Drug News

HEROIN – USA
Heroin high here getting cheaper – The Columbus Dispatch

Mexican drug cartels have saturated Columbus’ heroin market, pushing down the price of a kilogram and hooking a larger share of the city’s users.

PAINKILLER – USA
70,000 U.S. kids overdose each year — accidentally — on everyday household meds – TIME

Some 100,000 kids end up in U.S. emergency rooms each year because they’ve accidentally been poisoned. No, they’re not all raiding the cupboard full of cleaning supplies.

ADDICTION – USA
10 reasons to kick addictions – Desert News

Making the decision to give up an addiction may seem like a simple act to those who have never struggled with the issue. The truth is that sobriety is a process that, for those who follow the path, will last a lifetime. The great news is that by enduring and eventually embracing the process, you will also have a life. Here are 10 reasons to get started.

DRUGS – USA
Rescue Ink helps young people striving to quit drugs, alcohol – Zanesville Times Recorder

Smith along with her husband, Richard, have opened a new store in New Lexington with that idea in mind. Rescue Ink, at 126 Main St., has clothes, bikes, shoes and other items at prices that are affordable to those families and teens finding themselves in financial crisis.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Abuse Is Treated With The Most Extensive Treatment Programs – Trans World News

Sunset Malibu, an exclusive treatment center on the California coast, has long been a transformational force in the field of rehabilitation and recovery. Now, Sunset is announcing its redoubled efforts in the fight against alcohol dependency.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Your prescription drugs can kill – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Iowa health officials warn of the growing threat of unintentional poisoning. A University of Iowa report shows the state’s number of unintentional poisoning deaths rose from 67 in 2002 to 160 in 2008.

ADDICTION – USA
Campaign focuses on addiction awareness – Scarlet Scuttlebutt

NCADD’S eighth annual Tree of Hope campaign is designed to raise the consciousness in Middlesex County to the fact that addiction is an illness from which many do recover, and to celebrate those recoveries.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Drug addiction among adolescents on the rise – Indian Express

The alarming trend of adolescents taking to drugs, including sniffing petroleum products, cigarettes, alcohol and even smack, has caught up across all economic strata in the city, doctors dealing with such cases say.

DRUGS – USA
Drug abuse large part of crime in North Port – Sarasota Herald Tribune

A police report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows violent crimes essentially level compared with 2008, and property crimes such a burglary dropped by 9 percent.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin: More Than A Big City Problem – NBC News

It’s no longer thought of as just a “big city problem.” Heroin is showing up in smaller communities all over our area. Mt. Horeb is known for a lot of things. Heroin would probably not be one of them. But police are seeing it here as well. And just like other areas in south central Wisconsin, it’s got their attention.

ALCOHOL – USA
Women and Men in Drug Rehab or Alcohol Treatment – Trans World News

Studies and surveys conducted by various state and federal agencies have shown that the ratio of males to females who enter drug rehab or alcohol treatment is 2.3 to 1 respectively. Recent census data indicates an almost even number of men and women in the US.

METH – USA
The dangers of methamphetamine – Richmond Register

Representatives of state and federal law enforcement agencies gathered with media members in an airplane hangar Wednesday morning to discuss the rise in methamphetamine production.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Abuse Treatment Facilitator Locator – SAMHSA

To locate the drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs nearest you, find your State on the map below and click on it.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study urges action to get patients to follow prescriptions – Boston Globe

Patients who do not take their medications as prescribed pay a price in poorer health, more frequent hospitalizations, and a higher risk of death.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs 101: Introduction to Marijuana – Examiner

When I was in high school, so many, many years ago, marijuana was the drug of choice. Cocaine was around, but it was expensive. Speed was available, as was LSD and mushrooms, all cheap and easy to obtain. Methamphetamine, crack cocaine, MDMA, GHB and ecstasy, were not around yet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
1 in 5 teens shares prescriptions – USA Today

About 20% of U.S. teens exchange prescription drugs such as antibiotics and allergy medications with friends, a practice that can be dangerous and potentially deadly, warns a new study.

ALCOHOL – UK
Reducing Drinking And Preventing Relapse Using A Synthetic Derivative Of The Kudzu Vine – Medical News Today

Kudzu and its extracts and flowers have been used in traditional Chinese folk medicine to treat alcoholism for about 1,000 years.

