Drug News

DRUG REHAB – USA
Rob Lowe: ‘I loved going to rehab’ – Digital Spy

Lowe, who entered rehab for drug and sex addiction in 1988 after a sex tape scandal, said that it was an “amazing experience”, because he was ready to start living his life the way he wanted. Charlie Sheen is wrong.

HEROIN – CANADA
Canada’s high court to rule on safe-injection site – Toronto Star

Supporters say it also reduces the spread of HIV and hepatitis, and curbs crime and open drug use. The federal government rejects that evidence, arguing the facility fosters addiction and runs counter to its tough-on-crime agenda.

DRUG ABUSE – AUSTRALIA
Our Say: Tackling drugs use in schools – The Cairns Post

THE State Government needs to strike a balance when it comes to dealing with drug use in schools. Educating students on the horrific consequences drugs have on the lives of those suffering addiction and their families would be a good start. Students suspended or expelled for being caught with illegal substances should be given a more intensive insight, no matter how confronting it may be, to try to stem what is a major problem in the community.

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Dave Gahan says it’s a myth that musicians need drugs to be creative – Examiner.com

Artists don’t have to suffer to create art, said Depeche Mode’s lead vocalist Dave Gahan, as he discussed drug addiction on the red carpet at the 7th annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit. Later in the evening, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler presented Gahan the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award on behalf of the organization.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
State cash will ease federal cuts for Maine Drug Enforcement Agency – Kennebec Journal

The cuts come at a time when urban police departments cite an increase in violent crime associated with drug addiction and rural agencies struggle with prescription drug diversion — also a byproduct of addiction. “There is not another issue in this state that affects communities and law enforcement as much as the drug issue.”

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Ex-drug addict Robert Hayes fights his way out of homelessness with comic strip – Philadelphia Inquirer

Together, the two men created “Li’l Addict,” a comic strip that tells Hayes’ life story as rawly as he has lived it. Hayes writes the narrative, creating fictional versions of the unsavory characters that dominated his alcohol- and drug-dependent years.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Carolina DeLuca: Parents must be vigilant against alcohol use – Livingston Daily

‎Terry decided to challenge herself by downing 15 shots. Of course, she became drunk with all the unpleasantness that it entails. Terry’s friend supported her during the whole night as she lay sick on the bathroom floor. The whole night that Terry was struggling, she was actually dying. Erroneously, the parents reasoned that if they monitored what the girls drank, and if Terry stayed overnight, not driving home, that she would be safe. This is not uncommon

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION/HEROIN – USA
Pain pill addicts use heroin when money gets tight, drug study says – Middletown Journal

The over prescription of opioid medications — like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and methadone — is not only leading to increased overdose rates on those drugs, but may be leading to an increase in heroin use.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Dozens of Teens to Be Kicked Out of Rehab – WSIL TV

Recent budget cuts mean Gateway Drug Rehab Centers are set to lose $11 million a year. Gateway used to offer a treatment periods of 90 to 120 days– now 30 days will be the max. Gateway is discharging every client that arrived before January 1st.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE – USA
Florida’s new corrections head pushing for drug rehab, job training – Florida Courier‎

In addition, drug rehab, vocational and educational programs have been cut as lawmakers have dealt with increasingly tight budgets. Buss said he said he thinks he can convince legislators and the governor that a little spent up front on those types of programs pays dividends in the end.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Jourdain declares public health emergency over drug addiction – Grand Forks Herald ‎

“We must do whatever we can to curb the scourge of drug abuse,” he said, bringing applause from the audience at the Red Lake Humanities Center. He cited nationwide statistics of 38371 people dying from drug addiction in 2007 and one million emergency room visits caused by drug overdoses in 2009.

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Shocking mug shots reveal the toll of drug addiction – msnbc.com ‎

With disturbing before and after photos of drug users’ faces, a new anti-drug campaign may succeed where others have failed, grabbing teens’ attentions by appealing to their vanity. Faces that were normal — even attractive — in initial photos, shot when addicts were first arrested, metamorphose over years, and sometimes just months, into gaunt, pitted, even toothless wrecks.

PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS – USA
Dying for a fix: Oklahoma experiences increase in painkiller deaths – NewsOK.com ‎

Before long, the 33-year-old musician and former bartender felt compelled to feed his drug addiction by faking injuries before a string of doctors and even buying Lortab (hydrocodone) from a crack cocaine addict who looked like somebody’s grandmother.

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL – USA
Miguel Cabrera and 15 Phenoms Who Risked Their Careers with Drugs, Alcohol – Bleacher Report ‎

The following slideshow represents some of the top phenoms who have risked their careers due to alcohol abuse and drugs. Mickey Mantle is one of the most recognizable names in baseball history. By most, he is seen as the face of the Yankee franchise.

ALCOHOL – USA
Mother arrested after toddler drinks alcohol – Fox 59

An Indianapolis woman is facing charges of child neglect, after police say her nearly 2-year-old son suffered the effects of alcohol poisoning.

ALCOHOL – USA
Suspects identified in death of girl by ‘extreme alcohol poisoning’ – Atlanta Journal Constitution

Authorities are still trying to find the mother of a 4-year-old girl who died of “extreme alcohol poisoning” in an Alpharetta apartment.

Meth – Iowa
Mom convicted in girl’s death faces meth charges – KWQC-TV Davenport, IA / Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A Cedar Rapids mother who’s been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with her 2-year-old daughter’s death faces new drug charges.

Inhalants – Virginia
Survey suggests more Fairfax County youths are using inhalants – FairfaxTimes.com

Although the number remains small, there was a slight increase in the number of Fairfax County students who said they used inhalants between 2008 and 2009, according to a report released Tuesday.

Alcohol – USA Celebrity
Charlie Sheen Hospitalized After Intoxicated Disturbance in NYC – gather.com

No stranger to infamous problems with the law or drugs and alcohol, Charlie Sheen is in the spotlight once again.  Sheen was reported by TMZ to be drunk and disorderly at the Plaza Hotel in NYC on Tuesday evening following a dinner at a nearby restaurant. While no arrests were made by the NYPD, Sheen was hospitalized and evaluated according to TMZ.

Alcohol Energy Drinks – Washington
‘Four Loko’ Hospitalizes Students, Concern Raises Over Alcohol Energy Drink – The Huffington Post

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Sugary, high-alcohol energy drinks that are popular with college students who want to get drunk quickly and cheaply came under renewed scrutiny Monday as investigators announced that nine freshmen had been hospitalized after drinking them at an off-campus party.

Drug Trafficking – USA Flight Attendant
American Airlines employee charged with drug offences – LaosNews.Net

The US Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration has announced the indictment of an American Airlines employee.

Meth Lab – Washington
Drug Lab Found In Georgetown Dorm – The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — A dormitory for freshmen at prestigious Georgetown University was evacuated after a suspected meth lab was found in a room.

Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages – Washington
Caffeinated Booze Four Loko, Not Drugs, Sickened Students at Party – abc NEWS / Health

A highly caffeinated, but legal alcoholic drink was responsible for sickening dozens and sent nine Central Washington students to the hospital and led to an investigation of whether the party-goers had been drugged, police said today.

Drug Abuse – USA Study
Teens, Parents Both Underreport Drug Use, Study Finds – FoxNews.com

Teenagers aren’t the only ones who skirt the truth in admitting drug use: Their parents do it too, a new study suggests.

Drug Sniffing Dogs – USA
Could Your Kids be On Drugs? New Biz Sends Search Dogs to Sniff Out Their Rooms – abc News / U.S.

Maryland Non-Profit’s Dogs Can Detect Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin and Meth

Drug-Related Violence
Three killed in Chicago suburb shooting – Thaindian News

Washington, Oct 25 (IANS) A 28-year-old woman, her 9-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old boy were shot dead overnight in Chicago in apparent drug-related killings, police said Monday.

