” and many areas were now “uninhabitable”.

ADDICTION – USA
Recovery Month Planning Materials Now Available Online – Pushing Back

Recognizing that addiction to drugs is a treatable disease and that recovery is possible, ONDCP has supported innovative and effective programs designed to help expand the availability of treatment services.

METH – USA
A New Weapon Against Meth Abuse – US News and World Report
The federal drug czar’s office has shown preliminary interest in a new Internet-based program from an Australian maker to track pharmacy purchases of pseudoephedrine, which can be abused to make methamphetamine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse – WSIL TV News

More people are getting high by abusing prescription pills. An expert on prescription abuse is in our region to talk about the dangers of the drugs and prevention.

ALCOHOL – UK
Excessive alcohol use linked to fertility problems – Telegraph

Excessive drinking has been linked to having children later in life, possibly because alcohol damages fertility, scientists have suggested.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Survey: Youngsters Can Procure Prescription Drugs Easier Than Beer – eFluxMedia
More youngsters say it’s easier for them to get prescription drugs than it is to acquire beer, shows a new survey released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Teens Illegally Access Prescription Drugs – Ontario Now

A new study has revealed that nearly 34 percent of today’s teenagers are engaged in some type of prescription drug abuse.

METHADONE – USA
Spike in Methadone Prescriptions, Deaths – Join Together
Methadone now ranks as the fastest-growing source of narcotic deaths in the country, and many experts believe lack of federal oversight and dangerous prescribing practices by physicians are largely to blame.

ALCOHOL – USA
England Broadens Estimate of Alcohol-Related Deaths – Join Together

Researchers in England have discovered that by looking at the prevalence of deaths related to alcohol use in a different way, the national numbers they arrive at are close to double what officials in the country previously have cited.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Abuse Up for Many Ohio Youth – Join Together

An increase in treatment admissions for heroin abuse among young people in Ohio is being attributed to problems that often start with prescription drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Parents’ prescription drugs pose risk to teens – San Francisco Chronicle

Parents who don’t safeguard their medications are putting their teenagers at serious risk of addiction to prescription drugs, according to a national survey.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Drug addiction of prescribed drugs increasing in teenagers – Top News

Previous studies have shown that prescription drugs can take life if not handled properly. Despite the alarm raised by various government authorities against the misuse of prescription drugs, these drugs are easily available to teenagers.

METHADONE – USA
More and More Deaths Because of Methadone Overdoses –

Methadone is a form of opium but is cheaper and longer lasting. The drug is a powerful painkiller and despite its curing of millions of people it has also increased the death rate because of the overdoses or the combination with other drugs.

METHADONE – INDIA
Methadone a double-edged painkiller – domain-B
The drug is a synthetic form of opium that is a long lasting and powerful pain reliever. Being cost effective, it has helped millions of people, but is also one of the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths in the US.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Use as Painkiller Raises, Methadone-Related Deaths As Well – eFluxMedia

The number of narcotic-related deaths has increased lately forcing the US Food and Drug Administration to take quick measures. However, the agency is facing major problems, as the use of methadone has been extended.

PAINKILLER – USA
Home tests help parents monitor drug use – Daily Times

Marijuana, cocaine, methamph-etamine and Ecstacy. These are the drugs that most likely come to mind when hearing the word “addiction.” But some addictive drugs come straight from a prescription bottle.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Overdose a Growing Problem – News Inferno

Once mainly used to treat heroin addiction, Methadone is being prescribed by family doctors, osteopaths, and nurse practitioners for some types of severe pain. Methadone, a synthetic form of opium, is powerful, cheap, and long lasting.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Attorney general warns of prescription drug abuse – Peninsula Daily News

There’s a drug that works like heroin, can kill like heroin, and is found in a lot of homes on and off the North Olympic Peninsula. The stuff has made its way into high schools and become a “huge problem,” Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna told the Sequim Sunrise Rotary Club on Friday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens and Prescription Medications and Other Health News – US News and World Report

An increasing number of teens say they have an easier time obtaining prescription medications illegally than buying beer, cigarettes, or marijuana.

ADDICTION – USA
All You Need To Know About Alcohol Addiction & Treatment – Trans World News

If you or your loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction then you are reading the right article. In this article you can get enough information alcohol treatment and rehabilitation. Addiction can be treated if the person decides to get rid of this problem. You have to do some research for finding the right alcohol treatment center.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Having Easier Time Getting Prescription Drugs – US News and World Report

It’s easier to illegally obtain prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin or Ritalin than it is to get beer, say a growing number of American teens.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen drug abuse – Watertown Daily Times

Surveys have shown a decline in illegal drug use by teenagers in recent years, but many of the same surveys have also shown an increase in the teens abusing prescription drugs.

