Drug News

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Authorities raid suspected ‘prescription mills’ – Los Angeles Times

Federal and local law enforcement officials close four medical clinics in the San Fernando Valley suspected of catering to addicts seeking heroin-like painkillers and other drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Online Course Helps Reduce Harmful College Drinking – Kansas City infoZine

Researchers found that students who took the online course reported significantly reduced alcohol use and binge drinking during the fall semester, compared with control students. These beneficial effects, however, did not persist into the spring semester.

DRUG REHAB – RUSSIA
In Russia, Harsh Remedy for Addiction Gains Favor – New York Times
‎
The treatment center does not handcuff addicts to their beds anymore. But caged together on double-decker bunks with no way out, they have no choice but to endure the agonies of withdrawal, the first step in a harsh, coercive approach to drug treatment that has gained wide support in Russia.

ALCOHOL – USA
Government Sues Trucking Company for Taking Keys Away From Alcoholic Driver – FOX News

Citing a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Obama administration is suing a trucking company for taking the keys away from an Arkansas driver

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Workplace methamphetamine use is higher in West – Los Angeles Times

Overall, positive methamphetamine screens in the workplace stands at 0.10% nationally. Hawaii ranked first in the highest rates of positive screens for methamphetamine–410% greater than the national average. The rates in Arkansas and Oklahoma were also high, 280% and 240% above the national average, respectively. California’s rate was 140% above the average.

ECSTASY – USA
Ecstasy drug transported through Utah – StandardNet

OGDEN — The Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force seized 79,321 pills of the party drug Ecstasy during 2010. The total is four times the average taken off the street annually for the entire state of Utah, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription Drug User Fee Act: New Fee Agreement Led By FDA – Third Age

The Prescription Drug User Fee Act may include a new fee agreement, after the FDA agreed to work toward faster, more predictable reviews of new prescription drugs. Under the draft agreement unveiled by the agency Thursday, the FDA will, in turn, receive millions of dollars in additional fees from drugmakers.

COCAINE – USA
Oscar de la Hoya Admits to Cheating, Cocaine and Cross-Dressing – International Business Times
‎
Oscar de la Hoya publicly admitted to cheating on his wife, using cocaine and cross-dressing in a recent interview about his ongoing treatment for alcohol abuse and thoughts of suicide. “I am tired now of lying, of lying to the public and of lying to myself.”

ALCOHOL – USA
Women and the bottle leading to more DUI’s – Examiner

It is safe to say that being a smart drinker is something everyone is individually responsible for. That being said, a new report says that women in the U.S. are consuming more alcohol, and drunken-driving arrests among females are rising rapidly while declining among men.

METH – UK
The City Addicted to Crystal Meth – Guardian

Louis Theroux is at a barbecue in California. That sounds more glamorous than it is, because this is Louis Theroux – The City Addicted to Crystal Meth (BBC2, Sunday) and he’s with a bunch of drug addicts in Fresno.

METH – USA
Hawaii Meth Project: Don’t — ‘even once’ – Maui News

A narcotics police captain, a judge and the island’s medical examiner provided real-life stories and statistics to underscore an anti-methamphetamine campaign aimed at young people across the state.

DRUGS – UK
Antidepressants once seen as miracle drugs: now risks are becoming evident – Guardian

Since the horror of the Thalidomide scandal in the 1960s, pharmaceutical companies and medicines regulators have been acutely aware of the dangers drugs may pose to the unborn child.

ALCOHOL – USA
Critics Want Tougher Government Regulations for Alcohol-Caffeine Drinks – Join Together

Various state attorneys general and advocacy groups are calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to ban caffeine-infused alcohol drinks from the market — or at a minimum add warning labels stating that combining caffeine and alcohol can cause health risks.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription “Sharing” Among Teens Widespread, Dangerous – Health Behavior News Service

What if a teenager with acne who is taking Accutane — a drug linked to birth defects — gives some to her friend, who is pregnant but does not yet realize it? Unfortunately, this is a realistic scenario.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Use, Drug Busts Up, According to Police – ABC News

From California to New York, law enforcement agents are reporting a troubling rise in the use of heroin as availability of the drug rises and prices drop.

CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND
Drug use by at-risk teens causes alarm – Stuff

Many teenagers in the school system of last resort are smoking pot. The high rates of drug abuse are among concerns about the alternative education system that have prompted Education Minister Anne Tolley to review its funding.

