If House Bill 722 passes, North Carolina drug abusers won’t have the luxury of purchasing their drug paraphernalia at convenience stores anymore.

ALCOHOL – UK
Minimum pricing on alcohol urged – BBC News

Scotland should become one of the first countries to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol, it has been urged.

METH – USA
Health Officials Begin ‘Meth Mouth’ Campaign – KGTV News

A campaign was started Monday by San Diego County health officials to raise awareness about the dangers of methamphetamine use and to encourage addicts to get help.

METH – USA
San Diego Health Leaders Launch Anti-Meth Campaign – KFMB Radio News

Local health officials and county leaders want meth addicts to get help, and they’re launching a new campaign to get users clean. The campaign is called the Meth Mouth Campaign, and it’s designed to urge users to seek treatment for serious dental problems associated with the illicit drug.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Community urged to view alcohol as drug – The Sydney Morning Herald

Alcohol should be viewed as a drug, not as a “relative harmless pastime”, says a leading figure in the treatment of addiction. Odyssey House chief executive James Pitts says a shift in people’s thinking on alcohol was needed, to reflect data showing its increasing burden on society

ALCOHOL – USA
Houston Plagued by Drunk Driving Deaths – Join Together

Houston’s Harris County has the highest rate of drunk-driving fatalities among populous counties in the U.S., and issues about 10,000 drunk-driving citations annually, in what District Attorney Pat Lykos termed a “pandemic plague” of alcohol-related problems on local roads.

ALCOHOL – USA
‘Operation Dry Water’: A boatload of hysteria and abuse – Examiner

American pirates who go by the names “Coast Guardsmen” and “Natural Resources Police” will be joining forces this weekend to ramp up their harassment of boaters who might be operating vessels while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Berkeley schools work on plan to fight drug, alcohol abuse by students – Contra Costa Times

Berkeley’s school district will take a more proactive approach to fighting alcohol and drug use among its students in response to a survey that shows kids are going to school drunk and high at twice the state and national rates.

METH – USA
Hawaii Meth Project: ‘Not Even Once’ – KGMB News

It’s been Hawaii’s number one drug concern for years contributing to drug related deaths, crime and the destruction of families. Now a nationwide campaign has reached Hawaii shores. It’s called the Hawaii Meth Project!

DRUGS – BAHRIAN
Drugs use escalating – Gulf Daily News

A THIRD of the world’s amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) seizures are being made in the Near and Middle East, according to the UN.

Tennessee officials say alcohol abuse is a growing problem on the state’s rivers and lakes. Wildlife agents tell The Tennessean that despite a stronger focus on enforcement, Tennessee’s boating laws don’t have enough bite.

ALCOHOL – UK
Call to ban alcohol ads near schools – The Press Association

Alcohol advertising near schools would be banned under proposals which Labour will take to a summit meeting this week.

ALCOHOL – UK
Is it time to ban alcohol advertising? – Ingenta Connect

Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of alcohol, with heavy drinking risking impaired brain development and future alcohol dependence.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Ten things you should know about drug prohibition – The Punch

The number of different types of illicit drugs continued to expand and the number of countries reporting serious drug problems increased steadily.

METH – USA
Effects of meth epidemic run deep and wide – The Plain Dealer
In many ways, the spread of meth through the heart of America feels like last year’s story. It’s something we’ve already tsk-tsked over and then moved past, especially once it seemed like the epidemic had ebbed after federal intervention.

HEROIN – UK
Police warn of stronger heroin in Bromsgrove – Birmingham Mail

POLICE have issued a warning over a contaminated batch of heroin circulating in the Bromsgrove area. From intelligence gathered by officers the batch is believed to be stronger than normal and whiter than usual.

ALCOHOL – USA
More College Students Dying from Drinking, NIAAA Reports – Join Together

Alcohol-related deaths, heavy drinking and drunk driving are all increasing among U.S. college students, according to a report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

ALCOHOL – USA
Dad’s Drinking Predicts Teen Imbibing, Study Finds – Join Together

Living with an alcoholic father dramatically increases the risk of binge drinking among teenagers, according to new research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

ALCOHOL – USA
Advertising may lead to increased alcohol consumption – Alcohol, Drugs and Development

Alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and increases the amount used by established drinkers. This is the conclusion of a European science group in a report presented to the EU.

