Drug News

DRUGS – USA
U.S. has highest rates of cocaine, marijuana use – USA Today

The United States has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. It also has some of the highest rates of drug use, according to a new World Health Organization report.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
NZ ranks second in cannabis, cocaine use survey – Otago Daily Times
New Zealand ranks second only to the United States in a scientific survey of illegal cocaine and cannabis use in 17 countries.

CANNABIS – INDIA
Cannabis abuse common in Indian call centres – IT Examiner

While the use of drugs such as cannabis is illegal in India, and carries a possible prison sentence, joints are still rolled every night in the high tech villages.

PAINKILLER – USA
Drug Makers Say Safety Focus Is Slowing New Medicines: Report – Therapeutics Daily
Nearly four years after Merck & Co. yanked the painkiller Vioxx off the market, beleaguered pharmaceutical-industry executives say they are facing a tough new regulatory climate that is altering the landscape of drug development.

ALCOHOL – UK
Broad Differences In Alcohol, Tobacco And Illegal Drug Use Across Countries – Medical News Today

A survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) research consortium found that the United States had among the highest lifetime rates of tobacco and alcohol use and led in the proportion of participants reporting cannabis (marijuana) or cocaine use at least once during their lifetime.

DRUGS – UK
InterventionTreatment.com Launches Suboxone Treatment Program – Medical News Today

The program will be used to increase Intervention Treatment’s Global mission of providing Intervention and Treatment resources to those affected by alcohol and drug addiction.

DRUGS – USA
U.S. is Tops in Cocaine, Marijuana Use – The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. may lag other countries in measures such as education and health, but we’re out in front on cocaine and marijuana use.

DRUGS – EUROPE
Young People and Drugs among 15-24 years old – European Commission

Analytical report May 2008. 102-page PDF

MARIJUANA – USA
New Report Finds Highest-Ever Levels of THC in U.S. Marijuana – ONDCP

Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released the latest analysis from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project, which revealed that levels of THC - the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana - have reached the highest-ever.

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.

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

DRUGS – UK
Shock Cost Of Drug Addiction – Daily Record

THE cost of Scotland’s drug addicts is alarming, incredible and disgraceful at the same time. Every addict costs the country £50,000 a year. That amounts to £2.6billion - almost 10 per cent of the Scottish government’s annual £30billion budget.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol ban comes into force – This is Hertfordshire

Boris Johnson’s alcohol ban on the capital’s Tubes and buses will come into force this weekend. Drinking from and carrying open containers of alcohol will be prohibited from Sunday.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol ban plan to cut problems – BBC News

Drinkers who cause trouble in Pitlochry could find themselves banned from buying alcohol practically everywhere in the town.

ALCOHOL – USA
Driving home the dangerous mix of teens and alcohol – Foster’s Daily Democrat

The forum was co-sponsored by the Portsmouth School Department and Police Department in response to the recently released Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the ever-increasing number of arrests for underage drinking and parties.

ADDICTION – CANADA
An irrational and stupid drug policy – Ottawa Citizen

The government’s handling of drug policy is so ignorant and foolish it is a challenge to explain why in a newspaper column. To expound on stupidity of this magnitude requires a very long book.

DRUGS – UK
National Institute On Drug Abuse To Highlight Latest Drug Abuse Research At Cincinnati Conference – Medical News Today

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, will convene a 2-day conference to explore how the latest scientific findings in drug abuse can fill the current gap between research and clinical treatment practices.

METH – USA
Burnt by Ice – The Star

Crystal methamphetamin is currectly a popular drug among youths. WHEN May had her first puff of Ice, she never thought that she would be addicted to the substance, which looks exactly like table salt.

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.

METH – USA
NEVADA YOUTH: Student meth use declines – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada high school and middle school students in growing numbers are laying off methamphetamine, marijuana and other drugs, a new survey suggests.

COCAINE – UK
Pictured: The face of modern cocaine Britain – Daily Mail

While it appears to be a staple part of the celebrity lifestyle for many pop-stars and models, it is still something you don’t expect to see in public.

COCAINE – UK
Colombian drug cartels blamed for the destruction of rainforest – Telegraph

Drug cultivation is the biggest cause of deforestation in Colombia with 741,000 acres of rainforest cleared every year, the country’s vice-president has said.

ALCOHOL – UK
Women Alcoholics Set To Match Men, UK – Medical News Today

Leading alcohol treatment organisation, The Linwood Group, believes the number of women accessing rehab will soon equal men.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
High youth drug, alcohol use – survey – The Irish Times

A survey of hundreds of teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years old from the south and south east found more than 50 per cent frequently drank heavily with a similar number regularly using drugs.

ALCOHOL – UK
Action urged to cut big rise in heavy drinking – Guardian

Tougher measures to discourage people from damaging their health through alcohol abuse were called for yesterday as official statistics showed that the number of hospital admissions caused by heavy drinking has more than doubled since 1995.