CANNABIS – UK
Stress, dieting may lead to positive cannabis test – Thaindian

A new study has revealed that stress and dieting can lead to a positive cannabis test long after the drug was last used.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Police disposing of unused prescription drugs for community – KPIC News

Keeping prescription drugs out of the hands of children and teenagers is a rising problem for parents, schools and police officers. One local police department has disposed of the medications to help keep drugs off the streets.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol A Drain On The Health System – Scoop, Independent News

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) is concerned at reports yesterday of an increase in alcohol-related admissions to Auckland District Health Board’s emergency department.

MARIJUANA – USA
Testicular cancer linked to marijuana use – USA Today

Marijuana use could increase the risk of testicular cancer, according to a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center out this week.

PAINKILLER – USA
Study: Painkiller Misuse Up Among Young Adults – Join Together

A study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that prescription painkiller misuse among young adults has increased even as non-medical use by teenagers decreased between 2002 and 2007.

ALCOHOL – USA
Substance Abuse Preferences Evolving from Alcohol to Drugs – Associated Content

For many years now there has been a need for large numbers of people to get treatment for substance abuse. There are different types of substance abuse however, and historically more people were seeking treatment for alcohol than drugs. That is no longer true.

HEROIN – CANADA
Curbing `hillbilly heroin’ – The Star

With more than 460 deaths related to OxyContin overdoses in Ontario in the last five years, something clearly must be done. Fortunately, provincial health officials seem aware of the threat posed by “hillbilly heroin” – as it is known by street dealers – and have embarked on a review of how other jurisdictions are dealing with this menace.

CANNABIS – UK
Extra-strong incense drug warning – BBC News

A synthetic drug that is up to five times as powerful as cannabis is being sold legally in Britain, as incense. It has already been made illegal in Germany and is also banned in the Netherlands.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Recommends Ban of Painkiller after Fifty Years – Natural News

At the end of January the FDA held a public hearing to reconsider the safety of Darvon, a painkiller that has been on the market since 1957. The panel voted 14 to 12 in favor of withdrawing the drug from the market, following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom which banned the drug in 2005 after concluding the benefits of Darvon did not outweigh the serious risks.

DRUGS – UK
Moral drugs message for students – BBC News

A campaign highlighting the ethical impact of cocaine abuse is being targeted at university students.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol major addiction problem – Stuff.nz

Alcohol, not methamphetamine, remains the major addiction problem in New Zealand, the Alcohol Drug Association said.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine cheaper than lager and wine as drug price falls by half – Telegraph

A line of cocaine is now cheaper than a pint of lager or a glass of wine, official figures have disclosed.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis link to cancer – NHS Choices

Young men who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop testicular cancer than those who have never tried it, The Guardian reports. It says that a study has found that smoking the drug at least once a week, or using it regularly from adolescence, doubled the risk of a fast-growing form of the disease.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Reviewing Narcotic Painkillers – News Inferno

The makers of two dozen opioid drugs, including Oxycontin, morphine, methadone and the Duragesic patch, have been ordered by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to develop Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) plans to reduce the misuse of their painkillers.

PAINKILLER – USA
FDA Calls For Safer Opioid Painkiller Oversight – Ozarks First

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered 16 U.S. producers of opioid painkillers to enact stricter oversights to avoid misuse. Opioids are highly-addictive, chronic pain reducers.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine campaign targets students – The Press Association

Students are being warned about the destructive effect of the cocaine trade in a new campaign.

DRUGS – USA
New Resource to Help Parents Confront Youth Drug Use – Join Together

Treatment Research Institute Provides the Science Behind Interactive “How To” Resource Developed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America.

METH – USA
Meth abuse costs nation more than $23 billion – Victorville Daily Press

The economic cost of methamphetamine abuse in the U.S. — including the cost to jail users, put addicts through treatment and clean up meth labs — was about $23 billion in 2005, according to a just-released study.

METH – USA
Anti-Meth Coalition plans annual conference – Eastern Arizona Courier

The Graham Anti-Meth Coalition is planning for the fourth annual Graham and Greenlee Substance Abuse Awareness Conference set for April 22 at the Eastern Arizona College.

METHADONE – USA
Spike in Methadone Prescriptions, Deaths – Join Together
Methadone now ranks as the fastest-growing source of narcotic deaths in the country, and many experts believe lack of federal oversight and dangerous prescribing practices by physicians are largely to blame.

