Drug News

HEROIN – USA
Heroin-related deaths rise in Tarrant County as drug’s potency increases – Fort Worth Star Telegram

Three more heroin-related deaths in Tarrant County were confirmed in the past week, bringing the total this year to at least 15, which outpaces the 2008 rate, reports show.

ALCOHOL – USA
Using Science to Keep Teens Sober at Prom – The New York Times

Instead of just telling kids not to consume alcohol at parties, parents should use science to reinforce the no-drinking message, according to a new report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

ALCOHOL – UK
24% of adults ‘risking health through alcohol’ – Guardian

New NHS figures show rise in people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related injuries or conditions, and increase in deaths linked to drinking.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine Use Triples Among Pregnant Rehab Patients – Atlanta Journal Constitution

More pregnant women in drug treatment programs are there due to methamphetamine use than any other drug, new research shows.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Cases on the Rise – WEAU News

Both the Rusk County sheriff and the Ladysmith police chief are dealing with a spike in total drug cases and both say prescription drug cases are climbing the fastest.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse on rise among young people – Peabody Gazette Bulletin

The largest increase in prescription drug abuse during the past decade has been in the 12-25-year-old age group. This is a special concern because the brain is not fully developed until age 25.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deaths From Prescription Drug Abuse Skyrockets – Opposing Views

Today, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, released a report on the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs at the National Methamphetamine Pharmaceutical Initiative (NMPI) in Nashville.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse on the rise in S. Oregon –

The number of people abusing prescription pain medication is on the rise across the country.

HEROIN – USA
Warning: Heroin being mixed with date rape drug –

Suffolk police have warned drug users that local heroin dealers may be mixing their product with ‘date rape drug’ Rohypnol.

DRUGS – UK
The Government’s given up the war on drugs – London Evening Standard

For a long time the Government has talked up its war on drugs. But has it in fact simply given in? The Centre for Policy Studies’ new report, The Phoney War on Drugs, shows that the focus of government drug policy is no longer on abstinence or rehabilitation but on harm reduction.

DRUGS – USA
Treatment, Support and Recovery for Addiction and Dual Diagnosis – Trans World News

For many drug addicts and alcoholics the idea that they would one day lead a normal and productive life is just too much to believe. At Foundations Recovery Network that life is brought to reality through a comprehensive program.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction hides in Edmond – The Edmond Sun

At this moment, an unknown number of Edmond residents — a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate — are suffering from an addiction or a substance abuse problem.

ALCOHOL – USA
Beverage Board Criticized As Too Pro-Alcohol – KARK News

A group says the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has been too generous in granting alcohol permits in dry counties and against opposition from local officials.

METH – USA
Anti-meth ads slam Colorado with brutal images – The Examiner

Colorado teens can now witness the hell of meth use…started by just one try. Brutally honest public service announcements, rolled out in Colorado this month, depict typical-looking teens stating a decision: “I’m gonna try meth just once.”

METH – USA
Where Meth Goes – KOKI FOX News

Since January of this year Tulsa Police say there have been 121 meth busts. That’s a lot of extremely toxic chemicals. But where do the dangerous chemicals and equipment go?

ALCOHOL – UK
It’s people, not systems, that can make a real difference – Guardian

This will probably get under the skin of quite a lot of people – in fact, most Society readers who aren’t working on the frontline.

DRUGS – USA
Share Your Story – Your Story Matters

There are tens of thousands of New Yorkers and their loved ones who are living stories of recovery from alcoholism, drug abuse and problem gambling.

ADDICTION – USA
Ice Addicts Can’t Recover Alone – KGMB News

Experts say meth users cannot get off the drug alone and Hawaii families need to understand even one hit can hook you for life.

ADDICTION – USA
Former substance abusers address addiction – The Spartan Daily

Three former substance abusers talked about their problems with drug addiction and alcoholism to an audience of more than 20 students at the Mosaic Cross Cultural Center on Wednesday.

