Drug News

COCAINE – USA
Tainted Cocaine Draws Nationwide Health Alert – About-News and Issues

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a nationwide public health alert warning of “substantial levels” of cocaine laced with the veterinary anti-parasitic drug levamisole.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens Who Eat Infrequent Family Dinners Likelier to Drink, Smoke, Use Drugs – Join Together

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future.

DRUGS – USA
Text Messages Could Prevent Fatal Overdoses – Join Together

A drug-treatment program in the U.K. has set up a text-messaging system for drug users, who can receive texts on what to do in case of an overdose as well as tips on harm reduction.

ADDICTION – USA
Addicts March to Disprove Stereotype – KWCH News

Dozens of people gathered at Wichita’s Old Town Square to spread a message Tuesday evening, asking to “End the Stigma.” It was part of what organizers call a “Recovery Parade”. This was for anyone recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. About 50 people met at Miracles Inc., at 2nd and Wabash. Many brought signs to define them as something as other than a person in recovery – a mother, a wife, a tax payer.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Detox Protocol Gives New Hope – Trans World News

Novus Medical Detox Center has developed new protocols that have succeeded with patients who have failed to complete their detox at other medical detox centers.  These new protocols combine the use of medications with natural supplements and the use of intravenous treatments and allow a more comfortable detox than ever before.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sorority joins fight against alcohol poisoning – Stillwater News Press

One Oklahoma State University sorority is joining people from 134 other universities, high schools and middle schools to raise awareness of alcohol poisoning Thursday.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Survey finds women drink alcohol to be more confident having sex – NEWS.com.au

Millions of women drink alcohol before having sex because they lack confidence in their bodies, a study suggests.

ALCOHOL – USA
Spreading awareness about alcohol, drug addiction – The Stanly News and Press

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, which is an incredibly important but little known declaration by our nation’s government.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Sheriff Takes Aim At Prescription Drugs – WKRC TV News

Right now, the abuse of prescription drugs like oxycontin and percocet is growing like a tidal wave across the country. In many communities, pills have edged out other drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

DRUGS – USA
Drug abuse large part of crime in North Port – Sarasota Herald Tribune

A police report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows violent crimes essentially level compared with 2008, and property crimes such a burglary dropped by 9 percent.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin: More Than A Big City Problem – NBC News

It’s no longer thought of as just a “big city problem.” Heroin is showing up in smaller communities all over our area. Mt. Horeb is known for a lot of things. Heroin would probably not be one of them. But police are seeing it here as well. And just like other areas in south central Wisconsin, it’s got their attention.

ALCOHOL – USA
Women and Men in Drug Rehab or Alcohol Treatment – Trans World News

Studies and surveys conducted by various state and federal agencies have shown that the ratio of males to females who enter drug rehab or alcohol treatment is 2.3 to 1 respectively. Recent census data indicates an almost even number of men and women in the US.

METH – USA
The dangers of methamphetamine – Richmond Register

Representatives of state and federal law enforcement agencies gathered with media members in an airplane hangar Wednesday morning to discuss the rise in methamphetamine production.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Abuse Treatment Facilitator Locator – SAMHSA

To locate the drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs nearest you, find your State on the map below and click on it.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study urges action to get patients to follow prescriptions – Boston Globe

Patients who do not take their medications as prescribed pay a price in poorer health, more frequent hospitalizations, and a higher risk of death.

DRUGS – USA
Drugs 101: Introduction to Marijuana – Examiner

When I was in high school, so many, many years ago, marijuana was the drug of choice. Cocaine was around, but it was expensive. Speed was available, as was LSD and mushrooms, all cheap and easy to obtain. Methamphetamine, crack cocaine, MDMA, GHB and ecstasy, were not around yet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
1 in 5 teens shares prescriptions – USA Today

About 20% of U.S. teens exchange prescription drugs such as antibiotics and allergy medications with friends, a practice that can be dangerous and potentially deadly, warns a new study.