ALCOHOL – USA
England Broadens Estimate of Alcohol-Related Deaths – Join Together

Researchers in England have discovered that by looking at the prevalence of deaths related to alcohol use in a different way, the national numbers they arrive at are close to double what officials in the country previously have cited.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Abuse Up for Many Ohio Youth – Join Together

An increase in treatment admissions for heroin abuse among young people in Ohio is being attributed to problems that often start with prescription drug abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Parents’ prescription drugs pose risk to teens – San Francisco Chronicle

Parents who don’t safeguard their medications are putting their teenagers at serious risk of addiction to prescription drugs, according to a national survey.

ADDICTION – INDIA
Drug addiction of prescribed drugs increasing in teenagers – Top News

Previous studies have shown that prescription drugs can take life if not handled properly. Despite the alarm raised by various government authorities against the misuse of prescription drugs, these drugs are easily available to teenagers.

METHADONE – USA
More and More Deaths Because of Methadone Overdoses –

Methadone is a form of opium but is cheaper and longer lasting. The drug is a powerful painkiller and despite its curing of millions of people it has also increased the death rate because of the overdoses or the combination with other drugs.

METHADONE – INDIA
Methadone a double-edged painkiller – domain-B
The drug is a synthetic form of opium that is a long lasting and powerful pain reliever. Being cost effective, it has helped millions of people, but is also one of the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths in the US.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Use as Painkiller Raises, Methadone-Related Deaths As Well – eFluxMedia

The number of narcotic-related deaths has increased lately forcing the US Food and Drug Administration to take quick measures. However, the agency is facing major problems, as the use of methadone has been extended.

PAINKILLER – USA
Home tests help parents monitor drug use – Daily Times

Marijuana, cocaine, methamph-etamine and Ecstacy. These are the drugs that most likely come to mind when hearing the word “addiction.” But some addictive drugs come straight from a prescription bottle.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Overdose a Growing Problem – News Inferno

Once mainly used to treat heroin addiction, Methadone is being prescribed by family doctors, osteopaths, and nurse practitioners for some types of severe pain. Methadone, a synthetic form of opium, is powerful, cheap, and long lasting.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Attorney general warns of prescription drug abuse – Peninsula Daily News

There’s a drug that works like heroin, can kill like heroin, and is found in a lot of homes on and off the North Olympic Peninsula. The stuff has made its way into high schools and become a “huge problem,” Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna told the Sequim Sunrise Rotary Club on Friday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens and Prescription Medications and Other Health News – US News and World Report

An increasing number of teens say they have an easier time obtaining prescription medications illegally than buying beer, cigarettes, or marijuana.

ADDICTION – USA
All You Need To Know About Alcohol Addiction & Treatment – Trans World News

If you or your loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction then you are reading the right article. In this article you can get enough information alcohol treatment and rehabilitation. Addiction can be treated if the person decides to get rid of this problem. You have to do some research for finding the right alcohol treatment center.

METH – USA
Prosecutors seek help in anti-meth campaign – Visalia Times Delta

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office is seeking volunteers to help put on a public awareness campaign about the Central Valley’s problem with crystal methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Crackdown on meth has made cocaine cheaper – Grand Junction Sentinel

Nearly anyone these days can recognize the hollowed-out features, skinny limbs and pockmarked skin that characterize someone hooked on methamphetamine, thanks in part to intensive local education campaigns.

ALCOHOL – USA
Prenatal Drinking, Environmental Enrichment: Effects On Neurotrophins Are Independent Of Each Other – Science Daily

Prenatal alcohol exposure may be particularly destructive for neurotrophins, a family of peptides that influence the growth, development and functional plasticity of the fetal brain.

ALCOHOL – USA
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Endangers Neurotrophin Levels – US News and World Report

Exposure to alcohol prenatally could specifically be harmful to neurotrophins, peptides which are involved in the growth and development of the fetal brain, a new study shows.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol + loud music = more alcohol – Los Angeles Times

Trying to limit your alcohol intake is tougher when you’re drinking in a bar with loud music, according to a new study.

ALCOHOL – UK
Loud music in bars makes customers drink more, say scientists – Telegraph

The study, to be published later this year in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, said the drinks industry already knows that music can have an effect on how long people stay in bars.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths worry health officials – KEX

An increase of 32-percent in heroin deaths this year has Multnomah County health officials worried.

