Drug News

Party Drugs – UK
Party Drug Dependence Higher Among Gay Men, Expert Warns, UK – Medical News TODAY

In 2009, in response to patients experiencing severe withdrawal reactions from GBL, a party drugs clinic was established in South London. After a year of operation, it was clear that the majority of patients were gay men, consistent with recent findings that they are much more likely to use illegal drugs than the general population.

Marijuana – Colorado
Judge: State pot law no defense for drug charges – seattle pi

DENVER — A Colorado pot grower trying a first-in-the-nation drug defense based on Obama administration memos about marijuana saw his case take a serious blow Wednesday when a federal judge felled the effort.

National Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month – Pennsylvania
Alcohol and drug addiction a major community concern – New Pittsburgh Courier

Throughout the month of September, the United States will celebrate the 21st year of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, focusing on “spreading the word that addiction is a medical illness, treatment is effective, and recovery is possible.”

Prescription Drug Disposal – Arizona
Arizona parents urged to dispose of prescription drugs – azcentral.com

One in five children abuse prescription drugs, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and to help fight the problem, law enforcement agencies throughout the state will be collecting unused or expired prescription drugs Saturday.

Drug Testing – USA
Use a Home Drug Test Kit to Check Your Child’s Saliva for Cocaine and Cannabis – MeDINDIA

A disposable drugs test, developed by Brit boffins, allows parents to check whether their wards have been taking cannabis or cocaine by analysing a droplet of their saliva.

Cocaine – Trafficking
Feds: Calif.-based team flew coke to Pa., lost bag – The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Twenty-two people conspired for a decade to fly cocaine from California to Pittsburgh while bypassing airport security measures but lost a drug-filled bag when it was mistakenly unloaded during a layover, federal authorities say.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkiller overdose deaths gaining on traffic fatalities – Examiner

During a decade when doctors wrote more prescriptions for drugs like OxyContin and fentanyl and the diversion of those medications to the illegal market increased, the number of overdoses from opioid analgesics also spiked.

ADDICTION – USA
Take Rehab Seriously Or Run The Risk Of Never Beating Addiction – Trans World News

Sunset Malibu, an exclusive treatment center on the California coast, has long been a transformational force in the field of rehabilitation and recovery. Now, Sunset is announcing its redoubled efforts in the pursuit of sustainable holistic recovery.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Officials Say Prescription Drugs Are a Top Killer in Montana – KECI News

Montana’s top attorney says prescription drug abuse is such a serious problem, he’s set up a task force to combat it. Attorney General Steve Bullock says nearly 42 percent of drug cases prosecuted this year involved prescription drugs. That’s up from only seven percent in 2003.

HEROIN – USA
Smithtown grapples with rise in teenage heroin use – Newsday

Teens like DiBartolo have been snorting or shooting heroin in alarming numbers across Long Island in the last few years, its use hidden behind the suburban veil of afternoon ball games and bike riding.

DRUGS – USA
Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month Celebrated by Narconon Trois-Rivières – PR Web

Narconon Trois-Rivieres celebrated Recovery Month 2009 to raise awareness on the misery of drug and alcohol addiction which serves to educate the public on the benefits of the treatment options available throughout recovery centers.

DRUGS – USA
Lifelines: Red Ribbon Week — what it means – Argus Observer

They have seen the ads on television that show the junkie robbing people, the girl in the shower whose skin is rotting, the frying pan and the egg. We’ve all seen the ads so much the shock value seems to be wearing off. They are shocking and scary.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Report finds prescription drug use increased in nearly all Kentucky counties – WHAS News

The rate of prescriptions dispensed for controlled substances increased in 118 of Kentucky’s 120 counties between 2005 and 2007, according to a recent report of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and five Kentucky counties – Clinton, Magoffin, Whitley, Bell and Owsley – averaged more than four controlled substance prescriptions dispensed per resident.

HEROIN – CANADA
“Hillbilly heroin” a growing problem in B.C.’s small communities – The Canadian Press

Small communities in British Columbia largely untouched by the scourge of hard drugs are discovering a similar danger that some consider even tougher to tackle because it’s handed out with a doctor’s blessing.