MARIJUANA – USA
Smoking Marijuana Damages Cells, DNA, Study Suggests – Join Together

Researchers who compared the effects of marijuana smoke to tobacco smoke concluded that smoking marijuana did as much cellular and genetic damage as smoking cigarettes, although only tobacco smoke damaged chromosomes.

ADDICTION – USA
Narconon Graduate Lives to Tell Story of Addiction – Ex-addict’s Journey with Prescriptions to Heroin Told on CNN – Newswire

Every day American citizens are being legally given prescription medications for injuries and illnesses, but given the abuse potential many wind up getting hooked on these drugs and moving on to street drugs to feed their habits.

DRUGS – USA
How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents – Straight Dope for Parents

Every day, you work hard to be a good parent, doing hundreds of things to make a healthy, productive future come true for your child. But sometimes it’s hard to know if all the big and little things you do make any difference.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking affects later cognitive performance – Los Angeles Times

College students who describe themselves as regular binge drinkers performed considerably worse on a test measuring attention and memory skills compared with students who didn’t binge. The test, by the way, was conducted while all the students were sober.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Responsible for 50 Percent of Russian Deaths – FOX News

Russia is grappling with a major public health crisis in which residents are essentially drinking and smoking themselves to death, according to the country’s public health officials.

ALCOHOL – USA
More Research Links Alcohol Intake to Cancer Risk – Modern Medicine

Men who drink moderate or high amounts of alcohol over their lifetime may face a higher risk of several types of cancer, according to research published in the current issue of Cancer Detection and Prevention.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol link to huge rise in oral cancers among people in their 40s – Mirror

Alcohol is behind a huge rise in oral cancers among people in their 40s, experts said yesterday. The number of men getting tumours of the mouth, tongue, lip and throat has shot up 28% since the mid-90s and women 24%.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Older drivers unaware of prescription risks – USA News

Many older drivers who take medications that could affect their performance behind the wheel are unaware of the risks associated with those drugs, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

DRUGS – UK
Drug death toll at record levels – BBC News

Scotland’s drug death toll has risen by more than a quarter in the last year, new figures have suggested.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking Increases Cancer Risk, Canadian Study Finds – Join Together

Drinking beer, wine or liquor raises the risk of developing certain types of cancer, according to a study of male drinkers and nondrinkers in Montreal.

CANNABIS – USA
Dieting could lead to a positive test for cannabis – New Scientist

The main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and once in the body it is readily absorbed into fat cells. Over the next few days it slowly diffuses back into the blood. Since THC is taken up by fat more readily than it diffuses out, continual intake means some THC can remain in the fat cells.

CANNABIS – UK
Teens ‘aware of cannabis impact’ – The Press Association

More than two-fifths of teenagers (42%) know someone who has suffered mental health harm from using cannabis, according to a survey.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Call for liquor label warning – Courier Mail

A retired pathologist is calling for warning labels on alcohol bottles amid claims liquor plays a part in 40 per cent of deaths investigated by the coroner.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse rising – Idaho Mountain Express and Guide

An alarming trend in the United States is the increasing number of people dying from overdoses of prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs Misused by 12.3 Percent of H.S. Seniors – Join Together

A survey of more than 12,000 U.S. high-school seniors found that 12.3 percent said they had used opioid-based prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, with 8 percent saying they had done so within the past year.

CANNABIS – USA
Some teenagers believe cannabis is harmless because it is a plant – Top News United States

Recent survey, by the Home Office funded drugs advice service Frank once again revealed that harmful affects of cannabis on health, education and careers of millions of teenagers. The survey also unraveled some misconceptions harnessed by the youngsters regarding the drug.

DRUGS – USA
Understanding substance abuse and addictions and how they affect our relationships – Examiner

The tendency to ignore the individual aspects of these stories is unfortunate since substance abuse and addiction is fairly widespread in our society.  It is likely that either we or those whom we know have experienced problems with substance abuse and addiction in some way, either personally or through family or friends.

DRUGS – USA
Signs of drug use – Star News

Some signs of stimulants and “uppers” like methamphetamine, Ritalin and cocaine include uncontrollable itching, paranoia, abnormal sweating and a change in sleep patterns.