HEROIN – USA
Methadone Use is on the Rise, and the Effects are Deadly – Injury Board

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, overdoses caused by prescription painkillers are increasing, and Methadone abuse is escalating more rapidly than any other drug.

MWTHADONE – USA
FDA addresses Methadone Dangers – Injury Board

Issued back in 2006, this Health Advisory from the FDA warns against the dangers of methadone and includes important prescribing information for its safe use.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescriptions are top drug abused by teens – Cleveland Daily Banner

Nationwide prescription drugs have become the second most abused illegal drug, behind marijuana, among young people ages 12 to 17, but not in Bradley County.

METH – USA
Officials keep an eye out for meth – Morning Sentinel

But while they don’t produce a lot of the drug, Maine meth labs represent a subculture of drug users that officials are watching carefully.

MORPHINE – CANADA
‘Dode’ for a cheap high – South Asian Focus

Poppy powder, a derivative of highly addictive and illegal opium, is openly sold in some meat shops in Brampton and Mississauga. Its use is raising questions about its legality and potentially harmful effects for those seeking an unconventional ‘high’.

DRUGS – CANADA
SouthCoast Recovery, Orange County California’s Foremost Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center – Free Press Release Center

SouthCoast Recovery, a premier California alcohol and drug rehab center, announces the addition of a Adderall Treatment Program to its 30, 60, 90-day and six month residential treatment programs.

ADDICTION – USA
When you decide you can’t stop your addiction on your own, here is the rehab call – Trans World News

Privacy is and must be the bedrock of the drug rehabilitation process. Some drug treatment centers merely pay lip service to that principle. Cliffside Malibu makes it a way of life.

ALCOHOL – UK
No alcohol for young drivers call – BBC News

The legal blood alcohol limit should be cut to zero for drivers aged 17 to 20, England’s chief medical officer says.

ADDICTION – BULGARIA
The Sober Sources Network Offers Thorough Addiction Support – PR-USA

Addiction recovery, no matter the type of addiction, has become the focus of several online sites. The Sober Source Network is the flourishing and leading resource network offering support for alcoholism and addiction.

ALCOHOL – UK
Cops launch drink, drug, driving blitz – Evening Times

A SUMMER crackdown on drink drivers has been launched today with a series of high-visibility police patrols across the west of Scotland.

DRUGS – IRELAND
Illegal drug use – Urgent wake-up call needed – Drugs.ie

For too long people tolerated drink driving, but the carnage on our roads served as a wake-up call. The victims were often young people overcome by the influence of alcohol and a sense of bravado.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Heroin, cocaine seizures soar at Australia’s borders – The Age

Heroin seizures at Australia’s borders rose to a record high last financial year, while detections of cocaine also soared, new figures show.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
Illicit drugs: get it in the mail – The Sydney Morning Herald

Drug traffickers are increasingly using the mail system to post illicit drugs to Australia, as the number of heroin detections at the border reached the highest on record, a national crime report shows.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
South Florida leads the state in prescription drug deaths – Sun-Sentinel

Prescription drug overdose deaths skyrocketed in South Florida last year, surpassing increases in the state overall.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Pharmaceuticals Kill More Than Street Drugs – News 4 JAX

A report released Thursday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Medical Examiner’s Commission revealed that common prescription drugs were responsible for more deaths in 2007 than common illegal drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs bigger killers than illegal drugs – WWSB TV News
A report says that deaths caused by prescription drugs were three times as high as those caused by illegal drugs in Florida last year.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse placed on joint agenda – Los Altos Town Crier

What should be on the agenda, and why, precipitated a feisty back and forth between council and school board members last month.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse costs each Cdn. $463 annually, study finds – Canada.com

Alcohol abuse costs each Canadian an estimated $463 annually, according to a study by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

MORPHINE – USA
Ethex recalls morphine tablets – Prescribing Reference

Ethex has voluntarily recalled a single lot of morphine sulfate 60mg extended-release tablets due to a report of a tablet with double-thickness which may contain twice the level of active ingredient.

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana potency increases in 2007 – The Associated Press

Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House.

ADDICTION – USA
Pivotal Breakthrough Made In Alcohol Addiction Treatment – Science Daily

Alcoholism is a devastating disease in part because of the ‘symptom’ of heavy drinking but more so due to the extensive harm it causes physical organs, such as the heart and liver.

