June 15th Drug Addiction News

ADDICTION – SOUTH AFRICA
DA: Not enough govt action on drug addiction – Mail and Guardian
Key government departments are doing nothing to stop drug addiction, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday.

METHADONE – USA
METHADONE - Fast facts – Youngstown Vindicator
Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used for more than 30 years to treat opiate addiction. Here are some other facts associated with the drug.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink and drugs fuel rise in teen sex disease – Times Online
Rising consumption of drugs and alcohol among teenagers is leading to a surge in sexually transmitted diseases, as young people take more risks when under the influence.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol blamed for half of Russia's premature deaths – The Independent
Excessive drinking causes nearly half of all deaths among Russian men of working age, researchers have found. But it is not just vodka doing the damage.

CANNABIS – UK
Police get high to find cannabis factories – Belfast Telegraph
Ulster's increasing drug trade in home-grown cannabis is being foiled from the sky by police.

ADDERALL – USA
Prescription addiction – News Times SLO
Back in the day, students seeking an academic advantage chose stimulants like coffee, energy drinks and caffeine pills to help them stay up late and cram for final examinations.

OPIUM – BANGLAD
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran agree to stop drug trafficking – The Financial Express
Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to work closely to stop drug trafficking along their common borders by building more physical barriers, launching joint counter-narcotic operations and improving communication.

OPIUM – USA
Opium trade impacts military – United Press International
Congress wants the U.S. military to play a bigger role in combating the production of opium in Afghanistan.

COCAINE – USA
Cheap Cocaine: It's a 'Social Thing' – ABC News
Despite 36 Years of Battling, the Government Has Been Unable to Halt Cocaine Use.

DRUGS – USA
"This Gives Me A Reason To Say No" – Pushing Back
Another school board in New Jersey has approved the implementation of a random drug testing program for its students.

June 11th Drug Addiction News

OPIUM – NETHERLANDS
United States Opposes Legalizing Opium Poppy Crop in Afghanistan – Press Zoom
Legalizing the opium poppy crop in Afghanistan would be disastrous for that country and for the world, a U.S. State Department official says.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine: Hidden in Plain Sight – New York Times
Drug-abuse experts say the blasé attitude toward cocaine use is a result of “generational amnesia.”

METH – USA
Hundreds join campaign against meth – Billings Gazette
While areas around this Northern Cheyenne town flooded Friday, the main street was awash in a sea of blue T-shirts as an anti-drug march surged through town.

METH – UK
Coming in a rush: The rise of crystal meth in the UK – Ealing Times
Although the problem of methamphetamine, or crystal meth, is not yet as prevalent in this country as in places like America, Australia, New Zealand and south-east Asia.

METH – USA
Meth leads to no good – Chico Enterprise-Record
Meth and madness go hand in hand, and in the end, there is violence, heartbreak and destruction. Those in the psychotic state that meth eventually brings on do unthinkable things to themselves and others, with a super-human strength the drug provides.

ALCOHOL – USA
Editorial: Do students get message about drugs, alcohol? – Janesville Gazette
In the survey taken in March, 59 percent of seniors said they drank beer in the previous year. That continues a downward trend since 76 percent said they did in the 1994 survey.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Unused Prescription Medicine Drop-Off in Milwaukee – MyFox Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's second Medicine Collection Day gave folks a chance to properly dispose of their unused prescription and over-the-counter medications.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Watch out for abuse of prescription drugs – Arizona Republic
It sits inconspicuously in your medicine cabinet. That prescription from when you broke your ankle, had back pain, a root canal or the time when you suffered from insomnia.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Community Educates Parents and Grandparents to Curb Prescription Abuse – CADCA
Like many communities across the country, rural Armstrong County, Penn. was seeing increasingly more cases of teens abusing prescription medications, such as pain relievers.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Youth on deadly drink trail – The Age
The number of young people being treated for alcohol-related brain damage has grown fivefold in the past decade, prompting calls for urgent action on teenage binge drinking.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol problem surges – Bendigo Advertiser
Recent Federal Government figures show almost one third of young people regularly drink amounts of alcohol that put them at risk or at high risk of alcohol-related harm.

June 9th Drug Addiction News

DRUGS – USA
Overdoses Drive Up Accidental Death Rate in U.S. – Join Together
The rate is rising again, and part of the blame is being focused on accidental overdoses on legal and illicit drugs.

METHADONE – ROMAINIA
Inaction as Methadone Toll Rises – PR Log
Methadone related deaths continue their upward trend in many areas across the
Country. Currently Methadone is the #2 Killer Drug in the United States.

ALCOHOL – USA
Adults face alcohol liability – Columbus Telegram
Under the bill, adults who serve or provide alcohol to minors can be held liable if that individual harms or kills someone.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol use by teens can't be ignored – Hillsboro Argus
School is almost over and idle kids will soon look for some fun. Most of them will be involved in healthy, enriching activities. Unfortunately, a growing number will look to alcohol, typically beer or hard liquor, for their entertainment.

OPIUM – QATAR
Kashmir declares war on poppy as violence ebbs – Gulf Times
Police and soldiers armed with sickles, sticks and guns are swooping on the fields of Jammu and Kashmir, not in a hunt for militants, but to destroy fields of opium poppy, the source of heroin.

METH – USA
Tribal community struggles with meth crisis – Medill Reports
As a drug counselor for United Indian Health Service, Gerald Green tries to show American Indian kids hooked on methamphetamines that the drug ruins everything.

PAINKILLER – USA
Lollipop painkiller generated 47 deaths nationwide – News 8 Austin
This highly addictive lollipop has been linked to 47 deaths across the United States. Although the FDA approved it in 1998 for cancer patients, more then 80 percent of lollipop users don't have cancer.

ADDICTION – USA
Using the "Getting to Outcomes" Approach to Help Communities Prevent Underage Drinking – RAND
This research brief summarizes guides that provide key accountability questions, worksheets, tools, and examples to help communities plan, implement, and evaluate their efforts to reduce and prevent underage drinking.

June 8th Drug Addiction News

METHADONE – UK
Grieving mum's tragic drugs plea – Wigan Observer
A mother whose teenage son died from a lethal dose of methadone says PARENTS must be educated about drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
New U.K. Alcohol Strategy Includes Adult Drinkers – Join Together
Kids are the typical targets for campaigns to prevent problem drinking, but a new strategy unveiled in Great Britain also includes a focus on older adults who drink at home.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcopop Billboards Banned Around Schools, Parks, Churches – Join Together
The Illinois House last week approved a ban on billboard ads for alcopop drinks within 500 feet of schools, churches, parks and amusement parks.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Crisis Grips Australia – HULIQ
Alcohol is enfolding Australia in its grip. A new report says that one in eight Aussies drinks at dangerous levels.

ALCOHOL – GERMANY
Powdered Alcohol Causes Legal Dilemma – Short News
Booz2Go, a product developed by students in Holland that contains powdered alcohol, has the potential to be legally purchased by minors.

HEROIN – USA
Cheap heroin gains popularity with teens – The Union of Grass Valley
If you overhear kids talking about "cheese," you may want to listen a little closer - they may not be discussing their favorite pizza topping, but rather, a killer version of heroin popular with teens.

PAINKILLER – CANADA
Painkiller ruled addictive – Straight Goods
The maker of the narcotic painkiller OxyContin and three executives pleaded guilty Thursday to making false claims about the drug's risk of addiction.

METH – USA
Officials: Meth Law Working, More Work Needed – KETV Omaha News
Iowa public safety officials said Wednesday that the state's tough anti-methamphetamine law is working -- but the job isn't done.

June 7th Drug Addiction News

ADDICTION – CANADA
Treating youth addiction must happen 'very quickly'– The Guardian
Providing treatment to Island youth hampered by drug and alcohol addiction will be a priority of the new Liberal government.

METH – USA
Meth and Children – Central Illinois Proud
The state is seeing a growing number of kids being exposed to methamphetamine. That's because they're living with parents who are making and using the drug-- putting them in contact with dangerous chemicals.


METH – USA
High School Hosts Meth-Lab Awareness Class – Whttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifLKY News
City leaders sponsored a meth-lab awareness workshop at Male High School Tuesday night. Last year.

METHADONE – USA
Report Shows Methadone Leading Cause Of Overdose Deaths – WKYT News
Out of nearly 500 overdose deaths in Kentucky last year, the state medical examiner's annual report says more than 40 percent of the autopsies showed the pain killer, Methadone was the leading cause.