METH – USA
First Global Conference on Methamphetamine to Feature 80 Speakers from 16 Countries – Drug War Chronicles
First Global Conference on Methamphetamine to Feature 80 Speakers from 16 Countries
Full Program Agenda Available for Conference September 15-16, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic.

METH – USA
The Lure Of Methamphetamine – Black Voice News

It’s known by many names: meth, crystal, ice, methamphetamine, speed, crank, glass, yaba, tina and many others. Methamphetamine is also extremely addictive and is plowing through the nation, from coast to coast and from city to countryside, leaving behind a trail of broken families and destroyed lives.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Govt urged to collect better data on alcohol consumption – ABC News

A leading Australian health scientist is calling on the Federal Government to order liquor retailers to provide accurate data on alcohol sales in Australia.

ALCOHOL – AUSTALIA
Australia failing to collect data on alcohol consumption – The Australian
DOCTORS say policies to tackle drinking are under threat from a lack of figures on alcohol consumption and warn Australia may become the only OECD nation not to collect the information.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs are in drinking water – Best Syndication

It sounds like the plot of a bad movie; people taking low doses of antibiotics without knowing it until they are no longer able to fight off even simple infections. Believe it or not, this is rapidly becoming a stark reality.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Free outdated prescription drug disposal available Saturday – Times Daily

Curtis Burns said that in at least three out of four households in the Shoals there are outdated prescription drugs that should be disposed of.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse “rampant” in Ohio – WTAM News Radio

The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services has released its biannual report on the latest drug trends across the state.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone use, deaths increasing – Statesman

A synthetic form of opium, it is a cheap and powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But because it is also abused by thrill seekers and prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with its risks, methadone is now the fastest-growing cause of narcotic deaths.

METH – USA
Former meth properties can be used to help the community – KSL TV News

Dozens of Utah homes sit abandoned, declared unsafe to live in because the property is contaminated with meth. A recent Eyewitness News investigation found some of these houses can sit untouched for years without any effort to clean them up. But one organization wants to use those homes to help people out.

METH – USA
The Lingering Effects of Meth – KSFY TV News

People in one Sioux Falls neighborhood have a daily reminder of the meth involvement that happened on their block. It’s right outside their windows.

METH – USA
Golden Pen Award: Slow, painful process of recovery from meth – Billings Gazette

I am an ex-meth addict and I know something everyone should know. There is a big gap in the system when it comes to the point for someone who is trapped between recovery and the system.

METH – USA
Pricier meth putting squeeze on users – San Jose Mercury News

It turns out motorists and food shoppers aren’t the only ones getting squeezed by skyrocketing prices. According to law enforcement, meth users are feeling it too.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Abusing prescription drugs – Las Vegas Sun

A national survey of children aged 12 to 17 on substance abuse found an alarming new trend that parents should address with their children. For the first time in the 13-year history of the survey, more teenagers said it was easier for them to illegally obtain prescription drugs than beer.

RITALIN – USA
Big Pharma is a Bigger Hoax than Bigfoot (satire) – Natural News

As the internet is abuzz with talk about the latest Bigfoot hoax, little attention is being paid to another grand hoax in modern society: Big Pharma and the empty promises of prescription drugs.

METHADONE – USA
Billboards seek to raise awareness of methadone abuse – Bay News 9

A drug meant to help recovering addicts is contributing to a rising rate of deaths, a statistic one Bay area woman is determined to turn around.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone: Pain Killer Or Just Plain Killer – All Headline News

The New York Times reported Sunday that Methadone has become the fastest growing cause of narcotic death, quickly surpassing Oxycontin and Vicodin, two widely prescribed pain killers.

HEROIN – USA
Dying for drugs: How heroin took hold in Portage – Kalamazoo Gazette

Although illegal drugs are everywhere, Portage stands out in Kalamazoo County. A Kalamazoo Gazette examination of overdose deaths in the county since 2003 found Portage victims tended to be younger and were the only teenagers dying of heroin.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone risks increasingly seen – United Press International

Because the cheap synthetic form of opium has sometimes been abused by users or poorly prescribed by doctors, methadone is now involved in more than twice as many deaths as heroin.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Scams Happening in the Ozarks – Ozark First

It’s not exactly what the doctor ordered, but a scam involving prescription drugs is making its way through several Ozarks communities.

