Drug News

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA issues dosage alert for Tamiflu prescriptions – News OK

The Food and Drug Administration is asking doctors and pharmacists to be alert for dosing errors with the oral version of the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
New Prescription Drug Research Shows Bad Reaction in Children – WTVY News

New research shows more than half a million children have bad reactions from prescription drugs. Children younger than age five are most commonly affected. Penicillin and other prescription antibiotics are among drugs causing the most problems.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Use Can Lead To Relapse – Trans World News

Narconon also has a unique method of handling substance abuse on two levels. First through a detoxification program that removes drug resides from the body and reduces physical drug cravings to tackle and physical aspect. Then, Narconon uses an approach that raises the ability of the individual by giving them life skills to help keep them off drugs permanently.

HEROIN – UK
Heroin use a ‘national crisis’ - drugs group – RTE

Heroin use is now a national crisis, according to a group that provides assistance to drug users and the homeless.

HEROIN – USA
Meth Abuse Down – Heroin On the Rise – CBS News

Heroin killed seven people in Jefferson County in 2007, but the drug is being blamed for sixteen deaths so far in 2009.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made a huge heroin bust earlier this year. Lt. Randy Christian says dealers are trafficking more heroin because of a nationwide clamp down on ephedrine, the raw material needed to make meth.

HEROIN – IRELAND
Heroin use a ‘national crisis’, says charity chief – Irish Times

HEROIN USE has become a national crisis, the chief executive of drug addiction and homelessness charity Merchants Quay Ireland has said.

COCAINE – USA
Tainted Cocaine Raises Health Risk Concerns – FOX News

At Minnesota Poison Control, they’re on the look out for a deadly side-effect you won’t find on any warning label. The problem is with powder and crack cocaine, laced with a drug called levamisole.

COCAINE – AUSTRALIA
Ice usage down, cocaine usage up: research – ABC News

New research has revealed there has been a dramatic fall in the number of people using the drug ice in Australia. But the drop has coincided with an increase in the use of cocaine. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre has today released its 2009 statistics on illegal drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Campaign targets military teens’ alcohol, drug use – The Associated Press

Concerned about drug and alcohol use among teens in military families, three organizations are undertaking an online educational campaign on Wednesday to encourage parents and children to talk about substance abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Interlocks Are Gaining Traction – New York Times

Earlier this month, in response to a Wheels post on the increase in arrests among women driving under the influence, one reader wrote that in Australia drunken driving is addressed much more aggressively than in the United States.

ALCOHOL – USA
Commentary: Drinking age of 21 saves lives – CNN News

The national policy that set a minimum legal drinking age of 21 is being questioned by a group of 135 college and university presidents through an effort called the Amethyst Initiative.

COCAINE – USA
Tainted Cocaine Draws Nationwide Health Alert – About-News and Issues

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a nationwide public health alert warning of “substantial levels” of cocaine laced with the veterinary anti-parasitic drug levamisole.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens Who Eat Infrequent Family Dinners Likelier to Drink, Smoke, Use Drugs – Join Together

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future.

DRUGS – USA
Text Messages Could Prevent Fatal Overdoses – Join Together

A drug-treatment program in the U.K. has set up a text-messaging system for drug users, who can receive texts on what to do in case of an overdose as well as tips on harm reduction.

ADDICTION – USA
Addicts March to Disprove Stereotype – KWCH News

Dozens of people gathered at Wichita’s Old Town Square to spread a message Tuesday evening, asking to “End the Stigma.” It was part of what organizers call a “Recovery Parade”. This was for anyone recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. About 50 people met at Miracles Inc., at 2nd and Wabash. Many brought signs to define them as something as other than a person in recovery – a mother, a wife, a tax payer.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Detox Protocol Gives New Hope – Trans World News

Novus Medical Detox Center has developed new protocols that have succeeded with patients who have failed to complete their detox at other medical detox centers.  These new protocols combine the use of medications with natural supplements and the use of intravenous treatments and allow a more comfortable detox than ever before.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sorority joins fight against alcohol poisoning – Stillwater News Press

One Oklahoma State University sorority is joining people from 134 other universities, high schools and middle schools to raise awareness of alcohol poisoning Thursday.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Survey finds women drink alcohol to be more confident having sex – NEWS.com.au

Millions of women drink alcohol before having sex because they lack confidence in their bodies, a study suggests.

