Drug News

Mephedrone – UK
Government makes money from miaow – Telegraph.co.uk

The party drug miaow miaow has earned the Government almost £600,000 in tax after allowing millions of pounds worth to be imported in the last three years.

Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention – Ohio
Panel recommends ways to combat prescription drug abuse – The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio should require doctors to check a statewide database that tracks the distribution of high-powered narcotics in order to better spot doctor-shoppers and people who abuse prescription painkillers, according to recommendations released today by a panel of professionals.

Cocaine Prevention – Peru
Using Chocolate to Defeat Cocaine in Peru – The Huffington Post

During my recent visit to Oro Verde Cooperative in Amazonian Peru, I stayed with a number of indigenous farmers who are supplying us with an incredible cocoa. It is incredible for its taste – last month our farmers took first and third place in the World Chocolate Competition in Paris!- but it is equally as incredible for the story behind the cocoa. These brave farmers have been growing cocoa beans as a replacement for the coca they have grown in the past to feed the deadly narco-traffic in cocaine.

Drug Trafficking – South Carolina
Wanted suspect surrenders to authorities – CarolinaLive.com

A Hartsville man wanted in connection with a theft and drug ring has turned himself into Darlington County Sheriff’s Office Investigators.

Marijuana – USA
Study Shows Light Cannabis Use Can Lead to Problems Later – Drug Addiction Treatment

Cannabis is growing as a drug of choice among teenagers, according to a report in AAP and parents are warned to get tough on teens who indulge. This warning comes on the heels of recent research that shows even occasional use can lead to alcoholism or even harder drugs.

Alcohol – Study
Socializing with Heavy Drinkers Increases Alcohol Consumption – Join Together

The amount of alcohol you consume seems to be directly related to the drinking habits of your social group, according to a new study.

Drugs – Scotland
Police seal off streets in Edinburgh in major hunt for hidden gun and drug stash –DailyRecord.co.uk

A LARGE-SCALE search was launched today for guns and drugs which may have been stashed in the garden of a suburban home.

Meth – USA
Maverick’s Surf Contest: From meth head to motivator, Flea’s turnaround has widespread impact – Santa Cruz Sentinel

It will be one of the rare times he has surfed the Maverick’s Surf Contest clear-headed and sober — a seeming advantage for the three-time champion and big-wave legend. Oddly, his newfound sobriety is likely to keep him from performing the death-defying antics that could lead to title No. 4.

Anxiety Drugs – World Research News
Valium link to heroin is unfounded – Bury Free Press

“Anxiety drugs like Valium are addictive in the same way as heroin,” said the Daily Mail, reporting on research into the actions of the drug.

Drunk Driving Study – USA
Energy Drinks, Alcohol a Dangerous Mix – Bio-Medicine

Study found college students who drank both were more drunk, more likely to drive

Marijuana – USA
267 marijuana plant seized at local residence – ColoradoConnection.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado Springs police, while on an unrelated traffic stop, were advised of a possible marijuana grow in a residence located at 218 E. Camarillo St., and that the odor of marijuana could be smelled venting from the residence.

Drug Addiction – USA
Actor Wes Bentley Rebuilds Career after Beating Addiction – Drug Addiction Treatment

Eleven years ago, Wes Bentley was a 21-year-old Julliard dropout living in Los Angeles with a Polaroid for a head shot and not enough money to eat at Taco Bell, writes Patrick Healy of the New York Times. But after his performance as Ricky Fitts in “American Beauty,” which won the Academy Award for best picture, he was riding in limos and drawing paparazzi. But after his initial success, Bentley turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress of stardom, and addiction took over his life for several years.

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.

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.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking Increases Cancer Risk, Canadian Study Finds – Join Together

Drinking beer, wine or liquor raises the risk of developing certain types of cancer, according to a study of male drinkers and nondrinkers in Montreal.

CANNABIS – USA
Dieting could lead to a positive test for cannabis – New Scientist

The main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and once in the body it is readily absorbed into fat cells. Over the next few days it slowly diffuses back into the blood. Since THC is taken up by fat more readily than it diffuses out, continual intake means some THC can remain in the fat cells.

CANNABIS – UK
Teens ‘aware of cannabis impact’ – The Press Association

More than two-fifths of teenagers (42%) know someone who has suffered mental health harm from using cannabis, according to a survey.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Call for liquor label warning – Courier Mail

A retired pathologist is calling for warning labels on alcohol bottles amid claims liquor plays a part in 40 per cent of deaths investigated by the coroner.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse rising – Idaho Mountain Express and Guide

An alarming trend in the United States is the increasing number of people dying from overdoses of prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs Misused by 12.3 Percent of H.S. Seniors – Join Together

A survey of more than 12,000 U.S. high-school seniors found that 12.3 percent said they had used opioid-based prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, with 8 percent saying they had done so within the past year.

