Drug News

COCAINE – BRAZIL
Cocaine Seizures…in West Africa? – Comunidade Segura

Cocaine use in Europe has tripled in the last decade, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), while the number of cocaine users in the United States has been consistently falling.

OPIUM – USA
Modern Pain Killers: Biggest Medical Hoax in Last 100 Years – US Recall News

Starting in 1986, with the misinterpretation of the World Health Organization’s paper concerning terminal pain, the morphinan molecule has come back with a vengeance in the form of oxycodone (Percocet and Oxycontin) and hydrocodon (Vicodin and Lorcet).

RITALIN – USA
Work Stress, Anxiety And Depression Aren´t Caused By A Lack Of Prozac – American Chronicle

It is interesting to observe that the discovery of the drug Ritalin prompted a sudden epidemic in children diagnosed with ADHD. Has the development of anti-depressant drugs and anti-anxiety medication triggered the rise in cases of work related stress?

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens abusing easy-to-get prescription drugs – Victorville Daily Press

For many teenagers wanting to get high, their drug of choice is no further away than their parent’s medicine cabinet. Pain relievers such as OxyContin and Vicodin are the most commonly abused prescription drugs used by teens today, according to the National Drug Policy.

COCAINE – IRELAND
Irish bank notes show high levels of cocaine – Herald

IRISH Euro banknotes in circulation in Spain have one of the highest levels of cocaine traces, a new study has found.

CANNABIS – IRELAND
Cannabis on sale now eight times stronger – Herald

HERBAL cannabis on sale in Ireland is now up to eight times stronger than it was a decade ago, an addiction expert has said.
ALCOHOL – USA
Last call – Chicago Sun-Times

A new study shows that not only do we drink less as we get older, but boozing by younger generations is on the decline, too

ALCOHOL – USA
College Coaches Hope to Bench Alcohol Advertising – Join Together

More than 100 college athletic coaches are asking the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to eliminate televised alcohol advertising during college sports broadcasts.

ALCOHOL – USA
Getting Older, Drinking Less, Study Finds – Join Together

Participants in this comprehensive, long-term health study generally drank less as they got older and later generations drank less than their predecessors.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol put before safety with airlines – Belfast Telegraph

There have been several recent flying incidents where passengers, due to alcohol consumption, have become rowdy and aggressive.

ALCOHOL – USA
Chargers Announce New Alcohol, Conduct Policies For Fans – NBC San Diego

Chargers fans had better be on their best behavior when they attend Saturday’s preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

ALCOHOL – USA
Americans Drinking Less Alcohol – US News and World Report

Americans are drinking less alcohol, with middle-aged people consuming about one-third less than 50 years ago, researchers report.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinks: Infusing alcohol with botanicals – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Alcohol can be infused with botanicals, marinated with macerated fruits or stirred together with other potions.

ALCOHOL – USA
Pressure Grows to Expel Beer Advertising from NCAA Basketball – Join Together

When the executive committee and Division I board of directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association meet for their annual gatherings in Indianapolis on August 7, it is likely they will have to take a hard look at the organization’s policies on advertising alcoholic beverages during the “March Madness” national championship basketball tournament.

METHADONE – UK
Drug deaths double in last decade – BBC News

The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has doubled in the past 10 years, according to new figures.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug Rehab Treatment for the Varying Addiction Problem – Trans World News

Drug addiction on the outside may look the same, an uncontrolled impulse to constantly use the drug of choice. On the inside however, it is a completely different story.

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
From beauty to drug wreck – IOL

New statistics by the Central Drug Authority reveal that drug addiction is a growing problem - up by 14 percent since last year, according to George Pappas, chairperson of the Gauteng Substance Abuse Forum.

METH – USA
Student survey on alcohol, tobacco, meth and marijuana use gives some a reason to think substance use is declining – Chisago County Press

A few years ago the Lake Improvement District Board would convene its annual meeting and mostly hear complaints about high water levels and flooding of lakeshore parcels. The annual meeting Monday this week for the LID brought out comments from residents concerned about low water levels.