ALCOHOL – UK
Record numbers are treated in hospital for alcohol problems – Independent
Almost 5,000 young people under 18, received emergency treatment for alcohol abuse last year as hospitals admitted record numbers of patients with drink-related problems.
ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol fuelled admissions to hospital double in a decade – Telegraph

The number of people admitted to hospital because of their drinking has doubled in just over a decade to reach more than 200,000, new figures show.

DRUGS – USA
Chronic Illnesses Kill More than Infectious Diseases, WHO Says – Join Together

Infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis once killed the most people worldwide, but now non-communicable diseases — including some related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use — are the world’s biggest killers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

DRUGS – UK
Call For More Education On Sports Drug Abuse – Medical News Today

A Clinical Biochemist called for more education about anabolic steroid drug abuse at a conference in Birmingham (UK). Speaking at the annual conference of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry, Dr Michael Wheeler spoke out about the unknown side effects of drug abuse in sport.

METH – UK
Meth Production Threatens Children’s Safety, New Book – Medical News Today

It’s been said that drug use is a “victimless crime,” but for methamphetamine addicts, it’s certainly not true-especially for those with children in their homes.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine use on the rise in Britain – United Press International

As cocaine use has increased in Britain in the past eight years, four times as many people are hospitalized for health problems linked to the drug, experts say.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drinkers ‘ignorant’ about alcohol – BBC News

Three-quarters of drinkers do not know a typical glass of wine contains three units of alcohol, a survey for the Department of Health suggests.

ALCOHOL – UK
Poll finds alcohol ignorance – TeleText

A campaign has been launched to make people more aware of how much they are drinking after a poll found widespread ignorance over units of alcohol.

ALCOHOL – UK
Majority of people ‘clueless’ about alcohol units – In The News

Despite most people claiming to know what a unit of alcohol is, there is widespread ignorance about how many units are in a typical drink, a new survey has revealed.

PRESCRIPTION – INDIA
Medicated Drinking Water? – Prescription Drugs Found In American Water Supplies – The Med Guru

Think twice before you take the next sip of your presumably pure life source, for, it might not be as pure and you might be gulping down other people’s medications as you quench your thirst.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Responsible adults must guard against prescription abuse – Allentown Morning Call

It is cheaper for the teenage thrill- or drug-seekers to steal prescription drugs from parents, teachers, or neighbors than to use a drug dealer. Since they are stupid enough to take prescription drugs, as responsible adults we should try to keep prescription drugs away from them. So, all responsible adults should try:

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Deaths Up, Meth Deaths Down in Oregon – KEPR TV News

Action News first brought you the story of Umatilla County’s new drug trend. People are moving away from meth, and on to cocaine and heroin. According to a new report released by the Oregon State Police, meth deaths are down, but heroin deaths are up.

HEROIN – USA
New danger: Popularity of heroin growing with kids and easy to get – Times Herald Record

Heroin, which once conjured up images of wasted, strung-out junkies, is back. Our friends, relatives and neighbors in their teens and early 20s are snorting it.

DRUGS – USA
No Place to Hide: Drug Abuse in America – Trans World News

If you have been following this series of articles, you have learned how opium and its derivatives morphine and heroin made their way into America’s channels of commerce. In time, each substance acquired an expanding customer base, anchored by the addictiveness of the drug. In the Twentieth Century, the popularity of cocaine in its various forms would prove to reach much deeper and farther than any drug to date.

MARIJUANA – THAILAND
Using marijuana to battle the blues only worsens teens depression – Thaindian
Teens who use Marijuana to alleviate feelings of depression could make their situation worse as it leads to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide, according to a new report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana Ups Heart Attack, Stroke Risk – Heart Zine

A study by US government researchers suggests that people who abuse marijuana might be putting themselves at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. This happens because the drug increases the blood levels of a particular protein.

DRUGS – USA
COURTS: Another option – Lockport Union-Sun and Journal

It was just the beginning of a three-hour session of Lockport’s Drug Court Treatment Program, a specialized court designed to handle criminal cases involving offenders struggling with substance abuse.

METH – USA
Murray marches against meth – The Daily Citizen

They came by foot, stroller, skateboard, push scooter, golf cart, motorcycle and car. They came to the steps of the Murray County Courthouse early Saturday morning in support of one cause: Eradicating methamphetamine from their community.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin dealing on the rise in Northern Shenandoah – Northern Virginia Daily

Heroin has found a home in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. In fact, some local authorities say heroin may even trump the problems posed by other illegal drugs such as cocaine, crack and meth.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drug body chief hails tax on alcopops – The Sydney Morning Herald

A FORMER senior federal Liberal minister who heads a national drug body has welcomed the Federal Government’s tax rise on alcopops.

ALCOHOL – USA
Help Make It A Safe Summer: Don’t Serve Alcohol To Teens – Health News Digest

A national campaign to reduce underage drinking is helping the nation understand that serving alcohol to teens is unsafe, illegal and irresponsible.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More Americans Than Ever Taking Prescription Drugs – db Techno

According to a new report, more Americans than ever are using prescription drugs on a regular basis.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Majority Of Americans Are On Prescription Drugs – Chattah Box

A new report has shown that the majority of Americans are using prescription drugs on a regular basis, a habit which many experts believe must be changed.

