Drug News

DRUG REHAB – CANADA
‘Fetal rights’ mom: Drug rehab a ‘miracle’ – UPI.com

A Canadian woman involved in a landmark fetal rights case in 1996 says facing forced drug treatment led to the “miracle” of her getting free from addiction.

MARIJUANA – USA
Teen marijuana use rising after years of decline – San Francisco Chronicle
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… who noted that in California, more teenagers are admitted to inpatient addiction programs for marijuana use than for any other drug, including alcohol. …

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Funds awarded for addiction treatment – Youngstown Vindicator

Alcohol and drug addiction programs in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties will receive shares of $5 million to be dispersed to all counties in Ohio. …

ALCOHOL ABUSE – USA
Fighting a Culture of Drunkenness – WBAY
Wisconsin’s culture of drinking has turned into a culture of drunkenness

“We really have our heads in the sand, and I’m hoping this paper will bring more attention and more focus to the problem so that we can address it and stop pretending that it isn’t a serious problem.”

DRUG ADDICTION – USA
Our addiction fuels the Mexican drug war – NMPolitics.net ‎

America has a ravenous appetite for drugs, legal and illegal. There’s a drug store on nearly every corner. When we have a problem, we generally don’t think about exercise, or eating better. We want to pop a pill and get on with things.

DRUG LEGALIZATION – USA
The decriminalization of heroin – The Periscope Post

All drugs, including heroin and cocaine, should be legalized according to MP Bob Ainsworth, the former Defence Secretary. Ainsworth argued that it is better …

HEROIN – KOSOVO
Prime Minister of Kosovo Accused of Leading a Heroin and Organ-Stealing Ring – Gawker ‎

… of exerting “violent control” over Eastern Europe’s heroin trade and conducting “assassinations, detentions, beatings and interrogations. …

CLUB DRUGS – USA
6 charged in theft of drugs from animal hospitals – Pittsburgh Post Gazette‎

The attorney general’s office said it has become “a popular club drug among teens and young adults at dance clubs and raves.” In high doses…

MARIJUANA, COCAINE – SWITZERLAND
Report: Pot, cocaine leading drugs to land people in rehab court in Kane – Chicago Sun-Times

Cocaine and marijuana are the drugs of choice for local residents in drug rehabilitation.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Counties get funds to fight prescription drug abuse – Lancaster Eagle Gazette

“These funds will help prevent future overdoses by providing drug abusers with access to critical treatment services.” Local boards say the money they will …

DRUG TREATMENT – USA
New plan offers program instead of prison – Arizona Daily Wildcat‎

Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall announced a drug treatment program that serves as an alternative to prison at a press conference held yesterday. …

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol most common drug for treatment: Australian study – Australia Network News

In the year up to June of 2009, some 143000 alcohol and other cases were recorded in Australia. [ABC] Alcohol remains the most common drug …

HEROIN – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Seven in every 1000 use heroin in Republic – Irish Times‎

Waiting lists outside Dublin for heroin addiction treatment are the highest in Europe, at up to two years. However, the percentage of heroin users in …

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – USA
Prescription drug-related deaths outnumbering deaths due to illegal drug use, medical report shows – Fort Pierce Tribune

New state laws and local moratoriums have been established, but prescription drug addiction continues to be an epidemic, said Bruce Grant, Director of the …

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Meth Labs Make Return to US – Wall Street Journal

Federal drug agents are reporting a resurgence of methamphetamine production in such areas as rural California and suburban Georgia—a …

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
Cops stumble upon meth in wealthy neighborhood – San Francisco Examiner

Authorities remove items from a home in Laurel Heights where police say meth was being made. Tucked away in the affluent Laurel Heights …

Marijuana – USA
(Video) Seniors & Pot: Marijuana For Pain – The Post Chronicle

The aging of the baby boom generation is resulting in a dramatic increase in levels of illicit drug use among adults 50 and older, a U.S. officials said.

Drug & Alcohol Abuse – USA
Lindsay Lohan blames dad for her cocaine use – The Money Times

Troubled Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan has hit headlines again, this time talking candidly about her history of cocaine use as well as her three rehab visits and her arrest for drunk driving twice.

