Drug News

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.

PAINKILLER – USA
Prescription for addiction: Painkillers only a click away – The Missoulian

Despite recent efforts to regulate Internet pharmacies, the majority of Web sites peddling controlled drugs do not require a prescription. As a result, a vast unregulated online drug bazaar has emerged, according to officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

DRUGS – USA
British Authorities Credit Health Messages for Drop in Youth Drug Use Rates – Join Together

Department of Health leaders in England are attributing decreases in drug experimentation rates among the nation’s young teenagers to a well-financed campaign on drugs’ dangers.

METH – USA
Survey shows misconceptions about meth – Casper Star-Tribune
Wyoming teens and young adults believe that methamphetamine is low-risk and easily accessable, according to a new statewide survey by the Wyoming Meth Project.

DRUGS – UK
Crackdown on drugs use in prisons – BBC News
Prisons’ Minister Paul Goggins said a series of robust new measures would be introduced to help stem the flow of drugs within the prison system.

ALCOHOL – UK
Tackling alcohol misuse – Scottish Government
Tackling alcohol misuse is theme of a series of visits the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will make today.

MARIJUANA – USA
‘Marijuana Addiction — The Key to Overcoming the Emotional Component’ Revealed by Hale Dwoskin – PR Web

Hale Dwoskin, featured teacher in the blockbuster book and film “The Secret” and author of The New York Times bestseller The Sedona Method, has revealed a powerful way to help overcome the emotional component of marijuana addiction.

ALCOHOL – USA
Long Fight to Regulate Alcopops Faces Key Hearing in Nebraska – Join Together

A Nebraska youth alcohol-prevention group has been grappling with state lawmakers, regulators and the alcohol industry for years to get alcopops classified as liquor, not beer, and the rollercoaster process will make a key stop on July 31 as the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission holds a hearing on the classification issue.

DRUGS – USA
Psychiatrists Received Biggest Chunk of Pharmaceutical Company Payoffs, Vermont Study Finds – Join Together

With abuse of prescription drugs a growing problem, Vermont is one of a handful of states that require pharmaceutical companies to report how much cash and gifts they give to doctors.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine Addiction – Trans World News
“Coca leaves have been used for centuries by natives as a stimulant,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescriptions are top drug abused by teens – Cleveland Daily Banner

Nationwide prescription drugs have become the second most abused illegal drug, behind marijuana, among young people ages 12 to 17, but not in Bradley County.

METH – USA
Officials keep an eye out for meth – Morning Sentinel

But while they don’t produce a lot of the drug, Maine meth labs represent a subculture of drug users that officials are watching carefully.

MORPHINE – CANADA
‘Dode’ for a cheap high – South Asian Focus

Poppy powder, a derivative of highly addictive and illegal opium, is openly sold in some meat shops in Brampton and Mississauga. Its use is raising questions about its legality and potentially harmful effects for those seeking an unconventional ‘high’.

DRUGS – CANADA
SouthCoast Recovery, Orange County California’s Foremost Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center – Free Press Release Center

SouthCoast Recovery, a premier California alcohol and drug rehab center, announces the addition of a Adderall Treatment Program to its 30, 60, 90-day and six month residential treatment programs.

ADDICTION – USA
When you decide you can’t stop your addiction on your own, here is the rehab call – Trans World News

Privacy is and must be the bedrock of the drug rehabilitation process. Some drug treatment centers merely pay lip service to that principle. Cliffside Malibu makes it a way of life.

ALCOHOL – UK
No alcohol for young drivers call – BBC News

The legal blood alcohol limit should be cut to zero for drivers aged 17 to 20, England’s chief medical officer says.

ADDICTION – BULGARIA
The Sober Sources Network Offers Thorough Addiction Support – PR-USA

Addiction recovery, no matter the type of addiction, has become the focus of several online sites. The Sober Source Network is the flourishing and leading resource network offering support for alcoholism and addiction.

ALCOHOL – UK
Cops launch drink, drug, driving blitz – Evening Times

A SUMMER crackdown on drink drivers has been launched today with a series of high-visibility police patrols across the west of Scotland.

