Drug News

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.

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.

Rohypnol – Colorado
Reports of Blackouts Believed Caused by ‘Date Rape’ Drugs Boom in Aspen – abc NEWS

A young man who awoke disoriented in a movie theater showing “Avatar” 10 miles from where he had been drinking with friends is one of at least 11 people from the tony ski town of Aspen, Colo., who claimed that someone surreptitiously slipped drugs into their drinks, police say.

Drug & Alcohol Addiction Prevention – Massachusetts
Kitty Dukakis joins panel addressing students about drug abuse – boston.com

Fifty six years after she graduated from Brookline High School, former Massachusetts First Lady Kitty Dukakis returned Thursday to discuss her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction before an audience of current students and parents.

Teen Drug & Alcohol Abuse – North Carolina
Teen drug & alcohol abuse up in NC; first time in decade – WWAY NewsChannel 3

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America/MetLife Foundation Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows the first reversal in the consistent decline of teen drug and alcohol abuse since 1998.

Cocaine – Rhode Island
3 Providence, RI, police officers arrested on drug charges, along with 3 other men – Associated Press

SCITUATE, R.I. (AP) — Three Providence police officers, including a narcotics detective and a school resource officer, were arrested Thursday on charges that they helped with a cocaine-dealing operation.

Drunk Driving – New Jersey
Mount Olive Municipal Court: Quadruple drunk limit for driver – Mount Olive Chronicle

MOUNT OLIVE TWP. – In-patient rehab, jail time, more than $1,000 in fines and a 10 year license suspension were the penalties for a Woodbridge man who admitted in court on Monday, Feb. 22, that he drove while four times over the limit for legal intoxication.

Drunken Gambling Lawsuit – Indiana
Ky. gambler sues casino for drunken losses – UPI.com

PAOLI, Ind., March 4 (UPI) — A Kentucky businessman has filed a lawsuit against an Indiana casino for loaning him $75,000 — which he lost — while he was drunk, court records showed.

Cocaine – UK
The Big Question: Is Britain’s cocaine problem out of control, and what can we do about it? – The Independent

A report released by the Home Affairs Select Committee suggests that cocaine is now seen as socially acceptable in Britain and that while much is being done to tackle the supply side of the cocaine industry not enough is being done to address the spiraling demand. The report by MPs came a day after a separate NHS report identified a worrying increase in hospital admissions relating to cocaine use among teenagers.

Drunk Driving – Michigan
Grand Junction woman was drunk and texting while driving, police say – Kalamazoo News

WAVERLY TOWNSHIP — A 19-year-old Grand Junction woman was drunk and texting on her cell phone when she crashed her car early Wednesday in Van Buren County, police said.

Drug Overdoses – Pennsylvania
In Camden, overdose victims add to a string of recent deaths – philly.com

THE EVIDENCE of a troubled neighborhood was scattered all over an empty lot on Berkley Street, in Camden, yesterday morning, even after police removed the body of a female who overdosed there.

Prescription Drug Addiction – USA
Burt Reynolds recovering after open-heart surgery – Thaindian News

… Reynolds, 74, had also recently completed a month-long stint in rehab, in which he sought treatment for an addiction to prescription drugs.

Heroin – Utah
Alpine Council: ‘In our neighborhood, it is heroin’ – Daily Herald

Are your kids skipping Sunday School to do heroin?

Ecstasy – Kansas
Texas man detained with 436,000 Ecstasy pills – Thaindian News

WICHITA, KANSAS (BNO NEWS) – A Texas man was charged for possessing with intent to distribute Ecstasy pills, prosecutors said Thursday.

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.

Imitation Marijuana – USA
Cops: Imitation pot as bad as the real thing – The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - There may be nothing like the real thing, but some industrious marijuana users have seized on an obscure but easily accessible substance that mimics the drug’s effects on the brain - creating a popular trade in legal dope that has stymied law enforcement authorities.

Prescription Drug Addiction – USA
Lindsay Lohan Needs Three Months Of Rehab, Says Her Dad – RADARonline.com

“I’ve been trying to get into court with the judge for a long time,” Lohan told RadarOnline.com. “The last time she was in court the judge should have drug tested her. If she had, I know Lindsay would have come up dirty and she would have been thrown into rehab.”