PAINKILLER – USA
CDC Report Spells Out Dangers of Opioid Painkillers – Finding Dulcinea

A CDC report found that deaths caused by opioid analgesics such as methadone and OxyContin more than tripled between 1999 and 2006. The federal government is trying to cut down on the prescribed use of opioids, which began to be used widely as painkillers in the 1990s.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Program to Dispose of Expired Prescription Drugs – WYTV News

Expired prescription drugs can pose a danger to both people and the environment. Here’s your chance to clean out the medicine chest and get rid of old prescriptions safely.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse is subject of local task force – Park Rapids Enterprise

Prescription drug abuse has been increasing among area youth, according to members of the Hubbard County Youth Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The task force is launching a campaign to address this issue and make people aware of the dangers associated with prescription drug abuse.

COCAINE – USA
SAMHSA Warns About Deadly Cocaine Cutting Agent – Join Together

Cocaine users who unwittingly ingest the drug adulterated with a veterinary anti-parasitic medication called levamisole face the risk of death or serious illness.

ALCOHOL – USA
MADD to Sell Line of Branded Nonalcohol Drinks – Join Together

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is getting into the beverage business, inking a deal to sell a new line of nonalcoholic MADD Virgin Drinks.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey: Drug, alcohol use among Licking County youths above U.S. average – The Newark Advocate

Alcohol and drug use among teens in Licking County is higher than national averages, according to May survey results released Wednesday. But a local group of community, business and education leaders, called Our Futures in Licking County, is attempting to change that trend.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin addiction spreads like wildfire in Russia – Los Angeles Times

As the drug has poured into the country from Afghanistan in recent years, Russians’ relative ignorance about its dangers has taken a huge toll, especially on the young.

ADDICTION – USA
September is recovery month for addicts – Press Register

Addiction wears many faces. They might be homeless alcoholics or millionaire doctors hooked on opiates; housewives eating themselves into oblivion or teenagers starving, exercising and cutting; or the rich and poor who have gambled their lives away.

ALCOHOL – USA
Immune Response Hindered by Binge Drinking – Join Together

Add avoiding binge drinking to the list of things you can do to prevent catching the swine flu or other infectious diseases: new research shows that excessive drinking can suppress your immune system for up to 24 hours.

ALCOHOL – USA
Wisconsin alcohol stats troubling – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly may be patting themselves on the back for unanimously voting to strengthen the state’s drunken driving law. But they shouldn’t be too self-congratulatory. The law didn’t go nearly far enough.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Monitoring System As An Effective Jail Alternative – HULIQ News

SCRAM! It could be your get out of jail free card or, actually, anklet. The SCRAM anklet is a high-tech alcohol monitoring system being used by more and more states and local governments as an effective alternative to jail for it’s non-violent alcohol criminal offenders, such as DUI or drunk drivers, as local governments SCRAMble to cut costs in these tough economic times.

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.

PAINKILLER – USA
OK Painkiller Abuse Increasing – KSBI News

State officials continue to fight a growing problem in Oklahoma.  The number of people abusing prescription pain killers is on the rise.  About 87,000 people in Oklahoma are using prescription drugs for non-medical use.
CANNABIS – IRELAND
Cannabis users highest in North – Irish Times

The use of cannabis by young people is higher in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in Europe, according to a new survey carried out by Queen’s University, Belfast. The survey of 4,000 teenagers in 43 schools in the North found that almost one in 13 children in Northern Ireland had tried cannabis before the age of 12.
COCAINE – USA
Laced Cocaine Prompts Nationwide Health Alert – About-News and Issues

Health officials have stepped up their efforts to call attention to health risks caused by cocaine laced with levamisole, a veterinary anti-parasitic drug.
ADDICTION – USA
Addiction treatment, recovery: Making us whole again – The Times of Trenton

September marks the 20th National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The two decades span a generation of celebrations of our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and other loved ones who have been returned to us from the torments of addiction.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
MT AG Bullock convenes panel to fight prescription drug abuse – Montana’s News Station

According to Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock, more Montanans die from overdoses of prescription drugs than in traffic crashes.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Problem Worsening – Southern Pines Pilot