ADDICTION – USA
Conference to focus on recovery from addiction – Herald Net

The public is invited to attend “Life Matters: A New Beginning Recovery Conference” for people struggling through addiction and homelessness.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
National Survey: Parents Report Increased Awareness Of Risks Of Teen Prescription Drug Abuse, But Preventative Action Lags – Medical News Today

The 14th annual national survey of parents’ attitudes about teen drug and alcohol use was released by the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation.

ADDICTION – USA
Many U.S. Kids Have Addicted Parents – Join Together

About 12 percent of children in the U.S. lived with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug last year, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

ALCOHOL – USA
Review of alcohol process postponed by Walnut Creek City Council – San Jose Mercury News

City Council leaders decided Tuesday night to postpone a study session on the permit process for bars and restaurants to serve alcohol in the downtown.

PAINKILLER – INDIA
Researchers Suggest Teens Must Be Educated On Safe Painkiller Usage – Med India

It has been found in a recent survey conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center that teens who have started to make more decisions about their own health care are still in the dark about OTC pain medications. Their minimal or a complete lack of knowledge in this regard could lead to complications due to inadvertent misuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol consumption rising faster in North – Belfast Telegraph

Alcohol consumption in the North is increasing at a higher rate than elsewhere in Britain, according to a survey published today by the Rowntree Foundation.

ALCOHOL – USA
KU to notify parents concerning alcohol, drug violations – Kansas City Star

The University of Kansas will start telling parents about alcohol and drug violations by students under the age of 21. That and other policy changes follow two alcohol-related deaths at the university.

DRUGS – USA
Small-town America not immune from drug wars – Winston-Salem Journal

In a county where there might be five homicides in an entire year, the call over the sheriff’s radio revealed little about what awaited law enforcement. A type of crime, and criminal, once foreign to this landscape of blooming dogwoods had arrived in Shelby County. Sheriff Chris Curry felt it even before he saw the grisly scene. He called the state. The FBI. The DEA.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Rehab Widens The Scope Of Its Drug Addiction And Alcoholism Treatment Program As It Expands Its Drug Relapse Prevention Program – 24-7 Press Release

Mountainside Drug Rehab in Northwest Connecticut has expanded its inpatient drug relapse prevention program to include non-former clients. The scope and mission of this inpatient program adjunct is to prevent drug and alcohol relapse.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin abuse on the rise in Southwest Wash. – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Heroin addiction is shooting upward in Southwest Washington – and so are heroin overdoses. Emergency Department personnel at St. John Medical Center have seen “a definite steady and noticeable increase” in heroin cases, said spokesman Randy Querin.

ALCOHOL – USA
UC Davis Program Credited with Decrease in High-Risk Drinking – Join Together

Students at the University of California at Davis are limiting the amount of high-risk drinking they participate in as a result of a major prevention initiative, a new survey concludes.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Arrests: Whites Up; Blacks Down – All Gov

According to a recent study conducted by the Washington D.C.-based Sentencing Project, a demographic shift is taking place with regards to those sentenced for drug offenses. Between 1999 to 2005 there was a 22% decrease in the number of black drug offenders and a 43% increase in white drug offenders

DRUGS – USA
Drug Rehab in CT uses alternative treatment methods to combat drug addiction and strengthen recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism – Express Press Release

Innovative Drug Rehab uses Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong and several other therapeutic disciplines to combat drug addiction and alcoholism to build long lasting recoveries. Mountainside Drug Rehab in CT maintains an aggressive approach to innovative and compassionate addiction treatment.

ALCOHOL – USA
Report Identifies Lifesaving Alcohol Laws – Join Together

Laws that prevent alcohol purchases and possession by youth are the most effective at preventing drunk-driving fatalities, according to a new report that also praises as effective license suspensions for underage alcohol offenses and zero-tolerance laws for drivers under 21 found with alcohol in their system.

