Drug News

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine smuggling soars through West Africa – The Associated Press

Cocaine smuggling to Europe is dramatically increasing through West Africa, posing a substantial threat to the stability of a region already troubled by war and poverty, an international watchdog warned Thursday.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkiller Abuse Rises Among U.S., European Youth, UN Warns – Bloomberg

A United Nations drug panel warned policy makers in Europe and the U.S. that the rising use of illegally obtained painkillers is risking the health of young people.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine price halves in a decade – BBC News

The UN International Narcotics Control Board says a major new cocaine trafficking route has developed into Western Europe through the Balkans.

COCAINE – USA
West Africa Becomes Hub for Cocaine Smuggling to Europe – Voice of America News

A new report finds that West Africa has become a major hub of cocaine smuggling to Europe, a trend that threatens to undermine African countries as well as European law enforcement efforts.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens used to oppose Sunday alcohol sales in Ga. – Sovo

Conservative Christians packed a state Senate hearing Feb. 18 by recruiting middle and high school-aged children to fight a bill that would allow Georgia counties to vote on Sunday alcohol sales.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol culture in the UK – Guardian

There is good news and bad news about under age drinking in Britain. While the number of teenagers drinking has declined in recent years, those who do drink are consuming more alcohol, more often.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More Utahns dying from prescription drug overdoses than car accidents – KSL TV News

Two years ago, the number of deaths from prescription drug overdoses surpassed the number of highway fatalities in Utah. New numbers now show how quickly the problem took off.

PRESCRIPTION – IRELAND
Excessive prescribing in west, says report – RTE News

A new report by a west of Ireland-based drugs taskforce says there is excessive prescribing of minor tranquilisers and sedatives by doctors in the region.

ALCOHOL – USA
Fox Valley schools combat alcohol abuse – Wrightstown Post Gazette

Neenah teacher Vicki Bayer can rattle off experiences to illustrate the extent of alcohol abuse in the lives of students.

COCAINE – UK
Supply routes make cocaine cheaper – The Press Association

The price of cocaine is set to plunge further as traffickers exploit new smuggling routes, an international drugs agency warned.

CANNABIS – UK
Schoolchildren in the UK are the worst in Europe for cannabis abuse, UN report finds – Telegraph

Schoolchildren in the UK are the worst in Europe for cannabis abuse with almost half of youngsters admitting taking the drug, the United Nations has warned.

CANNABIS – SOUTH AFRICA
‘Cannabis has become more potent’ – Independent Online

A UN drugs agency warned on Thursday against danger of underestimating the dangerous power of cannabis.

CANNABIS – UK
International drugs body calls for global action as internet dealing rises to ‘alarming’ levels – Guardian

The internet is playing an increasing and “alarming” role in the trafficking of both illegal and unauthorised prescription drugs, according to the body that monitors the trafficking and use of narcotics.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine price ‘set to fall more’ – BBC News

The price of cocaine in Europe is set to fall even further as smugglers use new routes through West Africa and the Balkans, says the UN anti-drugs agency.

ADDICTION – USA
Individual Addiction Treatment Plans Are Hallmark Of Cliffside Malibu – New Design World

The experienced staff at Cliffside Malibu drug rehabilitation center all have one thing in common: the treatment and well being of each resident.

DRUGS – USA
Stressed students turn to study aid alternatives under midterm pressure – Villanovan

Faced with deadlines, especially during high stress times like midterms and finals weeks, many students turn to study aid stimulants such as coffee, Red Bull, or 5-Hour Energy shots, while others resort to more drastic measures, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

ALCOHOL – USA
Ark. Senate votes to ban devices that allow drinkers to inhale alcohol – KFSM News

A ban on devices that allow drinkers to inhale alcohol has won the approval of the Arkansas Senate.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Survey: Prescription Drug Abuse Up – The News Record

In the last year, as many as 25 percent of students on some college campuses have used prescription drugs for recreational use, according to a survey conducted by Martha J. Farah, director at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.