Past Drug Use Preventing Job – USA Celebrity
Disney is going to cut all Keith Richards scenes from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4′ – Thaindian News

Los Angeles, Oct 25 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Shortly after announcing that rocker Keith Richards was going to be a part of the movie – ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4’, there is now a new twist in the tale. Apparently Disney is not too happy with Keith’s drug tales and so now they have decided to axe him from the movie. And apparently that is not all. They have also decided to delete and cut away all the scenes that they have already shot with him in the movie.

Heroin – UK
Heroin addict accepts cash to be sterilized – examiner.com

A British citizen has become the first person in that country to accept money to be sterilized by a controversial U.S. charity, Project Prevention, founded by Barbara Harris reported the Mail October 23, 2010.

Alcohol – South Carolina
Police: Father Was Drunk When He Fell on Baby – abc NEWS 4

Greenville, SC – Authorities say a 2-month-old girl is fighting for her life after her drunk father fell on top of her.

“Doctor Shopping” – California
AG says Haim obtained 550 pills before death – The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Actor Corey Haim employed “doctor shopping” to obtain 553 prescription pills in the two months before his death, California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Tuesday.

Heroin Bust – New York
Errant text massage leads to heroin bust – Examiner.com

Three people in New York state face felony drug charges after a text message was mistakenly sent to a drug task force officer, alerting cops of a heroin deal.

Underage Drinking – South Carolina
Deputies to check for underage alcohol sales – CaroinaLive.com

Deputies with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office are participating in the “Out of Their Hands” enforcement effort designed to reduce the availability of alcohol to teenagers during the 2010 Spring break and Prom season.

Marijuana – Arizona
Arizona woman allegedly sold pot from ice-cream truck – azcentral.com

LAKE HAVASU CITY – A Lake Havasu City woman has been arrested for allegedly selling marijuana out of her ice-cream truck.

Drunken Party Banned – California
‘Unmitigated Chaos’: Authorities Plan To Sink Santa Barbara’s ‘Floatopia’ Party – The Huffington Post

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. Authorities say they plan to close access points to popular beaches near the University of California, Santa Barbara in an effort to shut down a massive beach party known as Floatopia.

Meth Lab – Florida
Deputies: Meth lab found in hotel room – The Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) – Deputies say they’ve uncovered a methamphetamine lab in a hotel room near Orlando.

Drug Trafficking – Nebraska
Blair Man Sentenced For Drug Trafficking – KETV.com

OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for his role in a drug ring.

Prescription Drug Abuse – USA
Poisoning by prescription drugs endemic in US – Thaindian News

Washington, April 6 (IANS) Prescription drugs have become the second leading cause of unintentional deaths in the US. Researchers found that hospitalisation for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilisers in the US had increased by 65 percent from 1999 to 2006.

Drug-Related Execution – China
China executes Japanese drug smuggler – Thaindian News

Beijing, April 6 (IANS) China executed a Japanese citizen Tuesday for attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country, a media report said. Mitsunobu Akano, 65, was executed in Liaoning province after being caught with more than 1.5 kg of the contraband methamphetamine, Xinhua quoted the Supreme People’s Court as saying.

Meth Labs – Oklahoma
Meth Labs Again On The Rise In Oklahoma – News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Narcotics investigators in Oklahoma say the number of methamphetamine labs is again rising across the state.

Alcohol – Colorado
Sororities In Virginia, Colorado Punished For Drunkenness – The Huffington Post

Virginia Tech’s chapter of Delta Zeta was forced to move off-campus by administrators because of repeated alcohol-related offenses, the Washington Post reports.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Are Prescription Drugs America’s New Addiction? – Black Voices

Most of us think that drugs which come out of a legal manufacturer are going to be safer than those being sold by a dealer on the corner. That was once the case. But with the deaths of Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith, it has become clearer by the day that prescription drugs are fast becoming America’s new obsession.

