Drug News

ALCOHOL – SOUTH AFRICA
Alarming increase in drug, alcohol abuse – The Herald Eastern Cape

THE number of people who sought advice and treatment for alcohol and tik (methamphetamine) addiction rose by 100 per cent from April last year to March this year.

ALCOHOL – USA
If under 21, alcohol, drug offenses to be reported to parents – Knoxville News Sentinel

Some Tennessee college students may think being 18 means freedom from parent oversight. Those in state schools will need to rethink that assumption.

DRUGS – PAKISTAN
World Anti-Narcotics Day observed – The Nation

Since independence several intoxicating items have been introduced in the country, however, besides heroin, opium and chars, the injections are the newest and easily product available at medical stores, revealed by the experts while commenting on the eve of “International Anti Narcotics Day.”

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Overdose deaths jump 147% in Indiana – Indianapolis Star

The number of Hoosiers who died from drug overdoses increased 147 percent from 1999 to 2004, a trend driven by the growing abuse of prescription medications, according to a new study.

DRUGS – INDIA
‘Awareness needed to curb drug abuse among kids’ – Express India

Why do so many chemists throw caution to wind while selling Schedule-H drugs without prescription?

DRUGS – USA
Calif. Drug-Reform Initiative Approved as Addiction Groups Choose Sides – Join Together

The state of California recently gave final clearance for the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act (NORA) to appear on the November ballot, but some prominent groups in the addiction community have come out in opposition to the measure, fearing its national implications.

PAINKILLER – USA
As FDA Focuses on Safety, Fewer New Drugs Are Approved – The Wall Street Journal

Why are new drug approvals tapering off? For one, there’s the industry’s research labs, which have produced a leaky pipeline of promising products lately.

DRUGS – USA
PDFA Joins Pharma Co. to Warn Against Prescription Drug Abuse – Join Together

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) has joined with the Abbott pharmaceutical firm to sponsor a new campaign against teen prescription-drug misuse.

HEROIN – IRELAND
Children as young as 14 using heroin – Irish Examiner

CHILDREN as young as 12 years of age are abusing drugs and by the time they reach 14 many are addicted to heroin, a study of teenagers in the Dublin region has found.

METH – USA
Seniors to hear about meth impacts – The Record-Courier

The Partnership of Community Resources is sponsoring a presentation Thursday at the Douglas County Senior Center to the people often referred to as “first responders” in dealing with methamphetamine use in families.

METH – USA
Community learns meth education – The Morehead News

A highly toxic and addictive drug called meth is being concocted in houses, hotels and mobile homes across the state.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana is Dangerous, but Maybe Not the Way You Think – Red Orbit

Inhaling the smoke of burning coal, wood or leaves is bad for you. Acrid smoke injures the lungs and leads to chronic obstructive lung disease. Smoke contains chemicals such as benzpyrene, which causes cancer. Slow-burning cigarettes release carbon monoxide as well as carbon dioxide.

CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND
Cannabis tops list of illicit drugs sending people to hospital – New Zealand Herald

Cannabis use is causing more admissions to publicly-funded hospitals than all of the other illegal drugs combined, a police drugs specialist has found.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Delhi Govt adopts preventive strategy to fight drug addiction – Zee News

The Delhi government has adopted the strategy of building “preventive awareness” and providing treatment and counselling to fight drug addiction.

ALCOHOL – USA
Youths Exposed to More Alcohol Ads in 2007 – Join Together

Youths ages 12-20 were exposed to an average of 301 TV ads for alcoholic beverages last year, up from 216 in 2001, according to research from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University.

DRUGS – USA
Sewage Study Yields Surprising Info About Drug Use – Join Together

Scientists analyzing the chemical composition of raw sewage in cities in the U.S. and Europe have made some surprising discoveries about drug-use patterns.

ALCOHOL – UK
Think About That Third (or Fourth) Drink – Medical News Today

“Binge drinking” is a useful term that indicates an excessive, unhealthy and dangerous level of drinking. “Binge” drinkers aim to get drunk, often as quickly as possible.