METH – USA
Raising awareness of meth – Mammoth Daily Review Atlas

A member of the Illinois State Police Meth Response Team gave presentations at United and Monmouth-Roseville High Schools on Tuesday night, spreading awareness about the kinds of products and procedures it takes to make meth.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Use prescription drugs as directed – Examiner

Twice as many teens died from prescription-drug overdoses in 2006 as from methamphetamines, heroin and cocaine combined.

MORPHINE – USA
‘Unapproved’ morphine to stay on market, FDA rules – CNN News

A form of liquid morphine used by terminally ill patients will remain on the market even though it is an “unapproved drug,” according to a decision by the Food and Drug Administration.

MORPHINE – USA
Unapproved liquid morphine can still be sold in U.S.: FDA – Reuters

Companies marketing a liquid morphine that was unapproved for sale in the United States can keep selling it for now because regulators have determined it is essential for relieving pain in some patients who are near death.

ADDICTION – USA
The Four Stages Of Addiction Recovery – Trans World News

Rehab is not a monolithic process. On the contrary, addiction treatment can only succeed to the extent that it provides unique and intimate support through each of the four stages of recovery

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Tackling top teen problem – prescription drugs – North Platte Bulletin

The illegal use of prescription drugs looms larger than problem drinking or marijuana use, North Platte High School Principal Jim Whitney said. The drugs are stolen from medicine cabinets, parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets, or from a friend’s house, or even bought off the Internet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Canadians Use More Prescription Drugs than Ever Before – Natural News

A report released by a drug-tracking firm reveals that prescription drug use among Canadians was higher in 2008 than in any previous year. The report, released on March 26 by IMS Health, a worldwide pharmaceutical-tracking company, assesses pharmaceutical use by tracking the number of prescriptions dispensed by pharmacists annually.

ALCOHOL – USA
Keg Bill to Combat Underage Drinking and Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems – Read Media

State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced a bill requiring greater responsibility when purchasing beer kegs to prevent underage drinking and binge drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
April is Alcohol Awareness Month – Navy Compass

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol abuse can wreak havoc in an individual’s life as well as the lives of their loved ones. Alcohol abuse can lead to health problems, relationship problems, school, work problems and money problems. Alcohol abuse can also easily lead to an alcohol addiction.

METH – USA
Parents fight meth with awareness – KCBY News

As one of the leading counties fighting the trafficking, dealing and consumption of methamphetamine, parents and students at Reedsport High School came out to learn more about drug prevention.

METH – USA
Fighting Meth In Tulsa Apartment Complexes – KTUL News

Managers of Tulsa apartment complexes are fighting back against the rise in meth production and use. There have been several meth-related fires that have taken place in apartments over the past month, including two that resulted in the deaths of three people.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Illegal use of prescription drugs is killing residents – Cherokee Scout

If it were a race, cocaine and methamphetamines would have been left behind by prescription medications as the biggest drug problem in Cherokee County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Bill aimed at prescription drug abuse – U p North Live

Legislation recently introduced in Lansing is aimed at curbing the prescription drug abuse problem which law enforcemenet officials say is very prevalent in northern Michigan.

MARIJUANA – UK
Chronic marijuana abuse linked to severe vomiting – Reuters

Chronic cannabis abuse may cause a distinct medical condition characterized mainly by severe recurrent vomiting, doctors from Omaha, Nebraska, report.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths spike across Chicago area, authorities say – The Chicago Tribune

Federal Drug Enforcement Agency testing on heroin samples showed dangerous levels of purity, Keller said. One sample registered 65 percent purity and another was 23 percent pure compared with the normal 15 percent rate, he said.

ALCOHOL – USA
One Million People Learn ‘How Much is Too Much?’ – Join Together

“Is my drinking risky?” At AlcoholScreening.org, over one million people have now learned the answer to this question by taking a confidential, free online screening to assess their drinking patterns.

