Drug News

Prescription Drugs – USA
Middle-schoolers suspended for drug use – UPI.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 9 (UPI) — An ambulance was called to a middle school in Jefferson County, Ky., after 12 students allegedly took an unknown prescription drug, officials said.

Drugs – USA
Local man gets prison time — no drug rehab – TheUnion.com

There’ll be no drug rehab for a man who rammed police cars during a snowy chase in Grass Valley last year. Nevada County Superior Court Judge Robert Tamietti opted against drug rehab for William Hennefer. Instead, he sentence the Grass Valley man Monday to state prison.

Steroids – USA
Letter to the Editor: Save it for Hollywood, McGwire – delcotimes.com

Former baseball slugger Mark McGwire showed up the other night on Bob Costas’ “Studio 54 Show” all teary eyed. He had just announced what the whole world already suspected, that he had been using steroids and HGH since 1989.

Drunk Driving – USA
58 DUI drivers arrested in Oregon during Super Bowl weekend – Thaindian News

PORTLAND, OREGON (BNO NEWS) – Fifty-eight drivers were arrested this weekend for drunk driving in Oregon, state authorizes said on Monday.

Meth – USA
Drug bust in ND nets 7 pounds of meth – The Associated Press

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Two men from Washington state face felony drug charges in North Dakota after a big drug bust. Highway Patrol Capt. Eldon Mehrer (MARE) said that the street value of the 7 pounds of methamphetamine is between $350,000 and $500,000.

Crack Cocaine – USA
Man Tries To Buy Crack With Credit Card, Robbed, Then Arrested – Thaindian News

Michigan, Feb 9, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A man has been detained by the police after he attempted to buy crack cocaine not with cash, but with his credit card.

Methadone – UK
The Big Question: Is methadone being over-prescribed as a treatment for drug addiction? – The Independent

A dispute has erupted over the treatment of drug addicts in prisons. According to the former government drugs tsar, Mike Trace, the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health are battling to impose their differing approaches. The Ministry of Justice is said to favour pushing addicts towards abstinence, while the Department of Health is understood to back the “maintenance” prescribing of methadone to keep addicts stable.

Olympics – World News
IOC Withholds Jones’ 100-Meter Gold From Thanou – ABC News

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday reallocated two individual medals stripped from Marion Jones for doping, but in an unprecedented move withheld her 100-meter prize from Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou because of her “disgraceful” behavior in evading drug tests at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Oxycodone – Canada
Oxycodone Linked to Rise in Opioid-Related Deaths – HealthDayNews, Inc.

In the Canadian province of Ontario, painkiller abuse appears to have boosted the number of deaths from the drug known as oxycodone.

Narcotics – USA
Ky. Clinic Killing Highlights Region’s Drug Issues – The Associated Press

As the only doctor in a 30-mile swath of Appalachia, Dennis Sandlin was committed to using a tracking system designed to curb prescription drug abuse, an epidemic in the area he had served for nearly two decades.

Drugs – USA
Bodybuilders See Kidney Damage With Steroids – The New York Times

Many competitive bodybuilders take anabolic steroids to achieve their freakishly exaggerated physiques. That is no secret. But steroids can be only one part of an extreme regimen that can wreak havoc on the body. Human growth hormone, supplements, painkillers and diuretics can also be used to create the “shrink-wrapped” muscles so prized in the aesthetic.

Alcohol – USA
Drinkers Can Track BAC with New iPhone App – Join Together

A new iPhone application helps users keep track of their blood-alcohol content (BAC) and sends warning messages if data indicates the user is “buzzed” or legally intoxicated.

