Drug News

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
O’REILLY: Houston embraced drug life – Rapid City Journal

The media have no clue how to cover the death of Whitney Houston. That’s because she was slowly dying for years and many in the press simply averted their eyes. It was ultra-disturbing that a beautiful woman blessed with an extraordinary singing voice chose a self-destructive path in full view of the world.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Why Prescription Drug Addiction is Growing Among Teens – LiveScience

By the time Jessica McDonald was 13, she had already started drinking, smoking marijuana and using Adderall — a stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — to get high. Physically abused by her father and feeling aimless, the Corona, Calif., girl quickly became an addict, racking up five DUI convictions while high on Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug. In many ways, McDonald’s story is timeless. But her drugs of choice — prescription pills — highlight an increasingly pervasive problem among U.S. teenagers, who are abusing such medications in record numbers.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Whitney Houston’s death inspires question: Why not higher alcohol taxes? – Arkansas Times

I don’t read the New York Times’ newish columnist Frank Bruni much. And I don’t know why this caught my attention this morning. In one respect, it belabors an obvious point. But that is the point, that something so obvious gets relatively little attention. He uses Whitney Houston’s death (and Amy Winehouse’s) as a takeoff on the ill effects of alcohol abuse. He notes how little public alarm and government reaction accumulate against it in comparison with tobacco corn syrup and other agents harmful to health.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
7.5 Million Children Live With Parent With Alcohol Use Disorder – WBNG

A new report shows 7.5 million children under age 18 (10.5 percent of this population) lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

ECSTASY – CANADA
Parents get Abbotsford Police Department ecstasy letter – Abbotsford Times

Abbotsford Police and the school district are partnering in a campaign to educate parents and students about the risks associated with street drugs after a recent spate of ecstasy deaths.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription drug abuse hearings planned after Whitney Houston’s death – My Desert

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, plans to hold a series of congressional hearings on prescription drug abuse — a problem she said was highlighted by the weekend death of singer Whitney Houston.

HEROIN – GLOBAL
Heroin production in Afghanistan has RISEN 61% – Daily Mail

Afghan drug war debacle: Blair said smashing opium trade was a major reason to invade but 10 years on heroin production is up from 185 tons a year to 5,800. Such has been the failure to combat the problem that more than 90 per cent of the heroin sold on Britain’s streets is still made using opium from Afghanistan.

COCAINE – UK
Fears scores could go free after cocaine case dropped over DNA ruling – Daily Record

Suspects accused of serious crimes could walk free after a landmark ruling on DNA testing.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
A Timeline Of Whitney Houston’s Battle With Drug Abuse – RAPFIX.MTV

Whitney Houston was found dead at the age of 48 on Saturday (February 11) but her legacy will live on, thanks to a celebrated discography. Outside of her success, however, Houston fought a long, public battle with addiction that made her a prime target for tabloid scrutiny over the past few years.

DRUG REHAB – THAILAND
Want to be drug-free? Thai monks prescribe projectile vomiting – WorldBlog

Carrie Jeffers feared she would never kick her heroin addiction after relapsing repeatedly in her native Michigan. Then she flew to Thailand, and her life changed. The rigorous regime includes meditation and the daily ingestion of a foul-tasting herbal drink that induces projectile vomiting to cleanse the body of toxins.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Rx drugs reportedly killed Houston, but officials still probing possible drowning – Fox News

Relatives of late pop icon Whitney Houston have reportedly been told by coroner officials that the singer died from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol rather than drowning.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Alcohol abuse help unused by some students – MSU State News
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Drinking, partying and hanging with friends was the norm for psychology senior James Dodge when he first arrived at MSU. Since then, he said he’s realized there are other, healthier ways to enjoy the college experience. But for many college-aged people, seeking help might not be a priority.

HEROIN – USA
Experts share horrors of heroin addiction – Seattle Today

On a big screen at Granite City High School was the face of a mother expressing the worst fears any mom could have. “It makes you feel hopeless seeing there’s nothing you can do,” said Sharon Hosford, of Alton, during a video shown during a Feb. 1 forum about drug use.

METHAMPHETAMINE – MEXICO
Mexican army finds 15 tons of pure methamphetamine – CBS News
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The historic seizure of 15 tons of pure methamphetamine in western Mexico, equal to half of all meth seizures worldwide in 2009, feeds growing speculation that the country could become a world platform for meth production, not just a supplier to the United States.

