April 25th Drug Addiction News

ADDERALL – USA
Eight Wake Forest student films to be featured at screening – Wake Forest University
The film explores the growing underground culture of Adderall use on college campuses.

METH – UK
Addicts turn Lemsip into 'crystal meth' – ITV News
Addicts are turning flu drugs like Lemsip and Benylin into the lethal street narcotic crystal meth, the government has revealed.

METH – UK
Crystal meth fears over medicine – BBC News
Some over-the-counter flu remedies could face restrictions, amid fears that they are being used to produce the highly addictive drug, crystal meth.

ALCOHOL – USA
Higher beer taxes, 21 drinking age reduces traffic deaths of young people – PIRE
Communities with few alcohol regulations could consider raising taxes on beer as a way to reduce drunken driving fatalities among young people.

ALCOHOL – USA
Comparing Alcohol Policies Between Countries: Science or Silliness? – PLoS Medicine
It seems self-evident that it would be useful to have a way of comparing alcohol policies between countries. A metric to compare countries would enable improvements or changes to be monitored.

DRUGS – UK
Statistics on Drug Misuse, England, 2007 (full report) – The Information Centre
For the first time, this annual statistical bulletin presents information on drug misuse among both adults and children.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge drinking raises cancer risk – BBC News
Women who drink the equivalent of roughly two bottles of wine over a weekend more than double their risk of breast cancer, say Danish researchers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
8 Ways To Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse – Pushing Back
Teens are turning away from street drugs and the stigma that goes along with using them, and abusing prescription drugs to get the same type of high.

March 28 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – UK
Substance Abuse And Teenage Pregnancies Could Be Reduced By Improving School Culture, UK – Medical News Today
Improving the institutional culture (ethos) of schools in the UK may help reduce substance abuse and teenage pregnancies, says an article in this week's BMJ.

METH – USA
Meet the new meth – Metro US
Reports of methamphetamine with candy, soda and fruit flavors have been received by Drug Enforcement Administration agents across the country.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Abuse Increases Among College Students – Salve Regina University Mosaic Online
Imagine an unknown conglomeration of prescription pills being poured into a bowl, then grabbing a handful and ingesting a random and often dangerous combination of drugs in hopes of getting high.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen Prescription Drug Misuse Becoming Growing Problem – KOTV
Police say teenagers misusing prescription drugs has become a huge problem that keeps getting bigger and it's not just happening in big cities

ADDERALL – USA
Adderall for overweight teens – SMU Daily Campus
Adderall, an amphetamine, has many side effects, including decreased appetite, insomnia, increased anxiety and irritability.

METH – USA
Man chronicles his death by meth use – MSNBC
A former trucker whose documentary chronicled an agonizing descent as methamphetamine ravaged his body has died, optimistic to the end that his story would keep others from the highly addictive stimulant.

METH – USA
Mo. Man Who Documented Meth Use Dies – The New York Times
A southeast Missouri man who drew global attention for his documentary about how methamphetamine hopelessly ravaged his body died Monday still optimistic his film steers others from the highly addictive stimulant.

CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND
Cannabis linked to lung cancer risk – The New Zealand Herald
Cannabis smoking may cause 5 per cent of lung cancer cases in people up to middle age, according to a New Zealand study.

DRUGS – USA
Open Letter To Parents: Is This Where Your Teen Goes To Get High? – Pushing Back
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has launched an Open Letter advertising campaign to help educate parents about the risks of abuse to teens.

March 23 Drug Headlines

ADDICTION – USA
That Thing Which Screams A Whisper: Drug Addiction in America – American Chronicle
The moment you try a drug for any reason different than what a pharmaceutical is prescribed for (and note now that there is never any reason to try an illegal or illicit drug), your life, your limits, your past goals and beliefs, change.

ADDICTION – USA
Don’t take the addiction journey – The Citizens’ Voice
“The Journey of Addiction” is a very painful one.