ALCOHOL – UK
Transplant row over organs for drinkers – Guardian

Heavy drinkers are receiving nearly one in four of the UK’s liver transplants, it was revealed last night, igniting a furious row about the ethics of allocating organs to people with alcohol problems.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Ecstasy use shoots up across the city – The Sydney Morning Herald

The use of ecstasy in Sydney has skyrocketed by as much as 112 per cent in the past two years, highlighting the ineffectiveness of deterrent strategies such as sniffer dogs, a drug expert has said.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Substance abuse the tip of the iceberg – Science Alert

The first study profiling young people who attend alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services in New Zealand has revealed a number of areas that need to be addressed in order to provide more effective treatment for this age group.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
US expert: Women use drugs for weight loss – TVNZ

One of the reasons more women are turning to drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine is to lose weight, a visiting expert from the United States told Close Up.

COCAINE – UK
NHS Forth Valley issues health warning for cocaine users – STV News

Health professionals in the Forth Valley area have been issued with a warning to be vigilant after two cocaine users in Glasgow were treated for a rare and life-threatening condition associated with the use of the drug.

DRUGS – USA
Why Isn’t There Nearly As Big A Fuss About Amphetamines In Baseball As There Is About Steroids? – Fan IQ

What is the definition of performance enhancing drugs?  Personally, I believe it means any drug that allows a player to perform at a higher level than if he never took the drug.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Fight against alcohol through plays – Times of India

A creative way to fight against consumption of alcohol is to hold street plays across the state. And this is what the temperance board under the information and Kannada culture department will do.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol abuse leads to rise in liver swaps – Independent

The past decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of transplanted livers going to people whose own organs have been damaged by alcohol misuse.

ALCOHOL – UK
Research shows success of optional education courses for binge offenders – CRP News

Dacorum Borough’s Alcohol Diversion Scheme has shown that optional educational courses can be an effective way of engaging with binge drinkers, changing their behaviour and reducing violence and disorder.

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 Abuse: Part One – KAUZ News

Texoma is facing growing drug problem. Experts say more residents are becoming addicted to prescription and over-the-counter medications.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking summit – ABC News

Dr Nelson is convening a four hour summit on binge drinking in Canberra today, with about 20 people from various interest groups.

ALCOHOL – USA
College chiefs urge new debate on drinking age – CNN News
College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

ALCOHOL – UK
Deaths by drugs or drink ‘are now run of the mill’ – Wales Online

A CORONER who has overseen the spate of apparent suicides in a Welsh community said drug and alcohol deaths had gone from non-existent to “run of the mill” during his time in the role.

DRUGS – UK
Drugs fuel admissions to Bristol hospitals – This is Bristol

More than 280 people were admitted to hospitals in the Bristol area due to drug problems last year, according to new figures.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge drinking is turning Britain into ‘Wild West’ – Telegraph

The Tory leader claims a culture of excess is “taking over our streets” and many areas were now “uninhabitable”.

ADDICTION – USA
Recovery Month Planning Materials Now Available Online – Pushing Back

Recognizing that addiction to drugs is a treatable disease and that recovery is possible, ONDCP has supported innovative and effective programs designed to help expand the availability of treatment services.

METH – USA
A New Weapon Against Meth Abuse – US News and World Report
The federal drug czar’s office has shown preliminary interest in a new Internet-based program from an Australian maker to track pharmacy purchases of pseudoephedrine, which can be abused to make methamphetamine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse – WSIL TV News

More people are getting high by abusing prescription pills. An expert on prescription abuse is in our region to talk about the dangers of the drugs and prevention.

ALCOHOL – UK
Excessive alcohol use linked to fertility problems – Telegraph

Excessive drinking has been linked to having children later in life, possibly because alcohol damages fertility, scientists have suggested.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Survey: Youngsters Can Procure Prescription Drugs Easier Than Beer – eFluxMedia
More youngsters say it’s easier for them to get prescription drugs than it is to acquire beer, shows a new survey released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Teens Illegally Access Prescription Drugs – Ontario Now

A new study has revealed that nearly 34 percent of today’s teenagers are engaged in some type of prescription drug abuse.