ADDICTION – UK
Treatments helping addicts, says drug study – Guardian

Two-thirds of heroin and crack cocaine addicts on drug treatment programmes either abstain or substantially reduce their use of street drugs during the first six months, according to the biggest study of outcomes ever attempted.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine drug of choice for under-25s, NHS figures suggest – Guardian

Fewer young adults with a drug problem are using heroin and crack – the two substances most likely to cause addiction, increase crime and pose serious health risks – but the number of under-25s seeking treatment for dependency on cocaine is rising significantly, official figures show.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Gazette opinion: Let’s put a lid on the pills that kill – Billings Gazette

“Abuse of legal drugs killing people.” That front-page headline over a national story in last Thursday’s Billings Gazette explains why Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock recently created a prescription drug advisory council and why his office has obtained a $1.2 million federal grant to reduce abuse of prescription drugs.

HEROIN – USA
Buffalo Grove forum to address rise in heroin use – Daily Herald

In the last few years, there’s been a spike in heroin use across the Northwest suburbs. Area treatment facilities have waiting lists, and the village of Buffalo Grove, for example, now averages one heroin overdose death per year, with victims ranging in age from 18 to mid-40s.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkillers in sports series: Counselor says use of drugs ‘rampant’ among athletes – Myrtle Beach Sun News

The National Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by College Athletes said 75 percent of college athletes used some kind of painkiller medicine for sports-related injuries. And that was in 1991, before illicit online acquisition of drugs was a major problem.

ALCOHOL – AFRICA
Government Must Treat This Alcohol Crisis Seriously – All Africa

The numbers of people dying of acute alcohol poisoning, especially from improperly distilled local gin is increasing by day. According to media reports, 26 people from Kampala and Wakiso districts reportedly died in a space of just one week!

ALCOHOL – USA
KU asking students for input on alcohol policy – Kansas City Star

The University of Kansas is asking students for help on how to address alcohol abuse on campus. The school says any student may join a committee to help form an alcohol abuse policy. The committee’s next meeting scheduled for Oct. 22.

COCAINE – USA
Tainted Cocaine Draws Nationwide Health Alert – About-News and Issues

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a nationwide public health alert warning of “substantial levels” of cocaine laced with the veterinary anti-parasitic drug levamisole.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens Who Eat Infrequent Family Dinners Likelier to Drink, Smoke, Use Drugs – Join Together

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future.

DRUGS – USA
Text Messages Could Prevent Fatal Overdoses – Join Together

A drug-treatment program in the U.K. has set up a text-messaging system for drug users, who can receive texts on what to do in case of an overdose as well as tips on harm reduction.

ADDICTION – USA
Addicts March to Disprove Stereotype – KWCH News

Dozens of people gathered at Wichita’s Old Town Square to spread a message Tuesday evening, asking to “End the Stigma.” It was part of what organizers call a “Recovery Parade”. This was for anyone recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. About 50 people met at Miracles Inc., at 2nd and Wabash. Many brought signs to define them as something as other than a person in recovery – a mother, a wife, a tax payer.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Detox Protocol Gives New Hope – Trans World News

Novus Medical Detox Center has developed new protocols that have succeeded with patients who have failed to complete their detox at other medical detox centers.  These new protocols combine the use of medications with natural supplements and the use of intravenous treatments and allow a more comfortable detox than ever before.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sorority joins fight against alcohol poisoning – Stillwater News Press

One Oklahoma State University sorority is joining people from 134 other universities, high schools and middle schools to raise awareness of alcohol poisoning Thursday.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Survey finds women drink alcohol to be more confident having sex – NEWS.com.au

Millions of women drink alcohol before having sex because they lack confidence in their bodies, a study suggests.

ALCOHOL – USA
Spreading awareness about alcohol, drug addiction – The Stanly News and Press

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, which is an incredibly important but little known declaration by our nation’s government.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Sheriff Takes Aim At Prescription Drugs – WKRC TV News

Right now, the abuse of prescription drugs like oxycontin and percocet is growing like a tidal wave across the country. In many communities, pills have edged out other drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin’s comeback: busts at levels not seen since the ’70s – Christian Science Monitor

From California to New York, law enforcement agents are reporting a troubling rise in the use of heroin as availability of the drug rises and prices drop.

