Drug News

Antidepressants – USA
Congressional Hearings On Antidepressant-Induced Suicide In The Military – The Huffington Post

On February 24, 2010 the Veterans’ Affairs Committee of the U. S. House of Representatives chaired by Bob Filner (D-CA) held hearings on “Exploring the Relationship between Medication and Veteran Suicide.” Military suicides have risen rapidly in recent years at the same time that the prescription of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs has escalated. The hearing focused on the dangers of the newer antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta, and Effexor.

Teen Substance Abuse – USA
Survey underscores need for continued efforts to combat substance abuse among teens – The Medical News

New survey data released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation point to the need for continued efforts to combat substance abuse among teens.

Heroin – USA
Jerseyville, IL woman pleads guilty in heroin overdose death – Thaindian News

A Jerseyville, Illinois woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal indictment charging her one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Meth Abuse – USA
Dental Problems Could Point to Meth Use – HealthScout

WEDNESDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) — Severe dental problems in otherwise healthy young people could be a sign of methamphetamine addiction, a new study suggests.

Heroin – UK
London: Second Anthrax Case Confirmed In London – Medical News TODAY

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS London can confirm that an injecting heroin user has tested positive for anthrax and is being treated in a London hospital.

Meth Arrest – USA
Two arrested in meth bust at Red Arrow Motel in Paw Paw Township – Kalamazoo News

PAW PAW TOWNSHIP — Two men were arrested and three children were referred to Child Protective Services Tuesday following a methamphetamine bust at a motel west of Paw Paw, police said.

Marijuana Rehab – New Zealand
Potheads to be forced into rehab – Stuff.co.nz

Chronic pot-smokers will be forced into rehabilitation, with the Government supporting a proposal in a new Law Commission report.

Illegal Drugs – USA
Kansas couple charged of running a drug house near local elementary school – Thaindian News

TOPEKA, KANSAS (BNO NEWS) – A male and a female were indicted on Thursday with two counts of maintaining a residence for the purpose of storing and distributing cocaine and marijuana in Lenexa, Kansas, prosecutors said.

Heroin – UK
North West: Anthrax Case Confirmed By HPA In Blackpool – Medical News Today

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS Blackpool can confirm they are investigating the death of a drug injecting heroin user in Blackpool.

Meth – USA
Police say they believe meth lab caused fire at Red Roof Inn – Kalamazoo News

KALAMAZOO — Kalamazoo police say they believe it was a small explosion from a methamphetamine lab that touched off a fire at the East Cork Street Red Roof Inn around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Heroin – USA
O’Fallon, Illinois man guilty in heroin overdose death case – Thaindian News

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) – A man of O’Fallon, Illinois, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a federal indictment on count of distributing of heroin resulting in death, prosecutors announced.

Overdose – USA
Slain girl’s mom guilty in overdose death – UPI.com

BROCKTON, Mass., Feb. 10 (UPI) — A Massachusetts woman is guilty of murdering her 4-year-old daughter by giving the girl a fatal drug overdose, a jury has determined.

Crack Cocaine – USA
Police confuse candy for crack – United Press International, Inc.

New York police are refusing to apologize to two men arrested for drug possession and held for a week over what turned out to be a bag of candy.

Drug Rehab – Cambodia
Report Details Torture in Cambodian Drug Rehab Centers – SPHERE

Drug rehabilitation centers in Cambodia are being used to torture and extort money from detainees, according to a report released Monday by the international human rights group Human Rights Watch. The group alleges that the government-run detention centers are not rehabilitating drug users but instead holding them illegally, often at the request of inmates’ families.

Heroin – USA
Pair in Colorado Springs busted with “balloons” of heroin – DenverPost.com

Police in Colorado Springs acting on a tip arrested a suspected drug dealer and buyer who were driving around with 60 balloons containing heroin.

Heroin – Scotland
Anthrax claims eighth drug addict victim in Scotland – DailyRecord.co.uk

THE number of drug addicts who have died after being infected with anthrax has risen to eight, officials said today.

Underage Drinking – USA
Drunk 15-year-old caught for hit-and-run crash – ColoradoConnection.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — An unlicensed, drunk 15-year-old boy was caught by Colorado Springs police officers after he allegedly drove southbound in the northbound lanes of Academy Boulevard Saturday night, then managed to speed onto I-25 with officers in pursuit.

Alcohol – India
Man beaten to death in west Delhi – Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) A man was beaten to death and his younger brother was severely injured by four allegedly drunk men when the duo objected to their urinating on their house’s wall in west Delhi, police said Saturday. One of the assailants has been arrested.

Illicit Drugs – Europe
Illicit drug consumption in Europe – The Medical News

Europeans belong to the largest consumers of illicit drugs, absorbing about one fifth of the global heroin, cocaine and cannabis supply, as well as one third of ecstasy production (UNODC World Drug report, 2008).

Prescription Drugs – USA
Ohio sheriffs’ group seeks better drug monitoring  – The Associated Press

sheriffs says not enough doctors and dentists are checking a prescription drug database before prescribing painkillers and other narcotics.

Binge Drinking – UK
Drunk young women ‘stripped of dignity’ by alcohol binges, says police chief – Telegraph

Julia Hodson said there was “no more sobering sight” than a drunken young woman lying in the street with her dignity in tatters and being taken to hospital.