ALCOHOL – UK
Call for alcohol alternatives as binge drinking soars – Religious Intelligence
The Department of Health statistics found there are an estimated 7.1 million ‘hazardous and harmful’ drinkers in England, while 1.1 million are ‘dependant drinkers’.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Dutch students develop powdered alcohol – Stuff.nz
Top it up with water and you have a bubbly, lime-coloured and -flavoured drink with just 3 per cent alcohol content.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
New alcohol strategy aims to discourage boozing culture – What is the Word
This new method is being encouraged after it emerged that the cost of alcohol related disorders and crimes is a whooping £20 billion on an annual basis.

ALCOHOL – USA
Australian Rehab Group Calls For Health Warning Labels On Alcohol – All Headline News
An Adelaide-based alcohol rehabilitation group has called for health warning labels on all beer, wine and spirits sold in Australia.

ALCOHOL – USA
Police Sell Blood Alcohol Tests to Public – WIBW News
In it's ongoing mission to curb underage drinking, the Derby Police Department is making take-home breathalyzer tests available to the public.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol advertising ban on children's replica kits to be implemented in UK – Drinks Business Review
Following the introduction of a new voluntary ban, children's replica sports shirts in the UK will no longer display logos advertising alcoholic drinks.

June 1st Drug Addiction News

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol and Its Effects on Family Life – Dental Plans
Alcohol and its effects on family life can have life long consequences for those who live under its influence. This is the view point from a child who survived the silent war that alcohol waged upon his family.

METH – CANADA
Restrictions choking meth efforts – Abbotsford News
A plan to choke off the supply of crystal methamphetamine in Surrey is welcome. Unfortunately, such plans are hampered by restrictions on landlords, law enforcement personnel and city staff.

METH – USA
Candy-Flavored Meth Raising Concerns – WLNS News
A candy-flavored drug may be on its way to Michigan, and police are urging parents to be on the lookout.

COCAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
Wake up and smell the cocaine in Italy – Independent Online
An Italian scientific study has found particles of cocaine in Rome's air, Italy's national research council (CNR) said on Thursday.

COCAINE – USA
Study Finds Cocaine, Pot in Rome's Air – Fox News
Researchers may have figured out what makes la vita so dolce in Rome. A report from Italy's National Research Council released Thursday found that there are traces of cocaine and cannabis in the air of the Eternal City.

METH – USA
CrimeStoppers launches anti-methamphetamine campaign – Meridian Star
Local airwaves, television sets and the newspaper in Meridian will soon be flooded with anti-methamphetamine ads — a move that is designed to deter people from ever trying the drug.

May 29th Drug Addiction News

METH – USA
DEA teaches meth-cooking 101 – The Denver Post
The class was held as part of the DEA's first Citizens Academy in order to give the public a close-up view of what the agency does to keep drugs off the street.

MARIJUANA – USA
Ice Cream Truck Sells $5 & $10 Bags Of Marijuana To Kids – The Post Chronicle
Marijuana "treats" sold by ice cream truck in Texas? Police say the jingle of this particular ice cream truck signaled the arrival of "pot-sickles."

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Labels Get Detailed in Britain – The Washington Post
Beer, wine and hard liquor packaging in Britain will carry warning labels next year detailing how many units of alcohol each drink contains as well as recommended safe drinking levels.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study: Big allowances tied to teen alcohol abuse – MSNBC News
Teenagers with large allowances may be more likely to become problem drinkers, research conducted in the UK hints.

TRANQUILIZER – UK
Tranquilizers use increases in North West – Belfast Telegraph
Almost 140,000 prescriptions for tranquilisers were issued by doctors in the Western Health and Social Services Board area last year. The number of benzodiazepine sedatives prescribed to local people rose to its highest level in four years.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge drinking 'doubles breast cancer threat' – The Telegraph
The statistics will be alarming to the many thousands of British women who are increasingly binge drinking at weekends.

DRUGS – AFGANISTAN
A Country Seen as a Drugs Factory – e-Ariana News
European parents concerned about their children having access to lethal drugs may have good reason to fear that crops cultivated in Afghanistan can end up too close to home for their comfort.

ALCOHOL – UK
Someone tell the alcocops where to put their labels – Times online
Labels will spell out how many units of alcohol the drink contains, official guidelines about how much (ie, little) to drink, and “advice” such as “Drink responsibly” and “Know your limits”.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drink firms wary of health labels on alcohol – The Telegraph
However, while most in the industry support the principle of better labeling, many have reservations about what to put on their bottles and object to being forced to follow a Government template.

May 28th Drug Addiction News

METH – USA
Candy-flavored meth has some concerned – Chillicothe Gazette
School and law enforcement officials are sounding an alarm for teachers and parents that a pink, strawberry-flavored variety of crystal methamphetamine could wind up in area schools.

COCAINE – IRELAND
Why the US is losing its war on cocaine – Irish Independent
America has spent billions battling the drug industry in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. And the result? Production as high as ever, street prices at a low, and the governments of the region in open revolt.

ADDICTION – USA
Hollywood's problem with addiction – LA Times
HBO's Chris Albrecht is just the latest to crash. The industry tends to let addictions slide and then feign surprise when someone falls.

METH – USA
Meth film provides a warning — and hope – The Desert News
People hear the rumors about meth. Justin Hunt is determined to show them the reality. Hunt is the independent filmmaker behind the feature-length documentary "American Meth," which he's currently touring around the western United States. The movie will be shown free to the public.

METH – USA
Officials concerned colorful meth could be seen as candy – Coshocton Tribune
School and law enforcement officials are sounding an alarm for teachers and parents that a pink, strawberry-flavored variety of crystal methamphetamine could wind up in area schools.

ALCOHOL – USA
Bracelet that senses alcohol use gaining acceptance – KSWO News
A bracelet that senses when its wearer uses alcohol is being used more by courts in cases involving someone with a drinking problem.

OPIUM – PAKISTAN
Smash our trade in opium, Afghans tell British – Pak Tribune
The Afghan government has demanded that British troops destroy the opium trade in the country after a record poppy harvest that threatens to flood Europe with cheap, high-purity heroin.

ALCOHOL – UK
Drinks to carry alcohol limit warnings – The Telegraph
Alcoholic drinks are to carry health warnings similar to those on cigarette packets from the end of next year.

May 27th Drug Addiction News

CANNABIS – UK
Dangers of smoking cannabis highlighted by students – 24dash.com
Young people in Kensington and Chelsea have been highlighting the dangers of smoking marijuana by taking part in the Cannabis Action Group’s Media Challenge.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Concerns – WSLS News
When you're taking a prescription, you probably expect that it's been tested to treat your condition--and that the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for that use. But you could be mistaken.
alcohol
OPIUM – UK
Smash our trade in opium, Afghans tell British – The Telegraph
The Afghan government has demanded that British troops destroy the opium trade in the country after a record poppy harvest that threatens to flood Europe with cheap, high-purity heroin.

ALCOHOL – USA
Troubling trends: Survey shows alcohol, drug use at L-S – Lincoln Journal
A recent survey on risky behaviors shows that alcohol and drug use is common among Lincoln-Sudbury students. Nearly a quarter of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students reported binge drinking in the last 30 days.

METH –
Asian regional control of amphetamines needed, says UN anti-drug chief – UN News Centre
With Asia driving the global market for methamphetamine, the continent needs regional control of synthetic drugs to safeguard decades of hard-won progress against illicit substances.

OPIUM – United Arab Emirates
G8 wants Iran help for Afghan opium fight – The Khaleej Times
The G8 industrial nations are concerned about the rise of opium production in Afghanistan and want to enlist Iran and other neighboring countries to crush trafficking of the drug.

METH – USA
$5.6 Million in Anti-meth Funding for Missouri – Kansas City infoZone
The grants and tough anti-meth legislation signed by the governor in 2005 will help with Missouri's ongoing efforts to combat meth and eliminate dangerous lab operations across the state.

METH – USA
Police say new kind of meth headed East – WAVY News
Virginia State Police are warning troopers about a new form of methamphetamine that is spreading across the country toward Virginia.

ADDICTION – USA
Dad's addiction inspires boy's mission – Orlando Sentinel
Winning a D.A.R.E. essay contest normally doesn't garner widespread attention, but John's account of how addiction can cripple a family nearly brought Lake School Board members and others to tears Monday night as he read his composition during a public meeting.