DRUGS – IRELAND
Illegal drug use - Urgent wake-up call needed – Drugs.ie

For too long people tolerated drink driving, but the carnage on our roads served as a wake-up call. The victims were often young people overcome by the influence of alcohol and a sense of bravado.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkillers Leading to Heroin Overdoses – Newsradio 620

More people in the area have addictions to prescription painkillers, and it’s leading to more people dying from a stronger drug - heroin.

HEROIN – USA
Painkillers may be fueling heroin boom, officials say – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The spike in people addicted to prescription painkillers has evolved into an alarming new trend: increasing heroin use.

CANNABIS – UK
HARINGEY: Buses to carry anti-cannabis message – This is Local London

Trains and buses across the borough are to become the vehicle for an anti-drug message to steer young people away from using cannabis.

METH – USA
Anti-meth campaign to start in Imperial Beach – San Diego Union Tribune

A county wide campaign to combat the use of methamphetamine will kick off in Imperial Beach today.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
National trend of prescription drug use hits home in Weymouth, survey shows – Patriot Ledger
A 2002 survey of alcohol and drug use among Weymouth teens didn’t even ask about prescription drugs. The idea that medicine cabinets were the new street corner wasn’t on the public radar.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More Prescription Drug Abuse Seen in Las Vegas – KLAS TV News

“These are drugs that, of course, are readily accessible from the new dealer, which is parents and friends that have them in their medicine cabinet,” said Dr. Pohl.

METH – USA
Meth: A tough lesson – Appeal-Democrat

A three-day Appeal-Democrat series is focusing on three major aspects of the Mid-Valley meth scourge.

METH – USA
Music, speakers offer anti-meth message – Appeal-Democrat

Fifteen bands and artists played, six recovering meth addicts spoke and events including a watermelon-eating contest were held at the Music over Meth concert June 21 at Riverfront Park in Marysville.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking to destruction – Chicago Tribune

With a difficult exam behind or a weekend ahead, a college student goes drinking. After the youth ties one—or make that several—on, he or she is noticeably drunk, but friends simply put the inebriated to bed to “sleep it off.” Instead of passing out, the student passes away—and becomes another troubling statistic of alcohol poisoning.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin trafficking on the rise again in mid-Michigan – The Bay City Times

Heroin is again creeping into northeast Michigan communities, luring in users from a variety of demographics.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Pill Deaths Continue – Tampa Tribune

Three times more Floridians died from prescription pill abuse last year than from a fatal overdose of an illegal drug.

METH – USA
Free home meth test kits at Superday – Wyoming Tribune
Up to 250 testing kits will be provided free at Superday to tenants or property owners concerned about prior methamphetamine use or laboratories in their residence.

ALCOHOL – KENYA
Revealed: Students drowning in alcohol – Daily Nation

The devastating effects of alcohol and drugs on young people in Kenya can be laid bare today.

ALCOHOL – KENYA
Industry invests millions to curb alcohol abuse – Daily Nation

It was not until four years ago that the country’s alcoholic beverage manufacturers stepped up efforts to encourage responsible drinking.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Alcohol linked to brain damage – Times of India

You might not just realize this while downing a mug of chilled beer on a summer afternoon, but a new study has revealed that too much alcohol can cause permanent damage to brain.

PAINKILLER – USA
Group Sues FDA in Effort to Ban Painkiller – Washington Post

A prescription painkiller sold under names including Darvon and Darvocet is too risky to stay on the market, a consumer advocacy group argued in suing the Food and Drug Administration.

ALCOHOL – USA
NIAAA Publishes Guidelines on Physician Alcohol Interventions – Join Together

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published new advice for physicians interested in “Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much.”

HEROIN – USA
Oregon fears heroin is tempting more kids – The Oregonain

In the wake of Oregon’s crackdown on methamphetamine, police say, heroin has become a cheaper, more plentiful alternative, especially for kids tempted to venture beyond marijuana and alcohol.

PAINKILLER – USA
Public Citizen Sues FDA for Failure to Act on Darvon – Consumer Affairs

Public Citizen sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today for failing to act on its petition to withdraw Darvon, Darvocet and all drugs containing propoxyphene gradually from the market as is now required in the United Kingdom.