HEROIN – UK
Toll of drug deaths hits fresh high, with worse to come – Scotsman

THE human cost of drug abuse in Scotland could spiral higher in years to come, a minister warned yesterday as figures revealed a record number of deaths from heroin, cocaine and other substances.

METH – USA
Meth takes back seat to cocaine in Boise – Idaho Staesman

It may be temporary, but it is still a surprise: Cocaine has unseated methamphetamine as the most prevalent hard drug in Boise, police say.

ALCOHOL – USA
Spotlight on teens at risk – Boston Globe

Drinking and drug use among teens is getting fresh attention in the Pentucket Regional School District following surveys that have heightened concerns about the problem.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scots unaware of safe alcohol limit – The Press Association

Many Scots remain ignorant of how much it is safe to drink or how much alcohol their beverages contain, a survey revealed.

DRUGS – USA
A grimmer reaper: Prescription drugs take too many lives – Salt Lake Tribune

“Use only as directed,” the pill bottles read. It’s advice you can live by. But too many Utahns are failing to heed that warning.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scots ‘ignorant’ of drink levels – BBC News

Many Scots remain ignorant of how much it is safe to drink or how much alcohol drinks contain, a survey has suggested.

ALCOHOL – UK
Most Scots think alcohol is worse than heroin – The Herald

A majority of Scots think alcohol is the drug that causes most harm to society, newly published survey results show. Some 51% of respondents to a module from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007 said alcohol was the drug which causes most problems for Scotland, compared with 22% who said heroin and 9% who said tobacco.

METH – USA
Old Drug is New Leader Among Users in Treasure Valley – KBOI News

Police in Boise say cocaine has surpassed methamphetamine as the most prevalent illegal hard drug in the area.
MARIJUANA – USA
Get Message Out About Marijuana – Red Orbit

As a Baby Boomer and now a mother of teenagers, I was very interested in the research done on the marijuana available today. A University of Mississippi research project found an increased potency of the drug — double what it was in the ’70s and ’80s! We parents all need to hear that.

ALCOHOL – USA
Excessive Drinking May Exacerbate Metabolic Syndrome Risk – Join Together

A new study has found that individuals who drink in amounts exceeding federal dietary guidelines have an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome associated with cardiovascular disease.

HEROIN – UK
Warning over bug found in contaminated heroin batches – The Herald

A nationwide alert has been issued after a new batch of contaminated heroin, which previously killed more than 40 people mostly in Scotland, was discovered.

PAINKILLER – USA
Finding the right substance abuse rehab for you! – Trans World News

Every substance abuse treatment center offers nominally different rehab programs for different types of addiction. Too often, though, the differences between those programs are only superficial, and the benefits of them are, in practice, nonexistent.

METH – USA
AG steamed over ‘meth coffee’ – World Net Daily

You can “chew them whole, snort the powder dry, cook it over a lighter and huff,” a San Francisco-based Meth Coffee company claims, but Illinois Attorney-General Lisa Madigan is brewing with anger over a marketing campaign that she says promotes drug use.

ALCOHOL – USA
Recovery Month Toolkits Available Now – Join Together

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).

DRUGS – USA
Drug-related deaths in Utah reach a new high – KSL TV News

A report from the state medical examiner says drugs killed 519 people in Utah last year. That breaks the previous record of 485. The report also shows a disturbing and growing trend: Prescription drugs are now behind the majority of drug-related deaths in Utah.

HEROIN – USA
As the price of heroin drops, the drug is attracting younger users – Farmingham

The first time he dabbled with the drug he was a teen in the late 1960s, when a bag of heroin was about $30-$40 per bag, he recalls.

ALCOHOL – USA
OHSU working on drug that takes the pleasure out of drinking alcohol – KPIC

Oregon Health & Sciences University is developing a drug that could take the buzz out of drinking alcohol, raising the question of whether alcoholism could be cured with a simple pill.

COCAINE – UK
UCSF Study Shows That Cocaine Addiction Is Linked To Voluntary Drug Use And Cellular Memory – Medical News Today

Rats that voluntarily use cocaine show a persistent cellular memory in the brain’s reward center even after several months of abstinence from the drug, while their involuntary counterparts had no such memory, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.

