Drug News

Drug-Related Deaths – UK
Government blamed for delays in banning legal drug mephedrone linked to deaths of two teenagers – DailyRecord.co.uk

MINISTERS were today blamed for “delays” in banning a legal drug linked to the deaths of two young men.

Meth Study – Universal
Study Links Prenatal Meth Exposure to Brain Abnormalities in Kids – MeD India

Children who are exposed to prenatal methamphetamine more likely to develop brain abnormalities than prenatal exposure to alcohol, a study said Tuesday.

Prescription Drug Theft – Connecticut
Hollywood-style heist nets $75 million in pills – azcentral.com

HARTFORD, Conn. - In a Hollywood-style heist, thieves cut a hole in the roof of a warehouse, rappelled inside and scored one of the biggest hauls of its kind: not diamonds, gold bullion or Old World art, but about $75 million in antidepressants and other prescription drugs.

Drunk Driving Consequences – USA
What Happens If You Are Arrested for Drunk Driving? – About.com: Alcoholism

Going to Court Is Just the First Step…

Alcohol Fueled Violence – Minnesota
Drunk teacher allegedly bites man’s ear in attack – azcentral.com

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old woman was drunk when she attacked the man at the Uptowner about 4 a.m. Sunday. A criminal complaint said the 33-year-old man was eating with friends when one made a comment about one of the women with the suspect.

Mephedrone – UK
Mephedrone deaths: teachers have to hand drug back after confiscating it in lessons – Telegraph.co.uk

Teachers who confiscate mephedrone from children as young as eight have to hand the drug back at the end of the school day because it remains legal, it has emerged.

Marijuana Trafficking – USA
You’ve Got Mail: Marijuana Shipments Skyrocket – abc NEWS

According to U.S. government officials, more marijuana is now being shipped through the U.S. Mail than in recent memory. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, whose seizures of marijuana parcels have increased by more than 400 percent since 2007, says increased seizures almost always indicate a much larger crop being shipped.

Teen Drug-Related Deaths – UK
Arrests after teenage drug deaths in North Lincolnshire – BBC News

Police are investigating the deaths of two teenagers who are thought to have taken the legal drug mephedrone.

Cocaine Bust – Vancouver, Canada
RCMP make huge cocaine bust in B.C. – National Post

VANCOUVER - A sailboat that arrived in the Vancouver Island community of Port Hardy earlier this month was carrying 1,001 kilograms of cocaine, RCMP said on Monday.

Marijuana – Nebraska
Boy, 10, Cited For Pot Possession In School – KETV.com

OMAHA, Neb. — Since last week, Omaha police have cited at least five students for possession of marijuana. The latest incident involved a 10-year-old boy at Howard Kennedy Elementary School near 30th and Maple streets.

Drug Arrests – Colorado
2 arrested for drug and weapons possession – Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado Springs Police Department arrested two men on Monday afternoon after one sold a quantity of marijuana to an undercover detective at the Conoco Gas Station, 800 N. Nevada Ave. and the second man resisted arrest.

Drug War – Mexico
Cartel Killing Place Texas and Mexico on High Alert – The Huffington Post

Juarez, Mexico. Fifty people were killed in drug-cartel related assassinations, including two American consular employees the weekend of March 12th in Ciudad Juarez. An American newborn baby was left strapped to the back seat of the car while the parents were shot to death. The husband of a second U.S. consular officer was killed and their two young children seriously wounded.

Meth – Michigan
Trail from meth found at gas station leads to Lawton man – Kalamazoo News

ANTWERP TOWNSHIP — A Lawton man on probation for maintaining a methamphetamine lab was arrested Sunday on new drug charges, police said.

Military Drug Use – UK
Is the Army losing its war against drug abuse? – The Independent

More than 6,000 soldiers have failed drugs tests over the past decade, an investigation by The Independent has found. Figures from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) show that the main drug of choice for military personnel has been cocaine, with a fivefold increase in the number of soldiers failing tests for it between 2000 and 2008.

Drug Violence – Mexico
Mexico game preserves hope to lure back U.S. hunters leery of drug wars – azcentral.com

Across Mexico, drug violence is putting a damper on efforts to attract American hunters, a form of tourism that ranchers and the government have been trying to encourage in recent years as a way of bringing jobs to rural parts of the country.