Concert focuses on meth problem – Appeal-Democrat

Friday Night Live is planning an all-day concert on Saturday to raise awareness of methamphetamine abuse in the Yuba-Sutter area.

METH – USA
Pharmacology of crystal meth – Eurek Alert

When smoked, crystal meth rapidly achieves high concentrations in the brain without the burdens of the intravenous route. Kish reviews the actions of methamphetamine and explains the potential role of dopamine in methamphetamine craving.

METH – USA
Concert Held in Idaho to Raise Money Against Meth – Local ABC News

This all day all age benefit concert features local bands donating their time and talent.
They held this to try to help raise awareness about the devastating impact of Meth
in Idaho.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Florida Medical Examiner’s report show prescription drugs more deadly – North Florida News Daily

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Medical Examiners Commission released the state’s annual report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons.

RITALIN – USA
Enquirer seeks sources for substance abuse series – Battle Creek Enquier

Substance abuse among young people does not afflict just one group. Teens from all walks of life use drugs and alcohol both to tune out and to tune in.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Florida Reports Prescription Drugs Killing Far More People than Illicit Drugs – Join Together

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission says that autopsies show that prescription drugs kill three times more people in Florida than all illicit drugs combined

METH – USA
Anti-meth campaign kicks off – CBS Denver News

The Wyoming Meth Project has launched a campaign to prevent young people from trying the highly addictive drug with a campaign fueled by television, radio and print advertisements.

ALCOHOL – USA
Namibia: Festival Against Drugs and Alcohol – All Africa

The 3rd year social work students of the University of Namibia in conjunction with Bank Windhoek, Coalition on Responsible Drinking, Namibia Breweries, and the Drug Awareness Group are organizing a TADA choir festival that will take place this Saturday.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scottish Suicide And Homicide Rates Fueled By Drink And Drugs – Medical News Today

Alcohol and drug misuse mean Scots are almost twice as likely to kill or take their own life compared to people living in England and Wales, published research reveals.

CANNABIS – UK
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) - Cannabis review meeting – Home Office
In July 2007, the Home Secretary asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the classification of cannabis.

METHADONE – USA
Man fights what son could not – The Boston Globe

Fatal methadone overdoses in Massachusetts have risen more than 400 percent in recent years, according to the state Department of Public Health, up from 17 in 2002 to 86 in 2005, the latest available data.

METH – USA
Otter kicks off meth project – Capital Press
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter announced the launch of the Idaho Meth Project during his combined State of the State and budget address, officially opening the 2008 state legislative session here Jan. 7.

DRUGS – USA
Cocaine overtaking meth as Canyon County drug of choice – KPAX TV News

Cocaine has overtaken methamphetamine as the drug of choice in Canyon County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Let’s monitor prescriptions – The Wichita Eagle

Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem that can have devastating outcomes if left unchecked. This is an issue of deep concern to our community’s physicians and the Medical Society of Sedgwick County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study ignores prescription abuse – Nashua Telegraph

The study, which dubbed today’s teens as “Generation Rx,” found the most popular drugs were painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin.

METH – USA
Renters face menace of meth – Tulsa World
Legislation being drafted for consideration in the upcoming session would require landlords to clean homes that were once the sites of methamphetamine labs before renting out the residences.

METH – USA
Oklahoma renters face menace of meth – KTEN TV News

A proposal to require landlords to clean homes where methamphetamine labs operated before renting out the residences again would help keep renters safe, officials said.

DRUGS – USA
Statement from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association on the SAMHSA Findings on Cough Medicine Abuse – Consumer Healthcare Products Association

Following is a statement by Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A., president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), regarding today’s release of the U.S. Health and Human Services Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Association’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health survey, which reported data on the prevalence of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine abuse among 12- to 25-year-olds in 2006.

PAINKILLER – PAKISTAN
Long-Term pain killer use may harm Kidneys – International News Network

Long-term, habitual use of the painkiller acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, may cause a decline in kidney function in some people, a study of middle-aged women said.