Drug News

Meth - Michigan
Deputies stop to help 26-year-old Paw Paw area man with car trouble, then arrest him on meth charges - mlive.com

PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP — Sheriff’s deputies trying to help a man with car trouble Wednesday in Van Buren County later arrested the man on drug charges, authorities said.

Drug War & Violence - Mexico
The Only Thing Drug Gangs and Cartels Fear Is Legalization - The Huffington Post

To many people, the “war on drugs” sounds like a metaphor, like the “war on poverty.” It is not. It is being fought with tanks and sub machine guns and hand grenades, funded in part by your taxes, and it has killed 28,000 people under the current Mexican President alone. The death-toll in Tijuana — one of the front-lines of this war — is now higher than in Baghdad. Yesterday, another pile of seventy mutilated corpses was found near San Fernando — an event that no longer shocks the country.

Marijuana - California
Marijuana legalization on the table in California - OneNewsNow

In an effort to head off the legalization of marijuana in California, a pro-family organization is releasing a video that documents the damage of marijuana use and informs Americans about the harmful effects that can be expected if the drug is legalized. In November, voters in The Golden State will be voting on Proposition 19 — the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010.

Prescription Drug Abuse - USA
Prescription Drug Abuse Soars Despite State Monitoring Programs - mediLexicon

Over the past 10 years, “prescription drug abuse has soared to new levels. A recent White House study found a 400 percent increase in abuse from 1998 to 2008.

Crack Cocaine - South Carolina
Former sheriff faces more drug charges - CarolinaLive.com

E.J. Melvin now faces an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Melvin has pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

Drunk Driving - Arkansas
Mayor Donald ‘Buzzy’ Faulkner Loses Driving Privileges After Arrest - The Huffingtong Post

HARRISBURG, Ark. (AP) — The City Council has revoked Mayor Donald “Buzzy” Faulkner’s city- vehicle driving privileges after he was arrested last week on a drunken-driving charge as he drove a city-owned car.

Drug Charges – British Celebrity
George Michael Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges – MTV Networks

Troubled singer receives six-month suspension of driver’s license following July car crash.

Heroin Labeling – UK
Don’t label heroin users as ‘junkies’ - Drug Commission – BBC NEWS UK

People should stop calling heroin users “junkies” or “addicts”, an influential think tank on drugs has said.

Cocaine – USA Celebrity
LiLo wants apology from court over false cocaine addiction charges – Thaindian News

Washington, August 24 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan wants some form of apology or compensation from the court after coming clean in her latest medical reports.

Drug-Related Deaths – UK
12% increase in drug-related deaths – THE INDEPENDENT

The number of drug-related deaths in the UK rose by almost 12% to 2,182 last year, figures showed today.

Marijuana – Social Networking Website
Facebook Blocks Ads For Pot Legalization Campaign – The Huffington Post

Proponents of marijuana legalization, which is on the California ballot in 2010, have hit a Facebook wall in their effort to grow an online campaign to rethink the nation’s pot laws. Facebook initially accepted ads from the group Just Say Now, running them from August 7 to August 16, generating 38 million impressions and helping the group’s fan page grow to over 6,000 members. But then they were abruptly removed.

Methamphetamine – Texas
Grand jury in Lubbock: 428-count drug indictment – Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - A methamphetamine investigation in the Lubbock area has led to a 428-count federal indictment charging eight people.

Teen Drug Use – USA Study
Heavy Drug-Use Among Bad Boys Can Be Curbed By Parents And Peers – Medical News TODAY

Aggressive and hyperactive boys with low parental monitoring are more likely to befriend deviant peers and become heavy drug users as teens, according to a new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.  Yet the investigation by scientists from the Université de Montréal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center found that bad boys can be protected from heavy substance use as teenagers if they are highly monitored and befriend good boys as children.

Ivory Wave Drug – UK
Hospital admissions in Cumbria blamed on ‘legal high’ – BBC NEWS CUMBRIA

Almost a dozen people have been admitted to hospital in Cumbria in recent weeks after apparently using the “legal high” drug Ivory Wave.

Drug-Related Information – USA
Florida doctors struggle to meet new standards for electronic records; Arizona faces sharp cuts in residency-training programs – THE MEDICAL NEWS

Reported drug issues in Florida, California, Arizona, Colorado and Illinois.

Substance Abuse Awareness – USA, Upcoming Event
September and October 2010 Celebrates Recovery from Substance Abuse, Alcoholism and Eating Disorders. – 24-7 pressrelease

SustainableContentment dot com will host a Nationwide Teleseminar on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 8:00PM CST (6:00PM PST, 9:00PM EST). This event is intended to increase public awareness about substance abuse and eating disorders.