DRUGS – UK
New sponsors save drugs charity – BBC News
A pioneering Nottinghamshire drugs awareness charity which faced serious financial problems has been saved.

ALCOHOL – UK
Steady rise in deaths from heavy drinking – Times Online
A steady rise in long-term heavy drinking has led to a doubling of alcohol-related deaths among men over the past decade, according to official figures.

DRUGS – UK
New era, new trend in drugs – Edinburgh Evening News
We are in a period of great change - new government, new council, and when it comes to alcohol and drugs - new problems.

METH – USA
Officials concerned drug could be seen as candy – WTOL News
School and law enforcement officials are sounding an alarm for teachers and parents that a pink, strawberry-flavored variety of crystal methamphetamine could wind up in area schools.

May 25th Drug Addiction News

METH – USA
Children targeted with new meth – The Daily Journal
A new form of crystallized methamphetamine, nicknamed “Strawberry Quick,” has been developed and is being targeted to children. It looks like the pop rocks candy that sizzles in the mouth, and is a dark pink color with a strawberry scent.

DRUGS – PAKISTAN
Iran, like the West, has a drugs problem – Daily Times
Iran shares a 900-km border with Afghanistan, the world's number one producer of the opium poppy which is the key ingredient for heroin.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Addict's Message – Channel 9 WSYR News
Drug treatment centers across in the Syracuse area are reporting a huge increase in the number of teens they're seeing who are addicted to prescription painkillers. We sat down with one recovering addict who has a message for teens and adults alike.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol-related deaths for men doubled in 12 years – The Independent
The number of alcohol-related deaths that could have been prevented has more than doubled in men since 1993, figures show.

ALCOHOL – USA
Workplace Drinking Culture Influences Alcohol Intake Elsewhere – Medical News Today
A restrictive drinking culture at work curbs an individual's overall alcohol intake, including outside of work, suggests research published ahead of print in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
District judge alerts consumers to misuse of drugs – Pittsburgh Leader Times
DeComo, a leading activist for drug and alcohol prevention in Armstrong County, was unaware that there was a growing problem with the abuse of prescription pain relievers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and pain patches.

DRUGS – USA
Crime And Punishment – Hartford Advocate
Honestly, people how many times do we have to say it. If you’re going to drive while on drugs or if you have drugs in your car, drive safely and slowly, lest you risk not only getting arrested but this column’s detached ironic amusement.

ALCOHOL – USA
Help teenagers get over fool's hill – News Leader
This is a little about me and a lot about our kids. Please know this is not about our differences but about a real issue that confronts many of us living in Nassau County with regard to our teenagers.

May 18th Drug Addiction News

METH – AUSTRALIA
GPs key to breaking 'ice' epidemic – The Age
A Sydney doctor is urging fellow GPs to lead the fight against methamphetamines and help end the nation's devastating "ice" epidemic.

METH – USA
'Candy-Flavored' Meth Makes Its Way To Nebraska – KTIV
Most kids know how to "just say no to drugs." But, when drugs like meth are disguised to look like candy it may end up being just too good for kids to resist.

METH – USA
Flavored meth presents dangerous new drug trend – KHAS TV
A new type of methamphetamine that targets young children is making its way across the country. It is candy–flavored meth.

METH – USA
Authorities on the Look out for Candy-Flavor Meth – KCRG News
It may sound like an Internet rumor, but candy-flavor meth is real, and is a real threat. But drug investigators tell TV9 they can't find it in Iowa, at least not yet.

ALCOHOL – USA
Quebecers and alcohol in 2007: An overall healthy approach, despite specific problems to resolve and certain needs that must be addressed – News Wire
Quebecers have a healthy approach to alcohol. While, over the past five years, drinking habits have become more regular and the consumption of wines and spirits has continued to grow.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Use Up in Teen Girls – Web Med
The number of teens, especially girls, taking prescription drugs for type 2 diabetes, sleep problems, and other illnesses is up.

METH – USA
Nevada meth study panel hears examples from other states – WMC-TV Action News
Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel joined other state attorney generals in Las Vegas today for a conference on methamphetamine.

DRUGS – USA
Inhalant Abuse – Pediatrics Publications
Inhalant abuse is the intentional inhalation of a volatile substance for the purpose of achieving an altered mental state. As an important, yet-underrecognized form of substance abuse, inhalant abuse crosses all demographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic boundaries, causing significant morbidity and mortality in school-aged and older children.

DRUGS – USA
Sales of Home Drug-Test Kits Soar Despite Warnings from Experts – Join Together
The number of parents buying home drug-test kits has increased dramatically despite warnings from treatment professionals and government officials that home-testing adolescents is not a good idea.

DRUGS – USA
Industry Group Launches Website on Cough Medicine Abuse – Join Together
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which represents manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, has launched an educational campaign on cough medicine abuse focused on a new website.

HEROIN – USA
Deadly Combination of Heroin and Cold Medicine Invades Dallas – Join Together
A deadly mixture of heroin and cold medication, called "cheese," has become a scourge among youth in the Dallas area.

May 17th Drug Addiction News

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens: Prescription Drugs & 'Pharm' Parties – Tampa Bay Local State News
Drug trends among teenagers are constantly changing. Next time your kids head to a party, marijuana and cocaine may not be the concern but legal prescription drugs.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Showing Up – Omaha News
Drug dealers are adding in powdered lemonade and Kool-Aid to make the meth look like the popular candy “Pop Rocks.”

METH – USA
Meth is Death draws large crowd – Arizona Silver Belt
Everybody in the community is impacted by the epidemic of methamphetamine abuse, and it might get worse before it gets any better

METH – USA
City employees learn dangers of meth labs – The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise
If a so-called “cook” was manufacturing methamphetamine here in Seguin, think that wouldn’t be your problem, even if you owned the place?

METH – CANADA
Crystal meth topic of forum – The Powell River Peak
A person can walk into a kitchen that is doubling as a lab for making crystal methamphetamine and not even know it.

HEROIN – FRANCE
'Cheese' heroin tempts Texas teens at two dollars a hit – France 24
Sold in torn paper still bearing class notes, a cheap and deadly form of heroin called "cheese" is sweeping through northern Texas schools where it has claimed the lives of at least 21 teenagers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Curbing drug abuse – The Washington Times
The nature of America's drug problem is changing. No longer is the problem characterized exclusively by the stereotypical street-corner drug dealer with a bindle of heroin or a baggie of marijuana. Now, prescription drugs are being misused in record numbers.

METH – USA
Program raises methamphetamine danger awareness – The Prairie Star
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that is affecting every segment of society, especially rural America.

METH – USA
Madigan declares progress in fight against methamphetamine – The Southern Illinoisan
The message, which she delivered as keynote speaker at the fourth annual Southern Illinois Methamphetamine Conference, offered hope to those serving on the front lines of the war against the highly addictive and dangerous drug.

ALCOHOL – USA
Cars, Alcohol & Women Are Deadly Mix – CBS News
Young women are quickly catching up to their male counterparts when it comes to alcohol-related fatal car crashes and other risky driving behavior, according to a new study.

May 15th Drug Addiction News

CANNABIS – BELGIUM
One in four addicted to cannabis – Expatica
Almost one in four of the young drug users who seek professional help is addicted to cannabis. Seven years ago that figure was just one in ten.

CANNABIS – TURKEY
Europe unites against cannabis in Istanbul – Turkish Daily News
In an effort to fight against drugs European leaders meet in Turkey, one of Europe's major drug traffic hubs, to advocate a cannabis free world.

ALCOHOL – UK
Scotland tops UK for those on benefits due to alcohol – The Herald
Alcohol abuse prevents thousands of Scots from working and the west of Scotland has the highest rate of drink-related benefit claimants in the UK, according to new figures.

HEROIN – USA
Is heroin becoming the new trend? – Gazette Extra
Heroin used to be the drug of choice for "experienced" addicts, Patek said. Now, it's reaching a younger audience.

DRUGS – USA
New England Anti-Drug Testing? – Associated Construction Publications
Drug abuse across New England job sites is arguably as bad as, if not worse than, other regions of the country. And while drug abuse is widespread in general, it's particularly severe within the construction sector.

HEROIN – AUSTRALIA
Asian gangs develop highly potent cannabis strain – The Daily Telegraph
Latest criminal intelligence suggests that Australia-based Vietnamese drug dealers have traveled to Canada to learn how to cultivate the highly addictive cannabis.

