Drug News

COCAINE – USA
Study: U.S. Paper Money Covered With Cocaine – Fox News

Paper money contains high traces of cocaine, regardless of whether or not the paper money came into direct contact with the drug.

COCAINE – USA
U.S. money contains highest traces of cocaine – MSNBC News

Paper money contains high traces of cocaine, regardless of whether or not the paper money came into direct contact with the drug. And U.S. bills take the top spot, covered in the greatest amount of the illegal powder.

DRUGS – UK
Young people and drugs - young people talk directly to government – Mentor

As figures are released showing that young people’s drug use is falling, a group of young people working with the drug prevention charity Mentor UK send out a strong message to government about what is needed to maintain and improve on this reduction.

DRUGS – USA
Teens Cite School Pressure For Drug Abuse – MSNBC News

According to a recent study, teenagers said academic pressure is the leading cause of drug use. Video: Students Blame Academic Pressure For Drug Abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Huge Prescription Drug Round-up – CBS News

In all, an estimated 100,000 pills collected from people who wanted to properly discard their unused or unwanted drugs.

ADDERALL – USA
Prescription drugs can be problem for teens – Joplin Globe

Americans live in a heavily medicated culture. Whatever problem we have, there is a pill for it.

DRUGS – USA
Teens Using Drugs to Cope with Stress, Parents Underestimating Pressures – Join Together

A new study released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America reveals a troubling new insight into the reasons why teens use drugs.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin concerns increase among some police – WSLS News

A month long investigation by 10 On Your Side reveals worries about some law enforcement agencies about a increase in heroin use.

ALCOHOL – UK
New calls for drink-drive limit to be cut – The Herald

Fresh calls have been made to lower the drink-drive limit after a survey showed that more than 40% of women and almost 60% of men had got behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

ALCOHOL – UK

Police may get right to stage random breath tests to tackle drink-driving – Times Online

Police could be given the power to carry out random breath tests on motorists as part of a new package of measures to tackle drink-driving.

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.

DRUGS – USA
Drug-related deaths hit new high in Utah – Salt Lake Tribune

Even as the state is trying to reduce the number of drug-related deaths, Utah has set another record for people killed by pills, powders and needles.

METH – USA
Crystal Methamphetamine - The New Drug of Choice – American Chronicle
Crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, crank, glass and shards, is today’s street drug of choice.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs May Increase Falls Among Seniors – NBC News

University of North Carolina researchers have released a list of prescription drugs that may increase the risk for falls among seniors who take at least four medications on a regular basis.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription for Disaster – Injury Board

A recent study shows that prescription medication related deaths have drastically increased in the last two decades.

METH – UK
Warning over crystal meth – The Press Association

Ireland must pull together to stop the drug crystal meth ravaging the country, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy warned.

METH – IRELAND
Crystal meth explosion feared – Limerick Post

Limerick must prepare itself for an explosion of crystal meth abuse, and put measures in place to prevent large scale addiction, a city councillor has warned.

METH – USA
Meth Coffee fails to amuse Madigan – Sun Times

“Parody or not, it’s still glorifying drug use and it’s sending a terrible message,” said Madigan’s spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Report Underscores Fatal Risk of Combining Prescriptions, Other Substances at Home – Join Together

While medication-related fatalities in clinical settings have long captured the attention of researchers and health authorities, skyrocketing rates of deaths at home from combining medications and other substances have gone largely unnoticed

HEROIN – UK
Heroin batch death risk warning – BBC News

A warning has been issued to drug users about poor quality “red heroin” circulating in southern Scotland.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Girls smoke dope just as much as boys – The Age

While men in their 20s and 30s are still more likely to smoke the drug than their female counterparts, the gender difference has disappeared among teenagers.

ADDERALL – SPAIN
U.S grapples with rising prescription drug addiction – el Economista

“My friends and I would take a bunch of different pills andbreak them up and put them all together and call it confetti.It could be any combination of anything. We could learn fromit, and continue to take it,” said Roisman, who is now 17.