METH – USA
National campaign uses Utah’s anti-meth ads – Deseret News

Three television ads produced for Utah’s anti-methamphetamine campaign, End Meth Now, are being incorporated into a revamped public education effort by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

DRUGS – UK
Moving towards Real Impact Drug Enforcement – UKDPC

This briefing is aimed at key strategy and policy makers and influencers. It highlights the implications of our review Refocusing Drug-Related Law Enforcement to Address Harms.

DRUGS – UK
Drug use amongst young people in England in 2008 – Drug Education Forum

The third in the series of presentations drawn from the statistics provided the Information Centre’s annual report into Smoking, drinking and drug use amongst young people in England in 2008.

METH – USA
Blount County pharmacies recognized in battle on meth – Blount Today

Local and state law enforcement gathered on Tuesday, July 28, to recognized area pharmacies that have helped in the battle against methamphetamine use.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs back in the spotlight – Tampa Bay Online

Prescription drugs accounted for five of the top seven substances involved in lethal overdoses in Florida.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin on Long Island – The New York Times

Heroin is back on Long Island, and it is killing people at a record pace. There were 46 heroin deaths last year in Nassau County and 50 in Suffolk. The related damage from the epidemic — in overdoses, drug arrests, calls to addiction hotlines — is also up drastically, officials in both counties report.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Rehab in Connecticut – Methadone death toll is rising quickly – Trans World News

A recent study published by the NDIC indicates a 390% increase in deaths due to methadone since 1999. Increase in methadone deaths attributed to the drugs immerging popularity for use with chronic pain sufferers as well as increased diversion (stealing from legitimate sources and diverting to the street for illegal consumption).

ALCOHOL – USA
Pancreas: Alcoholic Pancreatitis—It’s the Alcohol, Stupid – Medscape

The management of alcoholic pancreatitis is mostly reactive; little is done to prevent disease progression. It is time for physicians to pay attention to the root cause of the condition—that is, alcohol—rather than just responding to its effects.

ALCOHOL – USA
Hospitals in joint plan for alcohol treatment – Toledo Blade

Toledo Hospital and Arrowhead Behavioral Health have formed a joint venture so that their patients needing help with alcohol and substance abuse will be treated at the Maumee behavioral health hospital, the health-care providers announced yesterday.

METH – USA
Why Mexican crystal meth is America’s problem – Reuters

Here in the heat of northern Mexico, the factory churned out record amounts of methamphetamine — known on the American streets as crystal meth, or ice.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise – WTVQ News

There is a growing problem in many Kentucky communities related to prescription drugs, and authorities tell us that I-75 may be an illegal supply line.

ALCOHOL – USA
Italy Starts Cracking Down on Underage Drinking – CNN Time

This let’s-go-get-loaded spirit might not seem so strange in countries that have long battled excessive youth drinking and alcoholism.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse growing at an alarming rate in the U.S. – Examiner

Death due to prescription drug abuse is in the headlines now because of the death of Michael Jackson. The media also harkens back to the death of Elvis Presley and other celebrities who have died from drug overdoses.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug addiction Skyrocketing – Trans World News

Almost every young person knows someone who is a drug addict if they know at least five people, according to statistics. 21.1 % of Americans ages 18 to 25 have alcohol or other drug problems serious enough to require addiction treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

ALCOHOL – USA
UND employs approach to combat student alcohol use – Grand Forks Herald

Like North Dakota State University, UND also employs a multipronged approach to alcohol use among students.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
New highsnlows short film gets young people talking about cannabis – Drug Info

The second animated film in the “Is your high getting you low?” campaign was launched today. While the first animated film looked at some of the potential effects cannabis can have on mental health, the second film encourages young people to talk to their friends about cannabis use.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Rapid detox for prescription drug addiction – Examiner

Prescription drug abuse has led to unprecedented numbers of people becoming addicted. Pain killers and opiods are among the most abused drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Pills: The New Drug of Choice for Teens – San Francisco Chronicle

Statistically, too, the officers had reason to worry. Although high school drug use is down across the country, in the past 10 years the rate of prescription drug abuse among teens has risen steadily.

DRUGS – USA
Anti-Drug Campaigns Shift Focus from Marijuana to Prescription Drugs – Join Together

After years of focusing primarily on marijuana use, antidrug campaigns from both the private and public sector have turned their attention to what’s seen as a more urgent problem: prescription-drug misuse.