ECSTASY – UK
Ecstasy and drink warning after Manchester clubbers taken to hospital – BBC News
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Four clubbers were taken to hospital after mixing alcohol with the illegal drug ecstasy in Manchester.

ALCOHOL – USA
Tribe suing beer companies for alcohol problems – Fox News
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An American Indian tribe sued some of the world’s largest beer makers Thursday, claiming they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Christie tells why rehab trumps jail – Philadelphia Inquirer

Gov. Christie says his plan to send more nonviolent drug offenders into treatment rather than to prison is motivated partly by the successes of smaller-scale versions of the program.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse – Medline Plus

Most people take medicines only for the reasons their doctors prescribe them. But an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse. It is a serious and growing problem. You can develop an addiction to narcotic painkillers, sedatives and tranquilizers, stimulants.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Methamphetamine Use Increasing Again, Researchers Find – University of Texas at Austin News

‎Use of methamphetamines is on the rise nationally after a decrease a few years ago, according to university researchers.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Ohio using stories of those affected in campaign against prescription drug abuse – The Republic

Ohio’s governor is launching a campaign aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse by highlighting the stories of those who have been impacted by addictions.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin makes inroads – Charlotte Observer
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“They were 15- and 16-year-olds, and they had heroin at the pool,” he said. “And these are well-off kids in a nice neighborhood. A good environment.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Push to end prescription drug addiction continues in Southwest Florida – Wink News

The battle to end prescription drug abuse in Southwest Florida is ongoing. We’re learning addicts are taking desperate measures to get what they want: even faking illness and going to emergency rooms and making long lines even longer.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Illinois Alcohol Abuse: Midwest ‘Binge Drinking Belt,’ By The Numbers – Huffington Post

The Atlantic’s Richard Florida on Monday dug into data released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research showed that binge drinking — or consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more for women on one occasion — continues to be a problem impacting many Americans and contributing to many associated health concerns.

ECSTASY – CANADA
Ecstasy threat real say Nelson police – Nelson Star
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A new form of ecstasy sweeping across British Columbia and Alberta has users in critical condition and has even caused death.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – WORLDWIDE
Alcohol Abuse: Is Binge Drinking Impacted By Romantic Relationships? – Huffington Post
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Who you date could influence how you drink, according to a new study from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Online pharmacies feed prescription drug abuse – New York Daily News

America’s addiction to prescription drugs is fed via the Internet, not just through prescriptions signed by a doctor. “Controlled prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Xanax and Ritalin are easily purchased over the Internet without a prescription, yet physician awareness of this problem is low.”

HEROIN – USA
Heroin epidemic brings death to Metro East – The Telegraph

The number of heroin deaths prompted authorities to institute new ways of investigating the incidents, and law enforcement officials and educators were moved to set up a continual education program to reach parents and students.

ECSTASY – USA
Victim’s kin warn about ecstasy – The Province

An Abbotsford family struggling to cope with the tragic loss of their teenage daughter at Christmas is warning other parents and teens of the dangers of ecstasy.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Injected drug linked to higher suicide risk – Zee News
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Drug abusers who inject themselves with methamphetamine had an 80 higher chance of attempting suicide than those who rely on other substances, says a study.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Veterans Possibly Targeted By Prescription Drug Abusers – NBC4i.com

There is a new trend in the world of prescription drug abuse: veterans possibly being targeted by prescription drug abusers who want large amounts of drugs quickly.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Domestic abuse increases significantly over the holidays – KNDO

Domestic abuse increases significantly over the holidays. Domestic violence crimes happen more around this time every year. Alcohol usage is increased and that can sometimes lead to unfortunate tragedies in the family. It’s a national problem. During night patrols, officers will respond to several calls of family fights during the holidays.

HEROIN/MARIJUANA/COCAINE – USA
25 Charged with Supplying Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine in Moon, Beaver County, Pennsylvania – Moon.Patch.com

25 facing drug charges in a roundup led by investigators from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office that stretched from Beaver to Allegheny counties.

