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.

CANNABIS – UK
Australian Medical Association Launches Publication On Health Risks Of Cannabis Use – Medical News Today

To coincide with Drug Action Week 2008, the Australian Medical Association today launched a brochure about the short and long-term effects of cannabis use.

OPIUM – KENYA
World losing battle against drug abuse: UN – Daily Nation

The world seems to be losing the battle against the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, a UN report has warned.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkiller Deemed Dangerous by Advocacy Group – HULIQ
Some painkillers may do more harm than good. Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, is pushing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban a prescription painkiller chemically known as propoxyphene, citing the dangerous risks it poses to consumers.

CANNABIS – UK
Teenage cannabis use revealed – Scotsman

MORE than a quarter of teenagers have tried cannabis by the age of 15, Government figures have found.

CANNABIS – PAKISTAN
Cannabis — a fast emerging health problem in Pakistan – The News International

In Pakistan, the youth comprises more than 20 per cent of the population but unfortunately it is the worst target of drug abuse, as almost five per cent of adult population in the country uses drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Heroin, marijuana use on rise – Glendale News Press

Heroin and marijuana are the most commonly used drugs in Glendale and are primarily being sold to teens, according to police.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol is making women fat – The Daily Telegraph
As women catch up with men in the drinking stakes, their waistlines are also catching up with the beer belly, according to health experts.
DRUGS – UK
Drug Treatment Programs Influenced By State Policies – Medical News Today

State policies have a significant impact on the services performed by substance abuse treatment programs, and could play a key role in efforts to expand the use of research-based “comprehensive” treatment approaches, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Abuse More Common In Insured Patients, Drug Abuse In Uninsured – Medical News Today
Fourteen percent of patients admitted to hospital have alcohol/drug abuse and addiction (ADAA) disorders, the costs for which have risen sharply in recent years, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

METH – USA
County’s Meth Task Force continuing efforts – Hudson Hub-Times

The Summit County Methamphetamine Property Awareness Task Force has agreed on a form to help coordinate the documentation of discovered meth labs on a county-wide level.

METH – USA
False positives are common in drug tests on new moms – Los Angeles Daily News

Hospitals’ initial urine- screening drug tests on pregnant women can produce a high rate of false positives - particularly for methamphetamine and opiates - because they are technically complex and interpretation of the results can be difficult, some experts say.

ALCOHOL – USA
Anheuser-Busch ends sales of alcoholic energy drinks – Central Valley Business Times

Anheuser-Busch Inc. is ending sales of its alcoholic energy drinks, including Tilt and Bud Extra, and says it will not produce any caffeinated alcohol beverages in the future.

DRUGS – UK
The 26th Of June International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking – Medical News Today

The 26th of June International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was established by the United Nations in 1987. In its 2006 edition, the UNODC launched an anti-drugs campaign entitled “Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs.”

OPIUM – UK
Opium, cocaine threaten Africa and Europe - UNODC – Summary – Earth Times

The surge in opium and cocaine cultivation last year has negative effects on the drug control situation in Africa and Europe, the head of the UN drug agency said

CANNABIS – UK
28% of pupils admit trying cannabis – The Press Association

More than a quarter of teenagers have tried cannabis by the age of 15, Government figures show. Nearly a fifth of 13-year-olds have been in a fight, while 12% admit to having shoplifted, the study said.

ALCOHOL – USA
Anheuser-Busch will stop alcoholic ‘energy’ drinks – CNN News

Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. will reformulate its alcoholic energy drinks to remove caffeine and other stimulants they contain as part of a nationwide legal settlement.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Pill Deaths Continue – Tampa Tribune

Three times more Floridians died from prescription pill abuse last year than from a fatal overdose of an illegal drug.

METH – USA
Free home meth test kits at Superday – Wyoming Tribune
Up to 250 testing kits will be provided free at Superday to tenants or property owners concerned about prior methamphetamine use or laboratories in their residence.

ALCOHOL – KENYA
Revealed: Students drowning in alcohol – Daily Nation

The devastating effects of alcohol and drugs on young people in Kenya can be laid bare today.