ALCOHOL – UK
When Will It Be Time To Take Action On Alcohol? – Medical News Today

The Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) expressed disappointment that the Report from the Inquiry into the Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill from the Senate Community Affairs Committee (SCAC) recommended the Bill not be passed.

HEROIN – USA
Peoria PD: Heroin use on rise – WHOI News
Girls as young as 16-years-old are starting to try heroin, and Peoria police said they have seen a large increase in its use.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
‘Hillbilly heroin’ makes its mark on Australian streets – ABC Online News

There are any number of illegal drugs on Australian streets at any one time, but a relative newcomer, known as ‘hillbilly heroin’, is becoming more popular.

METH – USA
Omaha drug task force to educate groups about meth – Omaha World-Herald

The Omaha Metro Drug Task Force is organizing informal presentations for groups in the Omaha area about methamphetamine.

METH – MONTENEGRO
Success for Crystal Meth Drug Addict on Youtube – PR Canada

According to Narconon Trois-Rivières, Crystal methamphetamine (more commonly referred to as crystal meth) is a drug known to cause severe addiction problems. Meth is still a drug of choice for many since it is easily available to anyone and cheaper than numerous other drugs.

METH – USA
County cracks down on drug used in meth – The Chicago Tribune
State law allows the purchase of only three grams per week of certain cold medications that are used to make meth. Retailers are required to keep a log.

METH – USA
Blue Rhino Responds to Concerns Over Propane Tanks and Methamphetamine Production – Business Wire

With the 4th of July weekend on the horizon, Blue Rhino, America’s leading brand of propane tank exchange, is reassuring grillers of the safety of its tanks in light of safety concerns regarding propane tanks and the production of methamphetamine.

DRUGS – USA
Adolescent Drinkers, Drug Users Die Younger – Join Together

Adolescent substance-abuse disorders are a predictor of young-adult mortality, new research from the University of Pittsburgh concludes.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine, Booze and Energy Drinks: What Now for Parents? – National Ledger

Many are also worried that the energy drinks are fast becoming a favorite as a mixer fro alcohol and other parents are worried that their teens are mixing drugs, alcohol and the caffeine-laden drinks to catch a high.

MARIJUANA – USA
U.S. Marijuana Capital Toughens Enforcement – Join Together

Voters in Mendocino, Calif., have voted to tighten rules on the amount of marijuana a medical user may possess, a significant step in a community known to be a hotbed for both marijuana cultivation and support of medical marijuana.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug use among Malibu youth escalates – Malibu Times

The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff Station-sponsored juvenile intervention team, designed to combat drug and alcohol problems within Malibu and Conejo Valley cities, is working to curb Malibu teen substance abuse, including an increasing abuse of prescription medication.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs kill more people than illicit drugs – Food Consumer

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission this week released a report saying that “the rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was three times the rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined”.

METH – USA
Announce ground-breaking anti-meth program – Little Chicago Review

The Wyoming Meth Project today announced the launch of a statewide prevention campaign aimed at significantly reducing first-time methamphetamine use among Wyoming youth.

ALCOHOL – UK
‘Stop targeting alcohol at young’ – BBC News

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Keith Towler says a World Health Organisation survey which found children and young people in Wales had been drunk more often than others in the western world is a signal to adults on their own responsibilities.

MARIJUANA – USA
Study Says Marijuana Is Now More Potent – US News and World Report

The project—which is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, collected and analyzed samples of seized pot from 48 states and determined that THC levels are almost double what they were in 1983.

CANNABIS – UK
UK children ‘most likely to try cannabis’ – Guardian

Children growing up in the UK are more likely to drink, smoke and to have tried cannabis than in many other western countries, according to a study by the World Health Organisation.

