Drug News

HEROIN – USA
Heroin high here getting cheaper – The Columbus Dispatch

Mexican drug cartels have saturated Columbus’ heroin market, pushing down the price of a kilogram and hooking a larger share of the city’s users.

PAINKILLER – USA
70,000 U.S. kids overdose each year — accidentally — on everyday household meds – TIME

Some 100,000 kids end up in U.S. emergency rooms each year because they’ve accidentally been poisoned. No, they’re not all raiding the cupboard full of cleaning supplies.

ADDICTION – USA
10 reasons to kick addictions – Desert News

Making the decision to give up an addiction may seem like a simple act to those who have never struggled with the issue. The truth is that sobriety is a process that, for those who follow the path, will last a lifetime. The great news is that by enduring and eventually embracing the process, you will also have a life. Here are 10 reasons to get started.

DRUGS – USA
Rescue Ink helps young people striving to quit drugs, alcohol – Zanesville Times Recorder

Smith along with her husband, Richard, have opened a new store in New Lexington with that idea in mind. Rescue Ink, at 126 Main St., has clothes, bikes, shoes and other items at prices that are affordable to those families and teens finding themselves in financial crisis.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Abuse Is Treated With The Most Extensive Treatment Programs – Trans World News

Sunset Malibu, an exclusive treatment center on the California coast, has long been a transformational force in the field of rehabilitation and recovery. Now, Sunset is announcing its redoubled efforts in the fight against alcohol dependency.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Your prescription drugs can kill – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Iowa health officials warn of the growing threat of unintentional poisoning. A University of Iowa report shows the state’s number of unintentional poisoning deaths rose from 67 in 2002 to 160 in 2008.

ADDICTION – USA
Campaign focuses on addiction awareness – Scarlet Scuttlebutt

NCADD’S eighth annual Tree of Hope campaign is designed to raise the consciousness in Middlesex County to the fact that addiction is an illness from which many do recover, and to celebrate those recoveries.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Drug addiction among adolescents on the rise – Indian Express

The alarming trend of adolescents taking to drugs, including sniffing petroleum products, cigarettes, alcohol and even smack, has caught up across all economic strata in the city, doctors dealing with such cases say.

ALCOHOL – UK
Home-brew alcohol kills at least 86 – The Press Association

At least 86 people, mostly poor workers living in slums, have died after drinking tainted home-brewed alcohol in western India.

DRUGS – NEATHERLANDS
Tackle drug use among youngsters more rigorously – Ministry of Health, Welfare an Sport

The committee calls for a number of key changes to Dutch drugs policy, and focuses on four key points: concern about drug use among young people (particularly the very young), a more restrictive approach to coffee shops, tougher measures against organised crime and the establishment of a drugs authority.

DRUGS – UK
“Closer To Home Than You Think”: One In Five Adults Knows Someone With Experience Of Drug Addiction – Medical News Today

DrugScope has published research showing that 1 in 5 adults in the UK have either direct or indirect personal experience of drug addiction.

DRUGS – USA
Narconon Arrowhead says that there is a real need for drug rehab in Los Angeles – Trans World News

According to the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis, Los Angeles is one of the nation’s principal illicit drug production and distribution centers in the United States.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Alert! – Chicago Tribune

Underscoring the danger of potentially lethal and toxic prescription drug interactions, Gil Kerlikowske, the government’s drug czar, said recently that more Americans are dying from drug overdoses than gunshot wounds.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dry Mouth Linked to Prescription and Over the Counter Drugs – PR News Wire

Approximately ninety-one percent of dentists say patients complaining about dry mouth are taking multiple medications, according to a nationwide member survey conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Strengthens Warnings on Pain Medications Containing Propoxyphene – Join Together

Manufacturers of pain-relief medication containing propoxyphene — such as Darvon and Darvocet — must emphasize the potential risk for overdose by strengthening warning labels on the drugs.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA takes action against painkiller abuse – Bizmology

T he FDA is taking steps to crack down on pain drugs that are commonly linked to accidental overdose. The administration’s moves are coincidentally well-timed as speculation is still rampant over whether pop king Michael Jackson’s death was related to painkillers and other medications he was taking.

ALCOHOL – USA
Living A Natural Life Again – Sunset Malibu Alcohol Rehabilitation Center – Express Press Release

Alcohol rehabilitation is a journey towards true healing. Generally, alcoholism is a ravaging sickness because it deprives its prey of their pride and their capability of recovering.