METH – USA
Rural Meth Users at Greater Risk – Nebraska Farmer
A new study has determined that rural methamphetamine users are younger when they start using meth, are more likely to use intravenously, have more psychoses, smoke more cigarettes and are more likely to be alcoholic than urban methamphetamine users.

COCAINE – GERMANY
Europe Rushes to Stem Flood of Cocaine Coming Through Africa – Deutsche Welle
round 10 million Europeans, or over three percent of all adults, have used cocaine at least once in their lives, a historically high figure, according to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

METH – USA
As meth cases increase, cleanup help coming – News Democrat and Leader
The production of methamphetamine is a dirty and dangerous- not to mention illegal- process. Poisonous chemicals are used, highly flammable solutions are created and toxic fumes are released. Because of this, meth labs are a health hazard and even continue to be so after they are shut down.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Targets Youth – WTVF News
Anti-drug advocates and law enforcement said drug dealers are selling flavored crystal methamphetamine, which targets new, young users.

METH – USA
Crack is the New Meth – WENY Local News
The drug of choice will always be replaced for something else, and in this fact we believe because of our close proximity to the New York area.

RITALIN – USA
Finals Week Means Popping Pills – Psych Central
A new study finds that students are using prescription stimulants to improve concentration during long study sessions and all-nighters.

ADDICTION – USA
Fight against drugs moves to living room – Detroit Free Press
In the Royal Oak home of Kirk and Catherine Goddard, about a dozen friends and neighbors gathered around a 27-inch television and settled in for an evening of pizza, salad, soda, movie watching and friendly conversation.

METH – USA
Panel tackles meth addiction in Iowa – DesMoines Register
Treating abusers costs half as much as sending them to prison, but federal funding for such programs ends soon.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

METH – USA
Filmmaker urges action in meth movie – Grand Junction Sentinel
The filmmaker, who hails from Grand Junction, spent 16 months documenting the lives of meth addicts and drug treatment options around the West

RITALIN – UK
Ritalin Abuse Poses Risk During College Exam Week – Medical News Today
College is hard enough. But throw in end-of-semester exams, term papers and standardized tests, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Enter Ritalin, the latest drug of choice among sleep-deprived students struggling to make the grade.

May 14th Drug Addiction News

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol is a killer for Swiss – Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews
Alcohol is a major cause of death – in many cases premature - among the population in Switzerland, according to a study.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Teens in mass binge-drinking arranged over the internet – The Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/teens-in-mass-bingedrinking-arranged-over-the-internet/2007/05/12/1178899158412.html
YOUNG girls are the new face of underage drinking, lured to hastily organised booze sessions in parks and beaches by internet sites such as MySpace.

DRUGS – INDIA
Beware of Date Rape drugs – Hindustan Times
The effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can't remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim's knowledge.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Health Tip: Never Share Prescription Medications – Atlanta Journal Constitution
Although you may be tempted to use a medication that has been prescribed to someone else, this is a dangerous practice.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Don't flush your old prescription drugs; they could harm the environment –WiscNews
Prescription medications can flush toxins from the body, but flushing the expired or unused remedies down pipes into the local sewer system may increase toxins in the environment.

METH – THAILAND
Crackdown against methamphetamine abuse is on – Nation Multimedia
Methamphetamine abuse in Bangkok and other urban centres is on the rise and the Narcotics Control Board will launch a crackdown between now and September.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol at home could help cut teenage binge drinking – Scots Man News
A survey of 10,000 British teenagers aged 15-16 found 75 per cent had drunk alcohol, but those who were first introduced to it at home were less likely to binge-drink, drink frequently or drink in public places.

COCAINE – UK
Euro Zoned Out: Euro Is Choice Of Cocaine – Anorak
The Euro is the No. 1 choice in the cocaine industry. Users might prefer to use rolled up fivers, but the traffickers love the euro.

COCAINE – INDIA
Banned ‘Cocaine’ drink re-emerges as ‘Censored’ – Daily News and Analysis
An energy drink that was barred by the US government from going on the market with the name “Cocaine” will re-emerge under the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Censored.”

DRUGS – USA
Next Generation Of Latino Drug Abuse Experts At University Of Houston To Learn, Teach – Medical News Today
National experts on drug abuse in the Latino community will be at the University of Houston for a week long conference to address current issues and research, and guide new scholars as they study the problem.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol at home can cut teenage binge drinking, study says – Guardian Unlimited
Teenagers who drink alcohol with their parents are less likely to binge drink, according to a survey of 10,000 children which backs the continental style of introducing teenagers to small amounts of alcohol early.

ALCOHOL – CHINA
Study shows alcohol as major cause of death in Switzerland – China View Health
Alcohol is a major cause of death -- in many cases premature -- among the population in Switzerland, Swiss Radio International quoted a study as saying on Thursday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Officials urge Anheuser-Busch to warn of risks with alcohol, energy drinks – The Stamford Advocate
Attorneys general in 27 states on Thursday urged Anheuser-Busch Inc. to issue warnings about the risks of mixing alcohol with caffeinated energy drinks.

METH – USA
State police warn parents about ‘new’ meth – The Journal Press
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine is a very addictive Schedule II stimulant drug that can be taken orally, it can be snorted, injected, or smoked. Abusers can become addicted very quickly and need higher doses more often.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Availability of prescription drugs puts young people at risk – The Herald Tribune
The killer typically attacks via our bathroom medicine cabinets, or worse yet, is allowed to attack under the guise of a legal medical prescription.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Warn Teens about Prescription Drugs – 13 WAHM TV
Prescription medications can change a teen's life in seconds. One moment they’re strong and athletic, and the next, they’re headed to the hospital emergency room barely breathing.

DRUGS – UK
UN urges random drug tests for drivers – Yahoo News
Ordinary drivers and workers who operate heavy equipment or do other hazardous jobs should be subject to random drug tests similar to the spot checks police in some countries now conduct for alcohol.

DRUGS – USA
10+ Percent of Adults Abuse or Become Dependent on Drugs – Kansas City infoZine
Drug abuse refers to the intense desire to take drugs at the exclusion of other activities, and dependence occurs when the body becomes physically dependent on an illicit substance.

DRUGS – USA
Rally 'kools' kids' temptations to abuse drugs – The Jackson County Floridan
“Drugs can stop your heart from beating" read one of the signs at the third annual Kool Kids Day, where third-graders from the five-county area learned that drug and alcohol abuse can not only break the hearts of those who love you, it can literally break your heart.

May 9th Drug Addiction News

DRUGS – USA
Drug dealers peddling new kid-friendly mixes – MSNBC
Meth, heroin laced with candy and strawberry flavoring to appeal to youth.

DRUGS – THIALAND
Companies 'clever at giving alcohol a good image' – National Multimedia
Alcohol companies are very clever at creating a good image of drinking by sponsoring sports and musical events, a mass communications lecturer said yesterday.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Manufacturer Takes Steps To Help Reduce Teen Drinking – North Country Gazette
Beam Global, the nation’s largest distilled spirits company, has adopted a comprehensive set of new policies designed to reduce exposure of its advertising to underage persons.

METH – USA
'Our No. 1 drug problem' – Tucson Citizen
Gov. Janet Napolitano is calling for a crackdown on the cross-border methamphetamine traffic and an expansion of addiction treatment to combat the illegal drug's growing threat to public health and safety.

METH – USA
Meth Strike Force should continue; only question is how – Statesman Journal
It shows what can happens when a community takes charge of a problem instead of leaving it for someone else to solve.

METH – USA
Is meth becoming the new white collar drug? – WFIE TV
It seems meth is used by everyone - from housewives, to teachers, to attorneys. Last Friday, police arrested a second Evansville lawyer on meth-related charges.

May 8th Drug Addiction News

COCAINE – USA
‘Cocaine’ drink yanked from shelves nationwide – MSNBC
Company plans to rebrand the energy beverage after FDA complaints. An energy drink called Cocaine has been from pulled from stores nationwide amid concerns about its name.

METH – USA
Study: Meth addicts in rural areas face more health problems – Journal Star
Experts say rural addicts typically have limited access to treatment facilities and health services, but that’s become even more unsettling in light of a new study comparing meth users living in rural areas with their urban counterparts.

METH – USA
Meth overwhelms the nation – The Daily
While most of us have heard something about the national meth problem, most would probably not term it an epidemic. That’s dangerously incorrect, and our ignorance of the problem is leading to its fast proliferation in our very own backyard.

