Drug News

DRUG REHAB – USA
Everyone Gets The Lindsay Lohan Treatment w/ White House Drug Policy – Politic 365

Conventional, progressive-thinking wisdom is that alcohol and drug abuse is a disease that should be responded to in a humane way. It entails the thinking that sending folks to treatment may be a better option than locking them up.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Help those recovering from alcohol dependence during the holidays – Newark Advocate

The holiday season is a time to celebrate family and friendships. For many, the calendar is filled with invitations to parties and get-togethers. For others, the holiday season is a time of increased pressure and stress. Those recovering from drug and alcohol dependence might feel anxious about accepting invitations to events where alcohol is involved.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Court Appointed Rehab Center To Re-Open Their Doors – News West 8

A court appointed drug rehab center in Midland had to close their doors this past summer because of budget cuts. Austin cut them out of the picture but now a few months later they got some of their funding back and they’re re-opening their doors.

HEROIN – USA
Man gets 5 years for giving heroin to Stafford man who overdosed – Asbury Park Press

A 27-year-old Staten Island man was sentenced today to five years in prison for distributing heroin to a Stafford man who overdosed on it and later died.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/HEROIN – USA
A look at how prescription pill abuse is fueling the comeback of a deadly drug – The Camarillo Acorn

How does a promising youth with ties to the church go from dreams of football stardom to the commission of a felony robbery in less than a year? “Drugs are the only reason I robbed that house. Just to make money to buy them and sell them or do whatever,” David, 19, said. “I had never even gotten a parking ticket before then.”

ALCOHOL ABUSE – BRAZIL
Brazil football legend Socrates dies at the age of 57 following short illness – Daily Mail

Brazil legend Socrates has died at the age of 57 after suffering an intestinal infection. It was the third time in four months that he had been treated at an intensive care unit since alcohol abuse caused his stomach to haemorrhage in August.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Keeps a Grip on City – Gazettextra

Heroin addicts aren’t an easy group to survey. Even anecdotally, it’s hard to get an estimate of how many people in Janesville are using white powder heroin, the addictive narcotic that gained local popularity in early 2008.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Meth threat rises as cooking labs get smaller, more dangerous – Florida Times Union

Methamphetamine lab seizures in Northeast Florida are about 83 percent higher this year than in all of 2010 at a time when those who make it have turned to a more dangerous way of producing the drug.

DRUG ADDICTION – KENYA
Kenya: UN Promises to Help Country Treat Drug Addicts – AllAfrica.com‎

The UN has pledged to support Kenya treat drug addicts. Visiting United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime executive director Yury Fedotov said drug dependence is a disease that must be dealt with.”UNODC recognizes that drug dependence is a disease and …

ECSTASY – USA
Greater brain risks from “real-world” ecstasy use – Los Angeles Times‎

For a glimpse into real-world drug use, Australian researchers went to parties where people were using a drug known as ecstasy – and discovered that users’ brains were at far more risk from the drug than anyone had suspected …

DRUG COURTS – USA
In Drug Courts, Judges Practice Their Own Version of Justice – And “Treatment” – AlterNet‎

Drug courts must be standardized, they must be held accountable and they must not be our primary policy approach to drug use and addiction. Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Drugs headlines via email.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE – USA
Exeter PD takes back Rx – Foothills Sun Gazette‎

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the US are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE – USA
Is statewide database needed to battle prescription abuse? – Central Florida News 13 ‎

Atkins survived and is talking to classrooms about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Now he wants law enforcement and state leaders to shut down pill mills. “Because this is killing so many people.”

PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING – USA
Floridians Are Maybe Starting To Understand Their Governor Is A Grifter – Huffington Post

This is the most important weapon in the fight against prescription drug abuse…” Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who has been a champion of efforts to fight prescription drug abuse and sponsored the drug monitoring legislation.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA – USA
Should medical marijuana be regulated like other prescription drugs? – ConnectMidMichigan.com‎

In 2008, Michigan voters approved the use of medical marijuana. Since then, there hasn’t been a lot of accountability. Prescription drug commercials tout the benefits of their products, but they also come with warnings.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA – USA
Kerlikowske opposes legalizing marijuana – Buffalo News‎

And while prescription painkiller drugs also are legal, Kerlikowske said, abuse of those drugs is skyrocketing throughout the nation, causing a major public health problem. “Prescription drug use is legal . . . and we can’t control it.”