ALCOHOL – USA
Liquor Ads Return to Prime Time – Join Together

Economic considerations are driving TV networks to broaden their acceptance of advertising for alcohol products.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking Endemic in Military – Join Together

A new survey shows that 43 percent of active-duty military personnel engage in frequent binge drinking, including underage soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

ALCOHOL – USA
Recovery rates for alcoholics, addicts up – Great Falls Tribune

Two new reports show the magnitude of Montanans’ problems with alcohol abuse, but also some improvement in treatment results.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse ‘the in thing’ – Carroll County Times

Parental involvement may be the key to combating a rise in prescription drug abuse among Carroll County youths, according to local health educators and officials.

PRESCTIPION – USA
Accidental prescription pain medication overdoses kills 300 Utahns a year – ABC 4 News

Last year, more than 300 people in Utah died from accidental prescription pain medication overdoses – that number is higher than car crash deaths.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
State seeks to recycle unused prescription drugs – The Oregonian

An estimated 3 percent of drug prescriptions nationwide go unused — lost, ignored, replaced or no longer needed. In Oregon, that translates to more than 1 million drugs a year.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More Students Abusing Prescription Drugs – WBAL TV News

Carroll County school officials are working with drug counselors and police to help students after a new state survey that tracks drug and alcohol use among adolescents released alarming data.

CANNABIS – UK
Britain tops European league for abuse as ‘half our children try cannabis by 16′ – Daily Mail

Almost half of schoolchildren have smoked cannabis by 16  -  the highest proportion of any European country, a UN report has revealed.

DRUGS – UK
UN warns on new drug route to UK – BBC News

A major new cocaine trafficking route has developed into the UK through the Balkans, the UN has warned.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse has health advocates on alert – Greenwich Times

There is a perception that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are safer than illegal drugs. These often include pain relievers or prescription narcotics, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, sedatives and stimulants, says Spoonamore, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist who works primarily with young people. Teens, and those as young as 12, will look for pills in their parents’ or friends’ medicine cabinets and use them to get high.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
For teens, drug abuse genie is out of the prescription bottle – Leader Telegram

Local law enforcement officials know. Local school officials know. And parents need to know that safeguarding prescription drugs may save your child’s life or that of another teen and will certainly make your schools safer.

DRUGS – USA
YouTube the downfall of herbal drug? – Charlotte Observer

For years, college students have used the hallucinogenic herb for a cheap – and legal – thrill without attracting much attention. But with hundreds of online videos showing people smoking Salvia and dissolving into fits of laughter and hallucination, North Carolina is considering joining 14 other states that have outlawed it.

HEROIN – USA
Illinois bill targets heroin overdoses – Northwest Herald

A law that could help prevent the increasing number of heroin-related overdose deaths is under consideration by Illinois legislators. Sponsored by a group of Chicago-area state lawmakers, the initiative would create a statewide drug-overdose prevention program and increase the reporting on overdose trends. The bill – HB 497 – also expands access to Narcan, a low-cost heroin-overdose antidote.

PAINKILLER – USA
Shows Increase in Young Adults Abusing Painkillers – News Health Guru

Why is this such a problem? After all, the numbers are very small. The issue is that misuse may lead to addiction, and to the need for stronger painkillers. In addition, people who become addicted are the last to admit they may have a problem, and seek out new and creative ways to maintain their supply of painkillers.

CANNABIS – USA
Advertisement Campaign Launched on Cannabis Dangers – Top News United States

An advertising campaign was launched by the government on Monday to warn children and young people about the health risks of cannabis.

ADDICTION – USA
Teen drug addiction is on the rise – Examiner

It’s no secret there are drugs in almost every community. Teen fascination seems to have spiked locally with tempting peer pressure and experimentation.

ALCOHOL – USA
Rockbridge Area Community Services Awarded Alcohol Education Grant – Rockbridge Weekly

Rockbridge Area Community Services (RACS) has been awarded a $300 alcohol education grant as part of the Reach Out Now National Teach-In, a nationwide effort sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

DRUGS – USA
Idaho Meth Project increasing awareness on drug’s danger – Bonner County Daily Bee

One in seven young adults in Idaho has tried meth, and one in five admit having a close friend who uses the drug.