METH – USA
Meth Habits Change in Southern Colorado – Colorado Springs ABC News
While the number of meth labs is decreasing the amount of meth found here is increasing. Drug trafficing from Mexico is now the focus of the Metro Vice Narcotics and Intelligence Division of The Colorado Springs Police Department.

METH – USA
Mokelumne Hill works to snuff out meth – The Union Democrat
Mokelumne Hill residents and several Calaveras County agencies are teaming up to clean up drug activity, specifically methamphetamine use, in the community.

ADDERALL – USA
FDA Concerned Over Use Of ADHD Drug To Treat Childhood Obesity – All Headline News
Raising ethical questions about the drug's usage, the FDA also warns that Adderall can cause psychiatric problems, such as hearing voices and becoming manic in some patients.

March 7 Drug Headlines

METHADONE – USA
Scientists get a fix on methadone risks – NZZ Online
Swiss scientists say hundreds of thousands of patients and drug addicts should no longer receive the most widely used form of methadone because of heart attack risks.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol abuse `should be prime focus' – The Advertiser, Adelaide
Alcohol abuse is the nation's biggest social drug problem, the incoming chief of the Mental Health Council of Australia has warned.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse on the rise – News 14 Carolina
Believe it or not, the new drug of choice for teens might be right in your medicine cabinet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription-painkiller abuse on the rise – United Press International
Teenagers and young adults are abusing prescription drugs in staggering numbers, and the crippling effects of this addiction must be addressed head-on.

METH – CANADA
RCMP warn students about crystal meth – The Coaster
To some people it is more valuable than diamonds, more precious than gold. You can smoke it, snort it, or inject it.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine on the decline? – Daily Review Atlas
Are the new methamphetamine laws finally putting a dent in the annual drug trade? That depends on whom you ask.

OPIUM – USA
U.N.: Afghan opium harvest rising – CNN News
A "cancer of insurgency" in southern Afghanistan could drive the 2007 opium poppy harvest to record levels, the U.N. drug agency chief said Monday.

ADDERALL – USA
Prescription stimulant abuse rising on campuses – SIU Daily Egyptian
The abuse of prescription stimulants is most prevalent among whites, members of fraternities or sororities and students with poor grades, according to a report released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

METH – USA
Mom's Against Meth Air New Anti-Drug Movie Nationwide – Fox 12 Boise
A nationwide group called Mothers Against Meth has created a film called "Crystal Meth: They Call It Ice".

OPIUM – USA
Record Opium Crop Possible in Afghanistan, U.N. Study Predicts – The New York Times
Afghanistan’s opium harvest could be bigger than last year’s record crop, with nearly half of the provinces showing an increase in planting this year.

OPIUM – USA
U.N. forsees Afghan poppy harvest boom – Boston Globe
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime predicted that last year's harvest record would be broken by an increase in 15 provinces.

PAINKILLER – USA
Study finds Utah tops nation in nonmedical painkiller abuse – Daily Herald
A federal study of painkiller use found Utah lead the nation in nonmedical use of prescription drugs in 2004 and 2005.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone, a New Killer – Canyon News
Methadone, which is a drug, comes in pill form as well as in liquid.

Feb 13 Drug Headlines

MARIJUANA – INDIA
Smoking : Long-term marijuana smoking leads to respiratory complaints – Spirit India
Long-term exposure to marijuana smoke is linked to many of the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms like cough, phlegm and wheeze, according to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine.

OPIUM – PAKISTAN
US law makers for use of micro-herbicide on poppy plants – Pak Tribune
Expressing concern over the increase in poppy cultivation in the country over the previous two years, several US law makers believe use of micro-herbicide is the only solution to the problem, which they argue is providing finances for terrorism.

OPIUM – SWITZERLAND
Helmand heads for record poppy harvest – ISN
Provincial officials say 2007 could be the biggest year yet for opium production in the war-torn province.

METH – USA
Student designs wanted for anti-meth poster campaign – ZWire
The Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force has launched an anti-meth poster contest for middle school students in an effort to provide a creative way for them to learn about the drug's dangers.