ALCOHOL – USA
Spreading awareness about alcohol, drug addiction – The Stanly News and Press

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, which is an incredibly important but little known declaration by our nation’s government.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Sheriff Takes Aim At Prescription Drugs – WKRC TV News

Right now, the abuse of prescription drugs like oxycontin and percocet is growing like a tidal wave across the country. In many communities, pills have edged out other drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

ALCOHOL – UK
Use Science To Convince Teens A Sober Prom Is Better – Medical News Today

This is the time of year when even teens who have never tried a drop of alcohol may be tempted. Middle and high school proms and graduation are big events and there will be multiple parties to attend and a wide array of opportunities for alcohol to be served.

ADDICTION – USA
Know What’s At Stake When You Fight A Drug Addiction – Trans World News

Rehab is an exceptionally delicate process and the most exclusive drug treatment center will know this. To be successful, it has to be administered the right way, by people who know exactly what they’re doing.

ADDICTION – USA
Distinguishing Alcohol Abuse From Drug Addiction – Trans World News

Alcohol rehab must address the unique challenges faced by alcoholics on the road to wellness. As obvious as that sounds, the unfortunate truth is that many of the most high-priced residential alcohol rehab facilities in Southern California only offer generic addiction treatment programs, as if alcohol abuse could be treated in the same fashion as drug abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey cites alcohol, marijuana use as top teen concerns – Lamar University

Southeast Texans rank alcohol use and marijuana use as the dominant problems among teenagers, according to a regional survey.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol-related hospital admissions up 70% – Healthcare Republic

The annual number of alcohol-related admissions to hospital in England rose by nearly 70% in five years to 863,000 in 2007/8, according to NHS Information Centre figures.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Use Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women of Childbearing Age – Docuticker

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a risk factor for poor birth outcomes, including fetal alcohol syndrome, birth defects, and low birth weight.

METHAMPHETAMINE – THAILAND
Methamphetamine addicts unable detect emotion in others – Thaindian

Methamphetamine (MA) abusers find it quite beyond them to read human faces and struggle to detect emotion in others, says a joint study. The drug is an addictive stimulant.

ALCOHOL – UK
Gene Discovery Suggests Cancer Drugs Might Treat Alcoholism – Medical News Today

A class of drugs already approved as cancer treatments might also help to beat alcohol addiction. That’s the conclusion of a discovery in flies of a gene, dubbed happyhour, that has an important and previously unknown role in controlling the insects’ response to alcohol.

HEROIN – USA
Teens say heroin use growing in city – Norwich Bulletin

A small group of Norwich teens is working to have their voices heard on a problem they say wasn’t seriously acknowledged by city leaders only a year ago — the rise of heroin use in Norwich.

ALCOHOL – USA
Heavy Drinking Can Raise Risk of Pancreatic Cancer – Join Together

Long-term heavy drinkers were 1.6 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than nondrinkers, according to researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

DRUGS – USA
Lawmakers eye new drug reporting law to help stop heroin overdoses – Metrowest Daily News

Now, lawmakers are eyeing a bill ordering all doctors who treat an overdose victim to notify the state within 48 hours.

ADDICTION – USA
Narconon Drug Rehab Centre Crosses Continents To Address UK Ethnic Addiction Crisis – PRWeb

“Drug abuse and addiction miseries migrate with populations,” says Basanta Raj Kunwar, director of Narconon Nepal. This may be what unfortunately has happened.

DRUGS – CANADA
First-ever Canadian Standards for Youth Drug Prevention Initiatives Announced – CCSA

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) released today the first-ever Canadian Standards for school-based youth substance abuse prevention initiatives.

DRUGS – USA
U.S.’ new drug czar targets prescription abuse as priority – USA Today

Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske says one of his top priorities is curtailing abuse of prescription drugs — such as the addictive painkiller OxyContin — which are readily available in the U.S.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drink Labels Help Youth Find Strongest Drink at Lowest Cost, Study Says – Join Together

Researchers say that some youths in Australia use content labels on alcoholic beverages to help them maximize their alcohol intake, rather than to make safe and responsible decisions about drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
NCADD-NJ Launches Campaign for Beer Tax Hike, Funding for Addiction Treatment – Join Together

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-New Jersey (NCADD-NJ) held a press conference at the Statehouse to launch an advocacy and media campaign aimed at Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap.