Heroin – Europe
Anthrax-Tainted Heroin in Europe Alarms France – MedIndia

Following the death of eight people in two European countries, the French health ministry issued a warning over using heroin contaminated with anthrax.

Heroin – USA
Robber ‘strung out,’ regrets Walgreens job – KearneyHub.com

KEARNEY — Had he not been strung out on heroin, a Michigan man said, he never would have robbed Kearney’s Walgreens.

Meth Arrest – USA
Man busted hauling meth to Atlanta – The Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. — A man charged with possession of 6.8 pounds of methamphetamine in Mississippi allegedly told authorities he was hired to take the drugs from Mexico to Georgia.

Drug Addiction – USA
Celebrity Addiction A Growing Tragedy – TransworldNews

Celebrity drug addiction gives us a tragic look at the limelight. Far too many celebrities are suffering with or dying from drug addiction or the circumstances surrounding it.

Cocaine – Europe
Study Reveals The Role Played By Cocaine In Sudden Death – Medical News Today

Forensic pathologists have shown that over three per cent of all sudden deaths in south-west Spain are related to the use of cocaine. They believe their findings can be extrapolated to much of the rest of Europe, indicating that cocaine use is a growing public health problem in Europe and that there is no such thing as “safe” recreational use of small amounts of the drug.

Drugs – Mexico
Mexico-US Cooperation Cited in 2nd Druglord Arrest – ABC News International

The capture of a brutal druglord accused of ordering massacres, beheadings and the dissolving of bodies in caustic soda marks the second time in less than a month Mexico has taken down one of its most powerful traffickers.

Alcohol – USA
Muhammad Abu Tahir Charged In Denver With Disrupting Crew – The Huffington Post

A passenger on a diverted AirTran Airways flight accused of becoming unruly after he was refused more alcohol was charged Wednesday with interfering with a flight crew.

Alcohol – USA
Internet-Based Intervention for Alcohol Abusers – Alcohol Problems and Solutions

Few problem drinkers are willing to use in-person services for alcohol abuse. Therefore, the use of internet-based interventions holds promise in overcoming such resistance.

Heroin – Scotland
Seventh Scots anthrax drug death – BBC News

A seventh person with anthrax has died as infection among heroin users continues to spread around the country, health officials have confirmed.

Heroin – Scotland
‘Anthrax heroin’ cases spreading – BBC News

Health officials believe contaminated heroin – thought to be responsible for cases of anthrax in Glasgow – may be circulating elsewhere in Scotland.

Drug Trafficking – USA
Two arrested for trafficking heroin – CarolinaLive.com

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrests of two men accused of trafficking heroin.

Drug Overdose – USA
Mass. Parents Going On Trial In Girl’s Overdose – Associated Press

Before she turned 3, Rebecca Riley was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity and bipolar disorders. By age 4 she was dead. Authorities said her body succumbed to a cocktail of prescription drugs typically given to adults.

Marijuana – USA
Fla. Cops Hold Pot Plants Hostage, Leave Ransom Note for “Dumbest” Grower – Crimesider

A pot grower in the Florida Keys apparently had such a craving for his missing marijuana plants, that he fell for a police plot even they didn’t think would work!

Drug Abuse – USA
Exclusive: TSA Workers Caught Using Drugs? – MMX, CBS Interactive Inc.

The Transportation Security Administration, already suffering from embarrassment after a man walked into a terminal unchecked at Newark’s airport, now face allegations that its employees at Los Angeles International Airport were caught on tape using drugs, CBS affiliate KCAL reports.

Cocaine – USA
Reggae Star Banton Moved To Tampa Before Hearing – Associated Press

Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton has been moved to Tampa in advance of a federal court appearance on drug charges.

Marijuana – USA

Pot Found During Traffic Stop Allowed as Evidence - The Associated Press

A federal appeals court says prosecutors can use 470 pounds of marijuana as evidence because the Nebraska traffic stop that led to the drug’s seizure was valid.

Opium – Afghanistan

US grapples with complexity of Afghan drug problem - The Associated Press

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan (AP) – The arrival of U.S. Marines has disrupted the illegal drug trade in opium-rich Helmand province – and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Heroin – Scotland

Another Death Attributed to Anthrax in Heroin- MedIndia

Doctors in Scotland have confirmed another heroin related death in which the drug was contaminated with anthrax, bringing the number of such cases to three.

Alcohol – USA

Russian vodka drinkers pay the price - euronews

Heavy drinkers in Russia face a new headache – a financial one this time – in an attempt to cure the country’s chronic alcohol problem. Vodka is the tipple of choice as boozers prepare to down more than a few during the New Year and Orthodox Christmas holidays. But the cheapest half-litre bottle nearly doubled in price today, to 89 roubles (about two euros), to tackle Russia’s liquid love affair.

Alcohol – USA

It’s Not a Hangover, It’s an Allergic Reaction - HealthScout

For people with allergies and asthma, toasting the New Year could result in more than a hangover; it could also set off a variety of unpleasant reactions, warns an organization of allergists.

Drug War – Mexico

Slums are front lines in Mexican drug war - The Dallas Morning News

“In this block alone, all the teens were either killed or disappeared”, said Pedro Reyna Diaz, 46, whose two stepsons were among those swept up in the drug cartel warfare waged in this neglected neighborhood. “An entire generation was lost.”