COCAINE – UK
Key Farc role in US cocaine trade – BBC News
Ninety per cent of cocaine reaching the United States comes from Colombia - most of it via Farc rebels, a senior US official has told a magazine.

OXYCODONE – USA
CDC: Drug Overdoses on the Rise – News Inferno
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, poisoning mortality rates in the United States increased each year.

ADDERALL – USA
Many Teens Abusing Medications – Journal of the American Medical Association
While rates of illicit drug use among teens in the United States continue to decline, abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medication in this age group remains alarmingly high.

METH – USA
New "strawberry" meth has police concerned – ABC News
It's targetted at young people and others experimenting with drugs.

METH – USA
Anti-meth blitz set to educate – Peninsula Clarion
Statewide campaign aimed to curb methamphetamine use.

METH – CANADA
Council and police take aim at crystal meth – The Chronicle
Police and town council are joining forces to meet crystal meth head on. Crystal meth is on their radar, including meth laboratory operations in the community.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Guard Against Prescription Drug Error – Yahoo! News
According to the National Academy of Medicine, approximately 1.5 million Americans annually fall victim to prescription drug error.

ALCOHOL – UK
Terrible toll of alcohol on Britain's children – Metro News
Alcohol abuse is affecting increasing numbers of youngsters, with three children having been treated for alcohol-related liver cirrhosis in the last five years.

ALCOHOL – UK
It's too easy for kids to buy alcohol – Peterborough Today
Statistics obtained by The Evening Telegraph showed that a third of all children under the age of 18 have been able to buy booze from off-licences in the city.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deadly abuse of methadone tops other prescription drugs – ABC News
Methadone has emerged as an increasingly popular and deadly street drug, joining narcotics such as Vicodin and OxyContin as frequently abused prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Prescription drugs hit streets – The Record
Prescription pain medications, such as morphine and oxycodone, are increasingly being sold on the street.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs are not the answer – Stoneham Sun
I am a volunteer for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (www.cchreus.org). I recently took part in a protest in Sudbury to bring the exposure of the medications used by John Odgren.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
One in three young Australians binge drink – The Australian, Health
A third of Australians aged 18 to 24 are classified as binge drinkers, with nearly one in four drinking to the point of passing out on at least five occasions.

Feb 8 Drug Headlines

ADDERALL – USA
Hey Jumbos, lose the Adderall and go take a nap instead – The Tufts Daily
With homework starting to pile up and the semester's first exams looming in the distance, many students accept the extreme pressure they face.

METH – USA
Board views slideshow about meth – The Dispatch Online
The board only saw a portion of the slideshow that told how easy meth could be made with home ingredients, the effects of meth use in a home and tips on what to look for in a child or parent who may be involved with meth.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol screening at school good for all – The Express Times
Far too many teens incorporate alcohol into their social lives and an alarming number of underage drinkers are hooked on the extremely dangerous practice of binge drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol abuse based on a pattern of use – The Citizen, Auburn
Many terms float around when dealing with alcohol related health problems: alcoholism, dependence, abuse, tolerance and withdrawal. Let me take this time to explain these terms, the impact of alcohol on our health and what you can do if you have a problem with alcohol.

METH – USA
Web site lists information on meth offenders – Shakopee Valley News
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has unveiled a new Web site with information about offenders convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine — a dangerous and highly addictive illegal drug.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Tennessee ranks No. 1 in prescription drug use – WREG TV
Tennessee led the nation in prescription drug use and ranked second in prescription drug spending in 2005.

ALCOHOL – USA
This Hand Sanitizer is on Fire, Without Alcohol – Yahoo! News
With recent news events highlighting the dangers of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it's no wonder that alcohol-free cleansers like Hands2GO® have experienced a phenomenal 500% jump in distribution over the last year.

Feb 1 Drug Headlines

METH – AUSTRALIA
Schools may lead meth fight – The Border Mail
Schools may become the first line of defence in the battle against drugs like ice or crystal meth, which can turn users into violent criminals, or even killers.