ALCOHOL – USA
College Program Aims to Curb Alcohol-Related Deaths – Join Together

Red Watch Band, a volunteer program started at Stony Brook University in New York, aims to teach students what to do when someone passes out from binge drinking.

Heroin has been a drug most common in big cities, but the police chief says even Antigo in central Wisconsin is experiencing a rise in cases involving the potent and illegal drug.

HEROIN – USA
Antigo Police Are Seeing An Increase In Heroin On The City Streets – WSAW News

An illegal street drug you might not think of being a problem here in Central Wisconsin appears to be the drug of choice in Antigo.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse on rise among US soldiers: reports – AFP

Nearly twice as many US army soldiers today compared to six years ago are either alcoholic or engage in damaging behavior such as binge drinking, according to army statistics.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Abuse, Addiction Affect Suicide Rates – eMax Health

Factors that affect suicide rates include drug addiction and alcohol abuse. Studies also shows that being male, or part of a minority group, affects the incidence of suicide.

ADDERALL – USA
Abuse of ADHD medications by teens: an urgent report – Examiner

The Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center (ISPCC) has issued an urgent report to Iowa physicians concerning the abuse of medications for attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  In the past two days, the ISPCC has seen an increase in the number of teens and young adults, ages 13 to 24, who have abused or misused medication prescribed for ADHD.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol’s dehydrating, disorienting effects affect judgement – Ocean City Today

The beach might seem like the perfect place to drink alcoholic beverages, but it isn’t the safest place to do so.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drug and Alcohol Treatment through Integrated Method of Recovery – Trans World News

For many people suffering from drug and alcohol addictions the first step to recovery is often a treatment center that focuses on ending the substance abuse and carving a path of sobriety for the rest of their life.

METH – USA
Motorcycle Ride Benefits Meth Awareness – Rome News Wire

Members of a local church teamed together Saturday Morning to bring awareness and raise money against methamphetamines.

HEROIN – USA
Many on Long Island learn of heroin’s tight grip – Newday

Across Long Island, thousands of people, some barely in their teens, are learning that heroin addiction is a monster not easily conquered. The drug holds its users in a tight grasp and won’t let go without a mammoth struggle.

ADDERALL – USA
More students using ‘academic steroids’ despite risks, ethical questions – Contra Costa Times

A 2006 Northeastern University study found misuse of so-called “Academic Steroids” is most prevalent at private colleges on the East Coast. But interviews with dozens of students and administrators show a culture of Adderall abuse is taking root in the Bay Area and the state.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner has found a disturbing new trend: the rising number of accidental deaths due to oxycodone, a painkiller found in brand name medications such as OxyContin and Percocet.

PAINKILLER – USA
Painkiller ban cuts suicides – Scotsman

An end to prescriptions for a common painkiller has led to a drop in suicides involving the drug – without a rise in deaths from other painkillers, researchers said.

PAINKILLER – USA
Doctor calls painkiller abuse in ERs ‘severe’ – The Ironton Tribune

A prominent area doctor said Tuesday that brazen attempts by prescription drug addicts to secure powerful painkillers under false pretense at area emergency rooms are at a level that can only be described at “severe.”

RITALIN – USA
Ritalin May Raise Risk of Sudden Death in Children – Health Know It All

Results of a new study find that children who are given drugs to help control their ADHD are at a 7 fold increased risk of sudden death.

PAINKILLER – USA
More drug testing kits to be offered to parents in Phoenix – WSYR News

Additional drug testing kits will soon be available for parents in Phoenix. The kits became available shortly after a high school student fell ill after taking prescription pills from another girl.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Links Teen Alcohol, Drug Use To Paternal Drinking – Red Orbit

A U.S. study showed on Thursday that teenagers who live with alcoholic fathers, or even dads who drink in moderation, are more likely to have used drugs or had drinks themselves in the past year, AFP reported.

ALCOHOL – USA
Idaho State conducting alcohol-abuse study – KTRV News

An Idaho State University researcher looking for gender-specific differences in how alcohol affects the brain says experiments on rats appear to show physiological stress responses are much higher in females.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol a Common Factor in Suicides – The New York Times

Alcohol has long been known to play a role in suicides, but there have been little data regarding which victims use it and how often. Now the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in a large sample of suicide victims whose blood alcohol levels were measured post mortem, one in four had been legally drunk.