HEROIN – USA
Troubling rise in heroin use seen on the Island – Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Some who keep a close eye on the drug scene on Vashon say that black tar heroin, for the first time in recent memory, is being sold on the Island.

ALCOHOL – USA
URI alcohol guidelines still bring controversy – URI The Good 5 Cent Cigar

Carothers became president of the University of Rhode Island in the summer of 1991, he had no intention of revamping the university’s alcohol policy. After a few years of dealing with alcohol related sexual assaults, fights and vandalisms Carothers decided campus culture warranted change.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Younger brains ‘tricked’ by alcohol – The Age

Teenagers who drink heavily can associate bad experiences such as vomiting and car accidents with pleasure, according to a US expert on alcohol abuse.

ALCOHO L- USA
Signs That Your Teen is Binge Drinking – Ozarks First

Here’s a scary statistic. A recent survey of local colleges found that more than one third of kids under 21 have engaged in binge drinking in the past two weeks.

METH – USA
Mother’s Against Meth Gets New Tool To Fight Addiction – KFDA News

Many law enforcement agencies consider meth the most dangerous drug in the Panhandle.

METH – USA
Families Advised To Watch For Meth Mouth – News on 6

The number of meth labs in the City of Tulsa is on record pace.  Experts say one of the best ways to stop it is to recognize signs of abuse.  There is one sign that doctors say is easy to spot.

MARIJUANA – USA
Study: Teens Turn to Marijuana in Lieu of Prescription Drugs – Join Together

Some teenagers are smoking marijuana for its medical benefits and not to get high, using the drug to self-medicate for conditions like depression, sleep problems, anxiety, stress, pain, and problems with concentration.

PAINKILLER – USA
New labels to carry painkiller risk warning – ABC Local News

But the federal government says, if overdone, these painkillers can be harmful to your health. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration says labels will carry new, bolder warnings about the risk’s of liver damage or stomach bleeding. These products include Advil and Tylenol.

PAINKILLER – USA
Your Life Depends On The Success Of Your Drug Addiction Program – Trans World News

Every addict is unique. So is every form of addiction. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all addiction treatment program. On the contrary, the most successful private drug addiction treatment facilities are those which are specifically tailored to the task at hand.

ALCOHOL – USA
Educating against alcohol – The Berkshire Eagle

On Tuesday, state officials sponsored a reality check: Kids are drinking. That fact is nothing new, but ways to change underage drinking are being constantly rethought.

DRUGS – USA
Small-town America not immune from drug wars – Winston-Salem Journal

In a county where there might be five homicides in an entire year, the call over the sheriff’s radio revealed little about what awaited law enforcement. A type of crime, and criminal, once foreign to this landscape of blooming dogwoods had arrived in Shelby County. Sheriff Chris Curry felt it even before he saw the grisly scene. He called the state. The FBI. The DEA.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Rehab Widens The Scope Of Its Drug Addiction And Alcoholism Treatment Program As It Expands Its Drug Relapse Prevention Program – 24-7 Press Release

Mountainside Drug Rehab in Northwest Connecticut has expanded its inpatient drug relapse prevention program to include non-former clients. The scope and mission of this inpatient program adjunct is to prevent drug and alcohol relapse.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin abuse on the rise in Southwest Wash. – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Heroin addiction is shooting upward in Southwest Washington – and so are heroin overdoses. Emergency Department personnel at St. John Medical Center have seen “a definite steady and noticeable increase” in heroin cases, said spokesman Randy Querin.

ALCOHOL – USA
UC Davis Program Credited with Decrease in High-Risk Drinking – Join Together

Students at the University of California at Davis are limiting the amount of high-risk drinking they participate in as a result of a major prevention initiative, a new survey concludes.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Arrests: Whites Up; Blacks Down – All Gov

According to a recent study conducted by the Washington D.C.-based Sentencing Project, a demographic shift is taking place with regards to those sentenced for drug offenses. Between 1999 to 2005 there was a 22% decrease in the number of black drug offenders and a 43% increase in white drug offenders

DRUGS – USA
Drug Rehab in CT uses alternative treatment methods to combat drug addiction and strengthen recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism – Express Press Release

Innovative Drug Rehab uses Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong and several other therapeutic disciplines to combat drug addiction and alcoholism to build long lasting recoveries. Mountainside Drug Rehab in CT maintains an aggressive approach to innovative and compassionate addiction treatment.