Drunk Driving Warning – India
Drunk driving can cost licence in Gurgaon – Thaindian News

Gurgaon, Aug 18 (IANS) Any person driving under the influence of alcohol in this satellite town of the national capital will lose his or her licence if caught twice, an official said Wednesday.

Meth Lab Bust – Ohio
2 arrested in suspected meth lab bust due in court today – MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL

MIDDLETOWN — Two Middletown men are to be in court today, Aug. 18, after they were arrested following the discovery of what police described as a meth lab on Baltimore Street.

Drug Related Violence – UK
Promoter ‘was executed in drugs dispute’ – THE INDEPENDENT

A nightclub promoter was executed in the street because his drug dealing friends were muscling in on someone else’s patch, police said today…

Drug Testing – Virginia
Editorial: Drug testing in schools – Roanoke.com

Salem schools’ pilot project is reassuring in its aim and methods that emphasize helping students.

Meth – New Jersey
Nicole Bobek, U.S Figure Skater, Sentenced to Five Years’ Probation For Role In Meth Distribution – The Huffington Post

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Former U.S. figure skating champion Nicole Bobek was ordered to spend five years on probation for her role in a New Jersey methamphetamine ring, a sentence that she said would give her a chance to get her life back on track.

Drunk Driving Crackdown – Michigan
Drunken driving crackdown to begin Thursday in Michigan – mlive.com

LANSING — Drunken drivers beware. Police plan to step up patrols beginning Thursday as part of “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” campaign, a drunken-driving crackdown that goes through Labor Day.

Marijuana – Nebraska
Pot Found During Domestic Violence Call – KETV.com

OMAHA, Neb. — Police found 79 marijuana plants on Sunday while investigating as report of domestic violence.

Drug Related Violence – Georgia
Atlanta agrees to pay $4.9 million to family of grandmother shot during botched drug raid – 5 NEWS – Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta has agreed to pay $4.9 million to the family of a 92-year-old woman killed in a botched drug raid.

Cocaine – Scotland
Two face jail for £1.2m drug deal – BBC NEWS GLASGOW & WEST

Two men are facing prison terms over their parts in a £1.2m cocaine deal in the east end of Glasgow.

Marijuana – Washington
Drug agents seize 1,300 pot plants from WA forest – tricityherald.com – The Associated Press

STEVENSON, Wash. Drug officers have removed about 1,300 marijuana plants found in an outdoor grow operation in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of southwest Washington.

Drug-Related Violence – Texas
Nurses Increasingly Target Of Violence; Texas Nurse Case Settled – Medical News TODAY – The Associated Press

“Violence against nurses and other medical professionals appears to be increasing around the country as the number of drug addicts, alcoholics and psychiatric patients showing up at emergency rooms climbs. Nurses have responded, in part, by seeking tougher criminal penalties for assaults against health care workers.

Drug Charges – Celebrity, George Michael
Singer George Michael faces drug charge – BBC NEWS ENTERTAINMENT

Singer George Michael has been charged with possession of cannabis and driving while unfit through drink or drugs following an incident last month, Scotland Yard has said.

Meth – Tennessee
Meth Lab Found At Drug Rehab Center – WSMV.com

A recovery center in LaVergne that’s designed to help recovering addicts is now part of a police investigation.

Illegal Drugs – South Carolina
Horry County drug bust; amount and types of drugs shocks neighbors – CarolinaLive.com

Millions of dollars in drugs have been seized from a home in Horry County. It’s all part of a year long investigation into a trafficking ring that police say brought some pretty hardcore drugs, like black tar heroin, into the county.

Drunk Driving – Scotland
Drunk driver killed pedestrian in New Year Day crash – BBC NEWS TAYSIDE & CENTRAL

A speeding teenager killed a woman and seriously injured her boyfriend while driving home drunk after a New Year party in Dundee, a court has heard.

Meth – Oklahoma
Meth lab found in toddler’s backpack – UPI.com

TULSA, Okla., Aug. 11 (UPI) — Oklahoma police say they arrested the parents of a 2-year-old girl after finding meth lab materials in the toddler’s backpack.