ALCOHOL – UK
Reducing Drinking And Preventing Relapse Using A Synthetic Derivative Of The Kudzu Vine – Medical News Today

Kudzu and its extracts and flowers have been used in traditional Chinese folk medicine to treat alcoholism for about 1,000 years.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA issues warnings on Indian-made generic prescription drugs – Los Angeles Times

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday put the Indian generic drug giant Ranbaxy on notice that it would block entry to the U.S. market of 25 generic prescription drugs widely used by American consumers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse vexes the medical profession – The Plain Dealer

Some say prescription drug abuse is on the rise among health-care professionals. Others say the numbers have not changed much, but that drugs of choice are more powerful, and addicted professionals often go to greater lengths to get them.

DRUGS – USA
Drug abuse by teens takes prescriptive turn – Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Teens increasingly are becoming addicted to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, substances as lethal as any illicit drug but often more readily available.

METH – USA
Hot New Country Group to Help Raise Money for Idaho Meth Project – Local News

One of country music’s hottest new groups will be in Idaho Falls to help raise money for the Idaho Meth Project.

METH – UK
Crystal meth: easy to make, highly dangerous and devastating some US states – Channel 4 News

It is one of the most dangerous drugs known to man and can be made from legal and easily obtainable ingredients.

ADDICTION – USA
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month set; State, local agencies partner together – Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Department of Children and Families will join community partners across the state to bring local awareness to the issue of drug and alcohol addiction.

ADDICTION – USA
Fundraiser to benefit addiction treatment groups – Albany Times Union

While addicts struggle to recover, some of the agencies that serve them struggle to survive.

DRUGS – USA
Family Day – CASA

A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family Day reminds parents that Dinner Makes A Difference!

DRUGS – USA
College Campuses Concerned About Prescription Drug Abuse – Trans World News

Many campuses nationwide are taking prescription drug abuse seriously. Adderral, Ritalin, and other prescription drugs are being abused at an alarming rate.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prevent prescription drug abuse – The Spectrum

As parents, we worry about our teenagers and drugs. We see the results of teen drug use in the media, our neighborhoods and sometimes in our own families. Did you know that a significant source of the drugs teens abuse is our own medicine cabinets?

DRUGS – UK
Last Call for Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives Awards – Home Office

Anyone who wishes to nominate a drug treatment team, police officer or volunteer who has gone that extra mile to tackle drugs has just ten days to make their local hero an example for the nation.

METH – ASIA
Methamphetamine usage rising – IRIN

Typically smoked, the potent central nervous system stimulant is highly addictive, causing paranoia, delusions and hallucinations.

DRUGS – USA
NJ Launches Campaign Against Medicine Abuse – Evening Bulletin

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) announced Monday a statewide public service campaign titled “Grandma’s Stash,” to raise awareness that misuse of prescription drugs is second only to marijuana as America’s most prevalent drug problem.

DRUGS – USA
WLPD teams with site to offer free drug tests – Journal and Courier

The urinalysis test recognizes the 10 most common illegal drugs: cocaine, amphetamine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, oxycodone, propoxyphene and MDMA, more commonly known by its street name, ecstasy.

ALCOHOL – UK
BMA Scotland Response To The Scottish Government’s Proposed Strategy To Tackle Alcohol Misuse – Medical News Today

Doctors called for action, not words, to tackle alcohol misuse in Scotland.

ALCOHOL – USA
Underage, drunken fans can buy alcohol at stadiums – Dallas Morning News

Actors posing as drunken sports fans successfully bought alcohol from U.S. stadium vendors almost nine out of 10 tries, according to a University of Minnesota study.

ALCOHOL – USA
Even if you look drunk at a game, you can likely keep buying booze – Chicago Tribune

The stadiums and arenas of Chicago have seen untold amounts of alcohol-fueled mayhem, from obscene yelling to savage, bare-knuckle brawls. But according to a study released Wednesday, sports venues could be bringing some of this chaos on themselves.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Finds Sports Stadiums Serve Alcohol to Intoxicated, Underage Fans – Join Together

An undercover operation conducted as part of research sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Research Program (SAPRP) found that apparently underage and intoxicated fans have a relatively easy time purchasing alcohol at professional sports events.