DRUGS – USA
SAMHSA Says Fewer Adolescents Exposed to Drug Prevention Messages – Join Together

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that fewer adolescents are being exposed to substance-use prevention messages or participating in out-of-school prevention programs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Outdated medication drop-offs set – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A new round of collections for outdated or unneeded medications in the Milwaukee area comes this month as the community responds to two recent deaths of young people linked to abuse of prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Let’s just say no to prescription drug commercials on television – Times-Standard

So why do these big drug companies tout prescription drugs to television viewers? You can’t go out a buy a bottle of Viagra, Levitra, or Flomax. Your doctor has to prescribe them. This direct-to-consumer TV advertising has been controversial since the first Speedy Alka Seltzer ads offered quick relief.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Says Alcohol Affects Risk of Second Breast Cancer – Join Together

New research suggests a relationship between alcohol use and increased risk of recurring breast cancer.

ALCOHOL – USA
Melrose alcohol and drug rules amended for student athletes – Melrose Free Press

The Melrose Schools’ Athletic Department has instituted new penalties for student athletes found in the presence of alcohol, marijuana or any other drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking Causes Half of Alcohol-Related Deaths – Modern Medicine

Binge drinking caused an estimated 43,731 (54.9 percent) of the 79,646 alcohol-related deaths each year from 2001 to 2005 in the United States, and is more common among men than women, with whites aged 18 to 34 those most likely to drink in this way, according to a report published in the April 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

ALCOHOL – UK
1,000 die from alcohol in Wales – BBC News

About 1,000 people in Wales die each year from causes attributed to alcohol, with drink a factor in more than one in 25 male deaths, a study has found.

ALCOHOL – USA
CDC Says Typical Binge Drinker is White, Young, Relatively Affluent Male – Join Together

A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that binge drinking is most common among whites, men, individuals aged 18-24, and those with an annual income of more than $50,000 annually

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey: Women Buy Eight Out of Ten Bottles of Wine – Join Together

Women buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are consumed at home, according to a new British survey.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Awareness Month – KHBE News

The Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA), which serves Hill County, has announced that this month has been proclaimed Alcohol Awareness Month.

ALCOHOL – USA
Australian group calls for alcohol ad ban – United Press International

The head of the Australian Medical Association says the alcohol industry should stop advertising its products on television until late night.

ALCOHOL – UK
5,000 school girls ‘put in hospital by alcohol’ – Telegraph

More than 5,000 school girls in England under the age of 16 needed hospital treatment last year as a result of alcohol abuse, new figures show.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Government under pressure to regulate alcohol advertising – The Australian

The Federal Government is under growing pressure to regulate alcohol advertising in sport, after a key industry player pledged to introduce a year-long ban on TV ads before 9pm.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription medications show surge in OD deaths – Gresham Outlook

More people died in Oregon from overdosing on the prescription drug methadone in 2008 than died of heroin overdoses, according to a first-of-its-kind study released this week by State Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Gunson.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Disposal – WJFW TV News

Chemists say do not dump prescriptions in the trash or flush them down the toilet or bury them in the ground because they can be harmful to the environment.

METH – USA
Police warn meth dump sites can be dangerous – Kalamazoo Gazette

Michigan State Police officials are warning the public of the danger of methamphetamine dump sites sometimes found along roadsides, in parks and other public places.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse needs attention – Detroit Free Press

Nearly 500 drug counselors, police officers, treatment providers and other professionals gathered in East Lansing last month to talk about a huge but still underreported problem in Michigan: prescription drug abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
DOD recognizes Alcohol Awareness Month with anonymous drinking IQ assessment – Examiner

Military families are no strangers to alcohol abuse.  Drinking to excess is as much a part of military culture as it is in any fraternity across our country.