ALCOHOL – USA
Australian Alcohol Advertising Self-regulation Not Working, As Ads Target Younger Drinkers, According To Experts – Science Daily News

Addiction scientists are calling for tighter regulation of alcohol advertising, as new research shows that self-regulation by the alcohol industry does not protect impressionable children and youth from exposure.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol row leaves Australia and New Zealand considering Four Nations boycott – Guardian

Australia have thrown the preparations for this autumn’s Four Nations series into further confusion by threatening to refuse to play their scheduled Test in France because of the country’s ban on alcohol advertising.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
KTAL Alert: Hot Weather & Prescription Problems – KTAL News

All prescriptions aren’t made equal.  That’s why Doug Bourdeaux says take heed.  If you put your prescriptions in the wrong place more damage could be done than good.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Helping protect your children from prescription drug abuse – Examiner

With 1 in 5 teens abusing prescription drugs these days, it is important to take precautions to protect your teen from this type of drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse a Serious, Growing Problem – NHPR

In the first of an occasional series, health reporter Elaine Grant examines prescription drug abuse and what the state is – and isn’t – doing about it.

COCAINE – UK
Women could overtake men for cocaine abuse – Telegraph

Young women are now on a par with men for abusing cocaine after a sharp increase in those taking the Class A drug.

METH – USA
Tougher Meth Laws – KIMT News

Senators unanimously agreed to strengthen penalties for selling meth, and they want to create a national electronic database for pseudoephedrine sales.

METH – USA
Meth on rise, officials have solution – WTHI TV News

Vigo County officials are asking local pharmacies to help crack down on the growing meth problem.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
Ecstasy Use Up As Methamphetamine Levels Off – Voxy

An increase in the use of ecstasy may be due to the outlawing of the party pill drug BZP and the bad reputation of P, according to the latest findings of the illicit drugs monitoring work done by Massey University researchers.

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.

DRUGS – USA
The Road To Wellness Begins With An Effective Rehab Program – Trans World News

Malibu is unlike any other place on the planet. From the beaches to the mountains, the ocean to the sky-there’s simply no environment quite like the Southern California coast, especially in terms of seclusion and tranquility.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Use Down in 2008 – Natural Products Marketplace

Prescription drug use fell in 2008 in the United States, reported the Associated Press. The decline is due in part because fewer drugs were launched; some, like Zyrtec, became available without a prescription; and some drugs faced safety issues that led to decreased use. Those factors seem to have a bigger impact than the recession.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Forum tackles ‘devastating issue’ of prescription-drug abuse in Maine – Morning Sentinel

The conference, held at the Grandeur Sun Conference Center, attracted about 250 people, including law-enforcement and state officials, pharmacists, mental-health professionals and others. It was hosted by the group FertileGround of Brunswick.

ALCOHOL – UK
Youths Use Drink Labels To Choose Strongest Drink At Lowest Cost, Australia – Medical News Today

Contrary to the industry’s position that visible drink labels will promote responsible drinking, young people are, instead, using these visible standard drink labels to increase or even maximize the amount of alcohol they consume at the lowest cost possible.

ALCOHOL – USA
Illinois House Considering Alcohol Tax Increase – Tristate WTVW News

The Illinois House is mulling over a new proposal to raise the tax on alcohol by a nickel a drink. The five-cent increase would apply to a bottle of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of liquor bought at a store, restaurant, or bar.

ALCOHOL – USA
Proposed alcohol tax could fund substance abuse programs – WJBD Radio News

Some Illinois lawmakers are looking to increase the tax on alcohol to help pay for substance abuse prevention and treatment services. The proposed tax being considered in the house amounts to about a nickel a drink.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
In Henrico, parents are warned about pill parties – Richmond Times-Dispatch

Rather than bringing snacks and sodas to some parties, teens are bringing whatever prescription pills they can glean from around the house.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol bills become law – The Times-Journal

Three bills passed Thursday afternoon could have a significant effect on the future of alcohol sales in DeKalb County.

ALCOHOL – UK
Ministers target booze promotions – BBC News

Plans to ban “irresponsible” drinks promotions in pubs and clubs – such as pouring alcohol down someone’s throat – have been launched for consultation.

ALCOHOL – USA
City tightens alcohol consumption law – Star Community News

The Plano City Council adopted a revision to an alcohol ordinance that will reduce the areas of the city where beverages can legally be consumed.

ALCOHOL – USA
Can a Few Drinks a Day Lead to Alcoholism? – The New York Times

This week, Personal Health columnist Jane Brody writes on the Rethinking Drinking program at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, created in part by Dr. Mark Willenbring, director of the agency’s Division of Treatment and Recovery Research.

DRUG – USA
Dump your Drugs Dangerous but “Legal” – The Gridley Herald

Everyone is aware that “street drugs” such as Heroin, Cocaine and especially Methamphetamine are very addicting substances.  Addiction can occur starting with the first use of these substances.