ALCOHOL – UK
Transplant row over organs for drinkers – Guardian

Heavy drinkers are receiving nearly one in four of the UK’s liver transplants, it was revealed last night, igniting a furious row about the ethics of allocating organs to people with alcohol problems.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Ecstasy use shoots up across the city – The Sydney Morning Herald

The use of ecstasy in Sydney has skyrocketed by as much as 112 per cent in the past two years, highlighting the ineffectiveness of deterrent strategies such as sniffer dogs, a drug expert has said.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Substance abuse the tip of the iceberg – Science Alert

The first study profiling young people who attend alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services in New Zealand has revealed a number of areas that need to be addressed in order to provide more effective treatment for this age group.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
US expert: Women use drugs for weight loss – TVNZ

One of the reasons more women are turning to drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine is to lose weight, a visiting expert from the United States told Close Up.

COCAINE – UK
NHS Forth Valley issues health warning for cocaine users – STV News

Health professionals in the Forth Valley area have been issued with a warning to be vigilant after two cocaine users in Glasgow were treated for a rare and life-threatening condition associated with the use of the drug.

DRUGS – USA
Why Isn’t There Nearly As Big A Fuss About Amphetamines In Baseball As There Is About Steroids? – Fan IQ

What is the definition of performance enhancing drugs?  Personally, I believe it means any drug that allows a player to perform at a higher level than if he never took the drug.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Fight against alcohol through plays – Times of India

A creative way to fight against consumption of alcohol is to hold street plays across the state. And this is what the temperance board under the information and Kannada culture department will do.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol abuse leads to rise in liver swaps – Independent

The past decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of transplanted livers going to people whose own organs have been damaged by alcohol misuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Research shows success of optional education courses for binge offenders – CRP News

Dacorum Borough’s Alcohol Diversion Scheme has shown that optional educational courses can be an effective way of engaging with binge drinkers, changing their behaviour and reducing violence and disorder.

CANNABIS – UK
Teens in Britain getting legally high on synthetic cannabis banned across Europe – Telegraph

Spice, as it is known on the street and in school playgrounds, has already been banned by at least four European nations including the Netherlands, where smoking small amounts of cannabis is tolerated.

DRUGS – UK
A Method For Detecting 23 Drugs And Medicines In Saliva Has Been Developed – Medical News Today

A team of scientists from the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) has developed a technique for detecting the presence of 23 illicit drugs and medicines in saliva samples.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana, testicular cancer link is found – Los Angeles Times

Young men who began using marijuana as adolescents or who smoke pot at least once a week appear to be twice as likely to develop testicular cancer as those who never used the drug.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Test kit highlights possible rise in prescription drug use among kids – Calgary Herald

As if it isn’t enough for parents to worry about whether their teenager is using marijuana, cocaine or crystal meth, a new drug-testing kit presents parents with the option of testing their children for prescription drug use, too.

METH – USA
Measure passed to guard kids from meth – KRQE News

Lawmakers are considering more severe penalties for those who expose children to meth. Some lawmakers want to make it child abuse to expose children to meth usage, meaning if a child is in a home where meth is being used, charges can be filed against the adults in the home.

ALCOHOL – USA
Easton Area School District reaching out to students, parents to fight alcohol-related problems – The Express Times

Easton Area School District officials and community members are increasing their efforts this year to combat alcohol problems. The high school Parent Teacher Student Association’s health and safety committee is collecting and analyzing surveys filled out by parents and students on alcohol and drug issues.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Effort on to keep prescription drugs out of water supply – FOX Valley Village Sun

A local organization dedicated to preventing unused and expired medicines from entering the area’s water supply has teamed up with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to offer residents a simple and safe way to dispose of their unwanted medications.

CANNABIS – UK
Government launches anti-cannabis campaign – Reuters

A two million pound campaign to alert children and young people to the health risks posed by cannabis was launched by the government on Monday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Safeguarding prescription drugs – Wisconsin Radio Network

It’s not just crack and marijuana; a growing number of teens are turning to prescription drugs to get high.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Police disposing of unused prescription drugs for community – KPIC News

Keeping prescription drugs out of the hands of children and teenagers is a rising problem for parents, schools and police officers. One local police department has disposed of the medications to help keep drugs off the streets.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol A Drain On The Health System – Scoop, Independent News

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) is concerned at reports yesterday of an increase in alcohol-related admissions to Auckland District Health Board’s emergency department.