HEROIN – USA
St. Louis A “Hot Spot” In Battle With Heroin – FOX2now.com
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A top agent with the US Drug Enforcement Agency says St. Louis is among the “hot spots” nationally in a growing fight against heroin. Michael Kress, a supervisory special agent with the DEA, says the drug is flourishing here.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise across Texas – Houston Chronicle

Texans seeking treatment for addiction to pain medications rose from 890 in 2000 to 5844 in 2008.

DRUG TREATMENT – USA
Report says cuts putting ‘justice In jeopardy’ – Hawaii News Now ‎

In some cases, the cuts may actually be costing money by keeping some drug offenders in prison longer while they wait to go into treatment programs. …

METHAMPHETAMINE – NEW ZEALAND
Grandmother jailed 6 years for drug possession – Radio New Zealand

A grandmother who was carrying the largest amount of methamphetamine found on a domestic passenger at Wellington Airport has been jailed. …

METHAMPHETAMINE/THREE STRIKES LAW – USA
Stanford law students appeal three-strike cases – Washington Post

Too often the law fails to distinguish the violent career criminal from bumbling, drug addicted defendants who are sent away for at least 25 years for a nonviolent felony conviction. Nearly 15 years after sentencing, an inmate is getting an unexpected chance at freedom – and the judge a shot at redemption – thanks to Stanford Law School’s Three Srikes Clinic.

HEROIN – USA
Enormous Heroine Stash In Drug Bust Named After Lil Wayne – HipHopDX

According to local news page kspr.com, a drug bust which produced 500 bricks of heroin, hidden inside a side panel of an SUV, had certain bricks named after …

METHADONE – WALES
Party drink may have been spiked with methadone – WalesOnline ‎

A party-goer’s death is being investigated by police after claims her drink had been laced with a heroin substitute. Gemma Thomas, 26, was taken to …

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Eye on Health: Drug Addiction Cure – WRCB-TV ‎

Close to 2-million Americans are addicted to prescription drugs. That’s according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Prescription pills turned into …

MEDICAL MARIJUANA/PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Medical marijuana a new challenge for schools – AZ Central.com

Medical marijuana will be yet another challenge to schools as they urge students to stay away from drugs, especially since prescription-drug abuse is most …

Heroin – Australia
Australian woman who hid heroin in stomach held – Thaindian News

Sydney, Nov 6 (IANS) An Australian woman has been arrested here after she was found to have swallowed 41 balloons filled with heroin, a media report said Saturday.

Meth-Related Death – UK
10-day-old girl dies in washing machine – Thaindian News

London, Nov 8 (IANS) A 10-day-old girl died in Britain when her mother put her in a washing machine with a pile of laundry, a media report said Monday.

Caffeinated Alcohol Ban – Michigan
Michigan Bans Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks – CSP

LANSING, Mich. — The state of Michigan has banned caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) rescinding the approval of all “alcohol energy drinks.” The commission will notify beverage makers via a commission order about the product ban; they will have 30 days to remove these products from the state of Michigan, it said.

Drug Raid – Ohio
Holmesville meth raid ‘went really well and no one got hurt’ - The-Daily-Record.com

MILLERSBURG — Deputies donned camo and checked their weapons and gas masks, then checked them again.

Heroin Seizure – Nevada
Las Vegas heroin seizure worth $1 million – UPI.com

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 7 (UPI) — Police say the $1 million worth of heroin seized at the Las Vegas airport was the largest in the city in recent history.

Cocaine – UK
Benson Offia in court for a 3 million Pounds cocaine haul – Thaindian News

London, Nov 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) British Officers will take a man accused of possessing one of the highest quantities of cocaine in the country to court today. The street value of the drug that was seized from the man is estimated to be worth £3 million. He is charged with possessing Class A drug with the intent to sell.

Heroin – Colorado
Students found using heroin at AAHS – Coloradoconnection.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Academy District 20 officials said they found students using heroin and other substances at Air Academy High School, and one student has been arrested.

Cocaine – Florida
‘Candy’ cocaine leads to drug arrest – UPI.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 4 (UPI) — A Puerto Rico man is charged with attempting to smuggle 21 pounds of cocaine into Florida disguised in bags of candy, authorities said.

Probation – USA Celebrity
Lil Wayne Can’t Drink For Three Years Under Probation – MTV NEWS

Lil Wayne isn’t allowed to drink alcohol for three years, according to Arizona probation documents obtained by TMZ.

Meth – Wyoming
Wyo. cops lose box of drugs that says ‘METH’ on it – ctpost.com

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Officials in Wyoming want people to be on the lookout for a black box with white lettering that says “METH,” after a deputy lost a stash used to train police dogs. Teton County sheriff’s Sgt. Lloyd Funk said the deputy accidentally left the box on a bumper after a canine training exercise Oct. 27. It contained nearly an ounce of methamphetamine.