METH – USA
Prevention, Treatment Could Curb Meth Problem – University of Kentucky News

Kentucky, like the rest of the U.S., is grappling with problems related to an apparent rise in methamphetamine abuse. However, the popular perception of a “meth epidemic” tends to overstate the role played by that drug in the overall picture of substance abuse in Kentucky.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Parent targeted in binge drinking TV ads – The Age

The head of a new campaign to curb excessive drinking by targeting parents’ alcohol use in front of children says it’s not about blaming mums and dads.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Abuse Can Damage The Brain By Decreasing Insulin And Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptors – Medical News Today

A new study using postmortem human brain tissue has found that chronic alcohol abuse can decrease levels of genes needed for brain cells to respond to insulin/IGF, leading to neurodegeneration similar to that caused by Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

ALCOHOL – UK
Ordered Drinks Can Be Larger And Have Greater Alcohol Content Than You May Think – Medical News Today

Most alcohol research tends to assume that alcoholic drinks contain the same amount of pure alcohol: 0.6 ounces or 18 milliliters. Why is this important? Because researchers need accuracy to do their job well, and consumers need to know what they’re drinking, especially if they are then going to drive

ALCOHOL – UK
Are British Youth Drinking And Bingeing More? – Medical News Today

The UK Youth Alcohol Action plan was released in June - targeting alcohol use by underage drinkers. The report cites encouraging evidence.

ALCOHOL – UK
How To Save $1 Billion And 800 Lives In Canada – Medical News Today

The economic burden of alcohol abuse costs each Canadian $463 per year. In fact, the direct health care costs for alcohol abuse in Canada exceed those of cancer.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Proposal Expands – WEEK TV

It’s one class project that’s stretching way beyond school grounds. Students at Pontiac Township High School developed the Prescription Drug Disposal Program about five months ago.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse rising among youth – Union Democrat

Alcohol has long been the cornerstone of youthful experimentation. More and more, teens and young adults are tapping into those child-safe orange bottles as an additional means to a high.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
5 Ways to Avoid Prescription Drugs – Stop Aging Now

Before you get that prescription filled, consider what lifestyle changes you could make, first. Just these five changes can make a big difference in your condition or your risk.

METH – USA
Report: Valley teens’ attitudes about meth are changing – ABC TV News

It’s hard not to notice the billboards around the Valley. You know, the ones showing methamphetamine addicts in all their glory, sores on the mouths, rotted out teeth and skin aged beyond their years.

METH – USA
Acoma hosts meth awareness meeting – Cibola County Beacon

It isn’t here in full force, but it will be. It is methamphetamine and it will not let you go once it takes hold.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana more potent than ever – Los Angeles Times

Marijuana is more potent than at any time since scientific analysis of the drug began in the 1970s, according to a report from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project.

MARIJUANA – UK
US report says Marijuana strength increasing – Telegraph

Marijuana strength has increased to its highest levels in more than 30 years, according to a report by scientists.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says – The New York Times
From “Scarface” to “Miami Vice,” Florida’s drug problem has been portrayed as the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescription drugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit.

ALCOHOL – USA
Most Binge Drinking Takes Place in Public, Involves Beer – Join Together

About half of all binge drinking takes place in public and in large groups, increasing the risk of injury, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

DRUGS – USA
Students Get the ‘Dirt’ on Drugs – Join Together

A Boston based actor and comedian who performs an irreverent one-man show on drugs and making good choices has become a hit with young audiences.

ADDICTION – USA
More research planned into whether exercise can help prevent addiction – WDBJ News
Studies in both humans and animals suggest that exercise may help prevent drug or alcohol addiction. The government is pumping more money into research to find out.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Popular prescriptions can cause dependence – Whittier Daily News

Physicians prefer the term “dependence” because it describes withdrawal symptoms rather than depravity. Problems with withdrawal don’t occur only with drugs of abuse. Many prescription medications can cause unpleasant symptoms if they are stopped suddenly.

DRUGS – USA
Arlington officials identify drug found in drinking water – KDBC News

Drinking water in Arlington, Texas, tested positive for trace concentrations of the anti-anxiety medication meprobamate. That’s what city officials revealed today in response to a series of public records requests.