METH – UK
‘Meth’ adverts to scare US teens – BBC News

Advertisement: An advertising campaign designed to scare teenagers away from using the drug ‘meth’ has been launched in the US.

METH – UK
Montana meth ads winning drug battle – BBC News

They call Montana “Big Sky Country” or “The Last Best Place” – and it is easy to see why with its wide open spaces, majestic mountains and meandering rivers. But there is a far less wholesome side to this wilderness, a problem more associated with grim urban despair – drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Scams Happening in the Ozarks – Ozark First

It’s not exactly what the doctor ordered, but a scam involving prescription drugs is making its way through several Ozarks communities.

DRUGS – UK
Orthodox community steps up its anti-drugs campaign – The JC

A strictly Orthodox charity is planning to step up its campaign over the next few weeks to educate its constituency about the risk of drugs.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Rises as a Painkiller With Big Risks – The New York Times

A synthetic form of opium, it is cheap and long lasting, a powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But because it is also abused by thrill seekers and badly prescribed by doctors unfamiliar with its risks, methadone is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Becoming Local Drug of Choice – WSAZ News

Heroin, one of the deadliest drugs in the country, is taking a toll locally — quickly becoming the drug of choice.

HEROIN – UK
Red alert for heroin users – Evening Telegraph

Heroin is cut with other substances to maximise dealers’ profits and whatever red heroin has been cut with creates new and potentially fatal risks. The drug, off-red in colour, crystallises quickly in the syringe so addicts must shoot up quickly.

ALCOHOL – USA
CADCA Survey Finds Alcohol Top Problem Facing Communities – CADCA

According to CADCA´s 2007 Annual Survey of Coalitions, 68 percent of community anti-drug coalitions across the country ranked alcohol as the number one problem facing their community.

METH – USA
New Publication Offers Strategies to Tackle Methamphetamine Abuse – CADCA

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 5.8 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 or older have abused methamphetamine (meth) at least once in their lifetimes.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Cocktail in a pocket entices teen drinkers – Sydney Morning Herald

ShotPak is a line of alcoholic beverages that comes in shot-sized, laminated-foil plastic pouches reminiscent of the drinks American children pack in their school lunches.

HEROIN – UK
Addicts warned over red heroin – The Courier

POLICE IN Tayside fear that deadly “red heroin” may have reached the region—and warned addicts to stay away from the contaminated substance.

DRUGS – USA
Latest Drug Trends Show Rampant Heroin Abuse – News Radio WTVN

The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug-Addiction Services has released its biannual report on the latest drug trends across the state.

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
Addiction to potentially deadly drug Cat surging – Weekend Post

SCHOOLS, businesses and nightclubs in Nelson Mandela Bay are fast falling prey to a new and potentially deadly designer drug called Cat, which is becoming the latest craze among teens and young adults.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Overdose Awareness Day – Salvation Army

We are inviting you to participate in Overdose Awareness Day 2008. This year, on the 31st August 2008, we will be remembering those who have died from having suffered overdose as well as those who live with permanent injuries from overdose.

DRUGS – UK
World Drug Day 2008 – UN Office on Drug and Crime

On 26 June, UNODC offices around the world held different events to celebrate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. On the same day, UNODC also launched its 2008 World Drug Report.

DRUGS – UK
Nearly one in 10 Welsh prisoners test positive for drugs – Western Mail

NEARLY one in 10 Welsh prisoners has tested positive for drugs in random tests, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

CANNABIS – UK
Skunk ‘psychosis risk’ warning – BBC News

People who smoke the strongest form of cannabis – known as skunk – may be more at risk of psychosis than those who use milder forms, UK researchers claim.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
Alcohol ad regulation could prove troublesome – Sunday Business Post

The new self-regulatory codes on alcohol advertising sound comprehensive, but they could prove tricky to implement in some cases.

