Drug News

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION – USA
So many need to go to rehab, but Gov. Herbert’s budget says no, no – Salt Lake City Weekly

State data show that nearly 80,000 Utahns are in need but can’t access substance-abuse treatment (see the document below). Gov. Gary Herbert’s 2012 budget plan, which proposes cutting the $3 million in funding for the Drug Offender Reform Act, or DORA, would let more addicts go untreated each year..

CLUB DRUGS – USA
California legislation would ban raves at publicly owned venues – Los Angeles Times

A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that found that many teenagers attending raves use so-called club drugs, including Ecstasy, GHB, … Raves would be outlawed at publicly owned venues in California under a proposal made Wednesday by a lawmaker after the death of a teenager and scores of injuries at rave events in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

HEROIN – USA
Teens are seeking heroin treatment at steady pace – Dallas Morning News

The number of local teens seeking treatment for heroin addiction remains high three years after a series of fatal overdoses from a mixture of heroin and sleep aids, according to a new report released by the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Medical: Studies find binge drinking on the increase – The Republic

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that two or three times more people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents around Christmas …

CLUB DRUGS – USA
Northern border drug control bill goes to Obama – Wall Street Journal

Far more of those drugs come across the southern border, but agents seize eight times the amount of the club drug Ecstasy up north than they do on the …

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Operation Growing Pains’ targets prescription drug abuse, nets 135 arrests – Florida Times-Union

The first phase of what’s described as a long-term crackdown on the epidemic of prescription drug abuse has led to 135 arrests. …

COCAINE – USA/CANADA
Too many air fresheners leads to massive drug bust at border – National Post ‎

CBSA officers seized 37-kilograms of cocaine after becoming suspicious about the number of air fresheners a driver was using in the cab of his truck. …

COCAINE/HEROIN – MEXICO/USA
Cocaine, heroin, $120000 seized at Nogales border crossing – AZ Central.com

Border Patrol officers in Nogales seized over $700000 in heroin and cocaine and more than $120000 in undeclared cash in less than an hour.

Heroin – New York
Three arrested in Port Jervis heroin bust – recordonline.com

PORT JERVIS — City police Tuesday arrested a Monticello man they say sold heroin to undercover officers.

Alcohol Abuse – Australia
Indigenous leaders fear rise in drug, alcohol abuse – ABC | Indigenous

A Cape York leader in far north Queensland says he is concerned about the impact a High Court decision could have on substance abuse in the community.

Meth Lab – South Carolina
Meth lab discovered in Hartsville neighborhood - CarolinaLive.com

The discovery of a meth lab at a home in a Harstville community sent shock waves of alarm through the neighborhood. Those living nearby were understandably concerned because their homes weren’t the only thing in danger. There’s a school just 500 yards away.

Meth & Marijuana – Iowa
Iowa Drug Report Shows Issues With Meth, Marijuana – Action3News.com

Des Moines, IA (AP) – Iowa drug control officials have issued a new report that finds the state has an escalating synthetic drug abuse problem and there has been an increase in need for treatment for methamphetamine and marijuana users.

Cocaine – Arizona
Border officers seize $12 million in cocaine – azcentral.com

NOGALES – Border officers in the southeastern Arizona city of Nogales made three separate cocaine seizures worth a combined $12.1 million in one day.

Heroin – New York
Drug Dealers Caught on Google Street View – abcNews/Technology

Google Street View sightings tend to be more peculiar than practical — in the past year alone, the globe encompassing image service has turned up photos of a so-called two-headed man, a “dead” girl and a snake out for a walk with its owner. But the latest additions to the canon of Street View spectacles are so valuable they might be used in a court of law.

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.

Meth – Arizona
Man caught with meth pipe in his underpants in Mesa – azcentral.com

A man confessed to hiding a methamphetamine pipe in his underwear after he was arrested on suspicion of possessing a dangerous drug.