Underage Drinking – USA
Declining Youth Exposure To Alcohol Ads In Magazines – Medical News TODAY

Youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines declined by 48 percent between 2001 and 2008, according to a new study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Binge Drinking – USA College Students
Changing Student Perceptions Can Reduce Alcohol Abuse – About.com:Alcoholism

Many college students drink excessively because they believe “everyone” is doing it. But when they find out that most students do not binge drink and the heavy drinkers are in the minority, they will reduce their own harmful drinking. When they discover that their behavior is not “normal” they modify their behavior.

Drunk Driving – New York
NYC mother pleads guilty in fatal crash – UPI.com

NEW YORK, Aug. 11 (UPI) — A 32-year-old New York woman has pleaded guilty to 16 counts for crashing a carload of girls while driving drunk, killing one of them.

Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse – USA Teens
Teen Drug Abuse of Cough and Cold Medicine – WebMD

If you’re raising a teenager and you don’t know much about DXM or cough medicine abuse, you’re hardly alone. DXM, or dextromethorphan, is a common ingredient in cough and combination cold medicines. Teens, however, have found another use for cough medicine — getting high. Taking huge doses of cough medicine to get high may sound revolting. In fact, you might assume it’s just an obscure fringe thing.

Liquid Cocaine – UK
Drug smuggler jailed over rum death – Press Association Ltd.

A drug smuggler has been jailed for 20 years for the manslaughter of a taxi driver who died after unwittingly drinking pure liquid cocaine from a rum bottle.

Drug Driving – UK
Q&A: Tackling drug-driving – BBC NEWS UK

The government has announced plans to equip every police station in England, Wales and Scotland with the technology to test drivers for drugs more quickly and easily.

Prescription Drug Fraud Prevention – USA
Senator Seeks Deadline for Medicare to Prevent Prescription Drug Fraud – The Center For Public Integrity

Taxpayer-funded Medicare recently spent more than $1 billion on drug prescriptions missing a valid doctor identification number and a Senate Democrat is demanding that the government stop ignoring the problem and create a plan this month to fix it.

Deputy Arrested for Drug Possession – California
Kern deputy arrested on suspicion of drug charges – 2 NEWS KTVN RENO Associated Press

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - A Kern County deputy is facing drug charges after investigators say they found the 53-year-old Bakersfield resident keeping illegal drug paraphernalia and drugs without a prescription in his house.

Cocaine Seizure – US Coast Guard
US Coast Guard seizes ship with 3.5 tonnes cocaine – Thaindian News

Tegucigalpa, Aug 6 (IANS/EFE) A Honduran-flagged ship carrying 3.5 tonnes of cocaine was seized and five of its occupants were arrested by the US Coast Guard off the Honduran coast.

Ecstasy – California
LA Ecstasy Bust: Massive Ring Taken Down – The Huffington Post

LOS ANGELES — Federal officials say they’ve broken up a Southern California ring that sold millions of Ecstasy tablets.

Marijuana – Massachusetts
$20,000 in marijuana seized after traffic stop – Eagle-Tribune

HAVERHILL — What started as a routine traffic stop turned into the arrest of a man who had $20,000 worth of marijuana in his car and apartment, police said.

Teen Substance Abuse – USA Survey
Girls’ Attitudes are Changing When it Comes to Drugs – Myhighplains.com

New survey results from the Partnership for a Drug Free America report that girls appear more inclined than ever to reach for drugs and booze to help them emotionally. Some girls say drugs “help you forget your troubles.” Researchers advise parents to be especially attentive to their daughters’ moods and worries.

Cocaine Trade Scheme – Russia
US and Russia uncover innovative cocaine trade scheme – Thaindian News

Moscow, July 27 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Russia’s top drug law enforcement officers have announced that they have uncovered a high profile cocaine trade scheme in Moscow. They announced that they uncovered the scheme with the help of United States officials.

Drug Testing – USA
Millennium Laboratories urges for increase in physician reimbursement for POC urine drug screening – THE MEDICAL NEWS

Millennium Laboratories, Inc., a national, research-based medication monitoring company specifically focused on clinicians who treat chronic pain, strongly advocated for an increase in physician reimbursement for point-of-care urine drug screening at the Annual Clinical Laboratory Public Meeting of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 22, 2010. As the only therapeutic drug monitoring company presenting, Millennium was continuing its advocacy campaign, launched in June of 2009, supporting fair reimbursement for point-of-care (POC) urine drug screen devices.

Heroin – Africa
Heroin Addicts in Africa Engage in Dangerous Blood-Sharing – Join Together

“Flashblooding,” the act of injecting one heroin addict’s blood into another to share a high or ward off withdrawal, is becoming increasingly common in some African cities, the New York Times reported July 12.