Tax Increase For Substance Abuse Programs – USA
Beer tax increase discussed in House – The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Beer drinkers in West Virginia could pay 3 cents more per bottle or can under a House of Delegates proposal that seeks to raise money for substance-abuse programs.

Drug Trafficking – Colombia
Colombian navy destroys submarine meant for carrying drugs – Thaindian News

Bogota, Feb 18 (IANS/EFE) The Colombian navy found and destroyed a semi-submersible vessel with the capacity to carry between eight and 10 tons of cocaine in the province of Narino, but no arrests were made, a senior official said. The vessel was found in the town of Mosquera, near the Pacific, hidden in dense vegetation, Pacific Joint Command chief Gen. Justo Eliseo Pena told EFE.

Drunk Driving – Global News
Drunk Young Women Involved in Fatal Car Crashes in US on the Rise – MeDIndia

The number of young women driving under the influence of alcohol and involved in fatal car crashes is increasing, indicates research published in Injury Prevention.

Alcohol Fueled Violence – USA
Linda Newstrom: Mom Charged With Assaulting Son With Baseball Bat – The Huffington Post

CHARLEROI, Pa. — A southwestern Pennsylvania woman was charged with hitting her adult son with a Louisville Slugger after she allegedly came home drunk. Linda Newstrom, 49, faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 25 on simple assault and other crimes in Valentine’s Day incident.

Drug Trafficking By USPS – USA
3 men arrested in New Hanover County drug bust – WECT News

NEW HANOVER, NC (WECT) - New Hanover County’s Narcotics Unit has arrested three men and charged them with numerous counts of drug trafficking by mail.

Drug Paraphernalia – Information
Drug Paraphernalia Photo Gallery – About.com

These pictures can help identify various paraphernalia associated with illicit drug use. If you suspect someone is using drugs, finding any of these items could signal a problem.

Marijuana – USA
An Illinois man sentenced for marijuana trafficking in Nebraska – Thaindian News

OMAHA, NEBRASKA (BNO NEWS) – A Oak Lawn, Illinois man was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana, prosecutors said.

Drunk Driving – USA
Attorney in crash case accused of fraud – UPI.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) — An attorney representing a man accused of killing three Florida kids in a drunk-driving crash alleges another lawyer asked him to alter the facts of the case.

Meth – USA
Active meth lab found at Oshtemo Township Red Roof Inn – Kalamazoo News

OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP — A 37-year-old Kalamazoo man was arrested Tuesday night at a Red Roof Inn after sheriff’s deputies found an active methamphetamine lab in his room, police said.

Cocaine – USA
Newington, CT cocaine trafficker sentenced to five years in prison – Thaindian News

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT (BNO NEWS) – A man of Newington, Connecticut was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in a federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine to a Hartford trafficking ring, prosecutors announced.

Alcohol Rehab – USA
Three graduate from first DUI Court – DailyInterLake.com

The first graduates of Kalispell’s DUI Court celebrated an end to their yearlong program and a new outlook on life during a ceremony Monday night.

Meth Arrest – USA
Pa. suspect’s fatal leap after drug arrest probed – timesleader.com

Authorities in western Pennsylvania are investigating the death of an Ohio woman who jumped 35 feet into a hospital parking lot as she was being escorted to jail after a drug arrest.

Drug Trafficking – Venezuela
Venezuela seizes 28 airplanes presumably used by drug traffickers – StarTribune.com

CARACAS, Venezuela - Authorities have discovered 28 airplanes in central Venezuela that were presumably being used by drug traffickers.

Prescription Drug Abuse – USA
Danger signs of prescription drug abuse in the elderly – examiner.com

It is estimated that about one-third of all drugs prescribed in the United States are intended for patients who are 65 or older.  Although drug abuse has never been seen as a problem involving seniors, recent studies have alerted doctors and pharmacists to the potential for drug abuse among the elderly.

Cocaine – Canada
$10 million worth of cocaine seized in Canada – Thaindian News

Ottawa, Feb 14 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Canadian officials have seized a container that had around $10 million worth of cocaine. An innocent looking container was shipped to Halifax, and when it was X-Rayed then it was found that it had over 440 pounds of cocaine.

Drug War – Latin America
Latin America rejects old US approach in drugs war – Stabroek News

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – As an increasingly violent and costly drugs war clogs up prisons with small-time users,  some Latin American countries are abandoning hardline U.S. policies on consumption to intensify the fight against major  traffickers.

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.