Illegal prescription pills, rather than such common illicit substances as marijuana, represent the most serious drug abuse in Moore County, a group of county and municipal leaders were told Thursday.
PRESCRIPTION – USA
Accidental Prescription Drug Deaths Spike Upward – Food Consumer

The mortality rate from unintended injury in the U.S. rose 11 percent between 1999 and 2005. The jumps in poisoning deaths and deaths from falls were particularly high and troubling.
HEROIN – USA
Low Price, High Potency Spike Heroin Deaths – The Boston Channel

A lethal combination of rock bottom prices combined with a spike in the potency and availability of heroin on Massachusetts streets has led to a startling increase in the number of heroin-related deaths in recent years.
HEROIN – USA
Worried Long Island Parents Attend Heroin Summit – WCBS News

Heroin. It is cheap, potent and deadly. And its use is growing stunningly fast in suburbs on Long Island. CBS 2 HD spoke to addicts and experts about the issue on Tuesday night.
HEROIN – USA
‘Hillbilly Heroin’ Gets a Makeover – Truthdig

So many people grind up and inject or snort the powerful painkiller OxyContin that the drug’s maker has had to snap a plastic-like coating around the pill. The FDA says the improvement is marginal at best in reducing abuse of the drug, but better than nothing.

ALCOHOL – USA
Residents Attend Alcohol and Drug Recovery Symposium – WCTV News

Area residents are taking brave steps in the fight against alcohol and drug addiction, and they’re supporting each other along the way. The French Town Outreach Center hosted an alcohol and drug recovery symposium at the Leon County Health Department today.

ADDICTION – USA
National Addictions Recovery Month Underway – State Journal

For many people an addiction is an uphill battle. But National Addictions Recovery Month is designed to bring light to those struggles and help those in need.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Taking the Fun Out of Popping Pain Pills – The New York Times

People have crushed them using bookends, hammers, mortars and pestles, and then snorted the powder, according to doctors who study addiction. They’ve chewed and swallowed fistfuls of pills.

METH – USA
Sheriff Warns Of New Meth Recipe Cooking – Central Florida News

A new recipe for methamphetamine is circulating, making it easier for addicts to get their hands on the potent drug.

METH – USA
Consider donating time to Meth Task Force – Jordan Independent

For the third consecutive year, the Scott County Meth Task Force is hosting its most significant fund-raiser of the season – Tee It Up For The Task Force golf fund-raiser Sept. 18 at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee.

ALCOHOL – UK
How Binge Drinking Undermines The Immune System – Medical News Today

US researchers have confirmed that binge drinking undermines the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight off infection for at least 24 hours afterwards by inhibiting certain signalling molecules that launch pro-inflammatory responses.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge Drinkers Let Down Guard Against Infection – Medical News Today

As if a bad hangover wasn’t enough of a deterrent, new research has shown how binge drinking weakens the body’s ability to fight off infection for at least 24 hours afterwards.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Hospital holds prescription drop off – WIVB News

A local hospital has started a new program to reduce some of the dangers associated with prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deaths from prescription drugs rise in Manitowoc County – Herald Times Reporter

Last year, seven people died in Manitowoc County as a result of drug overdoses. Through August, another seven had overdosed this year, according to County Coroner Curt Green. Of those 14 deaths, only one was the result of a drug other than a prescription medication.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction addressed, recovery celebrated – KLEW TV News

September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery month and on Friday people from both sides of the river spanned the Interstate Bridge in support of recovery in something called Hands Across the Bridge.

ADDICTION – UK
DHSS marks alcohol, drug addiction recovery month with special events – Sussex Countian

Each year, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health joins with providers around the state in honoring the brave men and women who have taken steps towards recovery as well as their families for helping support them in their journey.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink and drugs a leading cause of youth deaths – Guardian

The deaths of more than 3,000 young people in the UK every year could be prevented and many are precipitated by Britain’s drink and drugs culture, a leading child health expert claims.

METH – USA
Idaho Meth Project hopes to reach Hispanic students – KTVB TV News

The Idaho Meth Project held its 2nd Annual Methamphetamine Education event Sunday in Lakeview Park in Nampa for the Hispanic community.