METH – USA
Prof. studies ‘X’ and ‘meth’ – The Independent Collegian

The logos of fashion designers Louis Vuitton, Versace and Chanel are mostly seen on expensive handbags or jewelry, but for a certain subculture of drug abusers these may be the images printed on a tablet of the glamorous party drug known as ecstasy, a trademark of the drug.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription to exercise – FOX Toledo News

Many with health concerns in our area are cutting back on buying prescription drugs, because some of them have found a new way to try and keep healthy.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published March 4, 2009 – Alcohol and Alcoholism

Our study showed that the portrayal of alcohol and drinking characters in movies directly leads to more alcohol consumption in young adult male viewers when alcohol is available within the situation

DRUGS – USA
Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages and Substance Use among Adolescents – SAMHSA

SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that that most youths have been exposed to some kind of substance use prevention message.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Industry to phase out alcohol ads – News.au

The distilling industry has delivered on a promise to the senator who killed the Rudd government’s alcopops tax hike by announcing a year-long ban on television advertising before 9pm.

ALCOHOL – UK
“UK Teen Binge Drinking Is Serious And Chronic” – Medical News Today

The latest findings on teenage drinking, smoking and drug use across Europe are released the 26th of March, 2009.

ALCOHOL – UK
The Human Cost Of Alcohol – Doctors Speak Out, BMA Scotland – Medical News Today

Doctors reveal the stark reality of Scotland’s alcohol misuse problem in a new report published by BMA Scotland today.

DRUGS – USA
NY high school to give away home drug test kits – Newsday

A high school is giving away home drug testing kits to parents as part of a substance abuse workshop but says it isn’t encouraging them to spy on their children.

METH – USA
STUFF I DIDN’T KNOW: You can harvest meth from junkies’ urine – Kansas City Star

Tennessee authorities have found a couple of labs that specialize in this particular process. (At one scene, they found 144 gallons of urine, stored in plastic bottles.) And this actually sounds like the classy, upscale way to get meth from pee.

ALCOHOL – UK
Women buy wine – eight out of ten bottles, survey finds – Guardian

Women choose and buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are drunk at home, according to figures out today.

ALCOHOL – USA
Rethinking Drinking – NIAAA

For anyone who drinks, this site offers valuable, research-based information. What do you think about taking a look at your drinking habits and how they may affect your health?

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA warns firms selling unapproved narcotics – Reuters

U.S. regulators warned nine companies on Tuesday to stop selling 14 unapproved narcotic pain medicines, part of an ongoing effort to rid the market of drugs without proper clearance.

ALCOHOL – USA
Family Connection recognizes Alcohol Awareness Month – The Lincoln Journal

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and April 5th is National Alcohol Screening Day. Getting kids involved in prevention efforts is the key to keeping them alcohol free.

METH – USA
Anti-meth committee continues battle – The Pilot News

Some in attendance ex-pressed frustration with law enforcement’s handling of complaints and the courts treatment of those charged with drug crimes. They felt that larger bail amounts – and more police action would “…get these guys off the streets.”

DRUGS – IRELAND
31.03.09 Alcohol and Drugs to be joined in a National Substance Misuse Strategy – POBAIL

Today the Government approved a combined substance misuse policy to include alcohol and drugs. This proposal was brought to Government by the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Health & Children.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol’s sporting impact – The Daily Telegraph

Studies have revealed that it can take more than 60 hours to recover physically from a few drinks after training. In all likelihood a player who has a few beers after training tonight won’t be back to his best until Sunday night at the earliest.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Recovery for Substance Abuse and Alcohol Dependency – Trans World News

Addiction recovery for substance abuse and alcohol dependency can be achieved through the treatment programs offered at the exclusive Drug Rehab Sunset Malibu, a treatment center cutrrently featured on YourFINDit.

DRUGS – UK
Addicts ‘linger’ on waiting lists – BBC News

More than a quarter of drug addicts seeking treatment in Scotland have waited over a year to be assessed.

ALCOHOL – UK
Doctors tell of huge human cost of chronic alcohol abuse in Scotland – The Scotsman

Scottish doctors have spoken out about their experience of dealing with alcohol abuse in a hard-hitting report on the human cost of the problem.