ALCOHOL – USA
More Drug, Alcohol Recognition Experts on the Road This Weekend – WFMZ News

Pennsylvania State Troopers will be stepping up patrols this holiday weekend. This year they’re also increasing efforts to recognize drivers who are under the influence.

METH – USA
Miss. Realtors Required To Disclose Meth Lab Houses – WAPT News

Mississippi home buyers will soon be able to find out if the house they want to purchase was used as a meth lab.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More teens abusing prescription drugs – Canton Repository

When issued by a doctor, prescription drugs are supposed to offer a safe way to help people. They dilute pain, help control behavior, regulate sickness and heal ills. But for some, prescription drugs also offer an easy way to get high. And there are signs that abuse is rising among Ohio teens.

METH – USA
Minnesota’s anti-meth law is a big success story – DL Online

An anti- methamphetamine law passed in Minnesota three years ago has been a big success.

METH – USA
Official: Check your propane tanks – Jackson Sun

People grilling this summer should inspect their propane tanks as some methamphetamine producers are using them to store harmful chemicals.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
NZ slipping into ‘world’s gutters’ – drug expert – Otago Daily Times

Latest international cannabis use figures prove that New Zealand is descending into “the world’s gutters”, says outspoken drug education expert Mike Sabin.

METH – USA
Meth labs declining in Minnesota – Hutchinson Leader

The report, Methamphetamine in Minnesota: a report on the impact of one illicit drug, is the first comprehensive review of the impact of meth in Minnesota.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Confusion – Today’s TMJ4

Have you ever reached into your medicine cabinet and forgot what that prescription is for? Pharmacists say it happens all the time. Today’s TMJ4’s Courtny Gerrish shows us how to end the confusion.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
MEDai Technology Identifies Prescription Drug Misuse – Earth Times

MEDai, Inc. provides several reports that focus on the identification of potential misuse of prescription drugs, a subject that has quickly climbed to the top of the concerns list for those in the payer space.

METH – USA
A look at meth addiction in Southwest Florida – Wink News

Just how big of a problem has meth become in Lee County? Local addiction specialists say they are hearing from more recovering addicts that meth was one of their drugs of choice.

METH – USA
Drug Use Becoming More Common Worldwide – Join Together
Use of various illicit drugs has become more common worldwide over the years, and the United States has some of the world’s highest rates of lifetime alcohol and tobacco use, according to an international survey conducted by the World Health Organization.

METH – USA
Home disclosure clear on meth – Biloxi Sun Herald

Potential homebuyers in Mississippi now have a means of learning whether that cute cottage on the market was once a meth lab.

MARIJUANA – USA
More Marijuana in the Movies – Join Together

It may not signal a return to the Cheech and Chong days, but marijuana use has definitely staged a comeback on the big screen, drawing laughs and establishing cultural credibility among young moviegoers.

ALCOHOL – USA
Anheuser-Busch to stop mixing alcohol and caffeine – North Platte Bulletin

After months of public criticism, a threatened lawsuit, and an 11-state Attorneys General investigation, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. announced June 26 that it will discontinue the production and marketing of caffeinated alcoholic beverages and pledges to call on other brewers and distillers to follow suit.

ALCOHOL – USA
US leads world in substance abuse, WHO finds – Reuters

The United States leads the world in rates of experimenting with marijuana and cocaine despite strict drug laws, World Health Organization researchers said on Tuesday.

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 – UK
Drinkers ‘ignorant’ about alcohol – BBC News

Three-quarters of drinkers do not know a typical glass of wine contains three units of alcohol, a survey for the Department of Health suggests.

ALCOHOL – UK
Poll finds alcohol ignorance – TeleText

A campaign has been launched to make people more aware of how much they are drinking after a poll found widespread ignorance over units of alcohol.

ALCOHOL – UK
Majority of people ‘clueless’ about alcohol units – In The News

Despite most people claiming to know what a unit of alcohol is, there is widespread ignorance about how many units are in a typical drink, a new survey has revealed.