METH – USA
Officials see comeback of old-style meth – KTUL News

Authorities in Oklahoma have been seeing new evidence that methamphetamine users in the state have been using an old and dangerous method to concoct the illegal stimulant.

METH – USA
Old meth formula is seeing comeback in Oklahoma – News OK

While a method of methamphetamine production not seen since the 1980s has resurfaced and seized the Tulsa area with reports of all-time high busts, Oklahoma City police have yet to see a single instance of the “shake-and-bake” method.

ALCOHOL – RUSSIA
Anti-alcohol programme moves forward – Moscow News

Russia’s anti-alcohol crusade passed an important milestone on Friday with President Dmitry Medvedev putting his signature on a laundry list of plans to fight excessive alcohol consumption.

ALCOHOL – USA
Mandatory alcohol tests for truck drivers save lives – DUI Attorney

A new study from the Mailman School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows mandatory alcohol testing among bus and truck drivers has reduced danger by over 20%.

ALCOHOL – USA
Probation comes easier under new alcohol policy – Tufts Daily

In response to rising rates of alcohol-induced student hospitalizations, university administrators have introduced a stricter alcohol policy this semester, speeding up the process that puts underage drinkers on probation.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Involvement In Fatal Crashes Reduced By Mandatory Alcohol Testing For Truck And Bus Drivers – Medical News Today

Mandatory alcohol testing programs for truck and bus drivers have contributed to a significant reduction in alcohol involvement in fatal crashes, according to a new study by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

DRUGS – UK
Cocaethlylene ‘use’ may be rising, but is awareness still low? – Alcohol Policy

Cocaethlyne, a unique compound produced by mixing cocaine and alcohol, is reported to significantly increase health risks such as heart attacks or liver damage. However based on anecdotal feedback, cocaethylene is largely unknown by drinkers and even amongst some professionals.

ALCOHOL – USA
Mass. consider banning some alcohol advertising – Boston Herald

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban alcohol advertising on state property.

ALCOHOL – USA
Call for clearer labels on alcohol – RTE News

The Health Service Executive’s Alcohol Implementation Group has recommended that clear health-warning labels be placed on all alcohol products sold in Ireland.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey tries to map colleges’ alcohol policies – The Roanoke Times

School is just back in session for most college students, but campus life has been on our minds all summer here at The Roanoke Times. Our ongoing series, Under 21, which looks at college drinking and the Amethyst Initiative to re-examine the legal drinking age, didn’t take a summer break.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drug, alcohol violations top list of campus crime – Poughkeepsie Journal

The most frequently reported statistics in a federal college crime database are not burglaries, sexual offenses or other crimes. Rather, they are infractions – liquor and drug law violations – that often lead to those crimes.

DRUGS – USA
Pain drugs get addiction warning – Top News United States

The Government’s drug watchdog has warned against over the counter painkillers that contain codeine since it can become addictive in just three days.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine arrests ‘rise since 2004′ – The Press Association

The number of people arrested for possession and supply of cocaine has risen since 2004 in some parts of Scotland, new figures have revealed.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Rehab – Trans World News

Most people never second guess their doctors.  Often times a personal bond is formed; after all this is the person that helps you, makes you better when you are ill, and counsels you when you have questions.

ADDICTION – USA
Remember those fighting addiction – Daily Record

This September marks the 20th National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. That spans a generation of celebrations of our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and other loved ones being returned to us from the torments of addiction. Over the course of the past two decades, tens of thousands of New Jersey families have been made whole again through recovery.

ALCOHOL – USA
Sept. proclaimed Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month – Saipan Tribune

After 20 years of being an excessive alcohol drinker, which included a 90-day jail term and several DUIs, Willaim Kintz said he just couldn’t handle it anymore and he voluntarily checked in at the Community Guidance Center’s treatment and recovery program.