Marijuana – Nebraska
State Patrol: Pot Found Stashed In Spare Tire – KETV.com

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol said a Las Vegas man is in jail after marijuana was found stashed in the spare tire of his pickup truck.

Alcohol Abuse – Ireland
President of UCC issues alcohol warning – IrishExaminer.com

HEALTH problems and Ireland’s image abroad will worsen significantly unless rising alcohol abuse by young people is reversed, the head of one of the country’s biggest colleges has warned.

Marijuana – Arizona
Border agents recover $1.3 million in marijuana – azcentral.com

TUCSON – Border Patrol agents working a desert area in southwestern Arizona Sunday recovered 1,700 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1.3 million.

Crack Cocaine – California
87 year old crack dealer Ola Mae Agee jailed – Thaindian News

Los Angeles, Nov 1 (THAINDIAN NEWS) It is often said that old habits die-hard and that might be exactly the case in the case of Ola Mae Agee. At the very advanced age of 87 years Ola has been jailed for a-year-and-a-half for dealing in crack cocaine. Ola was arrested after an undercover cop managed to get the octogenarian to sell him a crack.

Teen Pot & Alcohol Abuse – USA Study
Study: Heavy Alcohol and Pot Use May Damage Teen Brains – Join Together

New research found adolescents who abused marijuana and alcohol scored lower on a battery of intellectual aptitude tests than their drug-free peers, HealthDay News reported Oct. 19.

Drug Sentencing Reform – USA
Reforms of crack sentencing take effect – UPI.com

DENVER, Nov. 1 (UPI) — Federal drug sentencing reforms took effect Monday, but Colorado’s U.S. attorney does not expect dramatic changes.

Alcohol & Drug Abuse – USA
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack – Medical News TODAY

Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today. When all factors related to self harm and harm to others are considered, alcohol comes out top. The authors explain that drugs, including tobacco products and alcohol are major contributors to damage to individuals as well as society as a whole.

Heroin – Australia
168 kg of heroin seized in Australia – Thaindian News

London, Nov 2 (IANS) Australian authorities have seized 168 kg of heroin, the fifth biggest shipment of the contraband ever to be smuggled into the country, hidden inside a consignment of wooden doors from Malaysia to Sydney, a media report said Monday.

Marijuana Arrests – California
More Than 4 Dozen Arrested In Mendocino Anti-Pot Sweep – CBS San Francisco

COVELO, Mendocino County (AP) — A major drug sweep in rural Mendocino County has netted more than four dozen arrests as authorities crack down on rural marijuana gardens.

Drug Abuse Awareness – USA Military
Department Monitors Substance Abuse Trends – U.S. Department Of Defense

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2010 – October 25 starts Red Ribbon Week for drug awareness, and this year Defense Department officials hope to shed light on what may be a disturbing new trend in substance abuse by servicemembers, according to the department’s director of health promotion and preventative services policy.

Celebrity Drug Use – USA
Hollywood Celebrities and the Drug Scene – MeDINDIA

Analysing the drug scenario has revealed the manner by which Hollywood celebrities get their fix.

Drug Rehab Again – Lindsay Lohan, USA Celebrity
LINDSAY LOHAN COMMITS HERSELF TO BETTY FORD – ALLVOICES

The troubled Lindsay Lohan has committed herself to the Betty Ford Clinic to treat her drug and alcohol addiction.

Drunk Driving – Michigan
Officers: Drunk man drove woman to police – UPI.com

CLAWSON, Mich., Sept. 30 (UPI) — Police in Michigan said they arrested a man who was allegedly drunk when he drove an intoxicated woman to the police station for questioning.

Cocaine – South America
Denise Van Outen finds £90k of cocaine – Telegraph.co.uk

Denise Van Outen, the television presenter, found almost £100,000 of cocaine while hiking in the Andes.

Marijuana – Texas
Mom nabbed over kid drug dealer – KTEN 10, Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Texas (AP) – A 22-year-old south Texas woman is behind bars after her neighbors reported that her 4-year-old daughter was trying to sell a brick of marijuana.

Prescription Drug Abuse – Australia
We Must Stop Prescription Drug Abuse With Transparency, Australia – Medical News TODAY

The Australian Nursing Federation said the abuse of opiates based prescription drugs is a rising problem in Australia and we need urgent electronic streamlining of health records to stop the abuse.

Drug Trafficking – Saudi Arabia
210 drug traffickers held in Saudi Arabia – Thaindian News

Riyadh, Sep 29 (IANS) Saudi authorities Wednesday said they have arrested 210 drug traffickers, including Indians, in the last three months.