Methamphetamine Addiction – South Africa
‘I can see my son is ready to kill’ – iol.co.za

The recent murders of at least three adults, allegedly by tik addict relatives in Cape Town townships, have parents living in fear.

Methamphetamine Production Halted – Guatemala
160,000 illegal drug tablets seized in Guatemala – Thaindian News

Guatemala City, Feb 23 (IANS/EFE) Guatemalan drug enforcement agents seized some 160,000 pseudoephedrine tablets in a warehouse at the capital’s La Aurora International Airport, but no arrests were made, the police said. The tablets were found at a warehouse belonging to Conbex, a company that imports and exports a variety of products.

Alcohol – UK
Drunk man ‘straddled aeroplane’ – BBC News

Two drunk men on a work night out sparked a terror alert after they broke into an airport and tampered with the controls in the cockpit of a plane.

Alcohol – Russia
Russian ex-police chief jailed for life – the moscow news

A purge in the top ranks of the Interior Ministry and an unprecedented life sentence for a police major who killed two people on a drunk shooting spree has raised the stakes in a controversial anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by President Dmitry Medvedev.

Drug Addiction – USA
Lindsay Lohan feared drugs death – EarthTimes

Lindsay Lohan has given a revealing interview about her struggle with drug addiction, admitting she feared she would die unless she got help.

Prescription Drugs – USA
Miami Prescription Drug Diverter Sentenced To 70 Months In Prison – Medical News Today

Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and David W. Bourne, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office, announced that defendant Arnesto Segredo, 43, of Miami, a former prescription drug wholesaler, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Alan S. Gold to 70 months in prison.

Marijuana – USA
Marijuana Use By Seniors Goes Up As Boomers Age – The Huffington Post

MIAMI — In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of red wine. A crisp copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night like clockwork, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.

Marijuana – USA
Police Watch As $1Million in Marijuana Stolen? – Thaindian News

Louisville KY Feb 22 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Leaving from Memphis, Tennessee, a group of police officers were given the assignment of escorting a transfer truck carrying more than 1700 pounds of cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, to Louisville, Kentucky. So why did the shipment never arrive?

Teen Drug Use Study – USA
Study Links Lack of Sleep to Increased Drug Use Among Teens – MeDIndia

Teens who sleep fewer than seven hours per night are more likely to use illegal drugs, according to a study released Sunday.

Drunk Driving – USA
Drunk Driving on the Rise Among Young Women – abc NEWS / Health

Increases in alcohol-related fatalities among young women drivers have outpaced the decade-long rise in such deaths among young men, researchers have found.

Marijuana Rehab – New Zealand
Potheads to be forced into rehab – Stuff.co.nz

Chronic pot-smokers will be forced into rehabilitation, with the Government supporting a proposal in a new Law Commission report.

Illegal Drugs – USA
Kansas couple charged of running a drug house near local elementary school – Thaindian News

TOPEKA, KANSAS (BNO NEWS) – A male and a female were indicted on Thursday with two counts of maintaining a residence for the purpose of storing and distributing cocaine and marijuana in Lenexa, Kansas, prosecutors said.

Heroin – UK
North West: Anthrax Case Confirmed By HPA In Blackpool – Medical News Today

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS Blackpool can confirm they are investigating the death of a drug injecting heroin user in Blackpool.

Meth – USA
Police say they believe meth lab caused fire at Red Roof Inn – Kalamazoo News

KALAMAZOO — Kalamazoo police say they believe it was a small explosion from a methamphetamine lab that touched off a fire at the East Cork Street Red Roof Inn around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Heroin – USA
O’Fallon, Illinois man guilty in heroin overdose death case – Thaindian News

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) – A man of O’Fallon, Illinois, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a federal indictment on count of distributing of heroin resulting in death, prosecutors announced.

Overdose – USA
Slain girl’s mom guilty in overdose death – UPI.com

BROCKTON, Mass., Feb. 10 (UPI) — A Massachusetts woman is guilty of murdering her 4-year-old daughter by giving the girl a fatal drug overdose, a jury has determined.