ALCOHOL – USA
As College Drinking Problems Rise, New Studies Identify Effective Prevention Strategies – Kansas City infoZine

Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse by GIs soars since ‘03 – USA Today

The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 — a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews.

The capital’s 11-15 year olds now drink the equivalent of 180,000 bottles of lager every week - and the amount they drink is on the rise, a new report from the London Assembly today warns.

ALCOHOL – UK
Reducing Harm in Drinking Environments – CPH

The European Union has the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the world. While drinking patterns vary widely between countries, the last decade has seen growing levels of hazardous and harmful alcohol use among young people in many Member States.

ALCOHOL – UK
Teenage Summer Binge Drinking Campaign – Drug Education Forum

The government have announced a fund of £1.4 million which will be spent over 69 areas to tackle young people’s drinking in public. The press release says that the government are expecting local partnerships to develop a 3 point plan of how they will spend the money.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
New Florida law takes aim at illegal pill trade – Miami Herald

Florida will launch a new program to monitor prescription drug sales next year to crack down on illegal pills under a bill signed by the governor.

PAINKILLER – USA
Is Your Teenager Using Prescription Drugs Behind Your Back? – PR Web

If sales of drug test panels are an indicator, then it could mean that prescription drug abuse among teenagers is on the rise. A leading online distributor of drug testing kits, has recently announced an increase in their sales of drug test panels, particularly those used for determining prescription drug abuse in teenagers.

ALCOHOL – UK
Histamine Affects Alcohol-related Behaviour – Medical News Today

The histamine-3 receptor is important in terms of alcohol-related behaviour, and a drug affecting that receptor may have qualities that alter alcohol-related behaviour. This appears in the study headed by Pertti Panula entitled “Tuberomamillary nucleus neurons, histamine and H3 receptor in hypothalamic regulation of alcohol addiction”.

DRUGS – USA
School-Based Prevention Cuts Drug Use, Violence – Join Together

Fifth-grade students who took part in comprehensive, interactive school-based prevention programs starting as early as first grade were half as likely as their peers to use alcohol or other drugs, act out violently, or engage in sexual activity.

ADDICTION – USA
Narconon Freedom Center Can Help Ohio Addicts – Trans World News

According to recent government statistics, more than 250,000 Ohio citizens have reported drug dependence over a one year period in the state of Ohio and only around one quarter of them actually ended up going into a drug rehab program.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Abuse Linked to Tuberculosis Transmission and Treatment Failure in the United States – Join Together

Although tuberculosis (TB) prevalence is low in the United States, local outbreaks among people with substance abuse have been reported.

Teenagers in the UK often seem to be portrayed as a bunch of booze-addled louts. Mark Gould finds out what truth there is in the sensationalism, and what young people feel needs to be done to change that image.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis use increases cancer risk, study suggests – Medical Research Center

A new study published by MRC-funded researchers has found “convincing evidence” that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans.

DRUGS – USA
Parental Involvement in Preventing Youth Substance Use – SAMHSA

Preventing youth substance use requires a comprehensive approach involving communities, schools, peers, and families. Research indicates that parents are an influential factor in whether youths use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.

CANNABIS – UK
‘Cannabis Alters Human DNA’ - New Study – Medical News Today

A new study published by University of Leicester researchers has found “convincing evidence” that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans.

ALCOHOL – UK
Expert On College Alcohol Abuse And Prevention Available To Speak On New Study – Medical News Today

A report released by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that binge drinking and drinking-related deaths among college-age students are increasing.

ALCOHOL – UK
Dangerous College Drinking: Prevention Is Possible, Studies Suggest – Medical News Today

Alcohol is sometimes seen as part and parcel of college life, but there are programs that can significantly reduce students’ risky drinking, according to a series of studies in a special college drinking supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

ALCOHOL – UK
College Drinking Problems, Deaths On The Rise – Medical News Today

Alcohol-related deaths, heavy drinking episodes and drunk driving have all been on the rise on college campuses over the past decade.

ALCOHOL – UK
Colleges, Communities Combat Off-Campus Student Drinking – Medical News Today

Programs that bring colleges and their surrounding neighborhoods together may help reduce off-campus drinking problems.

MARIJUANA – UK
Marijuana Damages DNA And May Cause Cancer – Medical News Today

Using a highly sensitive new test, scientists in Europe are reporting “convincing evidence” that marijuana smoke damages the genetic material DNA in ways that could increase the risk of cancer.

