Drug News

Heroin Arrest – Mexico
Mexico Arrests ‘King of Heroin,’ With Ties to U.S. – abc NEWS / International

Mexico arrests ‘King of Heroin,’ trafficker who allegedly sent hundreds of lbs of drug to U.S.

Drugs – USA
Report: Drug abuse costs $ 215 billion – UPI.com

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) — Drug abuse and trafficking affect everyone in the United States, with the economic cost alone estimated at $215 billion annually, a federal report says.

Huge Drug Bust – Arizona
Ariz. bust nets meth, pot, cocaine, $800K – azcentral.com

Arizona authorities say three men have been arrested in a drug bust that netted 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 650 pounds of marijuana, 30 kilograms of cocaine and $800,000 in cash.

Cocaine – Costa Rica
1,045 kg cocaine seized in Costa Rica – Thaindian News

San Jose, March 26 (IANS/EFE) Costa Rican police have seized more than a tonne of cocaine transported from Colombia and arrested four Colombians, a Nicaraguan and two Costa Ricans, a minister said.

Prescription Drug Abuse – UK
Benzodiazepines and the Elderly in the UK – Drug Addiction Treatment

In the United Kingdom, approximately 1.5 million people are addicted to benzodiazepines, a group of sedatives often prescribed for anxiety. Many of these addicts are elderly people who were prescribed the drugs decades ago and may still suffer debilitating side effects such as paranoia, lethargy, fatigue, dizziness, and memory loss.

Underage Drinking – USA
More Than A Quarter Of Youth Aged 12 To 20 Drank Alcohol In The Past Month – Medical News TODAY

More than a quarter of youth aged 12-20 (27.6 percent) drank alcohol in the past month, according to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study shows that the underage drinking rates were as high as 40 percent in some states such as North Dakota and Vermont.

Drug-Related Deaths – UK
Government blamed for delays in banning legal drug mephedrone linked to deaths of two teenagers – DailyRecord.co.uk

MINISTERS were today blamed for “delays” in banning a legal drug linked to the deaths of two young men.

Meth Study – Universal
Study Links Prenatal Meth Exposure to Brain Abnormalities in Kids – MeD India

Children who are exposed to prenatal methamphetamine more likely to develop brain abnormalities than prenatal exposure to alcohol, a study said Tuesday.

Prescription Drug Theft – Connecticut
Hollywood-style heist nets $75 million in pills – azcentral.com

HARTFORD, Conn. – In a Hollywood-style heist, thieves cut a hole in the roof of a warehouse, rappelled inside and scored one of the biggest hauls of its kind: not diamonds, gold bullion or Old World art, but about $75 million in antidepressants and other prescription drugs.

Drunk Driving Consequences – USA
What Happens If You Are Arrested for Drunk Driving? – About.com: Alcoholism

Going to Court Is Just the First Step…

Alcohol Fueled Violence – Minnesota
Drunk teacher allegedly bites man’s ear in attack – azcentral.com

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old woman was drunk when she attacked the man at the Uptowner about 4 a.m. Sunday. A criminal complaint said the 33-year-old man was eating with friends when one made a comment about one of the women with the suspect.

Mephedrone – UK
Mephedrone deaths: teachers have to hand drug back after confiscating it in lessons – Telegraph.co.uk

Teachers who confiscate mephedrone from children as young as eight have to hand the drug back at the end of the school day because it remains legal, it has emerged.

Antidepressants – USA
Congressional Hearings On Antidepressant-Induced Suicide In The Military – The Huffington Post

On February 24, 2010 the Veterans’ Affairs Committee of the U. S. House of Representatives chaired by Bob Filner (D-CA) held hearings on “Exploring the Relationship between Medication and Veteran Suicide.” Military suicides have risen rapidly in recent years at the same time that the prescription of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs has escalated. The hearing focused on the dangers of the newer antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta, and Effexor.

Teen Substance Abuse – USA
Survey underscores need for continued efforts to combat substance abuse among teens – The Medical News

New survey data released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation point to the need for continued efforts to combat substance abuse among teens.

Heroin – USA
Jerseyville, IL woman pleads guilty in heroin overdose death – Thaindian News

A Jerseyville, Illinois woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal indictment charging her one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Meth Abuse – USA
Dental Problems Could Point to Meth Use – HealthScout

WEDNESDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) — Severe dental problems in otherwise healthy young people could be a sign of methamphetamine addiction, a new study suggests.

Heroin – UK
London: Second Anthrax Case Confirmed In London – Medical News TODAY

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS London can confirm that an injecting heroin user has tested positive for anthrax and is being treated in a London hospital.