Alcohol – Australia
Injury Pattern More Serious Among Intoxicated Pedestrians – MedIndia

As Australians commence a season of parties and family get-togethers over the Christmas-New Year period, the AMA is highlighting the need for extra care with alcohol consumption and travel – not just for drivers, but also for pedestrians.

Cocaine – USA
Police: CA Raid Yields $1 Million Worth Of Cocaine – The Associated Press

More Than $1 Million Worth Of Cocaine Seized During Drug Raid In California

Painkillers – USA
Steven Tyler In Rehab For Painkiller Addiction – The Associated Press

Steven Tyler has entered a rehabilitation facility to treat an addiction to painkillers the Aerosmith frontman has taken to cope with 10 years of performance injuries.

GBL – United Kingdom
GBL drug death identified by UK doctors – BBC News

The first known death from a drug popular with clubbers has emerged the day the government banned it.

Cocaine – United Kingdom
£375m cocaine found on ‘UK’ Ship – The Sun

COCAINE worth a third of a BILLION pounds has been seized on a ship bound for Britain. Cops found an astonishing 1.5 tons of the drug on the Destiny Empress off the Spanish coast.

Marijuana – USA
Teen Marijuana Use Might Have Lasting Effects on Mood, Anxiety – HealthScout

Marijuana use among teens may trigger neurological changes in the developing brain that lead to increased anxiety and stress levels that could persist into adulthood, new animal research suggests.

Alcohol – New Zealand
Alcohol Just as Hazardous As LSD, Ecstasy – MedIndia

An expert has deemed that alcohol can be as fatal as LSD and ecstasy.

Alcohol Related Death – Germany
Cops: Body in river is missing American man – The Associated Press

Police said that Hollahan died from drowning and that foul play is not suspected, adding that he likely fell into the River Main in Frankfurt under the influence of alcohol and drifted into the Rhine.

Cannabis – Canada
Daily Intake of Cannabis can Damage Teens’ Brains – MedIndia

A new Canadian study has found that the daily intake of cannabis by teenagers can lead to depression and anxiety and can even damage the brain permanently.

Prescription Drugs – USA
M.D.: Had to Be Drugs that Killed Murphy – MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc.

Doubts Natural Causes Conclusion in Actress’ Death; Likens It to Those of Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith

Hemp/Marijuana – USA
ND Farmers Lose Appeal To Grow Hemp – The Associated Press

A federal appeals court on Tuesday affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit by two North Dakota farmers who said they should be allowed to grow industrial hemp without fear of federal criminal prosecution.

DUI – USA
Montana Man Charged With 7th DUI – The Associated Press

Montana Man With 6 DUI Convictions Charged After Testing 4 Times Legal Limit For Alcohol

Marijuana – USA
Pot Use Edges Up Among Teens, Survey Shows – MMIX The Associated Press

Teenagers Cutting Down on Cigarettes, Methamphetamines, Binge Drinking; Alcohol Most Widely-Used Illicit Substance

Drugs – USA
Drugs, Reconsidered – The New York Times

A. Thomas McLellan, the new deputy drug czar, won’t be able to shift the government’s focus to effective strategies like treatment and prevention until we stop wasting so many of our limited resources on arresting people for drug offenses.

Alcohol – USA
‘Goodfellas’ Mobster Blames Alcohol For Arrest – The Associated Press

‘Goodfellas’ Mobster Henry Hill Says Alcohol Struggles Are To Blame For Arrest At Ill. Hotel

Marijuana – USA
Smoke Signals: Marijuana Use Rises Among H.S. Students as Cigarette Use Declines, Study Finds – Join Together

Proponents of a new approach to drug policy need look no further than the results of the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, which reports increased youth use of marijuana and a flattening out of many other types of illicit drug use after a prolonged decline.

Alcohol – USA
Tenn. man arrested for allegedly drunk-dialing 911 – The Associated Press

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A Middle Tennessee man was arrested after police said he drunk-dialed 911 and has called police 47 times over the last year.