METH – USA
Meth Coalition Task Force meets with area students – The Pilot Independent
With a raise of hands, nearly all of the youth present indicated that someone they know is currently using methamphetamine.

PAINKILLERS – USA
F-D-A unveils initiatives to better handle drug safety – WIS TV
The folks who regulate what's in your medicine cabinet say they're making changes in the way they handle drug safety matters.

ALCOHOL – USA
Berkeley council backs new alcohol statutes – Mercury News
The council this week gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that will require bartenders, cocktail servers, liquor store clerks and others in alcohol sales or service to take a four-hour training class that will teach them not to sell to minors and to cut off customers when they've had too much to drink.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey: Are Alcohol Ads Targeting Children?
With a large audience viewing in to the Super Bowl every year, commercials have become a high light on it's own and drawing its own hype.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs | FDA Announces Initiatives To Improve Prescription Drug Safety, Public Education – Kaiser Network
FDA on Tuesday announced several initiatives designed to improve prescription drug safety, including increased monitoring of adverse events after drugs have been approved and are on the market.

METH – AUSTRALIA
School programs can cut ice use: report
Schools may become the first line of defence in the battle against drugs like ice or crystal meth, which can turn users into violent criminals, or even killers.

ADDERALL – USA
New study focuses on prescription drug abuse – Daily Targum
According to results from a recent study conducted by a Massachusetts psychopharmacologist, prescription attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs have grown in popularity amongst college students.

ADDERALL – USA
More Teens Abusing ADD Drugs – WREX.com
Workers at Rosecrance Health Network say more and more teenagers admitted there abuse attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs, all without a doctor's prescription.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis popular in France? – Planet Rugby
Pierre Bordry, the owner of 'Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (the French agency of the war against doping) gave the results of tests on rugby players in the last quarter of 2006.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Many Drug Ads Fail to Properly Inform Patients – Treatment Online
Pharmaceutical ads, once heavily regulated by law, have become an unavoidable presence in the world of prime-time television, billboards and magazines, and internet campaigns.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
F.D.A. Widens Safety Reviews on New Drugs – New York Times
The Food and Drug Administration announced changes yesterday that were intended to ensure that marketed drugs are as safe as advertised

ALCOHOL – USA
School to test for students' weekend drinking – CNN
Some teenagers who drink over the weekend could be in big trouble come Monday morning.

ALCOHOL – USA
N.J. School to Test Students for Alcohol – Join Together
Random urine tests will be administered to students at Pequannock Township High School in New Jersey starting next month, ABC News reported Jan. 29.

ALCOHOL – USA
U.S. doctors warn of poisoning from hand gels – CNN Health
At least two people have become intoxicated by drinking hand-sanitizing gels, a potentially deadly habit, doctors reported Wednesday.

Jan 23 Drug Headlines

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine Cowboys – DVD Talk
In the typically highbrow world of documentaries, Cocaine Cowboys is a decidedly different breed of cat. A machinegun-paced exploration of South Florida's cocaine trade in the late Seventies and early Eighties, it is violent, exploitive and lurid.

METH – USA
Public awareness is fighting crystal meth – Abbotsford News
Last week’s crystal meth forum at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium drew a full house of concerned residents.

METH – USA
Meth Watch Inanity
Most citizens of North Dakota, and a lot of other states, are familiar with so-called “meth watch” laws which regulate the sale of products that are commonly used in the production of methamphetamine.

ADDERALL – USA
A tough dose of the truth: Prescription drugs becoming more popular among youths - ZWire.com
Awareness about over the counter medication and prescription drug use among teenagers appears to be sweeping the nation.

COCAINE – USA
Peru official says cocaine output is growing – MSNBC
Peru has reduced and stabilized illegal coca leaf planting areas over the past few years, but yields from some farms have doubled and cocaine output soared due to a lack of funds to fight the lucrative business.