MARIJUANA – USA
Testicular cancer linked to marijuana use – USA Today

Marijuana use could increase the risk of testicular cancer, according to a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center out this week.

PAINKILLER – USA
Study: Painkiller Misuse Up Among Young Adults – Join Together

A study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that prescription painkiller misuse among young adults has increased even as non-medical use by teenagers decreased between 2002 and 2007.

ALCOHOL – USA
Substance Abuse Preferences Evolving from Alcohol to Drugs – Associated Content

For many years now there has been a need for large numbers of people to get treatment for substance abuse. There are different types of substance abuse however, and historically more people were seeking treatment for alcohol than drugs. That is no longer true.

HEROIN – CANADA
Curbing `hillbilly heroin’ – The Star

With more than 460 deaths related to OxyContin overdoses in Ontario in the last five years, something clearly must be done. Fortunately, provincial health officials seem aware of the threat posed by “hillbilly heroin” – as it is known by street dealers – and have embarked on a review of how other jurisdictions are dealing with this menace.

CANNABIS – UK
Extra-strong incense drug warning – BBC News

A synthetic drug that is up to five times as powerful as cannabis is being sold legally in Britain, as incense. It has already been made illegal in Germany and is also banned in the Netherlands.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Recommends Ban of Painkiller after Fifty Years – Natural News

At the end of January the FDA held a public hearing to reconsider the safety of Darvon, a painkiller that has been on the market since 1957. The panel voted 14 to 12 in favor of withdrawing the drug from the market, following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom which banned the drug in 2005 after concluding the benefits of Darvon did not outweigh the serious risks.

DRUGS – UK
Moral drugs message for students – BBC News

A campaign highlighting the ethical impact of cocaine abuse is being targeted at university students.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol major addiction problem – Stuff.nz

Alcohol, not methamphetamine, remains the major addiction problem in New Zealand, the Alcohol Drug Association said.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine cheaper than lager and wine as drug price falls by half – Telegraph

A line of cocaine is now cheaper than a pint of lager or a glass of wine, official figures have disclosed.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis link to cancer – NHS Choices

Young men who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop testicular cancer than those who have never tried it, The Guardian reports. It says that a study has found that smoking the drug at least once a week, or using it regularly from adolescence, doubled the risk of a fast-growing form of the disease.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Reviewing Narcotic Painkillers – News Inferno

The makers of two dozen opioid drugs, including Oxycontin, morphine, methadone and the Duragesic patch, have been ordered by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to develop Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) plans to reduce the misuse of their painkillers.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Calls For Safer Opioid Painkiller Oversight – Ozarks First

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered 16 U.S. producers of opioid painkillers to enact stricter oversights to avoid misuse. Opioids are highly-addictive, chronic pain reducers.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine campaign targets students – The Press Association

Students are being warned about the destructive effect of the cocaine trade in a new campaign.

DRUGS – USA
New Resource to Help Parents Confront Youth Drug Use – Join Together

Treatment Research Institute Provides the Science Behind Interactive “How To” Resource Developed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America.

METH – USA
Meth abuse costs nation more than $23 billion – Victorville Daily Press

The economic cost of methamphetamine abuse in the U.S. — including the cost to jail users, put addicts through treatment and clean up meth labs — was about $23 billion in 2005, according to a just-released study.

METH – USA
Anti-Meth Coalition plans annual conference – Eastern Arizona Courier

The Graham Anti-Meth Coalition is planning for the fourth annual Graham and Greenlee Substance Abuse Awareness Conference set for April 22 at the Eastern Arizona College.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Treatment For The Best of Your Life – Express Press Release

There’s a way to relax and be as stress free as possible while undergoing alcohol treatment in Malibu California.

METH – USA
Meth Myths. Can Meth Addicts Really Recover? – The Open Press

Methamphetamine is much different from regular amphetamine pills. Without going into a chemistry lesson, meth is simply a more refined or condensed form of amphetamine. It is much more powerful than what some people might think of as diet pills or speed. It produces both an intense feeling of energy and strong euphoric pleasure at the same time.