Meth Arrest – USA
Two arrested in meth bust at Red Arrow Motel in Paw Paw Township – Kalamazoo News

PAW PAW TOWNSHIP — Two men were arrested and three children were referred to Child Protective Services Tuesday following a methamphetamine bust at a motel west of Paw Paw, police said.

Prescription Drugs – Canada
Addiction often starts in hospital – Leader-Post

Prescription drugs are suspected in the death of singer Michael Jackson. If the toxicology report from the autopsy confirms this, he joins a growing number of people falling victim to prescription-drug abuse.

Prescription Drugs – USA
More Americans taking drugs for mental illness – Leader-Post

In America, 73 percent more adults and 50 percent more children are using drugs to treat mental illness than in 1996.

Ecstasy – USA
Obama Ecstasy Pills Hit the Streets – CBS News

Police in Texas have seized a batch of Ecstasy pills that are shaped in the image of President Barack Obama (see photos). Because Ecstasy is not a prescription drug, but manufactured only illegally, it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

Alcohol – USA
NFL Seeks Limits on Tailgating to Curb Drinking – Join Together

The National Football League (NFL) would like teams to limit tailgating to 3-1/2 hours prior to kickoff, but so far only the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have adopted such a policy.

Methamphetamine – San Diego, CA
Border Officials See Increase In Seized Drugs – 10news.com

The amount methamphetamine seized by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector skyrocketed in fiscal 2009, while the number of illegal immigrants caught dropped 27 percent, federal officials said Wednesday.

Drugs – USA
Deputies use backhoe to find drugs in septic tank – The Boston Globe

Flushed evidence doesn’t go far if your toilet’s on a septic system. DeSoto Parish sheriff’s Lt. Toni Joe Morris said Tuesday that deputies brought in a backhoe when drug agents raided a home and business and met the owner coming out of a bathroom.

Cough Medicine – San Francisco, CA USA
Teens’ abuse of cough medications soaring – SFGate.com – San Francisco Chronicle

Teenage abuse of common cough medications has grown ominously in recent years, according to San Francisco researchers who found a fifteenfold increase in calls to poison control centers since 1999 for teens made sick by overdosing on household drugs that can cause hallucinogenic highs.

Ecstasy – UK
Ecstasy harms brain on first use, study finds – Guardian.co.uk

People who use ecstasy for the first time could suffer impaired memory and harm to their brains, a new study of the dance drug’s effects reveals.

Alcohol – World News
Cruise Liner Slammed for Introducing ‘All You can Drink’ Packages – MedIndia

A major cruise liner has come under fire for encouraging passengers to consume alcohol by introducing “all you can drink” packages.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
PSA Targets Teens Who Abuse Prescription Drugs – KSWT News

A new video aims to highlight the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, and it all comes as experts report an increase in pill popping among teens.  A commercial spot by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America takes place in a morgue, and it’s supposed to be a sobering reminder that abusing prescriptions can be deadly.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Pain Pill Addiction: 6 Tips From a Mother Whose Son Overdosed – US News and World Report

Seeing a family member struggle with addiction to prescription painkillers can be tough, especially when it’s your child.

MARIJUANA – USA
Be alert for marijuana or meth ‘trash’ – Carroll County Comet

Hunters taking to the woods, farmers harvesting and many people taking walks through the woods or along county roads should be alert for evidence of methamphetamine labs or marijuana growing operations.

DRUGS – USA
Drug kits ‘invasion of privacy’ – The Ashburton Guardian

The $225 kits can give a drug history of a child for the past 90 days from taking around 90 to 120 strands of hair cut off at scalp level and sending it to a lab. The hair is then tested for seven illegal drugs; marijuana, cocaine, opiates such as codeine and morphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and PCP (Phencyclidine).

METH – USA
Pictures of ‘meth mouth’ show teens drug’s dangers – Honolulu Advertiser

In just a couple of school presentations so far this year, speakers from the Hawaii Meth Project have discovered that gruesome photos of an extremely painful condition called “meth mouth” send a more vivid anti-crystal methamphetamine message to Hawaii’s teenagers than any statistics or warnings from adults.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescriptions now biggest cause of fatal drug overdoses – USA Today

Addiction to prescription painkillers — which kill thousands of Americans a year — has become a largely unrecognized epidemic, experts say. In fact, prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year.