ALCOHOL – KENYA
Industry invests millions to curb alcohol abuse – Daily Nation

It was not until four years ago that the country’s alcoholic beverage manufacturers stepped up efforts to encourage responsible drinking.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Alcohol linked to brain damage – Times of India

You might not just realize this while downing a mug of chilled beer on a summer afternoon, but a new study has revealed that too much alcohol can cause permanent damage to brain.

PAINKILLER – USA
Group Sues FDA in Effort to Ban Painkiller – Washington Post

A prescription painkiller sold under names including Darvon and Darvocet is too risky to stay on the market, a consumer advocacy group argued in suing the Food and Drug Administration.

ALCOHOL – USA
NIAAA Publishes Guidelines on Physician Alcohol Interventions – Join Together

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published new advice for physicians interested in “Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much.”

HEROIN – USA
Oregon fears heroin is tempting more kids – The Oregonain

In the wake of Oregon’s crackdown on methamphetamine, police say, heroin has become a cheaper, more plentiful alternative, especially for kids tempted to venture beyond marijuana and alcohol.

PAINKILLER – USA
Public Citizen Sues FDA for Failure to Act on Darvon – Consumer Affairs

Public Citizen sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today for failing to act on its petition to withdraw Darvon, Darvocet and all drugs containing propoxyphene gradually from the market as is now required in the United Kingdom.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA sued over failure to ban painkiller – Fierce Healthcare

A consumer group has sued the FDA over its failure to remove a prescription painkiller from the market, arguing that it’s too dangerous to stay on the market.

DRUGS – UK
Teens Who Abuse Alcohol Or Drugs Are More Likely To Die Young, Pitt Study Finds – Medical News Today

Teens who abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to die in early adulthood, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh.

METH – USA
Be On The Lookout for Meth Contaminated Propane Tanks – KIMT News

Propane tanks are not just for grilling but some are using the tanks to make meth. With meth labs on the rise in our area be on the lookout for corroded propane tanks.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey Finds Wales Has Huge Underage Drinking Problem – Join Together

A new health survey conducted in 40 countries finds that Welsh children were the most likely to have been drunk multiple times before reaching the age of 13.

ALCOHOL – UK
Booze plans enough to drive you to drink – Scotsman

IF ever there was an example of why the SNP would make Scotland a confused, sad, mad and bad place to live, it must be its toxic brew of seemingly-attractive authoritarian ideas to change the drinking habits of Scotland’s youth.

ALCOHOL – UK
Shocking adverts in blitz on binge drinking – Times Online

The Home Office is out to quench students’ thirsts for alcohol with a multi-million pound, multi-media campaign, designed to shock.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Binge rules could drive you to drink – The New Zealand Herald

A report published this month in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health found that the number of women aged 18 to 24 who had to go to hospital after binge drinking had more than doubled in less than a decade.
PAINKILLER – USA
Group sues FDA for inaction over its petition to ban risky painkiller – Food Consumer

A prominent consumer group Thursday filed lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration over the agency’s delay in response to its early petition to pull a prescription painkiller off from the marker.

ADDICTION – USA
Catching addiction before it starts: The five stages of drug use – Delta County Independent

Every minute of every day, around the clock, five people try an illicit drug for the first time. That adds up to nearly three million people per year. Tragically, more than half of these initiates are under 18.

ADDERALL – USA
Doctors may soon prescribe addictive drugs online – Forbes

The concern is that patients are more likely to abuse these treatments, and their prescriptions should be monitored more closely.

ALCOHOL – UK
‘Hazardous Drinking’ May Be A New ‘Check Stop’ On The Way To Alcohol Dependence – Medical News Today

Current diagnostic guides divide alcohol-use disorders into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Are You Taking Too Many Medications? – Forbes
The next time you take a peek in your friend’s or neighbor’s medicine cabinet, don’t be surprised if it’s a little crowded.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Heroin, cocaine seizures soar at Australia’s borders – The Age

Heroin seizures at Australia’s borders rose to a record high last financial year, while detections of cocaine also soared, new figures show.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
Illicit drugs: get it in the mail – The Sydney Morning Herald

Drug traffickers are increasingly using the mail system to post illicit drugs to Australia, as the number of heroin detections at the border reached the highest on record, a national crime report shows.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
South Florida leads the state in prescription drug deaths – Sun-Sentinel

