Drug News

Opium – India
India expresses concern over opium cultivation in neighbouring countries – Thaindian News

Vienna (Austria), Mar 12(ANI): India has expressed concern that more than 90 percent of the world’s opium production is taking place in its neighbourhood.

Border Control – Mexico & USA
U.S. Customs: Mexican cartels corrupt border agents – Associated Press

McALLEN — Mexican drug cartels are infiltrating federal law enforcement agencies along the southwest border and those charged with weeding them out say they don’t have the money to catch all the corrupt agents, homeland security officials told a U.S. Senate panel Thursday.

Meth Lab Bust – California
Pleasanton brothers ran meth lab, cops say – San Francisco Chronicle

Two brothers were arrested on suspicion of operating a methamphetamine lab hidden in a Pleasanton home, police said Thursday.

Drug Court Sentencing – Oregon
Ore. meth kingpins get more than decade in prison – StatesmanJournal.com

SALEM, Ore. — Two leaders of a Mexico-based methamphetamine ring that operated in Oregon and Washington state have been sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

Drunk Driving – Nebraska
Police: Man Drunk At DUI Sentencing – KETV.com

PAPILLION, Neb. — Authorities said a drunken driver showed up for his sentencing hearing drunk again.

Pre-Teen Inhalant Abuse – USA
12 Year Olds More Likely To Use Potentially Deadly Inhalants Than Cigarettes Or Marijuana – Medical News TODAY

More 12 year olds have used potentially lethal inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, according to data released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with the 18th annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week.

Meth – Michigan
Police find dump site for meth ingredients Wednesday in Comstock Township – Kalamazoo News

COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP — Police investigated a dump site for ingredients to make methamphetamine Wednesday near East H Avenue in Comstock Township.

Narcotics – Connecticut
Guilford, CT man sentenced for role in narcotics ring – Thaindian News

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT (BNO NEWS) – A Guilford, Connecticut man on Wednesday was sentenced to three years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a narcotics ring of New Haven County, prosecutors announced.

Cocaine – Florida
Man hid cocaine on tugboats, agents say – UPI.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 11 (UPI) — A Florida man was charged with trafficking as much as 90 pounds of cocaine on tugboat runs to Jacksonville, Fla., from Puerto Rico, authorities said.

Overdose Death – California
Did Corey Haim Pull a Brittany Murphy? – eonline.com

At first blush, Corey Haim’s death is starting to sound a lot like Brittany Murphy’s. Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter confirms that the ’80s teen heartthrob was ill before he died and that investigators have recovered prescription drugs in his name from the scene.

Meth – Colorado
Man arrested in meth possession, woman hospitalized – Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado Springs Police Department executed a search warrant on Wednesday afternoon at 5150 E. Airport Road, #A3, in reference to an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine.

Fake Drugs Banned – Kansas
Kansas bans K-2 and other synthetic cannabinoids and chemicals – Thaindian News

TOPEKA, KANSAS (BNO NEWS) – On Wednesday, Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed into law the legislation HB 2411, a ban on K-2 and certain chemicals that are used to create synthetic drugs, the Governor’s Office informed.

Drug Overdose – California
Corey Haim Dead After Apparent Accidental Drug Overdose – abc GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Actor Corey Haim died from an apparent accidental drug overdose after he was rushed to a Los Angeles County hospital early this morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Marijuana – Colorado
Religious Marijuana Smoking Still Illegal: Judge – The Huffington Post

GEORGETOWN, Colo. — A Colorado man who says marijuana is a sacrament in his religion has been convicted of misdemeanor drug charges.

Drug Epidemic – World News
U.N. Official Addresses Increasing Drug Addiction In Developing Countries – Medical News TODAY

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday warned of an impending “health disaster facing developing countries if wealthy nations fail to control drugs,” Agence France-Presse reports.