DRUGS – UK
Orthodox community steps up its anti-drugs campaign – The JC

A strictly Orthodox charity is planning to step up its campaign over the next few weeks to educate its constituency about the risk of drugs.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Rises as a Painkiller With Big Risks – The New York Times

A synthetic form of opium, it is cheap and long lasting, a powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But because it is also abused by thrill seekers and badly prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with its risks, methadone is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Becoming Local Drug of Choice – WSAZ News

Heroin, one of the deadliest drugs in the country, is taking a toll locally — quickly becoming the drug of choice.

HEROIN – UK
Red alert for heroin users – Evening Telegraph

Heroin is cut with other substances to maximise dealers’ profits and whatever red heroin has been cut with creates new and potentially fatal risks. The drug, off-red in colour, crystallises quickly in the syringe so addicts must shoot up quickly.

ALCOHOL – USA
CADCA Survey Finds Alcohol Top Problem Facing Communities – CADCA

According to CADCA´s 2007 Annual Survey of Coalitions, 68 percent of community anti-drug coalitions across the country ranked alcohol as the number one problem facing their community.

METH – USA
New Publication Offers Strategies to Tackle Methamphetamine Abuse – CADCA

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 5.8 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 or older have abused methamphetamine (meth) at least once in their lifetimes.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Cocktail in a pocket entices teen drinkers – Sydney Morning Herald

ShotPak is a line of alcoholic beverages that comes in shot-sized, laminated-foil plastic pouches reminiscent of the drinks American children pack in their school lunches.

HEROIN – UK
Addicts warned over red heroin – The Courier

POLICE IN Tayside fear that deadly “red heroin” may have reached the region—and warned addicts to stay away from the contaminated substance.

DRUGS – USA
Latest Drug Trends Show Rampant Heroin Abuse – News Radio WTVN

The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug-Addiction Services has released its biannual report on the latest drug trends across the state.

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
Addiction to potentially deadly drug Cat surging – Weekend Post

SCHOOLS, businesses and nightclubs in Nelson Mandela Bay are fast falling prey to a new and potentially deadly designer drug called Cat, which is becoming the latest craze among teens and young adults.

ALCOHOL – USA
Report: Parents ‘Clueless’ About Teen Drug, Alcohol Abuse – Fox News

An annual survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York reported that parents are clueless when it comes to their teenagers’ behavior, which contributes to their drug and alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Industry Targets Latino Teens – Al Dia (Filadelfia)

“Hispanic young people are more likely to drink and get drunk at an earlier age than non- Hispanic white or African American young people”- The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY)2003.

ALCOHOL – USA
Acting surgeon general to address alcohol issues at MSU – KPAX TV News

The acting surgeon general of the United States will visit Montana State University Wednesday to discuss collegiate alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Fifteen thousand people die from alcohol-related diseases every year – Telegraph

For the first time, researchers have calculated the number of deaths from conditions such as cancers, accidents and heart disease which are related to drinking but not wholly caused by alcohol.

ALCOHOL – UK
Males Account For Nearly 80 Per Cent Of Drug Related Deaths – Medical News Today

Nearly 80 per cent of people in England and Wales who died due to illicit drug use in 2006 were male, an NHS Information Centre bulletin shows.
DRUGS – UK
Children hospitalised after taking drugs soars by up to 50% under Labour – Daily Mail

The number of children taken to hospital because of drug use has soared since Labour took office, figures have revealed.

COCAINE – UK
Teen cocaine use hits new record levels – Metro

More young people have admitted using cocaine than ever, new figures have showed. The proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds saying the used the Class A drug in the previous year has risen to 6% for the first time.

DRUGS – UK
Child drug hospital admissions jump by 45pc – Telegraph

The figures released by the NHS Information Centre also show the number of teenagers and young people who needed hospital care because of drugs also increased by more than 10 per cent over the same period, to nearly 10,000 last year.

DRUGS – UK
Working together to beat the blight of drugs in our city – Peterborough Today

A WARNING about a dangerous batch of heroin on the streets of Peterborough splashed across the front page of The ET may not sound like a success story for the police. But for Detective Chief Inspector Gary Goose, the fact the problem was raised by health workers and could then be investigated and publicised is an example of how a more joined-up approach to tackling drugs is working well.

METH – USA
Health officials want meth history on house listings – Standard Net

A meth house is a meth house no matter how much residue is left, according to state standards. However, under current state law, sellers and landlords do not have to disclose to potential buyers or renters if former residents used meth in the house.

METH – CAMBODIA
Crystal meth use spreads: report – The Phnom Penh Post

According to government figures, the number of drug users nationwide has dropped below 6,000, but methamphetamines dominate the diet of the Kingdom’s dedicated junkies.