Heroin Smuggling – Dominican Republic
Dominican Police Say Singer Had Drugs in Stomach – abcNEWS/Entertainment

Dominican police say singer found at airport with heroin in stomach rushed to hospital

Drug Arrest – Michigan Mother
Kalamazoo woman appearing unconscious with son in her car, arrested on drug charges – Mlive.com

ALMENA TOWNSHIP — A Kalamazoo woman who police say had her 11-year-old son with her in her car was arrested on drug charges in northeastern Van Buren County late Monday, police said.

Marijuana – California
California Citizens Reject Proposition 19 – Thaindian News

Nov 3, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Proposition 19 has been drawing national and international attention as California attempted to become the first state in nation to legalize marijuana-related activities. However, yesterday all the hopes and dreams of Proposition 19 supporters were crushed when the proposal was rejected by 57 percent against 43 percent in favor of it. However, the supporters believe that this was their first step of legalization of marijuana and in 2012 also they would raise the issue during election.

Drug & Alcohol Abuse – California Sheriff’s Deputy
Drug counts added in OC deputy DUI case – The Modesto Bee modbee.com

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Prosecutors have added doctor-shopping drug counts to the prescription drug driving under the influence case against a now-former Orange County sheriff’s deputy.

Heroin Death – UK
Anthrax linked to heroin user’s death – The Independent

A drug user who was left fighting for life after injecting heroin contaminated with anthrax died today, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

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.

Mouth Swab Drug Testing – USA
Mouth Swab Drug Test Facts – Buzzle.com

Saliva drug test is one of the most common procedures for detecting drug abuse in potential users. Read about mouth swab drug test facts in the following article to know more.

Methamphetamine Lab Bust – Michigan
Fugitive at large after Sherwood Twp. drug raid – BattleCreekEnquirer.com

SHERWOOD TOWNSHIP — A fugitive is still at large today after police raided a suspected methamphetamine house in Sherwood Township.

Drug Labs Destroyed – Afghanistan
U.S.-Russia force raids Afghan drug labs – UPI.com

MOSCOW, Oct. 29 (UPI) — The first joint U.S.-Russian drug raid in Afghanistan destroyed four major laboratories, Russia’s top drug-fighter said Friday.

Anna Nicole Smith Drug Trial – Verdict
Verdict in Anna Nicole Smith Drug Case – abc NEWS VIDEO

Anna Nicole Smith’s psychiatrist and boyfriend are found guilty of conspiracy.

Marijuana & Heroin – Nebraska
Traffic Stop Leads To Pot, Heroin Confiscation – KETV.com

UTICA, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol said nearly 200 pounds of marijuana and 51 grams of heroin were seized during a search of a rental truck Thursday night near Utica along Interstate 80.

Drug Use Down, Pot Use Up – Florida Students
Florida students’ overall drug use down, but marijuana use up – The Palm Beach Post NEWS

WEST PALM BEACH — Overall drug use is down, but marijuana and alcohol use among Florida middle- and high school-students remains a concern, state officials said Thursday.

Meth – Iowa
Mom convicted in girl’s death faces meth charges – KWQC-TV Davenport, IA / Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A Cedar Rapids mother who’s been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with her 2-year-old daughter’s death faces new drug charges.

Inhalants – Virginia
Survey suggests more Fairfax County youths are using inhalants – FairfaxTimes.com

Although the number remains small, there was a slight increase in the number of Fairfax County students who said they used inhalants between 2008 and 2009, according to a report released Tuesday.

Alcohol – USA Celebrity
Charlie Sheen Hospitalized After Intoxicated Disturbance in NYC – gather.com

No stranger to infamous problems with the law or drugs and alcohol, Charlie Sheen is in the spotlight once again.  Sheen was reported by TMZ to be drunk and disorderly at the Plaza Hotel in NYC on Tuesday evening following a dinner at a nearby restaurant. While no arrests were made by the NYPD, Sheen was hospitalized and evaluated according to TMZ.

Alcohol Energy Drinks – Washington
‘Four Loko’ Hospitalizes Students, Concern Raises Over Alcohol Energy Drink – The Huffington Post

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Sugary, high-alcohol energy drinks that are popular with college students who want to get drunk quickly and cheaply came under renewed scrutiny Monday as investigators announced that nine freshmen had been hospitalized after drinking them at an off-campus party.

