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.

DRUGS – USA
Drug abuse large part of crime in North Port – Sarasota Herald Tribune

A police report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows violent crimes essentially level compared with 2008, and property crimes such a burglary dropped by 9 percent.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin: More Than A Big City Problem – NBC News

It’s no longer thought of as just a “big city problem.” Heroin is showing up in smaller communities all over our area. Mt. Horeb is known for a lot of things. Heroin would probably not be one of them. But police are seeing it here as well. And just like other areas in south central Wisconsin, it’s got their attention.

ALCOHOL – USA
Women and Men in Drug Rehab or Alcohol Treatment – Trans World News

Studies and surveys conducted by various state and federal agencies have shown that the ratio of males to females who enter drug rehab or alcohol treatment is 2.3 to 1 respectively. Recent census data indicates an almost even number of men and women in the US.

METH – USA
The dangers of methamphetamine – Richmond Register

Representatives of state and federal law enforcement agencies gathered with media members in an airplane hangar Wednesday morning to discuss the rise in methamphetamine production.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Abuse Treatment Facilitator Locator – SAMHSA

To locate the drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs nearest you, find your State on the map below and click on it.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study urges action to get patients to follow prescriptions – Boston Globe

Patients who do not take their medications as prescribed pay a price in poorer health, more frequent hospitalizations, and a higher risk of death.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs 101: Introduction to Marijuana – Examiner

When I was in high school, so many, many years ago, marijuana was the drug of choice. Cocaine was around, but it was expensive. Speed was available, as was LSD and mushrooms, all cheap and easy to obtain. Methamphetamine, crack cocaine, MDMA, GHB and ecstasy, were not around yet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
1 in 5 teens shares prescriptions – USA Today

About 20% of U.S. teens exchange prescription drugs such as antibiotics and allergy medications with friends, a practice that can be dangerous and potentially deadly, warns a new study.

ALCOHOL – UK
Reducing Drinking And Preventing Relapse Using A Synthetic Derivative Of The Kudzu Vine – Medical News Today

Kudzu and its extracts and flowers have been used in traditional Chinese folk medicine to treat alcoholism for about 1,000 years.

METH – USA
New Montana Meth Project exec stops in Butte – Montana’s News Station

Montana’s new leader in charge of battling methamphetamine use visited Butte Thursday. Bill Slaughter is now the executive director of the Montana Meth Project, the marketing campaign that details the dangers of meth use. Slaughter was formerly the director of Montana’s Department of Corrections where he implemented the nation’s first meth treatment facility within the corrections system.

ALCOHOL – USA
Hawaii near top for alcohol abuse – Star Bulletin

Hawaii has one of the nation’s highest rates of alcohol addiction but ranks as the state with the least drug dependence, according to a federal government survey released yesterday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Law does not toast parents allowing alcohol – Sun News

OK parents. Listen up. It’s time for graduation parties and I’ve been asked by a school intervention specialist to share some information that will help you avoid trouble with the law.

ADDICTION – USA
Close the addiction gap – The Times of Trenton

Around the nation, addiction affects one in 10 Americans, but only 10 percent of them receive effective treatment. In New Jersey, it’s worse. Of the more than 800,000 in the state who have an alcohol or drug problem, only 7 percent are admitted for treatment.

ADDICTION – USA
Narconon Arrowhead’s Drug Rehab for Boston Residents – Trans World News

Boston’s drug situation continues to climb with the primary drugs of abuse being cocaine and heroin. As the crime rate also soars, the justice department has decided to try a new approach by helping addicts recover through drug rehab rather than doing prison terms.

METH – USA
Montana Meth Project Introduces New Executive Director – KFBB News

Since its launch in 2005, the Montana Meth Project has made great strides toward decreasing use of methamphetamine in the state. Now with a newly appointed executive director, the organization is focusing on the future and stepping up its efforts to deal with this issue.

DRUGS – USA
Marijuana, Cocaine, Binge Drinking Up – The Denver Channel

From binge drinking, to use of cigarettes and marijuana, Coloradans are more likely to use these substances — and have less concern about using them — than many other states.

MARIJUANA – USA
Vermont takes nation’s top spot for marijuana use, VT – Production, Design and Development

When it comes to marijuana use, Vermont has claimed top honors. The survey was conducted in 2006 and 2007. It compared drug usage by age and type nationwide. Vermont posted the highest incident rate of marijuana among people ages 12 and older at 2.5 percent. The national average is 1.6 percent.

HEROIN – USA
Buffalo Grove forum addresses rising heroin problem – Daily Herald

On Thursday night the Buffalo Grove School Safety Partnership, a cooperation between Buffalo Grove and Stevenson high schools, held a community forum to discuss drug abuse in high schools.

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.

DRUGS – UK
The Government’s given up the war on drugs – London Evening Standard

For a long time the Government has talked up its war on drugs. But has it in fact simply given in? The Centre for Policy Studies’ new report, The Phoney War on Drugs, shows that the focus of government drug policy is no longer on abstinence or rehabilitation but on harm reduction.

DRUGS – USA
Treatment, Support and Recovery for Addiction and Dual Diagnosis – Trans World News

For many drug addicts and alcoholics the idea that they would one day lead a normal and productive life is just too much to believe. At Foundations Recovery Network that life is brought to reality through a comprehensive program.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction hides in Edmond – The Edmond Sun

At this moment, an unknown number of Edmond residents — a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate — are suffering from an addiction or a substance abuse problem.