Teen children who live with alcohol-abusing fathers are at higher risk for alcohol or drug abuse themselves, a U.S. government study released Thursday shows.

ALCOHOL – USA
Almost Quarter of Suicides Involve Intoxication – Atlanta Journal Constitution

Almost 25 percent of people who take their own lives are intoxicated when they commit the act, U.S. health officials report.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study shows dangerous drinking behavior on the rise among college students – The Georgetown Voice

A new study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that binge drinking, drunk driving and alcohol-related deaths among college students rose over the past decade.

ALCOHOL – USA
More college students drinking and driving – College News

A recent study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that alcohol-related deaths, heavy drinking episodes, and drunk driving have all been on the rise among 18- to 24-year-olds over the past decade.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Rehab Center Offers A Road To Recovery For Alcoholics – Express Press Release

Alcohol is a powerful drug that becomes an addiction for many. Alcoholics often don’t realize the damage the drug does to their bodies. This damage does not stop at the patient’s own health, but the well being and emotions of their loved ones.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking rises nationwide – The Daily Iowan

It’s not just UI students with a drinking problem. The binge-drinking rate, as well as alcohol-related crimes and fatalities, rose on college campuses nationwide over the past decade, according to a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism released June 15.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse in Indian country – Indian Country Today

Tribal communities facing an increase in prescription drug abuse are being offered a two-day training program by Lamar Associates.

ADDERALL – USA
Stimulants for ADHD Shown to Cause Sudden Death in Children – Huffington Post

A new study, published Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, confirms what I’ve been warning about for years in my scientific books and articles. The stimulants used to treat children for so-called ADHD can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death in kids.

ADDICTION – USA
North Carolina Bill Misses the Point of Drug Addiction – Trans World News

In data obtained from United States Department of Health and Human services the number of North Carolina citizens seeking but not receiving drug treatment nearly tripled between 2006 and 2007.  This trend continues for those seeking alcohol treatment.

ALCOHOL – UK
As College Drinking Problems Rise, New Studies Identify Effective Prevention Strategies – Medical News Today

Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

MARIJUANA – USA
Marijuana linked to DNA damage – Examiner

For those of you whom have sons in their mid-twenties living in your basements, garages or attics, you may have to break some bad news to them. It seems that Cannabis cantains chemicals which damage DNA and may initiate cancer.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin, Prescription Drug Abuse Up In Twin Cities – WCCO News

Local health officials are concerned about a big increase in heroin and prescription drug abuse in the Twin Cities. The increase comes at a time when cocaine and methamphetamine is going down.

HEROIN – USA
Ex Heroin Junkie Talks Narconon Drug Rehab – Trans World News

In an apartment tucked away in beautiful Montreal, the Narconon drug rehab program had a chance to interview a former graduate from 1998.  Sabrina Andrews gave us a powerful insight into her own past demons, and her experiences as a heroin addict and run away living in Montreal.

DRUGS – INDIA
Exposure to cocaine and heroin can harm placenta – Newspost Online

A new study has found that cocaine and heroin increase permeability of the placenta. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology have shown that exposure to the drugs causes an increase in the passage of some chemicals into the fetus.

ALCOHOL – USA
Navy Culture Contributes to Heavy Drinking – Join Together

The young age of recruits, cycles of activity and boredom, and general attitudes about alcohol use are all parts of Navy culture that contribute to heavy drinking among sailors.

CANNABIS – UK
Smoking cannabis may be more deadly than tobacco – Scottish Daily Record

Smoking cannabis can damage DNA and cause cancer, researchers have found. They discovered marijuana contained 50 per cent more carcinogenics - cancer-causing chemicals - than tobacco.

DRUGS – USA
ADHD Drugs Linked to Sudden Death Risks – Attorney at Law

Adderall, Ritalin, and other stimulant drugs prescribed for millions of American children and teens with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may in some rare instances lead to an increased risk of sudden heart-related death.

DRUGS – USA
Sudden deaths in children may have link to stimulants – Modern Medicine

Results of the case-control study showed that of 564 children and teens (age 7 to 19) who had sudden deaths, 1.8% were using stimulants, higher than the 0.4% who were taking the same drugs among the controls who died in car accidents, according to researchers.

Indian-origin researchers at the University of Leicester have found “convincing evidence” that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans.