Alcohol – USA
Pair Find Stranger Asleep On Couch Cuddling A Bear – The Associated Press

Mississippi Couple Come Home, Find Intoxicated Stranger Asleep On Their Couch Cuddling A Teddy Bear

Alcohol – USA
On College Football Game Days, Efforts to Deter Binge Drinking – The New York Times

Shortly before kickoff at a Minnesota college football game, two students were greeted with breathalyzer tests, part of a new program to deter binge drinking at the games.

Drugs – USA
U.S. Adds Drones to Fight Smuggling – The New York Times

PALMDALE, Calif. — To help spot and track smugglers, the Homeland Security Department is expanding its use of drones, the unmanned aircraft widely used in Iraq and other war zones, beyond the Mexican and Canadian borders to the Caribbean and possibly other seas.

Marijuana – USA
Medical Marijuana: No Longer Just for Adults – The New York Times

At the Peace in Medicine Healing Center in Sebastopol, the wares on display include dried marijuana — featuring brands like Kryptonite, Voodoo Daddy and Train Wreck — and medicinal cookies arrayed below a sign saying, “Keep Out of Reach of Your Mother.”

Underage Drinking / Drugs – USA
Report Alcohol Overdoses Without Fear, Texas Tells Kids – Join Together

Texas youth can report alcohol overdoses or other problems without fear of being charged with underage drinking under a new policy announced by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC).

DUI – UK
Phone App Allows Drinkers to Track Consumption – Join Together

The U.K. health ministry has released a software application for iPhone and Windows phones intended to empower users to keep better track of their drinking, the BBC reported Dec. 1.

Prescription Drugs – USA
Prescription drugs easily acquired from rogue Web sites – Tampabay.com

People can’t buy heroin or cocaine online, but a few clicks of the mouse get them darned close…

Youth – Prescription Drugs – USA
Youth Prescription Drug Abuse On Rise In ND – CBSNews.com

BISMARCK, N.D. – Young people are abusing prescription drugs with alarming frequency, sometimes during “pharm parties” where pills are set out like candy, a man whose son died of an overdose of painkillers told a conference Tuesday.

ADDICTION – NETHERLANDS
Teenage cannabis addiction on the rise – Expatica

The number of Dutch under-18s addicted to cannabis is on the increase. Many of them begin smoking pot regularly at age thirteen, and get into such difficulties that they have to be admitted to a rehab clinic.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine’s detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system – Staten Island Advance

After marijuana, cocaine is the second most used illicit drug in the United States. It has been shown to have many detrimental effects; many of these effects involve the heart.

COCAINE – USA
DEA Warns of Tainted Cocaine; But it’s Government’s Fault – Opposing Views

This week the federal government warned that “substantial levels of cocaine” may be contaminated by levasimole hydrochloride, an anti-parasitic agent used in animals that kills white blood cells, leaving people vulnerable to potentially fatal infections.

COCAINE – USA
Crack Cocaine: Danville’s drug of choice – Madison Messenger

Crack cocaine breaks all social, economic and racial barriers as dealers supply addicts in affluent neighborhoods and impoverished housing projects.

METHADONE – USA
Oklahoma authorities say methadone use on the rise – KFSM News

Oklahoma authorities say the number of people dying from methadone use is growing. Last year, 110 people in Oklahoma died from either methadone overdoses or overdoses in which methadone was used in combination with other drugs.

ADDICTION – USA
Russia Heroin Addiction “Spreads Like Wildfire” – Addiction Inbox

Last week, both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times declared that heroin addiction has reached epidemic proportions in Russia. However, Soviet drug enforcement officials have a plan: They have called on the United States to defoliate Afghanistan.

ADDERALL – USA
Adderall abuse not worth it in the long run – Chicago Flame

Now that the semester is well underway all us students have reached that big hurdle of surviving the first round of exams for the classes we have. Even though the college life is a high-pressure lifestyle many students are capable of making the grade through honest studying and dedication.

HEROIN – USA
Young and Suburban, and Falling for Heroin – New York Times

The kids weren’t all right. They lived in the same comfortable Long Island town and were barely in their teens when they took their first hit of marijuana or sip of alcohol, propelling them on dark journeys they couldn’t seem to escape. Within a couple of years, they were in heroin’s grip.