PRSCRIPTION – USA
Meeting about perils of prescription drug abuse on Staten Island – Staten Island Advance

An Islandwide town hall meeting to discuss teenage prescription drug abuse meant to highlight what officials have called a troubling epidemic will be held tonight at the Petrides School in Sunnyside.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Treatment for Public Safety Officers – Trans World News

In this day and age, the most stressful jobs include public safety officers.  For many professionals who are involved with public safety in their careers, the stress involved really can take its toll.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Will Run Your Life Until You Stop It With Rehab – Trans World News

Malibu rehab has to start with a personal decision. Addiction recovery, after all, isn’t a spectator sport. If you’re going to get better, it’s going to be because you make it happen-because you commit yourself to your luxury Malibu rehab program, and resolve to see the healing process through to its conclusion.

ADDICTION – USA
Millions of Children Live With Drug Addicts – Trans World News

Many understand that if a parent is abusing drugs or alcohol, these effects will be felt by the children involved.

PAINKILLER – USA
Aspirin: A lot more than just a Painkiller! – Test Country

Aspirin has rightly come to be known as the wonder drug of the 19th century for it serves a diverse array of medicinal purposes, from being a pain reliever to an active ingredient of a lot of shampoos! Surprised by its use in shampoos? Join the club, you aren’t the only one!!

ADDICTION – USA
Learn About Luxury Drug Rehab Programs and Drug Addiction Recovery – Trans World News

Drug rehab programs matter because drug rehabilitation patients matter. That might sound obvious, but no principle could ever be more important.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol and Cocaine Addiction Treatment Programs Offered through Cliffside Malibu – Trans World News

Alcohol and cocaine addiction treatment programs are offered through California’s premiere rehab center Cliffside Malibu.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prosecutors ask community help fighting prescription drug crime – WALB News

Prescription drug abuse is one of the fastest growing drug problems in South Georgia.

ADDICTION – USA
Admitting You Have An Alcohol Addiction Is Hard Enough – Choosing A Rehab Shouldn’t Be – Trans World News

Alcohol treatment is the only solution to alcohol addiction. The plain fact of the matter is that alcoholism is a disease, and like any disease it can only be overcome with help from competent medical professionals.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol-induced Flushing Linked with Esophageal Cancer – Cancer Consultants

People who experience facial flushing after consuming alcohol may have an increased risk of developing alcohol-related esophageal cancer. These results were published in PLoS Medicine.

PRESCRIPTION – TORONTO
Canadians using more prescription drugs, drug-tracking firm reports – The Canadian Press

Canadians are taking more prescription drugs than ever before, and increasingly those medicines are generic versions rather than brand-names, says a company that tracks worldwide pharmaceutical sales.

PAINKILLER – USA
Herbal Painkiller Linked to Liver Failure – News Inferno

An herbal painkiller sold by a California company is the subject of a health warning in the United Kingdom (UK). According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the supplement, known as Fortodol or Leppin Miradin, has been linked to reports of serious liver failure, including two deaths.

COCAINE – UK
Supply routes make cocaine cheaper – The Press Association

The price of cocaine is set to plunge further as traffickers exploit new smuggling routes, an international drugs agency warned.

CANNABIS – UK
Schoolchildren in the UK are the worst in Europe for cannabis abuse, UN report finds – Telegraph

Schoolchildren in the UK are the worst in Europe for cannabis abuse with almost half of youngsters admitting taking the drug, the United Nations has warned.

CANNABIS – SOUTH AFRICA
‘Cannabis has become more potent’ – Independent Online

A UN drugs agency warned on Thursday against danger of underestimating the dangerous power of cannabis.

CANNABIS – UK
International drugs body calls for global action as internet dealing rises to ‘alarming’ levels – Guardian

The internet is playing an increasing and “alarming” role in the trafficking of both illegal and unauthorised prescription drugs, according to the body that monitors the trafficking and use of narcotics.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine price ‘set to fall more’ – BBC News

The price of cocaine in Europe is set to fall even further as smugglers use new routes through West Africa and the Balkans, says the UN anti-drugs agency.

ADDICTION – USA
Individual Addiction Treatment Plans Are Hallmark Of Cliffside Malibu – New Design World

The experienced staff at Cliffside Malibu drug rehabilitation center all have one thing in common: the treatment and well being of each resident.