HEROIN – UK
Police warn over ‘dirty’ heroin – The Herald

A police force has sounded an alert about potentially lethal “dirty” heroin circulating. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary described the substance as “red heroin” and issued a warning that the “poor quality” drug was circulating in the region.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Overdoses Raise Alarms – Portland Observer

Overdose deaths in the last few weeks, along with a steady rise in heroin-related deaths over the past year, have raised concerns among Multnomah County health officials.

HEROIN – USA
Portage community: ‘We need help’ with overdose problem – Wood TV

This community is fed up after several teenage overdose deaths in recent years. So a panel of city, school and community health leaders came together Monday night and put pen to paper to tackle the problem of teenage substance abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Small town takes big step toward controlling prescription drug abuse – Longview Daily News

The southwest Oregon community of Winston, population 4,613, could teach larger cities a thing or two about combating prescription drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse more than kids getting high: group – Reuters

As state, federal and local authorities across the United States struggle to contain a rising tide of prescription-drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Winston Police Collect Unused Prescription Drugs – KEZI

The Winston Police Department is collecting unused prescription pills to get them out of homes. The agency will dispose of the pills and unwanted medications properly so that they won’t fall into the wrong hands.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Mishaps Cause A Shocking Number of Deaths – Examiner

We tend to worry about medical mistakes in the hospital but a recent study suggests that the hospital may not be the primary site for medical mishaps, at least ones involving prescription drugs.

DRUGS – USA
August Named National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month – Join Together

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) are pleased to lend their support to S.Res. 614, a U.S. Senate resolution designating August as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.

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.

DRUGS – UK
Rapid rise seen in fatal medication errors at home – The Associated Press

Deaths from medication mistakes at home, like actor Heath Ledger’s accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds.

DRUGS – UK
Mexico battles drug addiction – United Press International

Health officials report drug addiction is a growing problem in Mexico since the government’s crackdown on cartels and stepped-up U.S. border enforcement.

DRUGS – USA
Drug-abuse backlash in Mexico – Arizona Republic

Mexico confronts a growing problem with drug addiction, a phenomenon that some experts blame on the Mexican government’s crackdown on drug cartels and stepped-up U.S. border enforcement.

HEROIN – USA
Student heroin use meeting – WWMT News

A Kalamazoo County community will come together to fight a dangerous trend Monday. They are concerned over teenagers abusing heroin and other drugs.

METH – USA
Expert educates law enforcement about dangers of meth – Foster’s Daily Democrat

Meth is more addictive than cocaine, crack-cocaine and amphetamines, and meth labs are driven by addiction, not by finance.

ALCOHOL – USA
Trailer donation aids Elkins’ alcohol awareness program – Northwest Arkansas Times

Elkins police have a way to transport their donated drunk driving education golf cart thanks to an additional donation by a local business, Ranalli Farms.

ALCOHOL – USA
Stemming the Tide of Alcohol? – red Orbit

When the head of the Royal College of Physicians says we are on the verge of a “tsunami” of alcohol-related health problems, perhaps we should all put down our pints or wine glasses and listen.

RITALIN – USA
AntiDepressants and Suicide – Injury Board

All but lost in the story is the fact that David had been prescribed “Ritalin, Zoloft and antidepressants, each with the broken promise of some return to normalcy.”

ALCOHOL – UK
Pub chains flout drinking rules – Times Online

Pub chains are flouting their own rules on responsible drinking by selling double measures of spirits cheaper than singles, offering two-for-one promotions and holding happy hours where prices are slashed.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana Addiction – Trans World News

THC content of modern commercial marijuana in some cases 15 to 20 times more powerful than the marijuana produced in the 60’s and 70’s, marijuana addiction is a real threat.

COCAINE – UK
The new cocaine crisis – Times Online

In recent years, many of Britain’s hospitals have seen a huge increase in what the white coats privately call “cocaine toxic” or “coke strokes”.

ADDICTION – USA
Benzodiazepines-Dangerous Drug Addiction – Trans World News

The benzodiazepine family of depressants is used therapeutically to produce sedation, induce sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and to prevent seizures. In general, benzodiazepines act as hypnotics in high doses, anxiolytics in moderate doses, and sedatives in low doses. Of the drugs marketed in the United States that affect central nervous system function, benzodiazepines are among the most widely prescribed medications.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse On The Rise – WJFW TV News

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 7 million people are currently abusing prescription pills. Prescription abuse is a serious problem many are dealing with. It’s gained popularity due to the availability of drugs like oxycontin, xanax, and vicodin.