METH – USA
Prosecutor Warns About Propane Tanks Used For Meth – WLWT TV News

The Hamilton County prosecutor is asking the public to keep an eye on any propane tanks they buy for their grill this summer.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Binge-drinking linked to increase in harm – News.com.au
BINGE drinking is being blamed for a dramatic increase in alcohol-related harm among young people.

ALCOHOL – UK
Brain protein cuts excessive alcohol drinking – Telegraph

The new approach is remarkable because it prevented relapse - the common tendency found in sober alcoholics to easily return to heavy drinking after just one glass.

COCAINE – UK
Govt starts cocaine crackdown – Politics

A new government crackdown on cocaine begins today with drug minister Vernon Coaker announcing a £1 million FRANK campaign aimed at 15 to 18-year-olds and a government commitment to Colombia’s ‘Shared Responsibility’ campaign.

ADDICTION – USA
Sunset Malibu-Catering to your individual addiction – Trans World News

Any alcohol and drug treatment center talk about the importance of “expert” clinical care. Unfortunately, words don’t always translate into practice.

ADDICTION – USA
New Drug Addiction and Alcohol Drug Treatment Center Opens in Palm Springs : Recover from Addiction and Discover

Palm Springs Recovery, a luxurious yet affordable addiction and alcohol drug treatment center, announced its grand opening May 19. Palm Springs Recovery is dedicated to the practice of teaching a healthy, sober lifestyle in which clients are able to carry back into the real world.

METH – USA
Numbers Show Improvement In Meth Battle – KCRA News

Like the effects of the drug, methamphetamine hit Stanislaus County fast and with intensity.

METH – USA
Meth Coalition Reaching out to Hastings – Nebraska TV

“Growing up I lived in foster homes because of parents who used meth.” Having seen what meth can do, Betty Vertin tries to help others. But finds many don’t think it’s a problem in a town like Hastings.

METH – USA
Kroger says meth, environment top priorities as Ore. AG – KCBY News

The federal prosecutor turned law professor who is about to become the next Oregon attorney general says his top priorities are battling the illegal methamphetamine trade and getting tough on enforcing environmental laws.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
More older drivers under influence – Melbourne Herald Sun

DRIVERS, especially those over 55, are putting lives at risk by driving while drowsy, dizzy and clumsy on prescription medication, new research shows.

ALCOHOL – UK
BMA Response To Government Campaign On Alcohol Units, UK – Medical News Today

People could be risking their health and driving over the limit because they don’t know how many alcohol units they’re consuming.

DRUGS – UK
Government Of Canada Reaches Out To First Nations And Inuit Communities As Part Of Anti-Drug Strategy – Medical News Today

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced federal funding of $30.5 million over five years, under the National Anti-Drug Strategy, to bolster services across Canada that will help First Nations and Inuit who suffer from drug addictions.

DRUGS – UK
Use Of Drink And Drugs By Young People For Better Sex – Medical News Today
Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. Findings published in BioMed Central’s open access journal, BMC Public Health, reveal that a third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
High-alcohol drinks going – The New Zealand Herald

Two major liquor companies say they will have their highest-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages off liquor store shelves by the end of the year.

ALCOHOL – UK
Quit alcohol to reduce mouth cancer risk – Dentistry

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is calling for a reduction in the current daily alcohol intake safety guidelines.

ALCOHOL – UK
Two glasses of wine a day risks mouth cancer – Telegraph

Two glasses of wine a day can increase the risk of mouth cancer by up to 75 per cent, scientists warned. The research also showed two units of alcohol daily raises the risk of breast cancer by 22 per cent.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Teens turning to alcohol, drugs ‘for sexual high’ – NDTV News

More and more teenagers in Europe are turning to alcohol and drugs to improve their sex lives, a new study has revealed.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol retailers get schooled in the art of prevention – Simi Valley Acorn

Local business owners and managers gathered in Simi Valley Town Center’s community room on Tuesday to learn the ABCs of responsible alcohol sales.

COCAINE – UK
Teen sex and drugs ‘epidemic’ – ITV

Young people are using alcohol and drugs to increase their chances of getting sex, a study has found.