DRUGS – USA
ADHD Madness – The Jewish Journal

In my past life of teaching special education and practicing as a child therapist (ok, not my past life, but many moons ago), I have seen far too many children “drugged” to make their teachers’ jobs easier.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Medicaid: Prescription Drug Abuse Rampant – Trans World News

A recent report by the government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed Wednesday that millions of dollars are being spent by Medicaid to buy addictive prescription drugs which are abused.

METH – USA
First visible sign of meth use is rotten teeth – The Payson Roundup

What continuous or extended use of meth does to your mouth is permanent and cannot be “naturally repaired.” “Meth Mouth” has been so well documented, references are showing up in current fiction novels.

METH – USA
New Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment Promising – Trans World News

Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intra-nasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Kenmore: Hospital reclaims unused prescription pills – Tonawanda News

Modern medicine is working day and night to give mankind a pill to cure just about everything, but when used or disposed of improperly those same drugs can do even more harm.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription pill-popping soars among white-collar Victorians – The Age

Addiction to prescription painkillers is soaring, with the number of Victorians being treated in hospital emergency departments more than doubling in the past five years.

DRUGS – USA
End Drug Abuse And Get Your Life Back – Trans World News

Statistics state that over 28 million adults and young people are abusing drugs. You do not have to become a part of this statistic, but if you already are there is help.

METH – USA
Cheaper and easier way to make meth moves into Wythe and Smyth counties – WSLS News

State police are worried about a growing drug trend they’re just starting to see in our area. It’s called the “shake-and-bake.”

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Unwanted prescription drugs collected – WIVB News

A program aimed at helping the environment took place in Niagara County on Saturday. The cars kept coming and going. They were all doing their part to recycle unwanted pharmaceuticals.

ALCOHOL – USA
Your Opinion: Stop teens’ access to alcohol – Battle Creek Enquirer

According to scientific research, most teens who drink obtain alcohol from social sources. This means they are sneaking alcohol from their parents’ homes; having older friends buy it; or are obtaining it at parties.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse Hits Campuses Hard – Trans World News

Many campuses nationwide are taking prescription drug abuse seriously. “Aderall, Ritalin, and other prescription drugs are being abused at an alarming rate,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director of The Atlanta Recovery Center. “We have seen an increase in the past few years of college students seeking help for their prescription drug addiction.

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.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine 101: A brief overview – Examiner

Methamphetamine (meth) is one of the most addictive drugs on the street today, affecting families from all walks of life. While is easy to become addicted, it is hard to become and remain drug free. Especially for teenagers, who live “for the moment” rather than looking at the long term picture of their life.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
More Teens Are Abusing ADHD Prescription Drugs – Healia Health

More teens are calling for help with ADHD prescription drug abuse, according to information obtained from the American Association of Poison Control Center. Calls to the center from 13-19 year-old victims regarding prescription ADHD medication abuse rose 76% between 1998 and 2005.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription medication abuse: Michael Jackson is not the only one – Examiner

Prescription medication abuse is not just a problem for movie stars and pop idols.  It happens to everyday people all around us – all the time.

DRUGS – UK
Drug-related Deaths In The UK Continue To Rise – Medical News Today

A report released by St George’s, University of London reveals there were 1,952 UK drug-related deaths in 2008, an increase of 2.7 per cent from the previous year.

MARIJUANA – USA
Study Says It’s Easier For Teens To Buy Marijuana Than Beer – KPVI News

A recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has some startling results about teens and drugs.

ADDICTION – USA
Rally to raise awareness about drug addiction and treatment – Lower Hudson Journal news

If you’re a parent struggling with addiction to alcohol or drugs, your child has a higher likelihood of becoming an addict or marrying one.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol policy enforced – Tulane Hullabaloo

Tulane University Police Department, in conjunction with the New Orleans Police Department and other local agencies, is poised to take a tougher stance on underage drinking in an effort to keep students safe.

DRUGS – UK
DrugScope: Levels Of Drug-Related Deaths ‘extremely Concerning’ – Medical News Today

DrugScope has responded to the publication of new government figures showing that deaths related to illegal drugs in England and Wales are at their highest levels since 2001.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Ads on Cable TV Reach Young Audiences – US News and World Report

Cable TV shows that attract a significant proportion of teenage viewers are also those that have the most ads for alcohol, new research has found.

METH – USA
Police on the lookout for ‘shake and bake’ meth – KDRV News

A few years ago, making meth required a complex lab. However, now drug users in the southeastern part of the United States are making meth with only a coke bottle and a few other ingredients. It’s what police are calling the ‘shake and bake’ method.