Drug Trafficking – USA Flight Attendant
American Airlines employee charged with drug offences – LaosNews.Net

The US Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration has announced the indictment of an American Airlines employee.

Meth Lab – Washington
Drug Lab Found In Georgetown Dorm – The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — A dormitory for freshmen at prestigious Georgetown University was evacuated after a suspected meth lab was found in a room.

Prescription Drug Abuse – USA
Quest Diagnostics reports use of prescription opiates by American workers has increased by 40% – THE MEDICAL NEWS

Accidents do happen, but many times the incident could have been prevented when it is a result of prescription drug abuse.

Ending Drug Abuse – Georgia
Annual summit focuses on breaking cycle of drug abuse – times-georgian.com

Former NFL star Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson became aware of the effects of alcohol as a 10-year-old. He did not abuse the drug himself at that age, but he saw how it affected his mother and stepfather’s relationship.

Mephedrone Ban Request – European Union Nations
EU Calls For Ban on ‘Meow Meow’ Drug – MeDINDIA

The European Commission Wednesday called for a ban on suspected killer drug mephedrone, a popular ecstasy-like party drug known as “meow meow”, sold on the Internet and available in 12 EU nations.

Drug Trafficking – Massachusetts
Mass. Arrests 31 In Organized Crime Investigation – wbur.org

BOSTON — Authorities have charged 31 people in a yearlong investigation into organized crime and drug trafficking, including reputed New England mob capo Mark Rossetti.

Methamphetamine – Use During Pregnancy
Prosecution of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy – HEATH & WELLNESS

Kirsten Scharnberg, a Tribune National correspondent reported, “Tayshea Aiwohi is charged with consuming such huge amounts of crystal meth while she was pregnant that her son died of methamphetamine poisoning two days  after his birth” (Scharnberg, 2003). Cases such as this are appearing much more often in the spotlight recently. Prosecution against pregnant drug addicts has escalated greatly in recent years in a hope to protect the unborn fetus the women are carrying. Women who drink during pregnancy risk delivering a child with fetal alcohol syndrome, as well as mental retardation. Drug abuse exponentially increases the risk of miscarriage as well as much physical and mental impairment in the fetus.

Drug Abuse Prevention – US Air Force Musicians
Air Force musicians take a visible stand against drug abuse – U.S. AIR FORCE

10/21/2010 – SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) — The Air Force’s Band of the West is reaching out to thousands of school children in San Antonio with a “Stay in School” and “Say No to Drugs” message.

Synthetic Marijuana – Alaska
‘Spiced’ Man Breaks into House, Falls Asleep, Blames God – KTVA

A Fairbanks man was arrested Monday night after he reportedly broke into a home under the influence of potent synthetic marijuana.

Drug Violence – Portugal
Scot has ear, fingers & toes chopped off during drug gang kidnap ordeal in Portugal – DailyRecord.co.uk

A SCOT had an ear, two fingers and three toes chopped off during a horrific kidnap ordeal over an alleged £10,000 drug debt.

Marijuana – Mexico
134 tons of marijuana burnt in Mexico – Thaindian News

Tijuana, Oct 21 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Mexican army has burnt the 134 tons of marijuana that was seized from drug traffickers in Tijuana on Monday.

Alcohol – Colorado
‘Drunkorexia’ a growing trend among college students – Los Angeles Times

While “drunkorexia” is not a medical term, it has become easily understood slang for the practice of swapping food calories for those in alcohol.

Substance Abuse Trends – USA
Latest Substance Abuse Stats Show Troubling Trends – About.com: Alcoholism

The latest government statistics about how and how much Americans use drugs and alcohol are out and the news is not encouraging for healthcare providers. More people are doing illicit drugs and an alarming percentage of people engage in regular binge drinking, the numbers show.

Drug Cartels – Mexico
Student, 20, heads police in Mexico drug corridor – THE INDEPENDENT

A 20-year-old woman who hasn’t yet finished her criminology degree was named as Mexico’s new police chief.