Drunk Driving – California
Fresno Greyhound Crash: Driver Involved In Fatal Bus Crash Was Drunk – The Huffington Post

FRESNO, Calif. — An 18-year-old woman driving an SUV that was struck by a Greyhound bus in a horrifying crash last week was under the influence of alcohol, the California Highway Patrol said Monday.

Synthetic Marijuana – USA Looking to Ban
American Association Of Poison Control Centers: Fake Marijuana Spurs More Than 750 Calls To U.S. Poison Centers This Year Alone – Medical News TODAY

Synthetic marijuana products being sold at gas stations, convenience stores and “head shops” have spurred more than 750 calls to U.S. poison centers this year alone, causing increased concern among doctors and clinicians as well as state lawmakers, who are quickly moving to outlaw such products.

Meth – Georgia
Adairsville man jailed on drug, traffic charges in Monday traffic stop – Calhoun Times

Adairsville Police reported today that they arrested a man on methamphetamine possession charges after he was pulled over in a traffic stop.

Marijuana – USA Celebrity
Paris Hilton Caught With Weed – Thaindian News

July 21, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): According to the sources, socialite Paris Hilton was detained in Cosica this Friday. She has held back about 30 minutes, when the sniffer dogs revealed a gram of marijuana from her bag.

Binge Drinking Study – USA
Kids of older women ‘vulnerable to effects of prenatal alcohol exposure’ – Thaindian News

Washington, July 21 (ANI): A recent study has revealed the damaging effects of maternal binge drinking during pregnancy are greater among children born to older drinking mothers.

Alcohol Abuse at Colleges – USA Study
Colleges Not Meeting Guidelines To Limit Alcohol Access – Medical News TODAY

While many have implicated heavy student drinking in recent disturbances even tragedies on college campuses, few schools and communities have united successfully in curbing alcohol access, a new study suggests.

I-Dosing – UK
I-Dosing: ‘digitally high’ from downloaded music – Thaindian News

London, July 21 (IANS) They put on their headphones, drape a hood over their head and drift off into the world of ‘digital highs’.

Drinking Trends Increasing – USA
Increase In Drinking Trends For Whites, Blacks And Hispanics – Medical News TODAY

Given that Whites are the majority population in the United States, drinking trends for this group tend to determine overall trends in drinking for the country and simultaneously minimize trends and possible risks among Black and Hispanic populations. A study of trends in drinking patterns and amounts drank among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics from 1992 to 2002 has found a rise in the proportion of drinkers across all three ethnic groups and both genders.

Major Drug Smuggling – Russia
75 tonnes of drugs smuggled into Russia – Thaindian News

Moscow, July 7 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Some 75 tonnes of drugs are smuggled into Russia from Afghanistan via Central Asia every year, Russian drug control authority said Wednesday.

Drug Money Laundering – France
Noriega Gets 7-Year Prison Sentence In France – The Huffington Post

PARIS — A Paris court on Wednesday convicted former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega of laundering drug money in France in the 1980s and ordered him to spend seven years behind bars – a sentence that comes on top of his two decades already spent in a U.S. prison.

Lockdown Drug Rehab Order – Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan To JAIL For Violation Of Probation – The Huffington Post

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A judge sentenced Lindsay Lohan on Tuesday to 90 days in jail and an inpatient rehab program after finding the actress had violated her probation in a 2007 drug case by failing to attend alcohol education classes.

Doctor In Trouble Over Drug Overdose – USA Celebrity
Anna Nicole Smith’s Doctor Denied By Judge – Thaindian News

A Los Angeles judge refused to drop two of the charges against the doctor who was charged with prescribing the drugs to Anna Nicole Smith that led to the accidental fatal drug overdose. Dr. Sandeep Kapoor had sought to remove the charges of conspiracy and unlawful prescription of opiates.

Curbing Meth Production – Indiana
Push to make pseudoephedrine a prescription drug – FOX41.com

An Indiana law aimed at curbing methamphetamine production already restricts the sale of some over-the-counter cold medicine used to make meth. Now there’s a growing push for a stronger law that would make pseudoephedrine available only by a doctor’s prescription.

DUI – Tennessee
48 Year Old Woman Arrested For DUI After Consuming Vanilla – Thaindian News

Kelly Moss, a 48 year old woman was arrested on charges of consuming vanilla, after the police found her lying unconscious inside her car outside the Arlington Middle School in Tennessee. According to reports submitted by the police authorities who traced the woman in this condition, Kelly Moss’ speech sounded unclear, she could also not walk without the support of another person.