Cocaine – North Carolina
Ayden, NC man sentenced for cocaine dealing – Thaindian News

GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A resident of Ayden, North Carolina, was sentenced to 52 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the distribution of more than 50 grams of cocaine base, U.S. Attorney George Holding announced on Wednesday.

Heroin – Colorado
5 men arrested in heroin incident on Tuesday – Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — A Colorado Springs police surveillance effort set in the area of Highway 115 and Star Ranch Road on Tuesday morning resulted in the arrest of five men on heroin charges.

Meth – Michigan
Two burned in Constantine meth fire – Kalamazoo News

CONSTANTINE–Two people were transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital early today after St. Joseph County Sheriff’s deputies say the pair was severely burned in a suspected methamphetamine explosion.

Prescription Drug Abuse – Florida
Prescription drug abuse on the rise – wmnf.org

According to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, prescription drug abuse has become more fatal than abuse of illegal street drugs.

Underage Drinking – Georgia
Zach Mettenberger Arrested, Charged With Underage Drinking – The Huffington Post

REMERTON, Ga. — A quarterback competing for the starting job at the University of Georgia has been released on bond after his arrest in south Georgia over the weekend on charges related to underage drinking.

Meth – USA Study
Women and Methamphetamine Use – Drug Addiction Treatment

The ratios of men to women who use particular substances vary greatly and generally statistics show a significant trend toward more substance use by males for all classes of substances.

Overdose – Michigan
Grand Rapids woman sent to prison for role in Amy Bousfield’s heroin-overdose death – Kalamazoo News

KALAMAZOO — A Grand Rapids woman will spend three to 20 years in prison for her role in a heroin deal that led to the fatal overdose.

Heroin – UK
Burglar jailed for student murder in Leeds – BBC News

A 31-year-old man has been jailed for life for stabbing a student to death while burgling his house in Leeds.

Marijuana Bust – Nebraska
Lincoln Police Bust Big Marijuana Grow Operation – KETV.com

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lincoln police have busted what they called the largest indoor marijuana growing operation in memory.

Cocaine – South Carolina
Two arrested following 7-month drug investigation – CarolinaLive.com

The Horry County Police Department has announced the arrests of two people following a drug investigation. Officers launched the investigation after getting complaints of illegal drug activity.

Pill Mills – Florida
Feds Raid Pain Clinics Suspected of Illegally Distributing Millions of Prescription Drugs – abc Good Morning America

A raid on three South Florida pain clinics that are suspected of illegally distributing millions of prescription pills is the start of what authorities call a massive investigation of such “pill mills.”

Teen Drug Use – Nevada
Teen Drug Use on the Rise – LASVEGASNOW.com

LAS VEGAS — A new study by the Partnership for a Drug Free America says teen marijuana and alcohol use is on the rise. But while many are sticking to marijuana and alcohol, in Las Vegas, many teens are making the leap to heroin.

Marijuana – USA
38 percent teens smoking marijuana – Associated Press

A study from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America says 38 percent of high school students have smoked marijuana in the last year.

Meth Addiction & Recovery – Colorado
Surviving meth: Local dads win back their lives, their kids – The Gazette

The stories of two single fathers surviving through meth addiction and recovery.

Cocaine Smuggling – Colorado
Suspected Cocaine Kingpin in Denver Court – Associated Press

A suspected drug kingpin blamed for smuggling millions of dollars worth of cocaine is due in a federal court in Denver.

“Spice” – World News
More Bans on “Spice” – Drug Addiction Treatment

Spice, a product which has been portrayed as a natural herbal mix of substances such as vanilla and Baybean, is being banned more and more by various groups and agencies. Spice actually contains a type of synthetic cannabinoid. It has been legally marketed as a harmless product – a “legal high”. It is sold under various names including K2, Spice Diamond, Spice Gold and Spice Silver.

Meth – USA
Meth Mouth Can Signal Addiction to Dentists – About.com: Alcoholism

When otherwise healthy young people show up at the dentist with severe oral health problems, it should signal to the dentist that the patient may be addicted to methamphetamine. Patients who exhibit symptoms of “meth mouth” are more likely to be injection drug users, according to a new study.