DRUGS – USA
New Albany High School parents receive free kits to test for 12 common drugs – News and Tribune

Parents at New Albany High School seemed receptive to a new program that allows them to take home a drug-testing kit for free. The New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated Schools Corp. is hosting programs that educate parents about drug-use as well as how to use the kits.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens Can Get Prescription Drugs Easier Than Alcohol – dB Techno

According to a new report released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, it is now easier for teenagers in the U.S. to get their hands on prescription drugs, than it is for them to get their hands on alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Get facts on college alcohol use – Louisville Courier Journal

CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov has a wealth of information about alcohol abuse and binge drinking among college students.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Alcohol ban enforced in Jasper National Park – Edmonton Journal

Park officials are spending up to $100,000 contracting Securiguard Securities Ltd. to enforce the ban, which remains in effect from June 27 and Sept. 1 and forbids campers to consume alcohol between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

DRUGS – USA
CASA: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIII: Teens and Parents – Join Together

Those who fail to monitor their children’s school night activities, safeguard their prescription drugs, address the problem of drugs in their children’s schools, and set good examples — increase the risk that their 12- to 17-year old children will smoke, drink, and use illegal and prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Access to Prescription Drugs Easier for Teens – Join Together

When asked “Which is easiest for someone your age to buy: cigarettes, beer, marijuana, or prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin or Ritalin, without a prescription?” 19 percent responded that it was easier to find prescription drugs, compared to 13 percent one year ago.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Cite Ease of Access To Drugs – The Washington Post

A growing number of teenagers say it’s easier to illegally obtain prescription drugs than to buy beer, according to a survey published today.

ALCOHOL – UK
Teen breath-test reduces crime - but is not enough, says mayor – CRP News

Crime in a North Wales resort town was cut by more than 20% after youngsters were breath-tested as part of police crackdown on anti-social behaviour. But the local mayor, an ex-policeman, regrets that such schemes are not permanent.

DRUGS – CUBA
US Teens Have Easy Access to Drugs – Prensa Latina

An increasing number of US teens gets, illegally, medicines that should be obtained under prescription, something considered in the threshold of consuming drugs like heroine, said a research revealed on Thursday.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Survey Finds Teens Have Easy Access to Prescription Drugs – Chatter Shmatter

Gaining access to dangerous prescription drugs is becoming easier than buying beer for US teenagers according to the results of a new survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Easier For Teens To Get Prescription Drugs Easier Than Beer – Chattah Box

A new report released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, has found that it is easier for teenagers in the U.S. to get prescription drugs, compared to getting alcohol, such as beer.

DRUGS – UK
Statistics on Drug Misuse: England, 2008 – Information Center

This annual statistical report presents information on drug misuse among both adults and children. It includes a focus on young adults.

ALCOHOL – UK
Industry body releases guidance on tackling public underage drinking – Alcohol Policy

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has released a new guidance document ‘A New Way of Tackling Public Underage Drinking: Community Alcohol Partnerships’ which claims to be a new model for local enforcement to tackle underage drinking.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Are Americans in Denial about the Widespread Abuse of Prescription Drugs? – Pushing Back

As youth drug use continues to decline nationwide, we very concerned about the increasing rates of prescription drug abuse among teens.

DRUGS – UK
Drug treatment outcomes tool: fit for purpose and delivering world-beating data – NTA

The Treatment Outcomes Profile (TOP) – the tool used for monitoring the effectiveness of substance misuse treatment in England – has been assessed by peer-review as fit for purpose and is published in the journal, Addiction, (September edition, 2008) this week.

DRUGS – USA
Parents’ prescription drugs pose risk to teens – San Francisco Chronicle

The survey, released Thursday by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, found that parents are dropping the ball on preventing their kids from using drugs, drinking and smoking. Teenagers surveyed said it’s easier to buy narcotics than beer.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs Easier To Get Than Beer – Injury Board

Kids assume drugs are safe. After all, they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and they are in their parents’ medicine chests.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Youngsters Can Procure Prescription Drugs Easier Than Beer – eFlux Media

More youngsters say it’s easier for them to get prescription drugs than it is to acquire beer, shows a new survey released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

DRUGS – USA
Youth access to drugs increases – Christian Science Monitor
Teenagers can get their hands on marijuana and prescription drugs more rapidly and easily this year than last, according to a new study. However, greater drug availability has not yet translated into greater drug abuse in the group – marijuana use among teens continues to decline.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Easily, Illegally Access Prescription Drugs – eMax Health

Teens report it’s easier for them to access prescription drugs than beer, a fact that urges parents to be more attentive. Thirty four percent of teenagers abuse prescription drugs and harm their health without realizing it.