COCAINE – UK
Half city’s youth ‘take cocaine’ – BBC News

More than 50% of young people in Liverpool admit to having taken cocaine, a new report claims.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Overdose Deaths In Utah Higher Than Auto Deaths – KUTV News

Prescription drug overdoses cause more deaths in Utah than do automobile accidents. The death toll continues to rise every year and now the Department of Health wants to launch a new campaign to prevent more deaths.

METH – USA
May is Meth Prevention Month – ZWire

Partners for Meth Prevention was formed in 2004 when two separate coalitions working on ways to prevent meth use and abuse joined forces. Initially comprised of eight nonprofit organizations from Pottawattamie County and Council Bluffs, the group has grown to 33 organizations in both Iowa and Nebraska.

METH – CANADA
Youngsters learn about dangers of crystal meth – Nanaimo Daily News

Mark and Ruth McLaughlin have toured the province for several years, talking to more than 25,000 students about the devastation caused by crystal methamphetamine.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Police say painkillers at middle school were stolen from medicine cabinet – NBC News

Hydrocodone is a prescription-strength painkiller that can be addictive. Police believe one of the students stole the drugs from his parents’ medicine cabinet.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Calls for binge warnings on alcohol packaging – ABC Online

The Public Health Association (PHA) says warnings about the dangers of binge drinking should be pasted on all forms of packaged alcoholic drinks.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Alcohol in India at a new high – The Hindu

India is one of the largest producers of alcohol in the world and there has been a steady increase in its production over the last 15 years, according to new statistics.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Health officials should take lead in battling drug abuse – Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

ONE of the easiest ways for young people in Fairfield County to get high isn’t by going to a drug dealer. It is right in their own home - their parent’s medicine cabinets. It also comes from their friend’s parents and grandparent’s cabinets. It is through stealing prescription drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Brewers Urged to Stop Marketing Beer Shirts to Young Girls – Join Together

The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urged Miller Brewing Co., Foster’s, and Diageo, the parent company of Guinness, to stop allowing logos for those beers to be used on tee shirts sold at Forever 21, a retailer popular with teenage girls.

ADDICTION – CANADA
Rehab doc is ’sick and tired’ of media fascination with bad celeb behaviour – The Canadian Press

The California-based addiction medicine specialist hopes to show the pain and devastating cost behind the endless party life with “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew,” a VH1 reality series which recently premiered in Canada on MuchMoreMusic.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
State hopes to reduce unintentional prescription drug overdoses – Desert News

One of hundreds of deaths attributed to unintentional prescription drug overdose. Unintentional over-the-counter and prescription overdoses killed more Utahns that year than motor vehicle crashes.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine – Signs of Addiction – Trans World News
Methamphetamine usually looks like white or off-colored shards of glass, usually stored in small baggies. It can appear in pill form, powder, or chunks, but it is definitely crystalline in nature, as opposed to cocaine, which is powdery.

METH – UK
Speedy decline – Economist

A FEW years ago Pierce county, in Washington state, was in the grip of a methamphetamine epidemic. Toothless addicts roamed quiet rural roads, stealing everything that was not nailed down, as well as a few things (such as a garage) that were.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Painkillers Replacing Heroin on Canadian Streets – Join Together

A new study finds that Canadian heroin addicts may be switching to prescription opiates like OxyContin, the National Post reported April 30.

ADDERALL – USA
Studying for finals becomes risky business – SMU Daily Campus

Some college students do frequently use prescribed drugs to help them study. Over the past few years, studies have shown that “study drugs” like Adderall and Ritalin have caught on at many campuses. Experts say, however, that the alleged immediate effects may not be as beneficial for acing tests as students think.

RITALIN – USA
Some Parents Go to New Low to Get New High – WRDW News

There are some new drug dealers in town, and they’re pushing pills. The dealers are kids, and they don’t even know what they’re doing. In fact, they have no idea Mom and Dad are their only customers. It seems their parents are going to a new low to get a new high.