Prescription drug overdose deaths skyrocketed in South Florida last year, surpassing increases in the state overall.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Pharmaceuticals Kill More Than Street Drugs – News 4 JAX

A report released Thursday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Medical Examiner’s Commission revealed that common prescription drugs were responsible for more deaths in 2007 than common illegal drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs bigger killers than illegal drugs – WWSB TV News
A report says that deaths caused by prescription drugs were three times as high as those caused by illegal drugs in Florida last year.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse placed on joint agenda – Los Altos Town Crier

What should be on the agenda, and why, precipitated a feisty back and forth between council and school board members last month.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse costs each Cdn. $463 annually, study finds – Canada.com

Alcohol abuse costs each Canadian an estimated $463 annually, according to a study by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

MORPHINE – USA
Ethex recalls morphine tablets – Prescribing Reference

Ethex has voluntarily recalled a single lot of morphine sulfate 60mg extended-release tablets due to a report of a tablet with double-thickness which may contain twice the level of active ingredient.

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana potency increases in 2007 – The Associated Press

Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House.

ADDICTION – USA
Pivotal Breakthrough Made In Alcohol Addiction Treatment – Science Daily

Alcoholism is a devastating disease in part because of the ’symptom’ of heavy drinking but more so due to the extensive harm it causes physical organs, such as the heart and liver.

ALCOHOL – USA
Early Drinking and Adult Alcohol Dependence Increases Among Americans – Join Together

A study of individuals born between 1934 and 1983 found that more Americans began drinking alcohol at an early age over the decades, especially women, and that those who did drink at a younger age were more likely to be alcohol-dependent as adults.

ADDICTION – USA
Energy Drink Consumption Predicts Risky Teen Behavior – Join Together

Recent research suggests that teens and young adults who consume energy drinks may be at greater risk of a number of high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, alcohol and other drug problems, and violence.

ALCOHOL – UK
Call for Establishing ‘World No Alcohol Day’ – Join Together

World No Tobacco Day has become an established rallying point for global tobacco prevention efforts, and now advocates would like to see a similar annual event aimed at alcohol use.

HEROIN – SPAIN
Heroin deaths increase – Euro Weekly News

LAST YEAR 90 people died from heroin overdoses in Barcelona and this latest figure reveals a worrying trend that heroin use is on the increase in this region as well.

METH – USA
Meth still a problem in Shawnee County – KTKA

Lithium batteries, coffee filters, starter fluid, paint thinner, cold medicine; these are almost all the things a person would need to make methamphetamine. You can pick them up in less than 30 minutes at Wal-mart for less than $30. Deputies say, that’s the trouble with meth. A little money brings a big high.

PAINKILLER – UK
Are we all addicted to painkillers? – Times Online

Step into any newsagents, petrol station or chemists and you face a sophisticated blizzard of marketing from a £500million-plus industry, pushing a fast-moving consumer product in distinctly lifestyle-friendly ways. The fact that many bestselling brands of this product - painkillers - are potentially habit forming and addictive is often forgotten in our consumer culture. Should we be worried? Well, the Australian Government certainly is, and British MPs are mulling the issue too.

METH- USA
Parents, kids learn about meth abuse – News Review Today

It only took a matter of seconds for 4-year-old Reggie to find the hidden methamphetamine and marijuana.

METH – USA
Employers learn how to watch for signs of meth, Drug use affects workers; getting help is recommended – Casa Grande Valley Newspapers

For the past three years, the National Drug Intelligence Center has identified methamphetamine as the primary drug threat in Arizona. In Pinal County, the percentage of high school students using the drug is twice as high as among students across the state.

DRUGS – USA
Signs of Drug Abuse – Trans World News

In continuing with the campaign to “Take Back Our Families and Communities From Drugs”, Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia released more tips today for those who think they have a drug abuser in their midst, but are not sure.

DRUGS – USA
Got unused medication? Bring it to Broward sheriff’s deputies today – Sun-Sentinel

If a teen is thinking about trying drugs for the first time, chances are he or she willhead straight for a parent’s medicine cabinet.

METH – USA
P a problem the Govt is taking seriously – Scoop

The Government takes the scourge of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine (or P) extremely seriously, Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton said today.