METH – USA
Meth takes back seat to cocaine in Boise – Idaho Staesman

It may be temporary, but it is still a surprise: Cocaine has unseated methamphetamine as the most prevalent hard drug in Boise, police say.

ALCOHOL – USA
Spotlight on teens at risk – Boston Globe

Drinking and drug use among teens is getting fresh attention in the Pentucket Regional School District following surveys that have heightened concerns about the problem.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scots unaware of safe alcohol limit – The Press Association

Many Scots remain ignorant of how much it is safe to drink or how much alcohol their beverages contain, a survey revealed.

DRUGS – USA
A grimmer reaper: Prescription drugs take too many lives – Salt Lake Tribune

“Use only as directed,” the pill bottles read. It’s advice you can live by. But too many Utahns are failing to heed that warning.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scots ‘ignorant’ of drink levels – BBC News

Many Scots remain ignorant of how much it is safe to drink or how much alcohol drinks contain, a survey has suggested.

ALCOHOL – UK
Most Scots think alcohol is worse than heroin – The Herald

A majority of Scots think alcohol is the drug that causes most harm to society, newly published survey results show. Some 51% of respondents to a module from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007 said alcohol was the drug which causes most problems for Scotland, compared with 22% who said heroin and 9% who said tobacco.

METH – USA
Old Drug is New Leader Among Users in Treasure Valley – KBOI News

Police in Boise say cocaine has surpassed methamphetamine as the most prevalent illegal hard drug in the area.
MARIJUANA – USA
Get Message Out About Marijuana – Red Orbit

As a Baby Boomer and now a mother of teenagers, I was very interested in the research done on the marijuana available today. A University of Mississippi research project found an increased potency of the drug — double what it was in the ’70s and ’80s! We parents all need to hear that.

ALCOHOL – USA
Excessive Drinking May Exacerbate Metabolic Syndrome Risk – Join Together

A new study has found that individuals who drink in amounts exceeding federal dietary guidelines have an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome associated with cardiovascular disease.

HEROIN – UK
Warning over bug found in contaminated heroin batches – The Herald

A nationwide alert has been issued after a new batch of contaminated heroin, which previously killed more than 40 people mostly in Scotland, was discovered.

COCAINE – UK
Modified mice get no kick from cocaine – News Scientist
Some mice have simple tastes. Those that lack a particular brain receptor for dopamine show no taste for cocaine, which mice and humans usually find addictive.

METH – CANADA
Prairies finding solutions to a meth problem – Globe and Mail

The Prairies began bracing for a crystal-meth epidemic similar to one that devastated the U.S. Midwest. The problem was forced to the top of the political agenda, and by 2005, then-Saskatchewan premier Lorne Calvert even called it a “common curse” for western provinces.

ALCOHOL – USA
Good Sports Reduces Alcohol Problems For 2000 Clubs, Australia – Medical News Today

Sporting clubs across Australia have embraced the Australian Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program, with 2,000 clubs across the country having registered since the program’s launch in 2001.

CANNABIS – UK
Judge’s warning on cannabis dangers as teenager jailed – Daily Echo
A JUDGE handed out a lecture on the dangers of cannabis before jailing an 18-year-old for 12 months for dealing the drug.

CANNABIS – UK
Watchdog pulls plug on cannabis flavoured spirits – Marketing News

The Portman Group, the alcohol industry body, is removing three cannabis-flavoured drinks from shelves after complaints about the way they were packaged and marketed.

ADDERALL – USA
A need for speed: turning to academic steroids – The Denisonian
Use of prescription drugs like dextroamphetamine (Adderall) and methylphenidate (Concerta) is becoming more prevalent among college students-regardless of a doctor’s prescription.
ADDERALL – USA
Don’t abuse Adderall in order to make the grade – The Marquette Tribune
Every college student across America takes measures to achieve the best grades possible in as many subjects as possible. However, when these measures have gone beyond studying and note-taking to the abuse of prescription drugs, things have gotten out of hand.