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Drug-testing proposal for welfare recipients debated – New Philadelphia Times Reporter

A proposal to require welfare recipients to pass a drug test — an idea being pushed by GOP lawmakers in Ohio and other states — is being questioned as an inefficient use of taxpayer dollars.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Chris Rene says he’d use ‘The X Factor’ prize money to create a rehab center – OnTheRedCarpet.com

Chris Rene says if he wins “The X Factor” he’ll take the $5 million prize money and use it to create a rehab center for individuals like himself.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Long struggles with drugs ended in death – StarNewsOnline.com

Prescription drug abusers do not fit neatly into a profile or a stereotype, but range from the teenager stealing bottles from the medicine cabinet to the senior chewing pills to quell chronic pain.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Drug Tampering Cases Show Gaps in Nurse Regulation in Kansas – Insurance Journal

A nurse with a prior felony conviction for forging prescriptions dilutes morphine solutions for five Halstead, Kan., nursing home patients. Another nurse convicted of stealing drugs from patients at an Emporia home gets another job in Topeka, where she adds tap water to a painkiller prescribed for a 105-year-old patient. Still another nurse …

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Adolescent drinking may be as important a risk factor for criminal activity as illicit drug use – Eureka Alert

Alcohol use has often been linked to criminal activity on the part of both perpetrators as well as victims. While this relationship has been well documented among adults, fewer studies have explored this relationship among adolescents. A new study has found a strong relationship between drinking during adolescence and the commission of crimes, and criminal victimization, for both genders.

DRUG REHAB – USA
A young woman struggles with oxy addiction and recovery – Tampabay.com

When her mom came to pick her up for drug court that morning, Stacy Nicholson was still high. She staggered to the door, fumbled with the bungee cord that kept it closed, blinked back the sunlight.

ECSTASY – SCOTLAND
Warning over ecstasy pills that raise overdose risk – BBC News

Police have issued a warning about an ingredient in some ecstasy tablets which could lead to overdosing. partygoers should be aware of the potentially fatal risks. Tablets which look like ecstasy have been found to contain a drug called PMMA. The substance has been blamed for several deaths across Europe.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Narconon East US Director Has Holiday Tips For Intervention And Drug Rehab Alternatives – PR Web

Narconon East US Executive Director, Yvonne Rodgers, has lifesaving holiday tips of an unusual nature. Her tips are for the loved ones and parents of those struggling with substance abuse and cover drug abuse intervention and drug rehab as an alternative to jail.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription drug addiction skyrocketed 430% over past decade; Drug rehab for painkiller abuse soars – New York Daily News

The increase is even more pronounced given that over the same time period the overall rate of substance-abuse-related admissions to rehab facilities has flatlined.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin industry growing in Arizona – Tucson Citizen
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It also has helped push heroin and other opiates past cocaine and amphetamines as the top drug-related reason in Arizona for emergency-room admissions and inpatient hospital discharges.

ALCOHOL – USA
Former Herriman HS teacher arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to minors – Fox 13 Now
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21-year-old Kylie Devey, a special education teacher and assistant softball coach at Herriman High School, is charged with five counts of providing alcohol to minors after parents of a student alerted the school district of the alleged incident.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin drove ex-teacher to steal school computers, rob bank – Pittsburgh Post Gazette

A former school teacher accused of stealing 22 computers from Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts high school pleaded guilty today to robbery, burglary and criminal conspiracy. Her attorney said all of the crimes were driven by the couple’s heroin addiction.

ECSTASY – USA
Ecstasy causes changes in the brain – UPI.com

Recreational use of the illegal drug Ecstasy, which produces feelings of euphoria, is associated with chronic changes in the human brain.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Once-Prominent Colorado Sheriff Now Faces Charges – Fox News
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Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Patrick Sullivan is accused of using and distributing methamphetamine in exchange for sex, according to authorities.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol diseases double in 7 years – The Independent
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Nearly 1.2 million people in England needed in-patient hospital treatment for alcohol related cancers, liver diseases and poisoning in 2010-11 – a 9 per cent rise on the previous year. There have already been over 7,000 hospital admissions for young people under the age of 18 in 2011.

BATH SALTS/SYNTHETIC DRUGS – USA
House votes to ban so-called ‘bath salts,’ other synthetic drugs that mimic marijuana, cocaine – Washington Post

The House voted Thursday to ban synthetic drugs nicknamed “bath salts” and other compounds that mimic marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines.

DRUG REHAB – USA
Treatment, Not Jail, For Low Level Drug Crimes – NPR

A pilot program in Seattle, Wash., and surrounding King County allows some low-level drug offenders to go to rehabilitation programs instead of prison. Guest host Tony Cox speaks with King County’s sheriff, a public defender and a member of the Seattle police department about the bi-partisan plan.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Black and Asian Teens Have Lowest Rates of Drug and Alcohol Use – Business Week

‎Black and Asian teenagers in the US are less likely to use alcohol or drugs than adolescents of other races, a study found.