Drunk Driving – New York
Drunk driver sentenced for killing pedestrian in NY 12 years ago before fleeing to Ecuador – Thaindian News

NEW YORK CITY (BNO NEWS) – A New York man was sentenced after hiding in Ecuador for more than ten years, prosecutors said Friday.

Prescription Drug Abuse – Minnesota
Pharm Party Awareness - KAAL-TV LLC

(ABC 6 NEWS) — When you think about drug abuse, you probably think of things like marijuana, cocaine, and meth. But the drugs being abused most often these days are far more accessible, and Minnesota cities and counties are fighting back.

Meth – Oregon
New script for Sudafed? – Stateline.org

Oregon raised eyebrows in 2005 when it became the first state to require a doctor’s prescription for tablets of Sudafed, Claritin D and several other common cold and allergy medicines. Intended to stop production of crystal meth — which is made with a decongestant found in those medicines — the law was panned by some as a huge hassle.

Opium – India
India expresses concern over opium cultivation in neighbouring countries – Thaindian News

Vienna (Austria), Mar 12(ANI): India has expressed concern that more than 90 percent of the world’s opium production is taking place in its neighbourhood.

Border Control – Mexico & USA
U.S. Customs: Mexican cartels corrupt border agents – Associated Press

McALLEN — Mexican drug cartels are infiltrating federal law enforcement agencies along the southwest border and those charged with weeding them out say they don’t have the money to catch all the corrupt agents, homeland security officials told a U.S. Senate panel Thursday.

Meth Lab Bust – California
Pleasanton brothers ran meth lab, cops say – San Francisco Chronicle

Two brothers were arrested on suspicion of operating a methamphetamine lab hidden in a Pleasanton home, police said Thursday.

Drug Court Sentencing – Oregon
Ore. meth kingpins get more than decade in prison – StatesmanJournal.com

SALEM, Ore. — Two leaders of a Mexico-based methamphetamine ring that operated in Oregon and Washington state have been sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

Drunk Driving – Nebraska
Police: Man Drunk At DUI Sentencing – KETV.com

PAPILLION, Neb. — Authorities said a drunken driver showed up for his sentencing hearing drunk again.

Pre-Teen Inhalant Abuse – USA
12 Year Olds More Likely To Use Potentially Deadly Inhalants Than Cigarettes Or Marijuana – Medical News TODAY

More 12 year olds have used potentially lethal inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, according to data released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with the 18th annual National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week.

Meth – Michigan
Police find dump site for meth ingredients Wednesday in Comstock Township – Kalamazoo News

COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP — Police investigated a dump site for ingredients to make methamphetamine Wednesday near East H Avenue in Comstock Township.

Narcotics – Connecticut
Guilford, CT man sentenced for role in narcotics ring – Thaindian News

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT (BNO NEWS) – A Guilford, Connecticut man on Wednesday was sentenced to three years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a narcotics ring of New Haven County, prosecutors announced.

Cocaine – Florida
Man hid cocaine on tugboats, agents say – UPI.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 11 (UPI) — A Florida man was charged with trafficking as much as 90 pounds of cocaine on tugboat runs to Jacksonville, Fla., from Puerto Rico, authorities said.

Overdose Death – California
Did Corey Haim Pull a Brittany Murphy? – eonline.com

At first blush, Corey Haim’s death is starting to sound a lot like Brittany Murphy’s. Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter confirms that the ’80s teen heartthrob was ill before he died and that investigators have recovered prescription drugs in his name from the scene.

Meth – Colorado
Man arrested in meth possession, woman hospitalized – Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado Springs Police Department executed a search warrant on Wednesday afternoon at 5150 E. Airport Road, #A3, in reference to an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine.

Fake Drugs Banned – Kansas
Kansas bans K-2 and other synthetic cannabinoids and chemicals – Thaindian News

TOPEKA, KANSAS (BNO NEWS) – On Wednesday, Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed into law the legislation HB 2411, a ban on K-2 and certain chemicals that are used to create synthetic drugs, the Governor’s Office informed.