METH – USA
Meth Update – Oroville Mercury Register
Many parents may needlessly worry that their teen or even preteen is using alcohol or other drugs. There may be a political conflict between a child's rights as a member of a free society and a parent's obligation as a caretaker of a developing individual.

METH – USA
Candy-Flavored Meth Targets New Users – CBS News
Officials say the "designer meth" can smooth the chemically rough ingestion of the drug, making it easier for first-time users to try.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Parents, Check Your Medicine Cabinet –
If it passes later this month, a bill introduced by Suffolk County Legis. Lynne Nowick (R-St. James) will ban the sale of DXM products to minors. What could be bad about that?

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens seen turning to legal drugs for a 'high' – The Daily Record
The latest drug danger for teenagers and young adults is not new; it's legally purchased prescription drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Few parents tune in to teen drug talk – The Daily Herald
Information about drugs favored by local teenagers and how best to connect with them were some of the things parents learned at a special program staged by Warren Township High School on Thursday night.

DRUGS – USA
More Than 10 Percent Of Adults Abuse Or Become Dependent On Drugs During Their Lifetime – Science Daily
Approximately 10.3 percent of U.S. adults appear to have problems with drug use or abuse during their lives.

DRUGS – USA
Dramatic play changes opinions of drug abuse: study – Yahoo News
A dramatic play about drug abuse can change the opinions of the audience and even prompt them to donate money to prevention programs.

May 7th Drug Addiction News

DRUGS – UK
Don’t do drugs…Drugs are bad…Okay? – Drink and Drugs News
Let's learn from the failures of drug education in schools and change the emphasis to drug prevention.

METH – UK
Crystal meth: coming to a town near you – Times
It has been an epidemic in America and a major problem in many other parts of the world. Now it may be our turn to be hit by the world’s most addictive drug

DRUGS – GERMANY
Report Paints Mixed Picture of German Drug and Alcohol Use – DW World
Germany's annual report on drugs and addiction was released this week showing a overall decrease in drug-related deaths, but alarming data on prescription drug addiction and youth drinking.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine use rising locally – Standard Speaker
Cocaine use may have eclipsed heroin in the Hazleton area for the first time in years, according to police and a drug-prevention expert.

COCAINE – USA
Crack cocaine now a local ‘epidemic’ – The Daily Review
While methamphetamine use has declined in Bradford County, crack cocaine use has now reached “epidemic” proportions in the county.

METH – USA
Meth marks the Tier: What you should know about this dangerous drug – Press and Sun-Bulletin
Meth is a very large problem in this country as well as the world. It shows no boundaries and spares no one. Since d-Meth was invented, the meth epidemic has taken off.

METH – USA
Dealers' latest lure: sweetened meth – Indianapolis Star
Manufacturers adding powdered drink mix to bitter drug to take edge off for new users.

METH – USA
Strawberry Quick, Meth's Dangerous New Form – Associated Content
They are calling this new form of meth "Strawberry Quick" and it looks like Pop Rocks candy that sizzle in your mouth. In it's current form, it is dark pink in color and has a strawberry scent to it.

CODEIN – UK
Taking painkillers can make your headaches worse – The Daily Mail
Taking too many headache tablets can made headaches worse, doctors have warned.

DRUGS – USA
Substance Use Among Young Military Personnel Differs From Civilians – Join Together
Young adults in the military report substantially different patterns of substance use than their civilian counterparts.

DRUGS – USA
Study finds alcohol advertising and marketing are associated with adolescent drinking – RAND
Children's exposure to alcohol advertising during early adolescence appears to influence both beer drinking and their intentions to drink a year later.

METH – USA
New form of meth heading this way; 'Strawberry Quick' combines drug with mix to give better taste – The Benton Courier
A new form of methamphetamine called "Strawberry Quick," targeted at a new, and possibly younger, market, could make its way into Saline County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen girls, young women outpace males for prescription drug abuse, dependence – Battle Creek Enquirer
A new data analysis finds alarming trends in prescription drug abuse. While overall illicit drug use is declining, the abuse of prescription drugs, particularly narcotic pain killers, remains disturbingly high.

May 6th Drug Addiction News

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alice shops urged to stop selling mouthwash with alcohol – ABC Regional News
One pharmacist is no longer selling mouthwash, after noticing a 500 per cent increase in sales over the past few weeks.

ALCOHOL – UK
New study suggests alcohol promotes breast tumour growth – Cancer Research UK
Scientists have discovered that breast tumours in mice given the equivalent of two alcoholic drinks per day grow twice as fast as tumours in mice given no alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Local study links alcohol to brain shrinking – MetroWest Daily News
A new study by a researcher at Wellesley College found that increased alcohol consumption is related to a reduction in brain volume.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Press Release - Alcohol Advertising Review – The Scoop
In their report released today the Alcohol Advertising Review Steering Group has made some useful recommendations however, they have fallen short of doing what is necessary to reduce youth drinking and reduce alcohol-related harm.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol Report Findings Disappoint Health Group – NewsWire
A health lobby group says a report favouring industry self-regulation over liquor advertising does not go far enough.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol advertising report released – The Scoop
Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor today released a report into alcohol advertising.

ALCOHOL – USA
WW County youths use alcohol – The Union Bulletin
The 2006 Healthy Youth Survey, taken by the Washington state Department of Health, shows Walla Walla County youths above the state average in alcohol consumption by as early as sixth grade.

ALCOHOL – SWEDEN
RAND Study Finds Alcohol Advertising And Marketing Are Associated With Adolescent Drinking – All American Patriots
Children's exposure to alcohol advertising during early adolescence appears to influence both beer drinking and their intentions to drink a year later.

ALCOHOL – USA
Campaign takes aim at underage drinking in Montgomery County during May — and beyond – The Journal Review
Parents of pre-teen and teen-age children can help reduce underage drinking by beefing up their “supervisory” skills, through a campaign launched in May by the A.H.E.A.D. Coalition.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol & proms: A deadly mix – Daily Courier
For high school students everywhere, prom is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. And it is right around the corner.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Getting High From Prescription Sleeping Pills – Local 10 News
The new party pill for teenagers is a popular sleeping pill. It's easy for young people to get the pills because millions of Americans already have them at home in their medicine cabinets.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol: the problem – The Age
Australia's cultural love affair with booze is jeopardizing the country's health and taking a large chunk out of its hip pocket.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol: the solution – The Age
There is a recurring problem in the attempt to reduce alcohol harm. "What's popular doesn't work and what works isn't popular."

May 4th Drug Addiction News

DRUGS – USA
ONDCP Claims Pot Potency Doubled – Join Together
The report from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project said the average THC content in seized marijuana samples was 8.5 percent, up from about 4 percent in 1983.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking Prevention Mailings Effective, Study Says – Join Together
Problem drinkers who received informational mailings reduced their binge drinking by 10 percent, according to a study by University of Alberta researchers.

RITALIN – AUSTRALIA
ADHD is born in classrooms – The Daily Telegraph
Teachers were diagnosing a "hyper" child with potential ADHD because schools did not have sufficient resources to find educational answers.

DRUGS – USA
Study: Large Number of Students Abuse Drugs – My VLT 2 News
Shocking new concerns about drug abuse in Knox County, according to the Metropolitan Drug Commission, alcohol remains the most commonly used substance by high school students.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Girls' Prescription Drug Abuse Up – Time Magazine
Females are bucking the traditional drug abuse trends when it comes to prescription drugs such as antidepressants and tranquilizers.

DRUGS – USA
Hanover Park details drug test plan – The Daily Record
A small but supportive group of about 40 parents showed up Wednesday night for the Hanover Park Regional High School District's panel discussion of its proposed drug-testing policy.

April 30th Drug Addiction News

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Michigan Ranks Among Top States In Nation In Teen Abuse Of Prescription Drugs – Medical News Today
The latest research shows that Michigan has one of the highest rates of teen prescription drug abuse in the country, as teens turn away from street drugs and use prescription drugs to get high.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol liver deaths double since 1997 – STV TV
The number of people dying as a result of alcohol related liver failure has doubled since 1997.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine Purer And Cheaper Despite Drug War – WJZ
Cocaine prices in the United States have dropped and the drug's purity increased, despite years of effort and nearly $5 billion spent by the U.S. government to combat Colombia's drug industry.