ALCOHOL – UK
WHO to Launch Campaign Against Harmful Drinking – Join Together

Saying that the “harmful use of alcohol causes serious public-health problems,” the World Health Organization (WHO) says it will devise an international plan to address issues like binge drinking and alcohol marketing.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol-Related Hospital Admissions Double in U.K. – Join Together

Twice as many people were admitted to hospitals in the U.K. with alcohol-related problems in 2006-07 than a decade earlier, according to new government research.

DRUGS – USA
Focus on recovery for Scottish drug addicts – Scotsman

SCOTLAND’S new drug strategy will focus on helping addicts into recovery rather than treatment programmes.

DRUGS – USA
Addicts turn to prescription drugs for fix – KTEN News

Police in Enid say they’re seeing an increase in drug addicts using prescription drugs. Police say prescription narcotics are the easiest drugs to get because abusers complain of symptoms that are hard to diagnose but are treated with pain medicines.

ALCOHOL – USA
Ways to calculate blood alcohol content – News Day

It’s tough to know for sure, but drivers do have tools to help determine if they’ve had too much to drink before they get behind the wheel.

ALCOHOL – USA
Police chiefs call for war on drunks – The Sydney Morning Herald

DRUNK tanks, alcohol taxes and eliminating happy hours are among measures outlined by Australian police commissioners yesterday for a nationwide campaign to combat binge drinking and alcohol-related violence in bars, pubs and clubs.

ALCOHOL – USA
New ABC campaign aims to tackle alcohol misuse by seniors – WSLS News

In conjunction with May’s designation as Older Americans Month, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is distributing a new educational brochure, detailing the effects of alcohol on older adults, through ABC stores statewide.

ADDERALL – USA
Children Poisoning Themselves with Illegal Psychiatric Drugs – Huffington Post

No one knows how many of America’s high school age youngsters are taking prescribed psychiatric drugs, but an estimate of 10%-15% would not be far off, and for some ages groups and circumstances it will be far too low.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
More than 50 percent of UK Women consume Alcohol during Pregnancy – Health Jockey

According to a latest survey it has been found that the consumption of alcohol would have long term negative effects on the children. The research papers released by National Health Service have revealed that older mothers are prone to drinking alcohol compared to the younger ones.

ALCOHOL – FINLAND
Police Step Up Vigilance Of Alcohol Usage – YLE News

Police plan to keep a particularly sharp eye on alcohol usage this week. Their goal will be to prevent alcohol abuse among young people and to reduce consumption.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Nunatsiavut Government Takes Aim at Alcohol and Drugs – VOCM

The Nunatsiavut Government’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Committee will conduct a series of meetings this week, aimed at reducing the flow of alcohol and drugs into their communities.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol use is No. 1 contributing factor in boating fatalities – Lake County News

According to the most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, alcohol use is ranked No. 1 as a contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in the United States.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs need proper disposal – The Tennessean

William Sites of Nashville wanted to know what to do with prescription drugs remaining after his wife’s father passed away. He tried to donate them but couldn’t. He didn’t want to flush them down the toilet because that practice has been linked to trace amounts of drugs in drinking water.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Ads focus on children’s prescription drug deaths – East Valley Tribune

Tammy Pasanella sobbed as she stood in front of a wall of television cameras and reporters on Friday and recalled how her son, Chandler Valley Christian High School football player Danny Pasanella, slipped into a prescription drug addiction and, ultimately, death.

METH – USA
Dentist shows students effects of meth on mouths – Wenatchee World

Meth is a highly addictive drug that comes in several forms, including powder, crystal, rocks and tablets, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. It can be snorted, smoked, swallowed or injected. Long-term effects include paranoia, hallucinations, delusions and severe dental problems.

ALCOHOL – UK
Revealed: the TRUE scale of Scotland’s alcohol problem – The Sunday Herald

AS MUCH AS DRINKING TWICE ARE SCOTS PREVIOUSLY thought, the to be published tomorrow figures New can reveal. Herald Sunday underestimated how much seriously previous surveys that indicate alcohol we consume.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse focus of special summit – Pauls Valley Daily Democrat

Parents, students and community leaders from every walk of life showed up at the Bosa Community Center Wednesday night to address the issue of drug abuse.

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.