PRESCRIPTION – INDIA
Medicated Drinking Water? – Prescription Drugs Found In American Water Supplies – The Med Guru

Think twice before you take the next sip of your presumably pure life source, for, it might not be as pure and you might be gulping down other people’s medications as you quench your thirst.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Responsible adults must guard against prescription abuse – Allentown Morning Call

It is cheaper for the teenage thrill- or drug-seekers to steal prescription drugs from parents, teachers, or neighbors than to use a drug dealer. Since they are stupid enough to take prescription drugs, as responsible adults we should try to keep prescription drugs away from them. So, all responsible adults should try:

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Deaths Up, Meth Deaths Down in Oregon – KEPR TV News

Action News first brought you the story of Umatilla County’s new drug trend. People are moving away from meth, and on to cocaine and heroin. According to a new report released by the Oregon State Police, meth deaths are down, but heroin deaths are up.

HEROIN – USA
New danger: Popularity of heroin growing with kids and easy to get – Times Herald Record

Heroin, which once conjured up images of wasted, strung-out junkies, is back. Our friends, relatives and neighbors in their teens and early 20s are snorting it.

DRUGS – USA
No Place to Hide: Drug Abuse in America – Trans World News

If you have been following this series of articles, you have learned how opium and its derivatives morphine and heroin made their way into America’s channels of commerce. In time, each substance acquired an expanding customer base, anchored by the addictiveness of the drug. In the Twentieth Century, the popularity of cocaine in its various forms would prove to reach much deeper and farther than any drug to date.

MARIJUANA – THAILAND
Using marijuana to battle the blues only worsens teens depression – Thaindian
Teens who use Marijuana to alleviate feelings of depression could make their situation worse as it leads to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide, according to a new report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana Ups Heart Attack, Stroke Risk – Heart Zine

A study by US government researchers suggests that people who abuse marijuana might be putting themselves at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. This happens because the drug increases the blood levels of a particular protein.

DRUGS – USA
COURTS: Another option – Lockport Union-Sun and Journal

It was just the beginning of a three-hour session of Lockport’s Drug Court Treatment Program, a specialized court designed to handle criminal cases involving offenders struggling with substance abuse.

ADDICTION – CANADA
Rehab doc is ‘sick and tired’ of media fascination with bad celeb behaviour – The Canadian Press

The California-based addiction medicine specialist hopes to show the pain and devastating cost behind the endless party life with “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew,” a VH1 reality series which recently premiered in Canada on MuchMoreMusic.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
State hopes to reduce unintentional prescription drug overdoses – Desert News

One of hundreds of deaths attributed to unintentional prescription drug overdose. Unintentional over-the-counter and prescription overdoses killed more Utahns that year than motor vehicle crashes.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine – Signs of Addiction – Trans World News
Methamphetamine usually looks like white or off-colored shards of glass, usually stored in small baggies. It can appear in pill form, powder, or chunks, but it is definitely crystalline in nature, as opposed to cocaine, which is powdery.

METH – UK
Speedy decline – Economist

A FEW years ago Pierce county, in Washington state, was in the grip of a methamphetamine epidemic. Toothless addicts roamed quiet rural roads, stealing everything that was not nailed down, as well as a few things (such as a garage) that were.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Painkillers Replacing Heroin on Canadian Streets – Join Together

A new study finds that Canadian heroin addicts may be switching to prescription opiates like OxyContin, the National Post reported April 30.

ADDERALL – USA
Studying for finals becomes risky business – SMU Daily Campus

Some college students do frequently use prescribed drugs to help them study. Over the past few years, studies have shown that “study drugs” like Adderall and Ritalin have caught on at many campuses. Experts say, however, that the alleged immediate effects may not be as beneficial for acing tests as students think.

RITALIN – USA
Some Parents Go to New Low to Get New High – WRDW News

There are some new drug dealers in town, and they’re pushing pills. The dealers are kids, and they don’t even know what they’re doing. In fact, they have no idea Mom and Dad are their only customers. It seems their parents are going to a new low to get a new high.