Drug & Alcohol Bust – India
Holi haul! 2,000 held with illicit liquor, drugs – Thaindian News

Lucknow, March 2 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Police had a busy day ahead of Holi as they made a huge haul of illicit liquor, hashish, marijuana and other intoxicants and arrested as many as 2,055 people in a state-wide haul, officials said Tuesday. Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal told reporters here Tuesday evening: “we have seized as much as 27,253 litres of illicit liquor from some 250 hooch brewing units during the state-wide 24-hour campaign launched by us between February 27 and 28.”

Heroin – USA
Buffalo man sentenced for operating a heroin trafficking ring – Thaindian News

A Buffalo, New York man was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release for operating a heroin distribution ring, prosecutors announced on Monday.

Prescription Drug Abuse – USA
Teen and Pre-Teen Prescription Drug Abuse - The Latest Dope – Ezine @rticles

There is a new drug pusher in town. He does not hang out down the alley or on the street corner. And it is not heroin or crack this time. The drugs are what most people would call medicines and more teens abuse them than of all types of illicit drugs combined, excepting only marijuana.

Drug & Alcohol Abuse By Teens – USA
U.S. teen alcohol, drug abuse on upswing – UPI.com

NEW YORK, March 2 (UPI) — The number of U.S. teens who say they used alcohol or drugs rose in 2009 compared with 2008, a survey indicates.

Drug Trafficking – USA
Michael Douglas In ‘Vanity Fair’: I Put Career Over Fathering Cameron – The Huffington Post

Michael Douglas covers the new Vanity Fair and inside he opens up about his son Cameron, who faces at least ten years in prison for trafficking meth, and trying to get fatherhood right the second time around with his family with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Marijuana – USA
AP IMPACT: Drug Gangs Taking Over US Public Lands – abcNEWS/U.S.

Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s redwood forests, Mexican drug gangs are quietly commandeering U.S. public land to grow millions of marijuana plants and using smuggled immigrants to cultivate them.

Drug Overdose – USA
Three Cave Creek girls sent to hospital for overdose – azcentral.com

Three middle-school girls in Cave Creek were transported to a hospital Friday afternoon, after they apparently overdosed on Tylenol cold medicine while at school, according to Deputy Chief Frank Salomon of the Phoenix Fire Department.

Drunk Driving – Australia
90-year-old loses licence for speeding, drunk driving – Thaindian News

Melbourne, Feb 28 (IANS) A 90-year-old man lost his driving licence in Australia’s Victoria state after he was clocked over-speeding and detected with double the alcohol limit, police said.

Meth – USA
Great-grandmother gets 5 years on meth charges – The Associated Press

A Northern California great-grandmother has been sentenced to prison after being convicted on methamphetamine charges.

Heroin – USA
Abington Heights drug policy working, officials say, but heroin problem remains – thetimes-tribune.com

Two years after Abington Heights School District officials began responding to a growing heroin problem, statistics show a slight drop in the number of students in trouble over drug and alcohol abuse.

Drug & Alcohol Rehab – USA
‘Two and a Half Men’ star Charlie Sheen goes into rehab – Norwalk Reflector

LOS ANGELES (MCT) - In a surprise development Tuesday that casts doubt on the rest of its season, television’s top-rated sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” halted production after its star Charlie Sheen announced he was checking into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic.

Heroin – UK
Drug addict’s ‘letter to heroin’ published after her death –Telegraph.co.uk

The family of a teenage drug addict who wrote a moving letter to heroin days before she overdosed have released her words in the hope of inspiring other youngsters to steer clear of drugs.

Drug Addiction – USA
Kelly O: Drugs worse than being fat – Press Association

Kelly Osbourne claims she was looked down on for being overweight more than she was for her drug addiction.