PAINKILLER – HONG KONG
Painkiller Tylenol recalled – Health and Community

Jacobson Medical (Hong Kong) is recalling Tylenol Extended Relief Tab 650mg as the painkiller has been sold in unregistered packages, the Department of Health said today.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinkers Often Drive Drunk, Researchers Say – Join Together

A study of 14,000 binge drinkers found that 12 percent admitted driving after their most recent episode of heavy alcohol consumption.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine Cutting Agent Leads to Illness – Join Together

Drug users who ingested cocaine cut with a substance called levamisole have contracted a blood disease known as agranulocytosis in Massachusetts and other states.

COCAINE – USA
Dramatic rise in cocaine addiction – RTE News

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people treated for cocaine addiction, according to figures released by the Health Research Board.

DRUGS – UK
Blueprint Drugs Education: The Response of Pupils and Parents to the Programme – Home Office

The Blueprint drug education programme was an evidence-based, multi-component programme that was piloted in 23 schools in England during the spring terms of 2004 and 2005.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink a factor in surgery deaths – BBC News

Alcohol abuse was a factor in the deaths of one in 15 patients who died in hospitals last year while under the care of surgeons, figures have shown.

DRUGS – UK
Kicking the habit of drug-driving – Times Online

Taking up two parking spaces would be considered bold. But three? Well, that is a little reckless, given the circumstances. With a flourish, G-Star brings his Subaru Impreza to a diagonal halt in the temporary police car park, composes an expression somewhere between hurt innocence and pliant confusion, and blows into the Breathalyser.

ALCOHOL – USA
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month – Addiction Inbox

Recovery Month, an annual September observance highlighting the benefits of substance abuse treatment, kicked off on August 31 when President Obama issued a proclamation.

METH – USA
Feds plan $9 million ad campaign to fight meth in MO, elsewhere – Kansas City Star

It’ll run now through November and appear on TV, in newspapers, online and on billboards. Missouri (but not Kansas) was one of 16 states that were deemed to have the worst meth rates in the nation.

METH – USA
Missouri no longer alone in meth fight – Missouri Net

Missouri has the dubious distinction of being the methamphetamine capital of the country and largely has been left to fight meth on its own. That, though, is changing. National attention has come to the fight against meth.

ALCOHOL – USA
Russian Leader Set to Tackle Nation’s Drinking Problem – Join Together

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, who calls alcoholism a “national calamity,” plans to work with the nation’s parliament this fall to tackle the country’s drinking problem by proposing an increase in taxes, stricter labeling laws, and restrictions on where alcohol can be sold.

MARIJUANA – USA
Male Sexual Problems Caused by Marijuana Use, Study Says – Join Together

Men who smoke marijuana may have more problems achieving orgasm during sex than abstainers, according to a new Australian study.

DRUGS – USA
After Drug Rehab, Is Relapse A Part Of Recovery? – Press Release

While many schools of thought point to relapse rates of up to 60%, there is one drug treatment program that defies the odds when helping addicts recover from addiction.

ADDICTION – USA
Celebration to be held for those who have overcome addictions – South Carolina News

Coastal Recovery Center is planning a special event to increase awareness of addictions, treatment, and recovery in Myrtle Beach. According to a news release from Coastal Recovery Center, the event will celebrate people in recovery from addiction with their inspiring testimonies of their changed lives.

ADDICTION – USA
Addiction Recovery Celebration Scheduled for Durham – My NC

The Durham Center will team this month with Partnership for a Healthy Durham, Duke University Health System, Urban Ministries of Durham, El Centro Hispano and DurhamTRY to hold its fourth annual Recovery Celebration Block Party as part of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

METH – USA
Anti-meth ads seek to show addiction’s toll on Oklahomans – News OK

New anti-methamphetamine ads start this month and target Oklahoma and 15 other states, the White House drug czar said Tuesday.

ADDERALL – USA
Keep those pills in shape – Fierce Pharma Manufacturing

B arr Labs initiated a recall in mid-August for generic Adderall tablets that may contain too much of the active pharmaceutical ingredients dextroamphetamine and dl-amphetamine, posing a superpotency risk to users of the ADHD drug.

HEROIN – IRELAND
Use of heroin and cocaine still rising, report finds –Irish Times

Heroin and cocaine use continues to rise throughout Ireland, a new study by the Health Research Board shows.