METH – UK
Meth abuse spreading through the UK – Press TV
The use of methamphetamine otherwise known as 'crystal meth' or 'ice' is a highly addictive drug and spreading throughout the United Kingdom.

METH – USA
Meth production flourishes south of the border As a U.S. crackdown against meth labs and precursor chemicals has been drying up domestic production in recent years, the Mexican cartels are enthusiastically filling the void.

METH – USA
Crow community walks against meth – Billings Gazette
Students here made a public stand against methamphetamine Friday.

METH – USA
Fighting meth from your computer: Drug-awareness video is available – The Observer
Rio Rancho has a new tool for people who want a crash course on methamphetamine.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking Alcohol Linked to Breast Cancer – Medical Breakthroughs
Alcohol is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer, even when consumed in moderation. Now, new animal studies confirm alcohol consumption stimulates tumor growth and malignancy of breast cancer.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol and our young - Trenton Times
As hard as we try, as much as we preach, and as media coverage resounds, still more and more young people die before their time thanks to a totally preventable cause: alcohol abuse.

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.

April 24th Drug Addiction Headlines

DRUG ABUSE – AUSTRALIA
Drug laws don't protect public: study – The Age
The authors of a new study showing illicit drug use cost Australian business $3.3 billion in one year say the law enforcement approach to drugs has failed to protect people and commerce.

DRUG ABUSE– AUSTRALIA
War on ice targets foreign supply – The Age
Australian police will increase their presence overseas as part of the federal government's new push to tackle the ice epidemic.

ALCOHOL – INDIA
Alcohol Abuse During College Days Leads to Heart Disease in Later Life – MedIndia
Students who drink heavily during the college days has an increased chance of getting heart disease in the future, reports researchers at the American Heart Association's 8th Annual Conference on Arteriosclerosis.

ALCOHOL – USA
High schoolers get lesson on alcohol safety – Carroll County Times
Alcohol may not be available to teenagers legally, but during senior week, they are going to get it anyway, according to one school resource officer.

DRUG ABUSE – USA
Drug study: Avenues exist besides the drug culture – The Daily Collegian
A recent study brought some very disturbing information to light: Almost half of college students nationwide, about 3.8 million people, binge drink or abuse

RITALIN – USA
Experts say linked to long list of school shooting sprees – WorldNetDaily
Investigators also may want to check his medicine cabinet, because psychiatric drugs have been linked to hundreds of violent episodes, including most of the school shootings in the last two decades.

ALCOHOL – USA
Plenty of reason to worry about teens and alcohol – Bucyrus Telegraph Forum
Clearly, alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs on the market today. Every year it is ranked as one the most common causes of death for teens and young adults.

METH – USA
An edgy, honest look at meth addiction – KTVA News
With prolonged meth use, a person will experience drug cravings, severe weight loss, withdrawal-related depression, rapid tooth decay or meth mouth.

April 23rd Drug Addiction Headlines

ADDICTION – PAKISTAN
Drug addiction festering menace posing serious threat to young scions – Associated Press of Pakistan
Drug addiction, a festering menace is not only injurious to an individual but also imperils the health of the entire social fabric with fast cascading impact.

METH – AUSTRALIA
$150m to tackle ice epidemic – Melbourne Herald Sun
A NEW $150 million drugs package to tackle the in Australia is expected to be announced by Prime Minister John Howard today.

CANNABIS – UK
Heavy cannabis use by teens is more dangerous than alcohol – The Independent
Heavy users of the drug were between three and six times more likely to use other drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Prom season - Authorities on lookout for alcohol – Hagerstown Morning Herald
As prom and graduation season approaches, local law enforcement officials have a message for teens - and their parents. By all means celebrate, but we'll be watching.

ALCOHOL – USA
Lower drinking age vs. alcohol abuse – Pahrump Valley Times
Among college students, drinking has gone "off campus and underground," increasing risks while decreasing institutions' abilities to manage the risks.

DRUGS – UK
Deadly new drug being peddled on Chippenham's streets – Wiltshire News
D01 is a powerful amphetamine which is injected into the blood stream and is being pushed by dealers in the town

PRESCRIPTION – INDIA
Prescription drugs, ganja-the new "in" thing – Zee News
From an occasional puff or a beer -youngsters in the country are now stepping up their party style, causing concern among parents as well as law enforcement agencies.

METH – CANADA
Salvation Army tackles crystal meth problem – Canadian Christianity
Crystal Meth, she said, needs special attention because it differs from other drugs in several ways. It is easily produced, cheap and readily available, and it also leads to quicker and more permanent brain damage than other drugs.

ALCOHOL –USA
La Crosse Police Hold First Alcohol Education Class – WKBT News
Those who received a public intoxication warning in La Crosse are getting an eye-opening look into the dangers of binge-drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
DRUG ABUSE SURVEY: Alcohol tops list of drug concerns – My Web Times
Survey results clearly show alcohol is the most common substance abused by youths, a finding that did not surprise school officials and coalition members.

METH – USA
Forum will focus on anti-meth effort – Statesman Journal
A panel of officials, including state Rep. Betty Komp, will talk at a town-hall meeting about efforts to fight the illegal drug methamphetamine.

April 18 Drug Addiction Headlines

HEROIN – USA
“Cheese” heroin killing kids in Dallas – Hot Air
As many as 17 Dallas County teenagers have died since 2005 from overdoses of the popular new form of heroin known as “cheese” – the most visible sign yet that more youths are caught in the grip of a growing crisis.

METH – USA
Scottsdale Students Get First Look at Arizona's New Meth Prevention Campaign – PR Newswire
Earlier today at Cocopah Middle School in Scottsdale, a classroom of eighth-graders got a first look at some of the television and print advertisements that depict the detrimental impacts of Meth use and that will ultimately be seen by teens across Arizona.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis use rife among teens – Scenta News
Research from Queen’s University Belfast has discovered that one in ten school children who had reported using cannabis at least once had now become daily users.

ALCOHOL – UK
British least likely to be breath-tested – Times Online
Britain has one of the worst records in Europe for reducing deaths from drink-driving, according to a study that calls for much tougher enforcement of the limit.

HEROIN – USA
Lethal heroin drug mix plagues Dallas schools – Seattle Times
The number of Dallas students getting hooked on a new drug called "cheese" is skyrocketing, with arrests for the heroin mix up 82 percent this school year.

CANNABIS –UK
One-third of pupils have tried cannabis by the age of 15 – The Independent
One in three young teenagers have used cannabis, some on a daily basis, according to new research. The study appears to confirm growing fears among teachers that joints have become the 21st-century equivalent of smoking behind the bike sheds.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth Making Its Way To Siouxland – KTIV News
Methamphetamine labs are declining in number in the Hawkeye State after a state law disrupted the flow of some raw materials used to make meth.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Cramming students cautioned against taking stimulant without prescription – CBC News
It is not known how many students are using Dexedrine to study. Robin Tribble said its use is widespread among her friends in first year who live in residence. Some of the people are now dependent on Dexedrine for studying, she said.

April 17 Drug Addiction Headlines

HEROIN – USA
An Innocent Name For A Deadly Drug – ABC News
A New Kind Of Heroin Called "Cheese" Is Turning Teens Into Addicts And Causing Deaths.

ADDICTS – USA
Revolving Door for Addicts Adds to Medicaid Cost – The New York Times
With grim humor, some doctors in New York call them “frequent fliers” — addicts who check into hospital detoxification units so often that dozens of them spend more than 100 nights a year in those wards.

BENZODIAZEPINE – AUSTRALIA
Hotline reveals community under a hypnotic spell – The Australian
SLEEP medicine specialists have been amazed by the publicity surrounding recent reports of hundreds of callers inundating a Queensland pharmacy hotline with stories about unusual side effects after taking the world's most commonly prescribed hypnotic, zolpidem (Stilnox in Australia and Europe, Ambien in the USA).

COCAINE – USA
Legal Cocaine Will Soon Be Available – Associated Content
The Redux Beverages Company has been warned by the FDA about its packaging and promotion of a new drink being introduced by the company.

METH – USA
Osborne talks to students about meth addiction – KHAS TV News
He may no longer be a Congressman, but that is not slowing down Tom Osborne from working to improve the meth problem in Nebraska.

METH – USA
Community on Ice: The Meth Epidemic – LasVegasNow.com
Methamphetamine abuse in Nevada has been described as an epidemic problem. The Silver State ranks number one in the country for meth users over the age of 12.