ALCOHOL – USA
Are You Driving Your Teen to Alcohol, Drugs? – Web MD

Teens who witness their parents tie one on are more likely to get drunk than teens who never see their parents imbibe, according to survey results released Wednesday at a news conference in Washington, D.C.

HEROIN – UK
Sharp rise in fatal cocaine and heroin overdoses, discloses ONS – Guardian

Deaths from cocaine and heroin overdoses rose sharply last year, according to the Office for National Statistics, reaching their highest level since 2001.

METH – USA
New Formula Makes Meth Easier to Manufacture – Join Together

A new method for making methamphetamine requires less technical knowledge and fewer over-the-counter cold pills, presenting a new challenge to law-enforcement officials.

DRUGS – USA
Poison Center Calls for Teen Use of ADHD Drugs Soar – Join Together

A new study shows a 76-percent increase in calls to poison-control centers regarding teen misuse of prescription drugs intended for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

DRUGS – USA
Teens find drugs easily accessible – Sioux Falls Argus Leader

A study released today by Columbia University’s National Center on Substance Abuse shows that teens have easy access to prescription drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Teen suicide: the next epidemic? – San Francisco Chronicle

Three teen suicides on the tracks in Palo Alto were declared a “cluster” by Caltrain on Monday. And just as Caltrain was holding its press conference, a San Mateo high school was shut down and surrounded by Sheriff’s deputies in response to a 17-year old attempting a Columbine-style pipe-bomb attack.

DRUGS – UK
Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales, 2008 – Office for National Statistics

The number of deaths related to drug poisoning, which includes deaths involving both legal and illegal drugs, for males was 2,075 in 2008, an increase of 8 per cent compared to 2007 and the highest number since 2001.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol Awareness Week in England and Wales – Learning Center

Alcohol Awareness Week in England and Wales runs from 19 October to 25 October 2009 and aims to encourage adults to think about how much they are drinking.

METH – USA
Meth makers turn to older recipe – KRQE News

As it gets harder and harder to gather the ingredients used in more conventional methamphetamine recipes, Albuquerque police say they’re seeing a resurgence of “shake-and-bake” meth that’s faster and cheaper to make.

METH – USA
“Shake N’ Bake” Meth – WCTV News

Suwannee County authorities are also keeping their eyes out for dealers who are catching on to a new way of making methamphetamine. Authorities say the method “Shake N’ Bake” is quicker to make and harder for law enforcement to find.

DRUGS – USA
U.S. drug czar warns teens about marijuana, prescription drugs – WWL TV News

The U.S. drug czar got input from young people Tuesday at Covenant House, as he prepares to advise President Obama on a national drug control policy.

METH – USA
Shake and Bake Meth Is Meth Made Easier – Huliq News

Shake and Bake. It’s not just for chicken anymore. The once famous bread crumb coating for chicken and pork is now being used to describe the faster and easier way to make methamphetamine. Shake and bake meth is all the rage, allowing meth users and makers to produce the drug on the run and in smaller doses thereby bypassing the laws intended to stop the production of this deadly drug.

ALCOHOL – UK
Community Hospital Emergency Department Offers Alcohol Abuse Screening/Brief Interventions – Medical News Today

There are an estimated 7.6 million alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits each year in the country. A first step in identifying an alcohol problem is screening all ED patients utilizing two well-researched screening tests.

METH – USA
Easier Way To Make Meth Worries Community – KFDA News

A new way to make methamphetamine called shake and bake is now giving addicts access to the drug cheaper than ever.

ALCOHOL – USA
Wake To Celebrate Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month – My NC

The goal of the kickoff event, which is open to the public, is to promote ongoing discussion in the community about substance use disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and the realistic possibility of recovery.

ALCOHOL – USA
U. of Wis. bans beer ads during sports broadcasts – The Associated Press

Wisconsin football fans listening to games on the radio this fall will hear few, if any, beer ads for the first time in years.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drink Less: Heavy alcohol use may increase risk of prostate cancer – Winston-Salem Journal

Health experts suggest that men consume no more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Drinking more raises the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, violence and injuries, including car wrecks, and can lead to addiction.

RITALIN – USA
Teens Misusing ADHD Medication to get High and Lose Weight – Vitals Spotlight

8 to 12 percent of children are diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) each year.  Yet a much higher percent is raising concern for misuse of the prescription drugs used to treat ADHD.

METH – USA
State Police Keeping Up with New Meth-Making Technique – WIBC Radio News

State police say the “one-pot” or “shake ‘n bake” method is being used by people who are unable to get large amounts of pseudoephedrine due to stricter state laws.