METH – USa
Meth effort successful, but problems remain – The Casper Star Tribune

A coordinated effort to cut methamphetamine use in Natrona County has achieved considerable success, but hasn’t solved the problem entirely, Casper’s police chief said Monday.

METH – USA
Study: More substance-abuse education needed – Stockton Recordnet

More young people need to be taught about the destructive effects substance abuse has on families and communities in the San Joaquin Valley, according to a new study chronicling public concerns about methamphetamine in the eight-county region stretching from Lodi to Bakersfield.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Esty urges proper disposal of prescriptions – Meriden Record Journal

New state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Cheshire, is looking to change how people dispose of unused prescription drugs. She is working on legislation that would encourage state residents to return unused prescription drugs to pharmacies.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study: Prescription drug abuse increases – KSL TV News
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5546338
More people, especially young adults, are abusing powerful prescription drugs. While prescription abuse is going up, use of other illegal drugs is not.

HEROIN – IRELAND
China white heroin reappears as number of addicts rises – Drugs.ie

A batch of ‘China white’ heroin that can be mistaken for cocaine is back on the streets of the capital as drug treatment centres report a rise in people presenting for heroin addiction.

DRUGS – USA
FDA targets narcotic use – USA Today

The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it was stepping up efforts to reduce unsafe use of 24 narcotics products — methadone pills, fentanyl patches and extended-release pills containing morphine, oxymorphone and oxycodone, such as OxyContin.

MORPHINE – USA
Makers of Opioids Told by FDA to Reduce Abuse – Attorney at Law

More than a dozen drug companies who make morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and other potent painkillers called opioids must develop plans to reduce the hundreds of deaths caused by the drugs each year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana use and testicular cancer – Los Angeles Times

Young men who began using marijuana as adolescents or who smoked pot at least once a week were twice as likely as those who never used the drug to develop testicular cancer.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine Abuse Costs US $23.4 Billion – Med Headlines

The economic burden to society in general has been evaluated for some major illnesses such as heart disease but, until now, similar evaluations have not been made for drug addictions. Now, however, the RAND Corporation has estimated the annual societal cost of using and becoming addicted to methamphetamine (meth) is approximately $23.4 billion.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin hits home – Springfield News Sun

Heroin, once thought to be disappearing from the local drug scene, is back with a vengeance, fueled by a new generation of users seduced by its euphoric high and initial door-busting price.

ADDICTION – USA
Former radio show host to hold forums on substance abuse – Boston Globe

Lawrence E. Dugan Sr. used to dole out advice to recovering addicts on his popular radio show “Recovery Expressions,” streamed live on WTCH-FM (106.1).

ALCOHOL – USA
Teen drinking casts shadow on Vermont’s idyllic image – Boston Globe

Instead, they’re talking about the alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs that are used and abused by an alarming number of students who attend the single, 19th-century schoolhouse for kindergarten through 12th grades.

ALCOHOL – USA
New state DUI law’s success rate remains a source of debate – Daily Herald

As many as 41,500 first-time DUI offenders this year may have to install an alcohol ignition interlock to get back out on the road legally.

DRUGS – UK
New figures show rise in drug addicts claiming benefits – The Herald

The number of people claiming disability benefits who are addicted to drugs or alcohol has quadrupled in the last decade, figures showed today.

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana testicular cancer link – BBC News

Frequent or long-term marijuana use may raise a man’s risk of testicular cancer, American research suggests.

ALCOHOL – UK
The Young Attracted By Alcohol Adverts – Medical News Today

Alcohol advertising and marketing may lead to underage drinking. A large systematic review of more than 13,000 people, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, suggests that exposure to ads and product placements.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis linked to testicular cancer – The Independent

The soaring rate of testicular cancer in the UK and other Western countries is linked today to the increased popularity of cannabis. Testicular cancer has more than doubled over the past 30 years and its rise parallels that of the use of cannabis, Britain’s most popular illegal drug.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA To Crack Down On Prescription Pain Killer Abuse – AHN

The federal government will subject makers of certain prescription pain medications to a risk-management program designed to prevent the abuse of the drugs and ensure they are being prescribed properly.