COCAINE – UK
New Study Finds Persistent Brain Changes In Response To Cocaine Depend On The Expectation Of Reward – Medical News Today

Drug addiction dramatically shifts a person’s attention, priorities, and behaviors towards a focus almost entirely on seeking out and taking drugs.

HEROIN – UK
Most Scots think alcohol is worse than heroin – Sunday Herald

A majority of Scots think alcohol is the drug that causes most harm to society, newly published survey results show. Some 51% of respondents to a module from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007 said alcohol was the drug which causes most problems for Scotland, compared with 22% who said heroin and 9% who said tobacco.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Growing prescription drug abuse in U.S – Reuters

U.S. state, federal and local authorities across the United States are struggling to contain a rising tide of prescription drug abuse, which federal data show is now the single-biggest cause for an increase in drug overdose deaths.

DRUGS – UK
Deaths From Combining Drugs And/or Alcohol Skyrocket – Medical News Today

In the first large-scale study of home medication consumption, sociologists at the University of California, San Diego have found a 3,196 percent increase in fatal domestic medication errors involving alcohol and/or street drugs.

ALCOHOL – UK
Why The Alcopop Tax Is Working - Australian Drug Foundation – Medical News Today

The Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) took aim at the liquor lobby for misleading the public about the Federal Government’s tax increase on ready-to-drink beverages.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Dependence And Hispanics – Medical News Today

A large survey conducted by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health Dallas Regional Campus, which examined alcohol abuse and dependence among Hispanic male populations in the United States, will be expanded to Mexican males living along the U.S.-Mexico border.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Southern Oregon residents dropping off unwanted pills – The Oregonian

Police Department has taken many drugs off the street. The southwest Oregon community recently became the first in Douglas County to start an unused pharmaceutical take-back program.

DRUGS – USA
Health officials warn of contaminated drugs – WRAL News

A dozen people have gone to Wake County emergency rooms in the past week after ingesting cocaine or heroin that might have contaminated, public health officials said Tuesday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Oregon keeping prescriptions drugs off streets, out of environment – Seattle Post Intelligencer

The southwest Oregon community recently became the first in Douglas County to start an unused pharmaceutical take-back program. To keep prescription drugs away from teens and the water supply, residents are asked to check their medicine cabinets and drop off any unused pills at the police department.

HEROIN – USA
Citizens offer ideas to curb drugsPortage residents respond after heroin overdose death – Kalamazoo Gazette

About 60 people gathered at Portage City Hall for the brainstorming session, motivated by the June death of an 18-year-old Portage woman from a heroin overdose.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
New regulations on sale of alcohol come into force today – Irish Times

STRICT NEW regulations governing the sale and possession of alcohol, which aim to curb public disorder and eliminate underage drinking, come into force today.

METH – CANADA
Meth ingredients easy to find – Barrie Advance

After the bust of a would-be meth lab in Essa Township last week, The Advance wanted to see how easily ingredients needed to create the drug could be obtained in Barrie.

METH – USA
Meth cravings are really intense – Barrie Advance

It’s known as speed, meth, chalk, ice, crystal, or crystal meth but no matter what it’s called, methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug.

METH – USA
Fantastic Freebies: Me Not Meth T-shirts – Wallet Pop

If you give register for a free account with http://www.menotmeth.org, and then fill out this form, the organization will send you up to 2 free Me-Not-Meth t-shirts or tank tops.

DRUGS – USA
Effective Border Enforcement Spurs More Addiction in Mexico – Join Together

Better border enforcement that is making it increasingly difficult for Mexican cartels to transport illegal drugs into the United States is being cited as the reason for a spike in drug addiction in Mexico.

PAINKILLER – FRANCE
US fentanyl deaths topped 1,000 over 2 years – International Herald Tribune

More than 1,000 people died over two years from an illegal version of the painkiller fentanyl, the government reported Thursday in its first national tally of those deaths.