DRUG ADDICTION – INDIA
Average age of drug addicts in Bangalore: 13 years! – NDTV

Bangalore: Drug rehabilitation centres in the city have recorded some shocking changes with regard to the number of narcotic users this year.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Alabama legislators eye prescriptions to thwart meth making – AL.COM

The drug is highly addictive, and long-term users can suffer from rotting teeth sometimes called “meth mouth,” mood disturbances, violent behavior, hallucinations and extreme weight loss.
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DRUG REHAB – USA
Narconon East US Director Urges Alcohol and Drug Rehab Admission Before the Holidays – PR WEB

Narconon East US, Executive Director urges alcohol and drug users to enroll in rehab centers before the Holidays when addiction intensifies with more pressure to drink and party.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA/CANADA
Women and Alcohol: Solutions – Toronto Star
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“The new reality is that binge drinking has been increasing, especially among young adults, in modern high-economy countries — and women are largely responsible for this trend. Alcohol use contributes causally to 7 per cent of all cancers, 4 per cent of coronary disease, 23 per cent of all injuries and 26 per cent of neuropsychiatric conditions in North America.

COCAINE ADDICTION – USA
From med school to crack addict, an ex-con works his way back to sobriety

Moore, 54, is an ex-con who has spent much of his adult life in and out of prison, paying society’s price for his cocaine addiction. He missed his mother’s funeral and nearly lost his brothers and sister. Still, while Moore’s is a cautionary tale, it is also one that — so far — is shaping up to have a happy ending. And his life may yet turn into something to be celebrated.

ECSTASY – USA
Clinic a supermarket for Oxycontin and ecstasy – Seattle Post
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“It’s a supermarket for Oxycontin and ecstasy,” he said. “And there’s a lot of money changing hands.”

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription drug abuse kills more than heroin and cocaine – WAFF
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The Centers for Disease Control reports prescription drug overdoses account for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Special grand jury to probe doctor shopping – Newsday
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A special grand jury will be empaneled in Suffolk County to investigate doctor shopping and the possible criminal conduct of physicians in the prescribing of painkiller pills. DA Thomas Spota said his office has seen a surge in fatal car accidents and criminal activity related to prescription drug abuse.

ECSTASY – USA
Feds nab police captain in coke, Ecstasy ring – Tallahassee Democrat
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A captain with the Opa-Locka Police Department and seven others were indicted Thursday after a two-year federal investigation into a cocaine, Ecstasy and Oxycodone ring operating in South Florida.

HEROIN – USA
Geneva woman has been to 100 funerals for heroin victims – Daily Herald

In the past 10 years, Lea Minalga estimates she’s been to more than 100 funerals in the West and Northwest suburbs — all for young people who overdosed on drugs, mostly heroin. Many of them were teenagers. “Sadly, I know most of them.”

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/HEROIN – USA
Deadly resurgence – Denton Record Chronicle
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Heroin: That was the drug of the old days when junkies nodded on street corners, and it killed entertainers like Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin and John Belushi. Heroin: That’s the drug of today, when prescription medication abusers buy is as a cheaper alternative for the same euphoria they get from OxyContin, Vicodin and Dilaudid. It’s the drug of choice for half the abusers in Denton and the North Texas area.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sunday alcohol sales start in some Georgia cities – Anderson Independent Mail
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Retailers in several Georgia cities began ringing up beer, wine and liquor Sunday for the first time since voters in many communities statewide ended more than a century of banning alcohol sales on what many consider a day of worship. Keidra Dobbs of Duluth said she was “definitely excited” to be able to pick up some beer Sunday from a package store near her house before settling down to watch sports. “It’s been kind of an inconvenience,” Dobbs said. “Like last week, when I had to rush to get to the store by 11:45 Saturday night before they stop selling.”

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol causes ‘one in five’ deaths by injury – The West Australian
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Alcohol contributes to one in five of all deaths from injury in WA, including almost one-quarter of all road accident fatalities, new figures show.

CLUB DRUGS – UK
Third of clubbers who take mephedrone may be addicted, survey finds – The Guardian
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Three in 10 clubbers who take the drug mephedrone exhibit symptoms associated with addiction, a study has found. Many users of the banned substance, sometimes called “meow meow”, had several signs of dependence, including withdrawal effects, failed attempts to give up, and taking larger and larger doses.