ALCOHOL – UK
Women buy wine – eight out of ten bottles, survey finds – Guardian

Women choose and buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are drunk at home, according to figures out today.

ALCOHOL – USA
Rethinking Drinking – NIAAA

For anyone who drinks, this site offers valuable, research-based information. What do you think about taking a look at your drinking habits and how they may affect your health?

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA warns firms selling unapproved narcotics – Reuters

U.S. regulators warned nine companies on Tuesday to stop selling 14 unapproved narcotic pain medicines, part of an ongoing effort to rid the market of drugs without proper clearance.

ALCOHOL – USA
Family Connection recognizes Alcohol Awareness Month – The Lincoln Journal

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and April 5th is National Alcohol Screening Day. Getting kids involved in prevention efforts is the key to keeping them alcohol free.

METH – USA
Anti-meth committee continues battle – The Pilot News

Some in attendance ex-pressed frustration with law enforcement’s handling of complaints and the courts treatment of those charged with drug crimes. They felt that larger bail amounts – and more police action would “…get these guys off the streets.”

DRUGS – IRELAND
31.03.09 Alcohol and Drugs to be joined in a National Substance Misuse Strategy – POBAIL

Today the Government approved a combined substance misuse policy to include alcohol and drugs. This proposal was brought to Government by the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Health & Children.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol’s sporting impact – The Daily Telegraph

Studies have revealed that it can take more than 60 hours to recover physically from a few drinks after training. In all likelihood a player who has a few beers after training tonight won’t be back to his best until Sunday night at the earliest.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Recovery for Substance Abuse and Alcohol Dependency – Trans World News

Addiction recovery for substance abuse and alcohol dependency can be achieved through the treatment programs offered at the exclusive Drug Rehab Sunset Malibu, a treatment center cutrrently featured on YourFINDit.

DRUGS – UK
Addicts ‘linger’ on waiting lists – BBC News

More than a quarter of drug addicts seeking treatment in Scotland have waited over a year to be assessed.

ALCOHOL – UK
Doctors tell of huge human cost of chronic alcohol abuse in Scotland – The Scotsman

Scottish doctors have spoken out about their experience of dealing with alcohol abuse in a hard-hitting report on the human cost of the problem.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Treatment For The Best of Your Life – Express Press Release

There’s a way to relax and be as stress free as possible while undergoing alcohol treatment in Malibu California.

METH – USA
Meth Myths. Can Meth Addicts Really Recover? – The Open Press

Methamphetamine is much different from regular amphetamine pills. Without going into a chemistry lesson, meth is simply a more refined or condensed form of amphetamine. It is much more powerful than what some people might think of as diet pills or speed. It produces both an intense feeling of energy and strong euphoric pleasure at the same time.

METH – USa
Meth effort successful, but problems remain – The Casper Star Tribune

A coordinated effort to cut methamphetamine use in Natrona County has achieved considerable success, but hasn’t solved the problem entirely, Casper’s police chief said Monday.

METH – USA
Study: More substance-abuse education needed – Stockton Recordnet

More young people need to be taught about the destructive effects substance abuse has on families and communities in the San Joaquin Valley, according to a new study chronicling public concerns about methamphetamine in the eight-county region stretching from Lodi to Bakersfield.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Esty urges proper disposal of prescriptions – Meriden Record Journal

New state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Cheshire, is looking to change how people dispose of unused prescription drugs. She is working on legislation that would encourage state residents to return unused prescription drugs to pharmacies.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study: Prescription drug abuse increases – KSL TV News
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5546338
More people, especially young adults, are abusing powerful prescription drugs. While prescription abuse is going up, use of other illegal drugs is not.

HEROIN – IRELAND
China white heroin reappears as number of addicts rises – Drugs.ie

A batch of ‘China white’ heroin that can be mistaken for cocaine is back on the streets of the capital as drug treatment centres report a rise in people presenting for heroin addiction.

DRUGS – USA
FDA targets narcotic use – USA Today

The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it was stepping up efforts to reduce unsafe use of 24 narcotics products — methadone pills, fentanyl patches and extended-release pills containing morphine, oxymorphone and oxycodone, such as OxyContin.

MORPHINE – USA
Makers of Opioids Told by FDA to Reduce Abuse – Attorney at Law

More than a dozen drug companies who make morphine, oxycodone, methadone, and other potent painkillers called opioids must develop plans to reduce the hundreds of deaths caused by the drugs each year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana use and testicular cancer – Los Angeles Times

Young men who began using marijuana as adolescents or who smoked pot at least once a week were twice as likely as those who never used the drug to develop testicular cancer.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Heart disease killing methamphetamine users – Herald Sun

AUTOPSIES on more than 200 Australians who died from methamphetamine use show disturbingly high rates of heart disease.