DRUGS – USA
Stressed students turn to study aid alternatives under midterm pressure – Villanovan

Faced with deadlines, especially during high stress times like midterms and finals weeks, many students turn to study aid stimulants such as coffee, Red Bull, or 5-Hour Energy shots, while others resort to more drastic measures, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

ALCOHOL – USA
Ark. Senate votes to ban devices that allow drinkers to inhale alcohol – KFSM News

A ban on devices that allow drinkers to inhale alcohol has won the approval of the Arkansas Senate.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse: Part One – KAUZ News

Texoma is facing growing drug problem. Experts say more residents are becoming addicted to prescription and over-the-counter medications.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking summit – ABC News

Dr Nelson is convening a four hour summit on binge drinking in Canberra today, with about 20 people from various interest groups.

ALCOHOL – USA
College chiefs urge new debate on drinking age – CNN News
College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

ALCOHOL – UK
Deaths by drugs or drink ‘are now run of the mill’ – Wales Online

A CORONER who has overseen the spate of apparent suicides in a Welsh community said drug and alcohol deaths had gone from non-existent to “run of the mill” during his time in the role.

DRUGS – UK
Drugs fuel admissions to Bristol hospitals – This is Bristol

More than 280 people were admitted to hospitals in the Bristol area due to drug problems last year, according to new figures.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge drinking is turning Britain into ‘Wild West’ – Telegraph

The Tory leader claims a culture of excess is “taking over our streets” and many areas were now “uninhabitable”.

ADDICTION – USA
Recovery Month Planning Materials Now Available Online – Pushing Back

Recognizing that addiction to drugs is a treatable disease and that recovery is possible, ONDCP has supported innovative and effective programs designed to help expand the availability of treatment services.

METH – USA
A New Weapon Against Meth Abuse – US News and World Report
The federal drug czar’s office has shown preliminary interest in a new Internet-based program from an Australian maker to track pharmacy purchases of pseudoephedrine, which can be abused to make methamphetamine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse – WSIL TV News

More people are getting high by abusing prescription pills. An expert on prescription abuse is in our region to talk about the dangers of the drugs and prevention.

ALCOHOL – UK
Excessive alcohol use linked to fertility problems – Telegraph

Excessive drinking has been linked to having children later in life, possibly because alcohol damages fertility, scientists have suggested.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Survey: Youngsters Can Procure Prescription Drugs Easier Than Beer – eFluxMedia
More youngsters say it’s easier for them to get prescription drugs than it is to acquire beer, shows a new survey released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Teens Illegally Access Prescription Drugs – Ontario Now

A new study has revealed that nearly 34 percent of today’s teenagers are engaged in some type of prescription drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Scams Happening in the Ozarks – Ozark First

It’s not exactly what the doctor ordered, but a scam involving prescription drugs is making its way through several Ozarks communities.

DRUGS – UK
Orthodox community steps up its anti-drugs campaign – The JC

A strictly Orthodox charity is planning to step up its campaign over the next few weeks to educate its constituency about the risk of drugs.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Rises as a Painkiller With Big Risks – The New York Times

A synthetic form of opium, it is cheap and long lasting, a powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But because it is also abused by thrill seekers and badly prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with its risks, methadone is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Becoming Local Drug of Choice – WSAZ News

Heroin, one of the deadliest drugs in the country, is taking a toll locally — quickly becoming the drug of choice.

HEROIN – UK
Red alert for heroin users – Evening Telegraph

Heroin is cut with other substances to maximise dealers’ profits and whatever red heroin has been cut with creates new and potentially fatal risks. The drug, off-red in colour, crystallises quickly in the syringe so addicts must shoot up quickly.

ALCOHOL – USA
CADCA Survey Finds Alcohol Top Problem Facing Communities – CADCA

According to CADCA´s 2007 Annual Survey of Coalitions, 68 percent of community anti-drug coalitions across the country ranked alcohol as the number one problem facing their community.

METH – USA
New Publication Offers Strategies to Tackle Methamphetamine Abuse – CADCA

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 5.8 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 or older have abused methamphetamine (meth) at least once in their lifetimes.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Cocktail in a pocket entices teen drinkers – Sydney Morning Herald

ShotPak is a line of alcoholic beverages that comes in shot-sized, laminated-foil plastic pouches reminiscent of the drinks American children pack in their school lunches.

HEROIN – UK
Addicts warned over red heroin – The Courier

POLICE IN Tayside fear that deadly “red heroin” may have reached the region—and warned addicts to stay away from the contaminated substance.

DRUGS – USA
Latest Drug Trends Show Rampant Heroin Abuse – News Radio WTVN

The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug-Addiction Services has released its biannual report on the latest drug trends across the state.

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
Addiction to potentially deadly drug Cat surging – Weekend Post

SCHOOLS, businesses and nightclubs in Nelson Mandela Bay are fast falling prey to a new and potentially deadly designer drug called Cat, which is becoming the latest craze among teens and young adults.