METH – USA
As meth wanes, cocaine gains – Argus Leader

Cocaine offers a similar high for about the same cost as methamphetamine, and its popularity hinges in part on the decreased supply of locally produced methamphetamine.

METH – CANADA
Meth-laced ecstasy latest lethal drug to hit city – Winnipeg Sun

Winnipeg police have sounded the alarm again about ecstasy use, announcing yesterday that a 15-year-old boy recently died after taking a meth-laced capsule of the so-called party drug.

PAINKILLER – USA
Illegal Painkiller Overdoses Kill More Than 1,000 Americans – Medical New Today

More than 1,000 Americans died in 6 cities between 2005 and 2007 from overdosing on nonpharmaceutical fentanyl (NPF), in the biggest ever epidemic of overdoses involving illegally produced versions of the painkiller.

ADDICTION – USA
Ketamine Addiction – Trans World News

What many teens don’t realize is that Ketamine can be very addictive and can cause death. Ketamine can be purchased on the internet, so be aware of your child’s internet activity. don’t let them become another Ketamine casualty.

METH – USA
Home buyers should check for hidden and buried toxins – Los Angeles Times

Does your new dream home come with dangerous hidden extras — like a seeping oil well in the backyard or a former meth lab in the bedroom?

METHAMPHETAMINE – NEW ZEALAND
Ecstasy and cocaine gain ground on P – Stuff

NEW Zealand is winning the battle against methamphetamine, but ecstasy and cocaine use has doubled, an international drug report says.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs Found Online, Abused by Teens – Westport News

A Columbia University study has shown that prescription drugs can be easily bought on the Internet, while another study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that many teens are abusing them.

METH – USA
Madison County Officials Meet With DEA to Discuss Meth Enforcement – WAAY

Madison County leaders were briefed Thursday by a Drug Enforcement Administration on the latest methods of fighting methamphetamine production.

DRUGS – UK
Scotland’s Higher Death Rate Partly Explained By Drug Abuse – Medical News Today

Death rates in Scotland are higher than in England and Wales, and a new study published on bmj.com finds that drug abuse in Scotland is a key factor contributing to this difference.

ALCOHOL – UK
California Alcohol Problems Drain $38 Billion Annually – Medical News Today

Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, held a news conference and town hall meeting in Los Angeles today to release the disturbing findings of its landmark report, The Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California. Such a comprehensive study has never been done in California.

ALCOHOL – USA
Tell NCAA President Myles Brand that Beer Ads Don’t Belong in College Sports Television – Take Action

Since 2005, 348 institutions of higher education — including Arizona State, Ohio State, Texas Tech, and the Universities of Florida, Minnesota, and Nebraska — and 16 athletic conferences have endorsed the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV’s “College Commitment” pledge to work toward eliminating beer advertising during televised college sports.
DRUGS – USA
Family Meals Have Greater Protective Effect on Girls – Join Together

University of Minnesota researchers have found that while middle-school girls who share regular family meals see beneficial effects throughout their teenage years on substance-using behaviors, boys do not experience the same effects from a regular family presence at the dinner table

ADDICTION – USA
3rd National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery – Join Together
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, in partnership with New Century Institute and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, is pleased to host “The 3rd National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery: Inspiring Leadership, Changing Lives.”

HEROIN – USA
Multnomah County Warns Of Fatal Heroin Overdoses – eMaxHealth

A handful of overdose deaths in the last few weeks, along with a steady rise in heroin-related deaths over the past year, have raised concerns among county health officials.

PAINKILLER – USA
Illegal narcotic linked to death increase – United Press International

At least 1,000 people died in a two-year surge of fatalities resulting from an illegal version of the painkiller fentanyl, government officials said.

PAINKILLER – USA
Illegal Painkiller Cited in Overdose Surge – The Wall Street Journal
A two-year wave of deaths caused by an illegal street version of the powerful painkiller fentanyl claimed more than 1,000 lives, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the government’s first assessment of the outbreak’s toll.

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.