PAINKILLER – USA
Feds blame at least 1,000 deaths on overdoses from illegal fentanyl – The Star-Ledger

At least 1,000 people nationwide died from overdosing on fentanyl created in illegal laboratories, according to a federal investigation that began after a cluster of the deaths was reported in New Jersey two years ago.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription medication teens’ drug of choice – Ventura County Star

The most popular pills include anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Valium, pain pills including Oxycontin and Vicodin, drugs for attention deficit disorder like Adderall and Ritalin, and Soma, a muscle relaxant.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
4 ways to keep your teens from abusing prescription drugs – Indianapolis Star

One in five teenagers admits to having used prescription drugs to get high, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Today there are more new abusers of prescription drugs than of marijuana.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deaths From Prescription Drugs, Alcohol Mix Increase Greatly – Chattah Box

A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown that more people than ever are dying from accidental drug overdoses. These are being caused by mixing prescription drugs with street drugs, and alcohol.

ADDICTION – USA
Pain pill abuse serious – Muskogee Daily Phoenix

Oklahoma was recently ranked worst in the nation for pain reliever abuse by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

COCAINE – IRELAND
How the cocaine trade is spreading – Irish Times

It also gives a revealing glimpse into the huge transatlantic cocaine trade from Latin America now targeting Ireland as a transit point and destination. The case shows how this country has joined certain West African states, together with Spain and Portugal as parts of those smuggling routes.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Drug, alcohol violence surge at Albany Hospital – ABC News

The WA Country Health Service says there has been an increasing level of violence towards staff at the Albany Hospital from drug- or alcohol-affected patients.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol limit for boaters to be reduced in line with drivers – Kansas City Star

Boaters beware: The legal blood-alcohol content for driving a watercraft will go from 0.10 to 0.08 beginning Aug. 28 under legislation sent to Gov. Matt Blunt of Missouri.

RITALIN – USA
Liddell Laboratories Sends Open Letter to Consumer Reports - In Defense of Homeopathy – Market Watch

The British Homeopathic Journal, Frei & Thurneysen, 2001, This study was performed on 115 children (average age 8.3 years) comparing homeopathic treatment with that of methylphenidate (Ritalin) for children suffering from ADHD symptoms.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths prompt warning – Lebanon Daily News

A rash of heroin-overdose deaths — at least three in the past week — have prompted the Lebanon County coroner to issue a warning to users. Dr. Jeffrey Yocum said yesterday that tests are being done to determine if the heroin is especially pure or if it is laced with another deadly substance.

HEROIN – USA
U.S. fentanyl deaths top 1,000 over 2 years – USA Today

More than 1,000 people died over two years from an illegal version of the painkiller fentanyl, the government reported Thursday in its first national tally of those deaths.

HEROIN – USA
More than 1,000 fentanyl deaths tracked to Mexican drug operation – Detroit Free Press

More than 1,000 deaths linked to the painkiller fentanyl were reported nationally during a two-year span, traced to a drug operation in Mexico, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PAINKILLER – USA
Number of overdoses from painkiller peak – ABC Local News

Three years ago, doctors in Chicago started noticing a wave of overdoses of the painkiller Fentanyl.

PAINKILLER – USA
Report: Wayne County third in nation for fentanyl deaths over two-year period – Det News

Wayne County was third in the nation in fentanyl-related deaths during the worst epidemic of fatal overdoses involving the potent painkiller, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription for addiction: Health Department to create drug abuse focus group – The Missoulian

The hydra-headed problem of prescription drug abuse has struck a chord with the Missoula City-County Health Department, and the agency is developing a focus group to address the crisis.

DRUGS – UK
Scotland facing ‘drugs Doomsday’ – BBC News

Scotland could find itself facing a drugs Doomsday that would see primary school children following their parents into drug use, an expert has warned.

DRUGS – UK
The drugs scourge – The Herald

Drug-users tend to die young, but we know surprisingly little about those who survive the dangers of overdose or violence to which their lifestyle makes them susceptible.

DRUGS – UK
Drug abuse inquiry unravels secret of higher death rates in Scotland – The Herald

Drug abuse is a key factor behind previously unexplained higher death rates in Scotland compared to England and Wales, according to a study published today.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol hospital admissions hide individual tragedies – BMA

The new government figures released today (Tuesday 22 July 2008) revealing that 811,000 people in England were admitted to hospital with alcohol misuse problems in 2006 hide the individual tragedies that hospital frontline staff see day in day out, said the BMA.