METH – DENMARK
Gritty New Ads for Montana Meth Project Show Effect on Family and Friends – AdLand
Known for its gritty and hard-hitting portrayal of meth use, the latest ads for the Montana Meth Project don't disappoint.

ALCOHOL – USA
School to enforce alcohol-free dances with breath tests – The Dallas Morning News
Students at Wahlert High School are being tested to make sure they're not DUI – dancing under the influence.

PRESCRIPTION – INDIA
Youths pop prescription pills to get a high – Daily News & Analysis
An occasional puff or a beer are no longer cool enough for youngsters to get a high. Narcotics are now the ‘in-thing’ and youth are turning to prescription medicines, especially painkillers and cough syrups, to get their high.

April 16 Drug Addiction Headlines

HEROIN – USA
`Cheese' plague escalates in Dallas school district – Ohio.com
The number of Dallas students getting hooked on a new drug called "cheese" is skyrocketing, with arrests for the heroin mix up 82 percent so far this school year.

METH – NEW ZEALAND
Aussie opposition launches anti-meth plan – Stuff New Zealand
Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said use of methamphetamine – including speed, ice and crystal meth – was rife with a recent study suggesting 100,000 Australians of all ages used the drugs in the last week.

METH – IRELAND
Baking Soda Could Go Behind the Counter – The Epoch Times
A Missouri state legislator is seeking to regulate baking soda sales in hopes of curbing crack cocaine production.

METH – CANADA
PROTOCOL IN PLACE TO PROTECT METH'S YOUNGEST VICTIMS – Manitoba Government
New measures to help protect Manitoba communities against the devastating effects of crystal meth, including mandatory procedures for decontamination and assessment of children found in home-based meth labs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Forum addresses teens' drug and alcohol abuse – Contra Costa Times
IN A RECENT survey given to Pleasanton's high school students, 17 percent of ninth graders and 35 percent of 11th graders admitted to drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.

April 13 Drug Addiction Headlines

METH –USA
Six States in Richmond for National Meth Trafficking Conference – WRIC
Richmond played host to Attorney General's from six states at a national conference focused on the trafficking of methamphetamine.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drug and Alcohol Choices -- Prom Night – WHAM ABC News
The idea is to help students make good choices about alcohol and other drugs on prom night. A new brochure offering safety tips, information regarding teen drinking, and other common prom facts.

ALCOHOL – UK
Sport 'must ban drink sponsors' – Metro UK
Drinks companies should be banned from sponsoring professional sport because too many children are slipping into alcoholism, a teachers' union has warned.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Binge drinking worse than drugs – The Age
Binge drinking, not alcoholism, is the biggest problem associated with liquor, the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF) says.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Meth use rife among young adults: study – The Age
Methamphetamine use is rife among Australians in their 20s with new figures showing more than one in five have tried the dangerous stimulants.

DRUGS – NEW ZEALAND
Drug scandals put schools at 'high risk' – New Zealand Herald
Australian schools have been rocked by new drug revelations following studies showing a high rate of drug use among the country's teenagers.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Meth use widespread among young Aussies – ABC News Online
New statistics on drug use show Australians are the biggest users of ecstasy and amphetamines in the English-speaking world.

METH – USA
Campaign Launched to Combat Crystal Meth Use – ABC 7 News
West Hollywood is launching a campaign to combat the use of crystal meth in the gay community. Experts say within the community, use is not only more prevalent but also linked to high-risk sex acts and higher rates of HIV infection.

April 9 Drug Addiction Headlines

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Nine Students Face Suspensions Over Prescription Drug – WBAY
Next week, Kimberly's school board plans to suspend nine freshmen high school students for giving and receiving the drug Adderall on school property.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drugs, availability to children seen as main problems – The Evening Tribune
The city's drug problem may not be getting worse, but it is changing.

DRUGS – UK
Theatre is an educational tool in the fight against illicit drugs – Medical News Today
A new study finds that theatrical drama is an educational tool in the fight against drug addiction and abuse.

METH – USA
County hears of teen's meth use – The Daily Astorian
Rice presented a graphic, no-nonsense report on the highs and lows of meth use, complete with the signs that someone is using and ways to detect a meth lab.

METH – USA
How to Tell if Your Home Was Once A Meth Lab – WVLT News
Meth labs don't just land the dealers who get caught running them, in jail. They also leave a lasting and often dangerous impression on the home, apartment or business where they are busted.

DRUGS – USA
Elkhart Helps Keep Teens Drug And Alcohol Free – WNDU News
Parents in Elkhart County are able to get complimentary home alcohol saliva and drug tests, to test their children.

METH – USA
Flavored meth aims to addict new users – San Diego Union Tribune
Experts say the sweet flavor of “Strawberry Quick” may lure new users because it masks methamphetamine's bitter taste when snorted.

ALCOHOL – GUAM
Social costs of alcohol abuse – Pacific Daily News
Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among Guam's adolescents, and used by more young adults than any other illicit drug.

METH – USA
April meth awareness programs – Alamogordo Daily News
The Otero County Meth Prevention/Treatment Coalition continues in our efforts to educate the community about the devastating effects of meth abuse on our youth, families and communities.

METH – USA
Community invited to local meth forum – Nevada Appeal
A methamphetamine forum on Tuesday will give parents and other interested members of the community information about the drug and what can be done to combat the growing problem of meth abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
2-ounce alcoholic drink called teen lure – North Jersey Media Group
They have a 12 percent alcohol content and are sold for less than a dollar, advertised as shots to be drunk alone or added to beer.

April 6 Drug Addiction Headlines

DRUGS – USA
Drug Abuse Prevention: Theater Motivates People To Help – Science Daily
A new study finds that theatrical drama is an educational tool in the fight against drug addiction and abuse.

DRUGS – UK
New Study Looks At Peer Pressure And Implications For Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse – Medical News Today
Why do young people smoke cigarettes or use alcohol or drugs? What skills do they need to avoid starting these habits?

METH – USA
Candy-Coated Crystal Meth – The Hilltop
As if crystal methamphetamine, more commonly known as crystal meth, was not enough of a threat to rural America, meth manufacturers are now creating a candy-colored and flavored variety of the drug along with cartoon characters to recruit younger users.

DRUGS – CANADA
Thinking outside the hot box – The Gazette
Ritalin and alcohol, while legal, have potentially deadly side-effects on the heart and liver, respectively. On the other hand, marijuana has fewer detrimental effects, especially if it isn’t smoked.

ALCOHOL – USA
WHA sixth-graders complete alcohol use prevention program – Walker Pilot Independent
The goals are to delay the age when youth start using alcohol, to reduce alcohol use among students who have already tried alcohol, and to limit the number of social, emotional and behavioral problems related to alcohol use in young people.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription-Drug Abuse Major Problem In Northeast Kingdom – Caledonian Record
Prescription-drug abuse may be a bigger problem than heroin in the Northeast Kingdom.

April 5 Drug Addiction Headlines

METH – USA
Film reveals impact of meth in community – The Lake Country Echo
The devastating impact of methamphetamines in Minnesota is undeniable as revealed recently in a documentary entitled, "Revealing Meth in Minnesota."

COCAINE – USA
Peru's President Urges Air Strikes Against Cocaine Factories – HULIQ
Peru's President has urged the use of the military to destroy jungle factories that produce cocaine.

DRUGS – USA
Study links illegal stimulant use to increased risk of stroke – UT The Daily Texan
A recent study conducted by the UT Southwestern Medical Center provides researchers with further evidence of a correlation between frequent amphetamine and cocaine usage among young adults and the occurrence of strokes.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen abuse of prescription drugs on rise – Wilson Daily Times
Law enforcement agencies and other organizations in Wilson say this area doesn't currently have a significant problem with teenage prescription drug abuse. But if families don't take care to monitor their children, authorities warn, that could change.

ALCOHOL – UK
MP shocked by amount of alcohol on the streets – Blyth Wansbeck Today
UNDER-AGE drinking on the streets has left a borough MP 'shocked and dismayed' after he witnessed the level of disorder caused by drunk youths.

METH – USA
Dealers now selling candy flavored drugs to youngsters – Casa Grande Valley Newspaper
Well, a new kind of methamphetamine that has a strawberry flavor and bright pink coloring has hit the market.

DRUGS – UK
Toxic bin fumes 'drug of choice' – BBC News
Setting wheelie bins on fire and sniffing the fumes is the new "drug of choice" for youths.