ALCOHOL – USA
The corrupting image of alcohol; teach children the ugly truth – Examiner

Our children currently know first-hand the effects of smoking, the dangers of speaking with strangers, the evils of drugs, and the importance of higher education but they know almost nothing of alcohol abuse.

DRUGS – UK
‘Worrying’ rise in young adults using drugs like cocaine – Wales Online

More young adults in Wales are using Class A drugs than at any time in the past five years, worrying new figures have shown.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
An undeserved hangover for family and friends – The Sydney Morning Herald

Almost 30 per cent of Australians aged over 18 are adversely affected by the drinking of a close family member, boyfriend, girlfriend, colleague or friend, a new survey shows.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
TNF Blocker Prescription Medications Raise Risk of Cancer in Kids – Virginia Board

If you’ve used a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) Blocker prescription medication for 30 months or longer, this article is for you. According to the FDA, taking these types of drugs may increase the risk of cancer in children and teenagers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Should Prescription Drug Ads Be Reined In? – The New York Times

Everyone loves to hate television ads for prescription drugs. But now, several members of Congress are seeking some restrictions on the commercials.

DRUGS – USA
The mismanagement of pain medicine is worldwide – Eastern Arizona Courier

It would seem as if there is a widespread dilemma with the drugs Oxycontin and morphine, not just in your beautiful city of Safford, but everywhere. . .even worldwide.

HEROIN – SINGAPORE
Overall drug abuse down, but heroin abuse rises – Channel New Asia

The number of drug abuse cases has fallen in the first half of this year. It has dropped by 13 per cent to 820 cases, compared to the same period last year.

HEROIN – SINGAPORE
Heroin abusers up 21% – The Straits Times

Nearly six in 10 drug abusers caught in the first half of this year were hooked on heroin, the present drug of choice in Singapore.

PAINKILLER – USA
Pharmaceutical drugs affecting water quality – Statesman Journal

In her July 25 guest opinion, Karen Wheeler of the Department of Human Services refers to the dangers of methamphetamine and other “street drugs” in Oregon’s untreated wastewater.

PAINKILLER – USA
Don’t flush that! – The Courier News

Elgin Township was going to have a drop-off program for pharmaceuticals that residents no longer want or need, but plans fell apart.

ALCOHOL – UK
More Than 1 In 10 Major Injuries In Ontario Involve High Blood Alcohol Levels – Medical News Today

A study of hospitalizations for severe injury in Ontario’s designated trauma centres shows alcohol was involved in at least 12% of major trauma cases in 2007-2008.

PAINKILLER – USA
One in 10 High School Seniors Have Used Narcotic Painkillers – MSN Health and Fitness News

Pain relief isn’t the main reason why one in 10 high school seniors have tried opioid drugs, a new U.S. study finds.

ALCOHOL – USA
Bill Would Mandate Use of Ignition-Interlock Devices – Join Together

A federal transportation bill now being debated in Congress would compel all states to require convicted drunk drivers to install alcohol-detecting ignition-interlock devices on their vehicles.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More teens using prescription painkillers to get high – Bartlesville News

Experts say more and more teenagers are using prescription painkillers to get high. Other studies have found many teens get strong painkillers from their own previous prescriptions.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
12 percent of U.S. teens report opioid use – United Pres International

Some 12 percent of U.S. high school seniors say they have taken opioid drugs without a prescription for pain, relaxation or to get high, researchers said.

DRUGS – UK
Pain Relief Only One Motive For Opioid Use Among High School Seniors – Medical News Today

Taking opioid drugs without a prescription appears relatively common among high school seniors, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

ALCOHOL – UK
Heavy Drinkers Of Beer And Spirits Face Significantly Increased Cancer Risk – Medical News Today

Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says a group of Montreal epidemiologists and cancer researchers.