CANNABIS – USA
Some teenagers believe cannabis is harmless because it is a plant – Top News United States

Recent survey, by the Home Office funded drugs advice service Frank once again revealed that harmful affects of cannabis on health, education and careers of millions of teenagers. The survey also unraveled some misconceptions harnessed by the youngsters regarding the drug.

DRUGS – USA
Understanding substance abuse and addictions and how they affect our relationships – Examiner

The tendency to ignore the individual aspects of these stories is unfortunate since substance abuse and addiction is fairly widespread in our society.  It is likely that either we or those whom we know have experienced problems with substance abuse and addiction in some way, either personally or through family or friends.

DRUGS – USA
Signs of drug use – Star News

Some signs of stimulants and “uppers” like methamphetamine, Ritalin and cocaine include uncontrollable itching, paranoia, abnormal sweating and a change in sleep patterns.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise – WTVQ News

There is a growing problem in many Kentucky communities related to prescription drugs, and authorities tell us that I-75 may be an illegal supply line.

ALCOHOL – USA
Italy Starts Cracking Down on Underage Drinking – CNN Time

This let’s-go-get-loaded spirit might not seem so strange in countries that have long battled excessive youth drinking and alcoholism.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse growing at an alarming rate in the U.S. – Examiner

Death due to prescription drug abuse is in the headlines now because of the death of Michael Jackson. The media also harkens back to the death of Elvis Presley and other celebrities who have died from drug overdoses.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug addiction Skyrocketing – Trans World News

Almost every young person knows someone who is a drug addict if they know at least five people, according to statistics. 21.1 % of Americans ages 18 to 25 have alcohol or other drug problems serious enough to require addiction treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

ALCOHOL – USA
UND employs approach to combat student alcohol use – Grand Forks Herald

Like North Dakota State University, UND also employs a multipronged approach to alcohol use among students.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
New highsnlows short film gets young people talking about cannabis – Drug Info

The second animated film in the “Is your high getting you low?” campaign was launched today. While the first animated film looked at some of the potential effects cannabis can have on mental health, the second film encourages young people to talk to their friends about cannabis use.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Rapid detox for prescription drug addiction – Examiner

Prescription drug abuse has led to unprecedented numbers of people becoming addicted. Pain killers and opiods are among the most abused drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Pills: The New Drug of Choice for Teens – San Francisco Chronicle

Statistically, too, the officers had reason to worry. Although high school drug use is down across the country, in the past 10 years the rate of prescription drug abuse among teens has risen steadily.

DRUGS – USA
Anti-Drug Campaigns Shift Focus from Marijuana to Prescription Drugs – Join Together

After years of focusing primarily on marijuana use, antidrug campaigns from both the private and public sector have turned their attention to what’s seen as a more urgent problem: prescription-drug misuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
The paramedic’s story – Guardian

Steve Evans has been a paramedic for 38 years with the North West Ambulance Service.

ADDICTION – UK
One in 50 admit to drug addiction – The Observer

More than 1.2 million adults in the UK have been addicted to illegal drugs, according to research carried out by one of the country’s leading authorities on the subject.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin making comeback in Vermont – Burlington Free Press

High prices for prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, dolled out illegally on the street, are fueling a potential comeback in Vermont for heroin, a potent drug that swept through the state with devastating consequences 10 years ago, law enforcement said last week.

PAINKILLER – IRELAND
Painkillers: What to do when the cure triggers the ailment – Irish Independent

It’s easy to take a painkiller for a headache, but when can the cure worsen the problem? Taking a painkiller more than two or three times a week can actually cause headaches.

ALCOHOL – UK
Coroner blames cut-price alcohol for soaring number of drink deaths – Daily Mail

A coroner has hit out at Britain’s binge-drinking culture after presiding over a run of inquests into alcohol-linked deaths.

ALCOHOL – UK
Working hard, drinking harder – The Independent

It might seem like the opposite of the stereotypical image of a problem drinker, but high-functioning alcoholism – addiction to alcohol which seems to have no adverse effects on a person’s day-to-day professional life – is a significant national problem.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths in LI county hit all time high – Newsday

Nassau County officials say heroin killed more people last year than drunken driving and murder combined in the Long Island county.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin deaths on the rise in Nassau – ABC Local News

In what has become a growing problem on Long Island, a drug is killing more people than drunk driving. That drug is heroin, and deaths from overdoses have hit a record number in Nassau County.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis ‘can cause psychosis in healthy people’ – Telegraph

A potent form of cannabis can cause healthy people to develop psychotic illnesses, a new British study has proved.