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Mother recounts son’s synthetic drug addiction – The Daily News Journal

Wyant’s son, 20-year-old Dylan Evans, is currently recovering in a drug rehab facility from a year-long addiction to Molly’s Plant Food that ended with Evans overdosing on prescription medication.

DRUG REHAB – THAILAND
Drug rehab programme attracts 500 applicants on first day – The Nation

As many as 500 drug addicts applied for the drug-rehabilitation programme when it was launched yesterday.

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Columbia Students Accused of Drug Dealing – New York Daily News

Lawyers for an alleged cartel of Columbia students busted for campus drug dealing complained Tuesday a judge was picking on their clients because they are Ivy Leaguers.

DRUG ADDICTION/REHAB – USA
Giving welfare to drug users just enables abuse – Des Moines Register

Drug abusers instead need to be in programs that treat their addiction. Unfortunately, many people need to hit rock bottom before they enter rehab. Is paying them money to prolong their habit really helping them?

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Pharmaceuticals outpace alcohol as drug of choice in Bay County – The Bay City Times

Bay County has long had a reputation as a home of heavy drinkers, but another demon has edged out alcohol as the most abused substance. In 2010, for the first time ever, more Bay County residents sought treatment for prescription drug abuse than for alcohol addiction.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Binge Drinking Costs U.S. Billions – Ashland Current

The cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States in 2006 reached $223.5 billion or about $1.90 per drink. Researchers found the costs largely resulted from losses in workplace productivity (72 percent of the total cost), health care expenses for problems caused by excessive drinking (11 percent of the total cost), law enforcement and other criminal justice expenses related to excessive alcohol consumption (nine percent of the total cost), and motor vehicle crash costs from impaired driving (six percent of the total cost).

HEROIN – USA
Neighborhood flyers advertise heroin for sale – WNEM

Oregon police say a group of suspected drug dealers handed out flyers advertising “heroin for sale.” Police moved in to the well known “heroin house” and arrested six people. Inside, cops found a small meth lab, drugs, guns and cash.

ECSTASY – UK
Academic attempted suicide over drugs death – The Independent
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A university lecturer has admitted possessing drugs after a teenage girl died when she took ecstasy from his hidden stash during a party thrown by his daughter in his home. Brian Dodgeon, 61, tried to kill himself a week later in remorse.

MARIJUANA – USA
Pot smoking may more than double crash risk – USA Today

Drivers who get behind the wheel after using marijuana run more than twice the risk of crashing compared to others, a new study finds.

DRUG REHAB – USA
30 Days in a Drug Rehab: A Shortchange, Not a Shortcut – San Francisco Gate

Many people that continue to relapse after leaving treatment may not need more of the same but longer stays in treatment before being discharged.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Rx for Danger: Total weight of pills, not amount of drugs in them, triggers longer sentences – Orlando Sentinel

Todd Hannigan wanted to end his life. He ended up with a 15-year-prison sentence instead. Two years ago, Hannigan, now 43, took a bottle of Natural Light and 31 of his mother’s painkillers to Orlando’s Cherry Tree Park, where a police officer caught him drinking the beer at a picnic table.

ALCOHOL – USA
How alcohol use was cut at two Seattle schools – The Seattle Times
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Alcohol use at Nathan Hale and Roosevelt high schools has nearly been cut in half in the past four years. How did they do it?

HEROIN – USA
Overdoses indicate heroin use up in Saginaw – Chicago Tribune

A rise in the number of heroin overdose cases in Saginaw has authorities worried wider use of the drug is making a comeback.

METHAMPHETAMINE – AUSTRALIA
Surge in crystal meth use prompts concern at mental health effects – Syndey Morning Herald
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Use of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, by drug users in Australia has increased significantly since last year, research shows. Almost half of injecting drug users and a quarter of regular ecstasy users this year reported using ice in the previous six months

ECSTASY – USA
Man faces 20 years on Ecstasy charge – Daily Comet‎

NEW ORLEANS – A 27-year-old Gretna man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to traffic in the synthetic drug Ecstasy.

ALCOHOL – USA
Two-Question Screen Can Help Doctors Spot Teen Alcohol Problems – Time Healthland

Two questions asked during a regular pediatrician’s visit could help identify youth with drinking problems.