Meth – Mexico to Colorado
Nine indicted in alleged Mexico-Colo meth ring – Colorado connection

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Attorney General’s office says it has indicted nine people suspected of importing as much as 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico into Colorado.

Teen Drug & Alcohol Use – Study
Popularity Affects Drug And Alcohol Consumption – Medical News TODAY

The consumption of drugs and alcohol by teenagers is not just about rebellion or emotional troubles. It’s about being one of the cool kids, according to a study by led by researchers at the Universite de Montreal.

Drugs Trafficking to USA – Puerto Rico
DEA: Mailmen in Puerto Rico Shipped Drugs to US – CBSNEWS

7 Postal Workers Indicted on Charges They Shipped Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana Through the Mail to Texas, Calif. and Ariz.

Cocaine Possession – USA Celebrity
Rapper Kid Cudi Pleads Guilty For Drug Possession – Thaindian News

Sep 28, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Rapper Kid Cudi pleaded guilty for criminal possession of Cocaine. Although he explained saying that he has “kicked off” the habit long time back, the court has ordered him to perform a two day long community service, and if he can successfully avoid further legal troubles and consumption of drugs, then his case may be dismissed within the next six months.

Drug Free Schools – India
Parents to take ‘anti-narcotics’ oath for drug-free Himachal – Thaindian News

Shimla, Sep 28 (IANS) Parents in Himachal Pradesh will take an ‘anti-narcotics’ oath at the time of their children’s admission to school to ensure that the kids are “not hooked to drugs”, a senior official said Tuesday.

Marijuana Seizure – Texas
$3 million drug bust in Central Texas – FOX10tv.com

FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies seized 2,000 marijuana plants from a 55-acre property at 14650 North SH 95 on Sunday.

Drug Trafficking Prevention – USA
FBI wants right to tap texts, emails and websites under proposed new bill – Thaindian News

Washington, Sept 28 (ANI): A new Bill proposed to be introduced in the United States Congress in 2011, would reportedly allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to tap text messages, emails and networking websites.

Drug-Related Murder – Mexico
Small-Town Mayor Stoned to Death in Mexico – KTLA.com

MORELIA, Mexico — The mayor of the Mexican town of Tancitaro and his aide were found stoned to death Monday on a dirt road in the drug-plagued state of Michoacan.

Driving While Intoxicated – North Carolina
15 charges stem from DWI checkpoint – ENCToday.com

A DWI checkpoint in Jones County on Friday resulted in 15 charges, according to a news release issued Monday by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office.

Teen Substance Abuse Prevention – USA
Frequent Family Dinners Linked To Lower Tobacco, Alcohol And Marijuana Use Among Teens – Medical News TODAY

American teenagers who regularly have family dinners are much less likely to have used drugs, alcohol or marijuana compared to their peers who have family dinners infrequently, according to a new study – The Importance of Family Dinners VI – carried out by researchers from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), Columbia University. Those defined as having family dinners frequently did so from five to seven times per week, while those who had family dinners fewer than three times a week had infrequent family dinners.

Prescription Medication Collection – USA
The Push to Empty Medicine Cabinets – abc NEWS VIDEO

DEA sets up “take-back” locations where people can dispose of unused medication.

Cocaine – UK
Flight attendant jailed for drug smuggling – Brighouse ECHO

A flight attendant who tried to smuggle cocaine into the UK, via Heathrow, by hiding it in her bra and knickers has been jailed for seven years.

Rehab – USA Celebrity
Lindsay Lohan to check into rehab once again – Thaindian News

Sep 27 (THAINDIAN NEWS) After her release from the Lynwood jail on Friday night on a $300,000 bail, actress Lindsay Lohan is reportedly taking her recovery from drug addiction to another level.

Drug Troubles in USA – Jamaican Musician
Buju Banton’s drug trial the talk of Jamaica – klewtv.com3

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – The U.S. drug trial of reggae star Buju Banton is the talk of Jamaica, where islanders are debating his guilt or innocence on street corners, in offices, in letters to the editor and on social networking websites.

Substance Use Prevention For Adolescents – USA
Ban Tobacco Ads And Restrict Alcohol And Erectile Dysfunction Ads, Urges The American Academy Of Pediatrics – Medical News TODAY

The monumental task of persuading children and adolescents to say “No” to drugs, alcohol and tobacco is being constantly undermined by the $25 billions’ worth of advertising and marketing each year, which has precisely the opposite effect, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP adds that children should not be exposed to erectile dysfunction ads before ten at night.