DRUGS – USA
Rx drugs leading cause of King County drug deaths – KOMO News

Deaths from prescription drugs have surpassed illegal drugs as the leading cause of drug-related deaths in King County, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription painkillers cause most King County drug deaths – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Abuse of prescription drugs is the leading cause of drug-related deaths in King County, a new report has found. In 2008, prescription opiates caused 153 of 256 drug-related deaths in King County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dentists Seen as Source for Prescription Pain Pills – Join Together

Individuals addicted to prescription pain medications often turn to dentists as a source for drugs like codeine, Vicodin and OxyContin.

HEROIN – USA
Narconon Trois-Rivieres Cites ‘Hillbilly Heroin’ as Canadian Drug Addiction Crisis – PR Newswire

Legally prescribed by doctors and different medical practices, this narcotic is also regularly bought on the street and by methods of doctor-to-doctor shopping.

ALCOHOL – USA
Task force meets about campus alcohol problems – University Daily Kansas

The new University Alcohol Task Force is considering several proposals to change policies regarding alcohol on campus. The task force, which includes a variety of University staff, officials and students, held its first meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to curb alcohol use in light of recent alcohol-related student deaths.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey reveals drug, alcohol use at L-S – Lincoln Journal

Drug and alcohol use and abuse is a problem, not only at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, but also at high schools across the region, the state and the nation.

ALCOHOL – UK
Thousands of children drinking seven pints a week – Telegraph

A third of children aged 11 to 15 who drink, consume more than 15 units in a week, the equivalent of seven pints of lager or one and a half bottles of average strength wine.

HEROIN – USA
Walpole chief: Heroin use on the rise – Daily News Transcript

Cheap heroin has flooded the streets of Walpole and the area in the past few months, causing some painkiller addicts to turn to the notorious drug – occasionally with lethal consequences.

MARIJUANA – USA
Chart of the Day: Marijuana/alcohol biggest problem for youth – Seattle Post Intelligencer

Most people under the age of 18 admitted to drug-assistance programs in King County last year were admitted for marijuana use, according to a report released Wednesday.

ADDICTION – USA
Narconon of Georgia is presenting the facts about Marijuana Addiction – Trans World News

Some proponents of the legalization of marijuana have claimed that there is no evidence that marijuana causes harm, or is addictive. This is a small sample of cited works which indicate that this is not true. The information is freely available on the web at the National Institute of Health’s web site.

PAINKILLER – UK
Painkiller ban cuts suicides – North Wales Chronicle

A well-conducted study into the withdrawal of co-proxamol has provided good evidence that the drug’s withdrawal has reduced deaths from poisoning in England and Wales, and particularly suicides linked to co-proxamol overdose. This reduction was not accompanied by an increase in suicides using other drugs, although trends in other suicide methods were not tracked.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug Addiction And Meaningful Sobriety – Trans World News

With the number of drug rehab programs and drug treatment centers on the market, it can be hard to know where to turn for addiction counseling services. In choosing a drug rehabilitation plan that can work for you, it’s essential to keep in mind that you are a unique individual.

ALCOHOL – USA
Stay safe on the water – Laurel Leader Call

As the weather heats up and the Fourth of July weekend beckons, many people are heading to the beaches, lakes and ponds around south Mississippi for a little relief from soaring summer heat.

ALCOHOL – UK
Study blames alcohol for half 1990s Russian deaths – The Associated Press

A new study by an international team of public health researchers documents the devastating impact of alcohol abuse on Russia — showing that drinking caused more than half of deaths among Russians aged 15 to 54 in the turbulent era following the Soviet collapse.

DRUGS – UK
Families to receive antidote to help drug users who overdose – Guardian

Families of chaotic drug users are to be given an antidote to keep their relatives alive in the event of a heroin overdose in a pilot scheme to be launched this week.

DRUGS – UK
Cannabis, Cocaine and a nation with a drugs problem – PR CannaZine

Its been announced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, that the United Kingdom is in the teeth of a cocaine epidemic, with the nation standing head & shoulders above the rest of the world when it comes to consumption of the class A drug.

PAINKILLER – USA
Europe Regulator Advises Ban on Painkiller – The Wall Street Journal

Europe’s main medical regulator recommended that a 50-year-old painkiller, already largely ordered off shelves in some places, be withdrawn from the European market out of concern that patients have been fatally overdosing from it.