MARIJUANA – USA
PRO-CON: Should states ban marijuana-flavored candies? Yes. – Kansas City Star

The term “gateway drug” is used to describe certain lower classed drugs that some believe can lead users to harder, more dangerous drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Drug-test every worker, says police chief – The Scotsman

DRUG-TESTING should be introduced throughout Scotland’s workplaces and universities, a senior police officer has suggested.

MARIJUANA – USA
Teen Marijuana use Worsens Depression – White House Drug Policy

An Analysis of Recent Data Shows “Self-Medicating” Could Actually Make Things Worse.

MARIJUANA – USA
Substance Use And Misuse: Middle Class Relaxing With Marijuana – Medical News Today

A variety of middle-class people are making a conscious but careful choice to use marijuana to enhance their leisure activities, a University of Alberta study shows.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription take-back set for Saturday in Ardmore – KXII News

If you live in Ardmore, and you take medications, there’s a new way to get rid of the medicines you don’t need.

MARIJUANA – CANADA
Marijuana popular among educated, middle-class: study – Canada.com

“People are finally starting to recognize that judges and lawyers and cops and doctors and other people who hold responsible jobs in society like to have a reefer,” says Mulgrew, an award-winning writer from Vancouver.

COCAINE – USA
Dangerous Addictions: Cocaine – Channels Online

Coke, blow, snow-the fun nicknames may help cocaine pass as a party drug, along with its ability to produce feelings of euphoria, sociability, alertness, and omnipotence in users. However, its dangers loom as strongly as ever, and its addictive quality is undeniable.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Booze-fuelled violence doubles in decade – The Sydney Morning Herald

NSW authorities have defended their efforts to tackle drunken crime after a report showed the number of booze-fuelled attacks had doubled in under a decade.

ALCOHOL – USA
One in six drivers drink sometimes: report – Reuters

About 15 percent of U.S. adults have driven under the influence of alcohol in the past year and in some states as many as 25 percent did, according to a government study released on Wednesday.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
New laws will clamp down on sale and advertising of alcohol – Irish Independent

The Government will launch a double-whammy assault on the alcohol industry this week with a clampdown on sales and advertising of drink.

METH – USA
State needs long-term meth solution – Tucson Citizen

In an effort to educate Arizona residents about the horrible impact meth has on people, lives and our community, a 30- minute documentary, “Crystal Darkness,” was shown on virtually every television station across our state April 15.

DRUGS – UK
Rat Study Suggests Why Teens Get Hooked On Cocaine More Easily Than Adults, And Find It Harder To Quit – Medical News Today

New drug research suggests that teens may get addicted and relapse more easily than adults because developing brains are more powerfully motivated by drug-related cues.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse – WTJA News

It’s a phenomenon that’s becoming more and more prevalent throughout the state - people turning to prescription medications for a quick fix.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis changed me from a happy confident teenager into a total wreck – Coventry Telegraph

CANNABIS use is soaring according to reports - and its popularity has been exaggerated by its reclassification as a ’soft’ drug.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert today on the safe and correct use of Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension in response to numerous reports of adverse events–including death–associated with the misuse and inappropriate use of this potent cough medication.

PAINKILLER – USA
UPDATE 3-US says UCB cough medicine overdose can kill – Reuters

U.S. health officials warned parents and doctors about Tussionex, the prescription cough medicine, saying it may have fatal side effects if used inappropriately.

DRUGS – USA
Among students, illicit prescription drug use rising – Michigan Daily

Abuse of prescription drugs has become a growing regularity among college students. A recent study conducted by University researchers found that about 20 percent of college students take prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.

METHADONE – USA
State sees jump in methadone poisoning deaths – Kennebec Journal

Poisoning deaths related to methadone have surged in recent years nationwide as well as in Maine, which had the country’s highest death rates from the drug in 2005.

METH – USA
Workshop to educate on meth abuse signs – WWMT News

Understanding the signs of meth abuse is the focus of a workshop in Calhoun County Tuesday.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs in Our Drinking Water: Cotinine and Other Drugs Found in Our Drinking Water – Associated Content

Drinking water is something that we taken for granted. We believe our water supply to be clean and free of things that could harm us. However, it looks like we have more to worry about now when it comes to the quality of our drinking water.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Tasmania welcomes steps tackling alcohol abuse in teens – ABC News

The Alcohol and other Drugs Council in Tasmania has welcomed the Federal Government’s initial efforts to tackle alcohol abuse among teenagers.

ALCOHOL – USA
Town hall meeting planned on youth alcohol abuse – Muskegon Chronicle

A communitywide effort to address the problem of youth alcohol abuse will be the focus of a town hall meeting 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Muskegon Community College.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs Found in Much of Nation’s Drinking Water – News Inferno

Drugs have tainted much of the drinking water in many American cities.  Antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers, sex hormones and many other pharmaceuticals have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans in 24 major metropolitan areas, according to an Associated Press (AP) investigation.