Drug Overdose – California
Corey Haim Dead After Apparent Accidental Drug Overdose – abc GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Actor Corey Haim died from an apparent accidental drug overdose after he was rushed to a Los Angeles County hospital early this morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Marijuana – Colorado
Religious Marijuana Smoking Still Illegal: Judge – The Huffington Post

GEORGETOWN, Colo. — A Colorado man who says marijuana is a sacrament in his religion has been convicted of misdemeanor drug charges.

Drug Epidemic – World News
U.N. Official Addresses Increasing Drug Addiction In Developing Countries – Medical News TODAY

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday warned of an impending “health disaster facing developing countries if wealthy nations fail to control drugs,” Agence France-Presse reports.

Cocaine – North Carolina
Ayden, NC man sentenced for cocaine dealing – Thaindian News

GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) – A resident of Ayden, North Carolina, was sentenced to 52 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the distribution of more than 50 grams of cocaine base, U.S. Attorney George Holding announced on Wednesday.

Heroin – Colorado
5 men arrested in heroin incident on Tuesday – Colorado Connection

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — A Colorado Springs police surveillance effort set in the area of Highway 115 and Star Ranch Road on Tuesday morning resulted in the arrest of five men on heroin charges.

Meth – Michigan
Two burned in Constantine meth fire – Kalamazoo News

CONSTANTINE–Two people were transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital early today after St. Joseph County Sheriff’s deputies say the pair was severely burned in a suspected methamphetamine explosion.

Prescription Drug Abuse – Florida
Prescription drug abuse on the rise – wmnf.org

According to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, prescription drug abuse has become more fatal than abuse of illegal street drugs.

Underage Drinking – Georgia
Zach Mettenberger Arrested, Charged With Underage Drinking – The Huffington Post

REMERTON, Ga. — A quarterback competing for the starting job at the University of Georgia has been released on bond after his arrest in south Georgia over the weekend on charges related to underage drinking.

Meth – USA Study
Women and Methamphetamine Use – Drug Addiction Treatment

The ratios of men to women who use particular substances vary greatly and generally statistics show a significant trend toward more substance use by males for all classes of substances.

Overdose – Michigan
Grand Rapids woman sent to prison for role in Amy Bousfield’s heroin-overdose death – Kalamazoo News

KALAMAZOO — A Grand Rapids woman will spend three to 20 years in prison for her role in a heroin deal that led to the fatal overdose.

Heroin – UK
Burglar jailed for student murder in Leeds – BBC News

A 31-year-old man has been jailed for life for stabbing a student to death while burgling his house in Leeds.

Marijuana Bust – Nebraska
Lincoln Police Bust Big Marijuana Grow Operation – KETV.com

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lincoln police have busted what they called the largest indoor marijuana growing operation in memory.

Cocaine – South Carolina
Two arrested following 7-month drug investigation – CarolinaLive.com

The Horry County Police Department has announced the arrests of two people following a drug investigation. Officers launched the investigation after getting complaints of illegal drug activity.

Pill Mills – Florida
Feds Raid Pain Clinics Suspected of Illegally Distributing Millions of Prescription Drugs – abc Good Morning America

A raid on three South Florida pain clinics that are suspected of illegally distributing millions of prescription pills is the start of what authorities call a massive investigation of such “pill mills.”

Teen Drug Use – Nevada
Teen Drug Use on the Rise – LASVEGASNOW.com

LAS VEGAS — A new study by the Partnership for a Drug Free America says teen marijuana and alcohol use is on the rise. But while many are sticking to marijuana and alcohol, in Las Vegas, many teens are making the leap to heroin.

Marijuana – USA
38 percent teens smoking marijuana – Associated Press

A study from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America says 38 percent of high school students have smoked marijuana in the last year.

Meth Addiction & Recovery – Colorado
Surviving meth: Local dads win back their lives, their kids – The Gazette

The stories of two single fathers surviving through meth addiction and recovery.

Cocaine Smuggling – Colorado
Suspected Cocaine Kingpin in Denver Court – Associated Press

A suspected drug kingpin blamed for smuggling millions of dollars worth of cocaine is due in a federal court in Denver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are your kids skipping Sunday School to do heroin?

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

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