ALCOHOL – USA
Early Drinking and Adult Alcohol Dependence Increases Among Americans – Join Together

A study of individuals born between 1934 and 1983 found that more Americans began drinking alcohol at an early age over the decades, especially women, and that those who did drink at a younger age were more likely to be alcohol-dependent as adults.

ALCOHOL – USA
Most Binge Drinking Takes Place in Public, Involves Beer – Join Together

About half of all binge drinking takes place in public and in large groups, increasing the risk of injury, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

DRUGS – USA
Students Get the ‘Dirt’ on Drugs – Join Together

A Boston based actor and comedian who performs an irreverent one-man show on drugs and making good choices has become a hit with young audiences.

ADDICTION – USA
More research planned into whether exercise can help prevent addiction – WDBJ News
Studies in both humans and animals suggest that exercise may help prevent drug or alcohol addiction. The government is pumping more money into research to find out.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Popular prescriptions can cause dependence – Whittier Daily News

Physicians prefer the term “dependence” because it describes withdrawal symptoms rather than depravity. Problems with withdrawal don’t occur only with drugs of abuse. Many prescription medications can cause unpleasant symptoms if they are stopped suddenly.

DRUGS – USA
Arlington officials identify drug found in drinking water – KDBC News

Drinking water in Arlington, Texas, tested positive for trace concentrations of the anti-anxiety medication meprobamate. That’s what city officials revealed today in response to a series of public records requests.

METH – USA
Prosecutor Warns About Propane Tanks Used For Meth – WLWT TV News

The Hamilton County prosecutor is asking the public to keep an eye on any propane tanks they buy for their grill this summer.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Binge-drinking linked to increase in harm – News.com.au
BINGE drinking is being blamed for a dramatic increase in alcohol-related harm among young people.

ALCOHOL – UK
Brain protein cuts excessive alcohol drinking – Telegraph

The new approach is remarkable because it prevented relapse – the common tendency found in sober alcoholics to easily return to heavy drinking after just one glass.

ADDERALL – USA
Children Poisoning Themselves with Illegal Psychiatric Drugs – Huffington Post

No one knows how many of America’s high school age youngsters are taking prescribed psychiatric drugs, but an estimate of 10%-15% would not be far off, and for some ages groups and circumstances it will be far too low.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
More than 50 percent of UK Women consume Alcohol during Pregnancy – Health Jockey

According to a latest survey it has been found that the consumption of alcohol would have long term negative effects on the children. The research papers released by National Health Service have revealed that older mothers are prone to drinking alcohol compared to the younger ones.

ALCOHOL – FINLAND
Police Step Up Vigilance Of Alcohol Usage – YLE News

Police plan to keep a particularly sharp eye on alcohol usage this week. Their goal will be to prevent alcohol abuse among young people and to reduce consumption.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Nunatsiavut Government Takes Aim at Alcohol and Drugs – VOCM

The Nunatsiavut Government’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Committee will conduct a series of meetings this week, aimed at reducing the flow of alcohol and drugs into their communities.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol use is No. 1 contributing factor in boating fatalities – Lake County News

According to the most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, alcohol use is ranked No. 1 as a contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in the United States.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs need proper disposal – The Tennessean

William Sites of Nashville wanted to know what to do with prescription drugs remaining after his wife’s father passed away. He tried to donate them but couldn’t. He didn’t want to flush them down the toilet because that practice has been linked to trace amounts of drugs in drinking water.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Ads focus on children’s prescription drug deaths – East Valley Tribune

Tammy Pasanella sobbed as she stood in front of a wall of television cameras and reporters on Friday and recalled how her son, Chandler Valley Christian High School football player Danny Pasanella, slipped into a prescription drug addiction and, ultimately, death.

METH – USA
Dentist shows students effects of meth on mouths – Wenatchee World

Meth is a highly addictive drug that comes in several forms, including powder, crystal, rocks and tablets, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. It can be snorted, smoked, swallowed or injected. Long-term effects include paranoia, hallucinations, delusions and severe dental problems.

ALCOHOL – UK
Revealed: the TRUE scale of Scotland’s alcohol problem – The Sunday Herald

AS MUCH AS DRINKING TWICE ARE SCOTS PREVIOUSLY thought, the to be published tomorrow figures New can reveal. Herald Sunday underestimated how much seriously previous surveys that indicate alcohol we consume.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse focus of special summit – Pauls Valley Daily Democrat

Parents, students and community leaders from every walk of life showed up at the Bosa Community Center Wednesday night to address the issue of drug abuse.