ALCOHOL –USA
Family Meals Can Help Teen Girls Avoid Drugs, Alcohol – The WashingtonPost

Eating meals together as a family can reduce a teen girl’s risk of turning to alcohol or drugs, a new study suggests.

ALCOHOL – UK
Frontline Health Staff See Individual Tragedies Of Alcohol Misuse Problems In England – Medical News Today

According to government figures published today, 811,000 people were admitted to hospital with alcohol misuse problems in 2006 in England. The figures hide the individual tragedies that hospital frontline staff see everyday, says the British Medical Association.

CANNABIS – SOUTH AFRICA
SA drug culture hit by ‘very dangerous’ cannabis – Daily Dispatch

A NEW strain of higher-potency cannabis was being produced that is more addictive than ever before, says a UN official.

DRUGS – USA
U.S. Ranks #1 in Consumption of Pot, Cocaine, Smokes – Alter Net

According to a new study released June 30 by the World Health Organization, the U.S. leads the world and — just in time for the Olympics — takes the gold for the use of tobacco, pot, and cocaine, far outpacing other countries.

DRUGS – USA
Random Student Drug Testing Stops Drug Use Before it Begins – Pushing Back

The goal of prevention is to stop substance use before it ever begins. Believing not only in this mission but in our ability to achieve it, this Administration outlined a strategy 6 years ago that called upon multiple sectors of society—parents, schools, employers, communities, and the media—to help Americans, and youth in particular, take a stand against drugs.

PROZAC – AUSTRALIA
Subsidised Prozac prescribed to children – NEWS.au.com

Several hundred thousand scripts for anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Prozac were last year prescribed to children and subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, despite the Federal Government’s own drug watchdog not recommending them for use by anyone under the age of 24.

HEROIN – UK
Health experts to join families at heroin information event – Tyrone Times

HEALTH professionals and families whose loved ones have been affected by the devastating drug heroin, will be on the panel at a special information evening organised by Dungannon based alcohol and drugs awareness centre, Breakthru.

HEROIN – USA
Lebanon County coroner warns of spike in heroin-related deaths – PennLive

Lebanon County Coroner Dr. Jeffery A. Yocum has issued a warning about deaths in Lebanon City within the past week in which heroin use was a contributing factor. It is uncertain if this illegal product is tainted or of unusual purity, according to the warning.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription mistakes a scary, growing trend – Norwhich Bulletin

Pharmacy errors are increasing, according to the Institute of Medicine and the National Boards of Pharmacy. About 5 percent of all prescriptions filled in the U.S. each year are incorrect, and 7,000 people die each year because of pharmacy mistakes.

DRUGS – UK
The misery of youth: Teenagers depressed and fearful as drink, drugs and crime take their toll – Daily Mail
Young people believe they are unhappier than ever before as crime, alcohol and drugs wreck their lives, according to a report. Instead of enjoying their youth, many are in the depths of depression, the survey found.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Abuse of prescription drugs a concern – Bennington Banner

The problem of prescription drug abuse has been on the increase throughout the country, causing law enforcement officials and doctors to re-examine the tactics used to combat it.

ALCOHOL – UK
Overindulgence Of Alcohol Encouraged By Loud Music – Medical News Today

Commercial venues are very aware of the effects that the environment - in this case, music - can have on in-store traffic flow, sales volumes, product choices, and consumer time spent in the immediate vicinity. A study of the effects of music levels on drinking in a bar setting has found that loud music leads to more drinking in less time.

ALCOHOL – USA
Beach alcohol rules on tap for SRIA meeting – Pensacola News Journal

No drinking alcohol. No loud music. No employees parking in the patrons’ spaces. Designating an alcohol-free section of the Gulf side of Pensacola Beach, excluding restaurants or bars.

ALCOHOL –USA
Permanent Beach Alcohol Ban To Be Decided In November – KGTV News

Voters should be asked in November whether to make the one-year trial ban on alcohol at San Diego’s beaches permanent, two City Council members said Tuesday.

ALCOHOL –UK
Cheap alcohol is fuelling binge drinking, study says –Telegraph
The research, carried out by Sheffield University, examined the impact of cheap supermarket deals on beer, wine and spirits and identified a link with binge drinking.

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.