METH – USA
Testing at 96 Oregon sewage plants shows meth, cocaine and ecstasy – Oregon Live

Last year, researchers at Oregon State University, the University of Washington and McGill University took one-day samples from 96 Oregon sewage treatment plants that volunteered to participate.

METH – USA
Drug Rehab in Connecticut Sees increased Methamphetamine – Trans World News

Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center has noticed a trend in articles published showing that many Mexican drug cartels are now using the same routes that they use to smuggle cocaine and heroin to smuggle meth as well as the ingredients to make meth to the east coast.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol and Trauma: Blood Test Gets to the Truth – Atlanta Journal Constitution

Testing the blood-alcohol level of trauma patients could help medical personnel identify those at risk for further complications from drinking issues.

ALCOHOL – USA
Blood Alcohol Level May Help Predict Complications After Trauma – MedPage Today

Testing blood alcohol levels could also identify high-risk patients who may need counseling in addition to medical treatment, they said.

ADDICTION – USA
Alcoholism And Drug Addiction On The Rise – PR Web

Addiction to prescription pain medication amongst adults is also on the rise. People underestimate the addictive qualities of prescription medication such as benzodiazepines and opiates.

DRUGS – UK
Rise in Class A drug use – survey – BBC News

The British Crime Survey found almost four in every 100 people used a Class A drug in 2008-09 despite the overall use of illicit drugs remaining stable.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine Britain: 25 per cent rise in the last year – The Independent

The number of cocaine users in Britain has risen by 25 per cent in a year to almost one million, official figures revealed yesterday, prompting calls for the Government to rethink its anti-drugs strategy.

ALCOHOL – UK
Social norms interventions to reduce alcohol misuse in University or College students – The Cochrane Library

Drinking is influenced by youth (mis)perceptions of how their peers drink. If misperceptions can be corrected, young people may drink less. To determine whether social norms feedback reduces alcohol misuse in university or college students.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
None for the road: limit for drink-driving to be slashed – Independent

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has vowed to introduce a new lower limit for drink driving before the end of the year despite opposition from publicans.

DRUGS – USA
Rx drugs leading cause of King County drug deaths – KOMO News

Deaths from prescription drugs have surpassed illegal drugs as the leading cause of drug-related deaths in King County, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription painkillers cause most King County drug deaths – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Abuse of prescription drugs is the leading cause of drug-related deaths in King County, a new report has found. In 2008, prescription opiates caused 153 of 256 drug-related deaths in King County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dentists Seen as Source for Prescription Pain Pills – Join Together

Individuals addicted to prescription pain medications often turn to dentists as a source for drugs like codeine, Vicodin and OxyContin.

HEROIN – USA
Narconon Trois-Rivieres Cites ‘Hillbilly Heroin’ as Canadian Drug Addiction Crisis – PR Newswire

Legally prescribed by doctors and different medical practices, this narcotic is also regularly bought on the street and by methods of doctor-to-doctor shopping.

ALCOHOL – USA
Task force meets about campus alcohol problems – University Daily Kansas

The new University Alcohol Task Force is considering several proposals to change policies regarding alcohol on campus. The task force, which includes a variety of University staff, officials and students, held its first meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to curb alcohol use in light of recent alcohol-related student deaths.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey reveals drug, alcohol use at L-S – Lincoln Journal

Drug and alcohol use and abuse is a problem, not only at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, but also at high schools across the region, the state and the nation.

ALCOHOL – UK
Thousands of children drinking seven pints a week – Telegraph

A third of children aged 11 to 15 who drink, consume more than 15 units in a week, the equivalent of seven pints of lager or one and a half bottles of average strength wine.

HEROIN – USA
Walpole chief: Heroin use on the rise – Daily News Transcript

Cheap heroin has flooded the streets of Walpole and the area in the past few months, causing some painkiller addicts to turn to the notorious drug – occasionally with lethal consequences.

MARIJUANA – USA
Chart of the Day: Marijuana/alcohol biggest problem for youth – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Most people under the age of 18 admitted to drug-assistance programs in King County last year were admitted for marijuana use, according to a report released Wednesday.

