Feb 12 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deaths from drug poisoning on the rise – Food Consumer
Deaths from prescription drug poisoning increased by 68 percent between 1999 and 2004 in the United States, becoming second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of unintentional deaths in the country.

DRUGS – USA
Dramatic rise in accidental drug-overdose deaths reported – CNN Health
The number of accidental drug overdose deaths rose from 11,155 in 1999 to 19,838 in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

OPIUM – USA
Drug Eradication In Afghanistan – Voice of America News
Afghan police, supported by NATO forces, are about to begin a poppy eradication campaign in Afghanistan’s Helmand province

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Medicine Safety – ABC News
It's that time of year when everyone seems to be coming down with something.You may find yourself rustling through your medicine cabinet and finding an old prescription, but are you putting yourself in danger?

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink label 'warning to mothers' – Telegraph
Bottles and cans of alcohol should carry health warnings aimed at pregnant women, similar to those seen on tobacco products, campaigners said yesterday.

DRUGS – USA
White House Releases National Plan To Combat Drug Use in America – ONDCP
New Drug Control Strategy Focuses on Reducing Both Demand and Supply; Highlights Success in Reducing Meth Use, Addresses Emerging Prescription Drug Threat.

DRUGS – USA
84 Percent of Employers Require Pre-Employment Drug Tests – Join Together
More than four out of five U.S. employers now require pre-employment drug tests, and 39 percent conduct random drug testing of employees.

HERION – THAILAND
No letup in drug war – Bangkok Post
Out of the media spotlight, anti-narcotic officers are continuing their fight against smugglers along the borders.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone overdose on rise – Examiner
Overdoses of methadone — used as a replacement drug for opiate addicts but also an increasingly popular painkiller — can lead to heart and breathing problems and death.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Illegal drug use declines, prescription drug abuse climbs – The World Link
Illegal drug use in the United States has dropped sharply since 2001 but abuse of prescription drugs remains a problem.

CANNABIS – UK
DRUGGIES IN DEADLY GRIT WEED ALERT – The People
A DEADLY new type of cannabis called grit weed is sweeping Britain.

DRUGS – USA
CDC finds dramatic rise in drug deaths – Oblerlin Times
This is the first study really to describe the large relative increases in poisoning mortality rates in rural states. Historically, the drug issue has been seen as an urban problem.