Drug Testing – USA
Cubs minor leaguer says bring on testing - MESA, Ariz. – Southtown Star

While major league players, through their union, have resisted blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs, the Cubs’ top draft pick from last year said he’s all for baseball’s plan to start blood-testing minor leaguers for HGH.

Drug Prevention – USA
More Than $1.1 Million In Grants Available For Community-Based Drug Prevention Coalitions – Medical News TODAY

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the availability of more than $1.1 million for new Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring program (DFC Mentoring) grants. An estimated 15 new Mentoring grants will be awarded (up to $75,000 per grant, per year) to drug and alcohol prevention community coalitions from across the nation. The length of the project period is up to two years.

Prescription Drug Abuse – Nepal
Date rape drugs, prescription pill abuse rising, warns report – Thaindian News

Kathmandu, Feb 25 (IANS) The use of “date rape drugs” as well as abuse of prescription drugs is rising with India emerging as one of the main sources of drugs sold through illegal Internet pharmacies, drugs watchdog International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has warned.

Marijuana – USA
(Video) Seniors & Pot: Marijuana For Pain – The Post Chronicle

The aging of the baby boom generation is resulting in a dramatic increase in levels of illicit drug use among adults 50 and older, a U.S. officials said.

Drug & Alcohol Abuse – USA
Lindsay Lohan blames dad for her cocaine use – The Money Times

Troubled Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan has hit headlines again, this time talking candidly about her history of cocaine use as well as her three rehab visits and her arrest for drunk driving twice.

Methamphetamine Addiction – South Africa
‘I can see my son is ready to kill’ – iol.co.za

The recent murders of at least three adults, allegedly by tik addict relatives in Cape Town townships, have parents living in fear.

Methamphetamine Production Halted – Guatemala
160,000 illegal drug tablets seized in Guatemala – Thaindian News

Guatemala City, Feb 23 (IANS/EFE) Guatemalan drug enforcement agents seized some 160,000 pseudoephedrine tablets in a warehouse at the capital’s La Aurora International Airport, but no arrests were made, the police said. The tablets were found at a warehouse belonging to Conbex, a company that imports and exports a variety of products.

Alcohol – UK
Drunk man ’straddled aeroplane’ – BBC News

Two drunk men on a work night out sparked a terror alert after they broke into an airport and tampered with the controls in the cockpit of a plane.

Alcohol – Russia
Russian ex-police chief jailed for life – the moscow news

A purge in the top ranks of the Interior Ministry and an unprecedented life sentence for a police major who killed two people on a drunk shooting spree has raised the stakes in a controversial anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by President Dmitry Medvedev.

Drug Addiction – USA
Lindsay Lohan feared drugs death – EarthTimes

Lindsay Lohan has given a revealing interview about her struggle with drug addiction, admitting she feared she would die unless she got help.

Prescription Drugs – USA
Miami Prescription Drug Diverter Sentenced To 70 Months In Prison – Medical News Today

Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, announced that defendant Arnesto Segredo, 43, of Miami, a former prescription drug wholesaler, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Alan S. Gold to 70 months in prison.

Marijuana – USA
Marijuana Use By Seniors Goes Up As Boomers Age – The Huffington Post

MIAMI — In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of red wine. A crisp copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night like clockwork, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.

Marijuana – USA
Police Watch As $1Million in Marijuana Stolen? – Thaindian News

Louisville KY Feb 22 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Leaving from Memphis, Tennessee, a group of police officers were given the assignment of escorting a transfer truck carrying more than 1700 pounds of cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, to Louisville, Kentucky. So why did the shipment never arrive?

Teen Drug Use Study – USA
Study Links Lack of Sleep to Increased Drug Use Among Teens – MeDIndia

Teens who sleep fewer than seven hours per night are more likely to use illegal drugs, according to a study released Sunday.

Drunk Driving – USA
Drunk Driving on the Rise Among Young Women – abc NEWS / Health

Increases in alcohol-related fatalities among young women drivers have outpaced the decade-long rise in such deaths among young men, researchers have found.