HEROIN – USA
Parents lead crowd at rally and march against ‘cheese’ – The Dallas Morning News

Enrique Carranza and Wendy Davalos are parents fed up with dealers peddling a potent potion to young teens: “cheese” heroin. So in outrage and grief they marched Friday evening with about 100 others in northwest Dallas “in memory of lost children.”

HEROIN – USA
‘Bad heroin’ said to be killing users in metro Atlanta – Atlanta Journal Constitution

An extraordinarily strong batch of heroin caused the overdose deaths of two 28-year-old men in Smyrna earlier this year, Detective Mitch Plumb said, and it contributed to recent overdose deaths in Roswell and Cartersville and possibly others in the metro area.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Accidents also a danger of prescription drug abuse – Huntington Herald Dispatch

For the past few years, our community has focused on the devastation and destruction wrought by the illegal drug trade brought to our streets by drug dealers from Columbus and Detroit.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
County prescription recycling at risk – Fox Valley Village Sun

A new DuPage County program to properly dispose of prescription medicines could be at risk if Gov. Pat Quinn signs a measure currently on his desk, according to a DuPage County Board member.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse Clear Problem – Trans World News

It’s harder to “just say no”, when your doctor says “yes”.   While media attention continues to be on prescription drug abuse, not enough attention has been placed on the fact that many of these drug addictions begin with a trip to the doctor and a resultant prescription.

PAINKILLER – JAMAICA
Popping painkillers – 99% of abusers misused pain relievers – Jamaica Gleaner News

Painkillers are the pill of choice for abusers of prescription drugs in Jamaica.

ALCOHOL – UK
Concern over teenage alcohol abuse – The Press Association

A campaign group has called for more research into the way alcohol can affect teenagers’ health. Alcohol Concern said it was worried that a rise in teenage drinking would lead to more people suffering alcohol-related illnesses at younger ages.

ALCOHOL – USA
Boating and alcohol a risky combination – Bethany Beach Wave

The traditional Maryland boating season is reaching its midpoint and it is reasonable to assume that recreational boaters are, by now, familiar with their vessels, their safety equipment, weather conditions on Maryland waterways and the potential dangers associated with boating.

ALCOHOL – UK
Milan to enforce teen drink ban – BBC News

Milan has banned the consumption and sale of alcohol to young teenagers in an effort to curb binge-drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drug and Alcohol Rehab – Trans World News

There are 8.3 million children in the United States who are living with a substance abusing parent. Of those children 7.3 million live with a parent who is addicted to alcohol and 2.1 million live with a parent who is addicted to illicit drugs.

ALCOHOL – UK
Protecting Young People from Alcohol Related Harm – Drug Education Forum

We’ve seen before that working to reduce underage purchasing of alcohol has a reasonable track record, although evidence suggests that unless it’s sustained things go back to the status quo reasonably quickly.

ALCOHOL – UK
WASTED: An International Conference on Alcohol and Young People – NHS

The conference will provide examples of interventions trialed in a range of settings in the UK, Europe and North America, which have shown promising results in reducing alcohol consumption amongst children and young people.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dangers of generic brand prescriptions – ABC Local News

When you buy generic prescription medicines, you may be doing more than just saving money. Some people are having new symptoms, which can be related to generic drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Missouri Gets Ignition Locks for Repeat Alcohol Offenders – Join Together

Repeat alcohol offenders in Missouri will now need more than just a key to start their cars.

PAINKILLER – USA
More pain in the painkiller business – Houston Chronicle

A Food and Drug Administration panel this month recommended a ban on prescription painkillers Vicodin and Percocet, saying that a key component of the drugs, acetaminophen, causes liver damage.

ADDICTION – USA
The Dangerous Addiction Your Loved One May Be Hiding from You – Alternative Health Journal

Prescription drug abuse is a very serious problem in the United States especially among teenagers and young adults, and there’s no sign of that abuse slowing down.

ALCOHOL – USA
Heavy alcohol consumption associated with increased risk for prostate cancer – HemOnToday

Researchers analyzed data from 2,129 participants with cancer and 8,791 participants without disease from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial.

ALCOHOL – USA
Iowa town passes teen drinking ordinance – Chicago Tribune

Police in a small northern Iowa town can now test teens for alcohol consumption even if they don’t see any containers in sight. A new ordinance in Garner, near Mason City, says that teens who tests positive for alcohol would be considered in possession of it because alcohol was in their system.