ALCOHOL – UK
Offenders could face drink tests to cut rates of reoffending – The Scotsman

OFFENDERS could be regularly tested for alcohol in an attempt to break the cycle of drinking and crime in Scotland, under plans to be unveiled today.

ALCOHOL – UK
School Lessons Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm – Drug and Alcohol Findings

In Australia a rare trial of a harm reduction curriculum showed that it can safeguard pupils at both ends of the alcohol risk spectrum – reducing adverse consequences among drinkers, while promoting moderation and abstinence among initial non-drinkers.

ALCOHOL – UK
‘Zero alcohol’ for young drivers – BBC News

Under-21s should be not allowed a single drop of alcohol before driving, government advisors will recommend.

DRUGS – UK
New Nationwide Report Reveals That 5 Million People Participate In Self-Help Groups Each Year – Medical News Today

New data indicate that 2.3 million people who participate in self-help groups for alcohol or illicit drug use currently abstain from use of these substances.

HEROIN – USA
I-Team: Parents, Beware Of Heroin – Today TMJ 4

Heroin is hitting Milwaukee’s affluent suburbs hard. In the first six months of this year, more people died from heroin in Waukesha County than in any other entire year.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction and the Holidays – Trans World News

When families get together for the holiday season, aside from the joy of seeing family members, one painful fact may emerge.

DRUGS – USA
Ecstasy is back, but with a twist – Sun Sentinel

A popular drug that once ruled the South Florida rave and pop dance club scenes is making a menacing comeback, ending a five-year lull. Local police say they’ve come across more Ecstasy pills on the street lately, and more often than not they’re laced with methamphetamine.

DRUGS – UK
Last Call for Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives Awards – Home Office

Anyone who wishes to nominate a drug treatment team, police officer or volunteer who has gone that extra mile to tackle drugs has just ten days to make their local hero an example for the nation.

METH – ASIA
Methamphetamine usage rising – IRIN

Typically smoked, the potent central nervous system stimulant is highly addictive, causing paranoia, delusions and hallucinations.

DRUGS – USA
NJ Launches Campaign Against Medicine Abuse – Evening Bulletin

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) announced Monday a statewide public service campaign titled “Grandma’s Stash,” to raise awareness that misuse of prescription drugs is second only to marijuana as America’s most prevalent drug problem.

DRUGS – USA
WLPD teams with site to offer free drug tests – Journal and Courier

The urinalysis test recognizes the 10 most common illegal drugs: cocaine, amphetamine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, oxycodone, propoxyphene and MDMA, more commonly known by its street name, ecstasy.

ALCOHOL – UK
BMA Scotland Response To The Scottish Government’s Proposed Strategy To Tackle Alcohol Misuse – Medical News Today

Doctors called for action, not words, to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland.

ALCOHOL – USA
Underage, drunken fans can buy alcohol at stadiums – Dallas Morning News

Actors posing as drunken sports fans successfully bought alcohol from U.S. stadium vendors almost nine out of 10 tries, according to a University of Minnesota study.

ALCOHOL – USA
Even if you look drunk at a game, you can likely keep buying booze – Chicago Tribune

The stadiums and arenas of Chicago have seen untold amounts of alcohol-fueled mayhem, from obscene yelling to savage, bare-knuckle brawls. But according to a study released Wednesday, sports venues could be bringing some of this chaos on themselves.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Finds Sports Stadiums Serve Alcohol to Intoxicated, Underage Fans – Join Together

An undercover operation conducted as part of research sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Research Program (SAPRP) found that apparently underage and intoxicated fans have a relatively easy time purchasing alcohol at professional sports events.

METH – UK
‘Meth’ adverts to scare US teens – BBC News

Advertisement: An advertising campaign designed to scare teenagers away from using the drug ‘meth’ has been launched in the US.

METH – UK
Montana meth ads winning drug battle – BBC News

They call Montana “Big Sky Country” or “The Last Best Place” – and it is easy to see why with its wide open spaces, majestic mountains and meandering rivers. But there is a far less wholesome side to this wilderness, a problem more associated with grim urban despair – drugs.