ADDERALL – USA
Study Shows Possible Link Between Deaths and ADHD Drugs – Washington Post

Children taking stimulant drugs such as Ritalin to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are several times as likely to suffer sudden, unexplained death as children who are not taking such drugs.

REITALIN – USA
Study: Stimulant Meds May Increase Death Risk – KERO TV News

A new study has suggested that children who take stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Strattera or Concerta may have a slight increased risk for sudden death.

ALCOHOL – USA
How Alcohol Changes the Brain … Quickly – US News and World Report

In the name of science, eight men and seven women drank alcohol through a straw while lying in an MRI scanner, presumably not all together, to see what would happen.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol goes to the head in six minutes, scientists say – Telegraph

For the first time, researchers have proved the rapid changes that drinking alcohol causes in human brain cells.

ALCOHOL – USA
Uganda: Alcohol Ruins Nabumali High School – All Africa

Drunkenness among students is one of the causes of the deteriorating academic performance at Nabumali High School in Mbale district, the head teacher has said.

ALCOHOL – USA
College Drinking Problems, Deaths On The Rise – Science Daily

Alcohol-related deaths, heavy drinking episodes and drunk driving have all been on the rise on college campuses over the past decade, a new government study shows.

DRUGS – USA
Desert Oasis Recovery Treatment Center Announces the Use of Preferred Treatment Method – PR Web

Desert Oasis Recovery, a New Mexico in-patient drug, alcohol, and gambling addiction treatment center, one of only two privately run drug, alcohol and gambling addiction treatment centers in the State of New Mexico, announces the use of auricular “accu-detox” acupuncture therapy for addictive therapy.

ALCOHOL – UK
Too much too young? Alcohol misuse among young Londoners – London Assembly

We hope that this report will highlight the problems of alcohol misuse among young people, as well as outlining a set of recommendations that will help young Londoners stay safe with alcohol, and ensure that this issue is given the priority it deserves.

DRUGS – USA
New drug report says heroin, prescription drug use on the rise in Minnesota – KARE News

A new report finds there is an apparent increase in the use of a hard-core drug in Minnesota and some narcotics that are much more widely available.

It’s hard to understand how our FDA, touted as the world’s most stringent drug “approver,” is constantly bombarded by attorneys and their commercials concerning all the “side effects” and possible litigation (obviously profitable) involving these same drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA Acts to Halt Marketing of Unapproved Prescription Narcotic Drugs – Occupational Health Safety

The Food and Drug Administration recently warned nine companies to stop manufacturing 14 unapproved narcotic drugs that are marketed in several dosage forms and are widely used to treat pain.

ALCOHOL – USA
At U.S. Colleges, Binge Drinking Is on the Rise – Forbes

Binge drinking among American college students is on the rise, along with its consequences of drunk driving and drinking-related deaths, U.S. health officials report.

ALCOHOL – UK
Concerns about health and looks are driving thousands to cut back on alcohol – Department of Health

Men are worried that drinking too much alcohol will affect their appearance according to a new survey for the Know Your Limits campaign published today.

ALCOHOL – USA
As College Drinking Problems Rise, New Studies Identify Effective Prevention Strategies – NIAAA

Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

ADDICTION – USA
Addicts commit crime to get help – BBC News

Heroin addicts are committing crime to get fast tracked into drug rehab because of waiting lists for treatment, a BBC programme is to reveal.

ALCOHOL – USA
From The Glass To The Brain In Six Minutes – Science Daily

Just one drink can quickly go to your head. Researchers in Heidelberg tested this well-known adage. Only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, leading to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06 percent, changes have already taken place in the brain cells.

HEROIN – USA
As heroin use rises, so does concern about it – Newsday

Calls to treatment centers and crisis hotlines about heroin abuse continue to climb on Long Island, according to experts who said many of the calls are from parents who fear their children are using the drug.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin Abuse Rising in Charlotte North Carolina – Trans World News

Black tar heroin is on the rise in Charlotte.  Heroin has been around in many forms; since the earliest times, it is a very potent drug which causes rapid addiction.

METH – USA
Meth Group Reaches Out to Teens in Spanish – Join Together

The Meth Project, which is known for using graphic images in its ads to show the consequences of methamphetamine use, is now reaching out to Spanish-speaking teens in the Western U.S. through new radio and TV ads.