ALCOHOL – USA
Beverage Board Criticized As Too Pro-Alcohol – KARK News

A group says the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has been too generous in granting alcohol permits in dry counties and against opposition from local officials.

METH – USA
Anti-meth ads slam Colorado with brutal images – The Examiner

Colorado teens can now witness the hell of meth use…started by just one try. Brutally honest public service announcements, rolled out in Colorado this month, depict typical-looking teens stating a decision: “I’m gonna try meth just once.”

METH – USA
Where Meth Goes – KOKI FOX News

Since January of this year Tulsa Police say there have been 121 meth busts. That’s a lot of extremely toxic chemicals. But where do the dangerous chemicals and equipment go?

ALCOHOL – UK
It’s people, not systems, that can make a real difference – Guardian

This will probably get under the skin of quite a lot of people – in fact, most Society readers who aren’t working on the frontline.

DRUGS – USA
Share Your Story – Your Story Matters

There are tens of thousands of New Yorkers and their loved ones who are living stories of recovery from alcoholism, drug abuse and problem gambling.

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 – USA
Keg Bill to Combat Underage Drinking and Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems – Read Media

State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced a bill requiring greater responsibility when purchasing beer kegs to prevent underage drinking and binge drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
April is Alcohol Awareness Month – Navy Compass

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol abuse can wreak havoc in an individual’s life as well as the lives of their loved ones. Alcohol abuse can lead to health problems, relationship problems, school, work problems and money problems. Alcohol abuse can also easily lead to an alcohol addiction.

METH – USA
Parents fight meth with awareness – KCBY News

As one of the leading counties fighting the trafficking, dealing and consumption of methamphetamine, parents and students at Reedsport High School came out to learn more about drug prevention.

METH – USA
Fighting Meth In Tulsa Apartment Complexes – KTUL News

Managers of Tulsa apartment complexes are fighting back against the rise in meth production and use. There have been several meth-related fires that have taken place in apartments over the past month, including two that resulted in the deaths of three people.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Illegal use of prescription drugs is killing residents – Cherokee Scout

If it were a race, cocaine and methamphetamines would have been left behind by prescription medications as the biggest drug problem in Cherokee County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Bill aimed at prescription drug abuse – U p North Live

Legislation recently introduced in Lansing is aimed at curbing the prescription drug abuse problem which law enforcemenet officials say is very prevalent in northern Michigan.

MARIJUANA – UK
Chronic marijuana abuse linked to severe vomiting – Reuters

Chronic cannabis abuse may cause a distinct medical condition characterized mainly by severe recurrent vomiting, doctors from Omaha, Nebraska, report.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths spike across Chicago area, authorities say – The Chicago Tribune

Federal Drug Enforcement Agency testing on heroin samples showed dangerous levels of purity, Keller said. One sample registered 65 percent purity and another was 23 percent pure compared with the normal 15 percent rate, he said.

ALCOHOL – USA
One Million People Learn ‘How Much is Too Much?’ – Join Together

“Is my drinking risky?” At AlcoholScreening.org, over one million people have now learned the answer to this question by taking a confidential, free online screening to assess their drinking patterns.

DRUGS – USA
SAMHSA Says Fewer Adolescents Exposed to Drug Prevention Messages – Join Together

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that fewer adolescents are being exposed to substance-use prevention messages or participating in out-of-school prevention programs.

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.

PAINKILLER – IECLAND
Danish teen girls prefer painkillers for suicide – Ice News

Figures just released from Denmark’s National Patient Registry indicate a substantial rise in the number of teenage girls who have been admitted to hospital due to overdosing on painkillers. The trend has been steadily increasing in recent years, rising seven percent alone since 2007.

ADDICTION – USA
Raise beer tax to help fund addictions programs – Statesman Journal

In this state budget cycle, addictions services in Oregon are facing especially drastic reductions. In particular, the latest state budget proposal cuts funding for treatment, prevention and recovery programs by a staggering 84 percent.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Is A Very Personal Problem And The Best Drug Treatment Center Treats It As Such – Trans World News

Drug addiction treatment isn’t a spectator sport. Some of Southern California’s most exclusive drug treatment facilities lead clients to believe that healing is simply a matter of enrolling in a treatment program and then waiting for someone else to do the heavy lifting for you.

ADDICTION – USA
Coping With A Drug Addiction – Trans World News

It’s a realization no one ever wants to come to: that someone you care about, someone you love, is the victim of drug addiction. As is so often the case, the truth hurts…but that doesn’t mean that you, as a friend or family member of a drug addict, can afford to ignore it.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug Rehab, Addiction Treatment, Alcohol Rehabilitation and Substance Abuse Recovery – Trans World News

Long-term sobriety and addiction recovery can be a difficult task for those suffering from substance abuse problems. Often times these addictions are treated with a blanket recovery program by treatment centers and this approach fails to take into account the individual circumstances of each patient.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs top Oregon overdose stats – The Oregonian

Prescription drug overdoses accounted for the most drug-related deaths in Oregon last year, with methadone the leading cause.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Warns Drug Makers to Stop Selling Unapproved Prescription Painkillers – US News and World Report

Administration on Tuesday warned nine companies to stop making 14 unapproved prescription narcotic painkillers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA warns makers of unapproved narcotics – CNN Health

Seeking to remove unapproved drugs from the marketplace, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered nine companies to stop manufacturing narcotics whose therapeutic claims have not been proved.