April 4 Drug Addiction Headlines

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Feds: Prescription drug problem in N.J. – Cherry Hill Courier Post
3 percent of residents have abused prescription drugs in the past year, with about 6 percent of those aged 18 to 25 reporting they have misused a prescription drug.

ALCOHOL – USA
April is Alcohol Awareness Month – SAMHSA
To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April is designated “Alcohol Awareness Month.”

DRUGS – USA
Drugs Are in the Water. Does It Matter? – The New York Times
Residues of birth control pills, antidepressants, painkillers, shampoos and a host of other compounds are finding their way into the nation’s waterways.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Reserve struggling with abuse of prescription drugs – The Amherst Daily News
Using pliers to rip out healthy teeth just to get a narcotics prescription. Twelve-year-olds having sex with men in exchange for narcotics.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Feds cite New Jersey prescription drug abuse problem – Newsday
New Jersey has a significant prescription drug abuse problem, White House drug policy officials said Monday.

METH – USA
Community fighting meth – Arizona Range News
Willcox Meth Task Force works to educate residents, prevent drug use.

DRUGS – USA
Authorities warn of new drug trend – Dublin Courier Herald
Parents are being warned by Dublin Police about a new drug trend hitting kids as early as middle school.

DRUGS – USA
The secret history of Big Pharma's role in creating and marketing heroin, LSD, meth, Ecstasy and speed – Newstarget
As you'll read here, drug companies actually invented many of the street drugs now considered to be the most devastating, including heroin and meth ("ice").

DRUGS – USA
Drug deaths on the rise in Tennessee – WREG Memphis News
The number of deaths in Tennessee caused by taking prescription drugs is now almost equal to the number of murders according to a new report.

April 3 Drug Addiction Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
How Much Alcohol is Too Much? – Health News Digest
With so many reasons to drink, it can be hard to know how much is too much and when the line is crossed between the use and abuse of alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Views from the QCA: Wake up to teen alcohol abuse – Quad-Cities Online
Here are some troubling facts: Each day, more than 7,000 kids in the U.S., under age 16, take their first drink of alcohol.

METH – USA
CBU students create anti-meth video – The Cape Brenton Post
The students have been researching crystal meth for several months and presented their findings and the final version of an educational video.

METH – USA
Children of meth can inspire rescuers, parents – Statesman Journal
Members of Salem’s Drug Activity Response Team keep snapshots of children’s faces on their wall. That’s how they get the stomach to enter drug homes where bugs feast on dried food and meth sits within easy reach of kids.

METH – USA
We hope it's a new trend; meth use appears to drop – Madison Daily Leader
Meth is one of the worst drugs to fight. It produces incredible euphoria and an insatiable desire to do it again, while causing some of the worst physical damage of any street drug.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine, amphetamine abuse linked to strokes – CNN Health
Cocaine and amphetamine abusers increase their risk of suffering strokes.

April 1 Drug Addiction Headlines

METH – USA
Stronger meth is on the market – WALB News
A small dose of meth-ice, a more potent form of the typically seen meth.

METH – USA
Meth, heroin were equally fatal to Oregonians in 2006 – The World Link
Though heroin and meth were equally fatal in 2006, the results represent a sharp diversion from numbers posted a decade ago.

OPIUM – USA
Could Afghan Opium Trade Go Legal? – Business Week
Despite efforts to eradicate Afghanistan's opium production, the problem keeps getting worse. And the Taliban insurgency is the primary beneficiary.

METH – USA
Police: New Candy-Flavored Meth Targets Young Users – KSBW Channel News
Authorities said drug dealers are adding color and candy flavor to methamphetamine, making it more appealing to young users.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Finds 49% of US College Students Are Abusing Drugs or Alcohol – Lifesite
A new report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found that forty-nine per cent (3.8 million) of full time college students binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
April is Alcohol Awareness Month – eMaxHealth
On March 30th Vermonters gather to kick off Alcohol Awareness Month at the 9th annual "Day of Recovery"at the Statehouse.

ALCOHOL – USA
A booze buzz for teenyboppers? – MSNBC
Anheuser-Busch product so adorable it draws fire from alcohol abuse camp.

MARIJUANA – USA
Is Marijuana Kosher For Passover? – Washington Post
In Israel they won't be passing many dubbies this Passover. The country's pro-pot Green Leaf Party ("Aleh Yarok") has sent a mass e-mail to its members warning that hemp-related products may be a no-no for those who keep Kosher during Pesach.

METH – USA
Former meth addicts appear in videos given to schools – Tucson Citizen
A teenager describes chewing the palms of her hands until they bled. A young woman wonders if she'll ever be able to have children. A gaunt man with a scarred, weathered face asks whether young people want to wind up looking like him.

DRUGS – USA
Drug addiction affects more people than just the abuser – OC Register
If anyone reading this is "dabbling" in drugs, thinking it will only hurt him- or herself, read on...

March 30 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol top killer – Herald Sun
An internationally recognised study found 72,000 young people suffered alcohol-related deaths in the developed world during 2000, with young Australians and Britons the most in danger.

ADDICTION – USA
City of Phoenix Tackles Meth Addiction – KTAR News
On the street, it's referred to as uppers, speed, crank, crystal and glass. But, no matter what you call it, meth is dangerous.

DRUGS – UK
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Survey – Home Office
ALMOST half of young people aged between 11 and 15 have never had a proper alcoholic drink, six out of ten have never smoked and drug taking prevalence has dropped.

METH – USA
DEA: Candy-flavored meth is new ploy by drug dealers – WBIR News
Reports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people.

ALCOHOL – UK
Tide Is Turning In The Fight Against Substance Misuse Amongst Young People, UK – Medical News Today
In 2006, 21 per cent drank alcohol in the previous week, dropping from 26 per cent in 2001. Almost half of the young people surveyed said they had never had a proper alcoholic drink.

HEROIN & METH – USA
Meth, Heroin Lead List Of Drug-Related Deaths – KPTV Fox News
Drug-related deaths in 2006 were the highest in Oregon since 1999, according to an annual report released by the Oregon state medical examiner.

METH – USA
Meth-related deaths set a record in Oregon in 2006 – The Oregonian
Deaths related to methamphetamine were at an all-time high in Oregon in 2006.

METH – USA
Warriors Against Meth to present conference at BCC on March 30 – The Glacier Reporter
"Warriors Against Meth" is a group begun in 2003 by Tana Fleury as a way to get people together who wanted to make a dent in a problem recognized by many but thus far solved by no one.

METH – USA
Flavored Meth – KAUZ News
By now we've all heard about the dangers of meth. That's why dealers are creating a new lure to target your youth.

METH – USA
Meth dangers chronicled – Whistler Question
The crystal meth “wave” hasn’t hit the two towns, but community members should know what to look for so they can identify methamphetamine labs and dump sites if the deadly drug begins to move in.

METH – USA
‘Ice’ becomes drug enforcement nightmare – MSNBC
Ice is a powerful form of the stimulant methamphetamine and is very addictive.

METH – USA
The quest against meth is just beginning – The Southern
If you ever doubted the deadly power of methamphetamine, one look at the front page of Wednesday's issue of The Southern Illinoisan might have changed your mind.

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 27 Drug Headlines

CANNABIS (SKUNK) – UK
So how dangerous is skunk? – The Independent
Our decision to drop The Independent on Sunday's 1997 decriminalise cannabis campaign has been applauded and decried throughout the world. At the heart of the controversy is the link between skunk and schizophrenia.

TRANQUILIZER – USA
Prescription drug abuse on the rise – WHOI ABC News
Medical professionals say they are seeing more and more people abusing prescription drugs.

METH – GERMANY
Meth Now Comes In Flavors – Short News
The newest thing to come to the meth problem facing the US is flavored Meth. Officers have found meth on the street in flavors such as cola, Strawberry Quick, and chocolate.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey: Drug, alcohol use by 12th-graders down – The Daily Record
Drug and alcohol use among local 12th-graders has decreased slightly in the last two years, according to recently released numbers from the statewide Healthy Youth Survey.

METH – USA
DEA sees flavored meth use – AZ Central
Reports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse-prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people.

March 26 Drug Headlines

CANNABIS – BULGARIA
The Independent:UN warns of cannabis dangers as it backs 'IoS' drugs 'apology' – Focus News
The United Nations has issued an unprecedented warning to Britain about the growing threat to public health from potent new forms of cannabis.

METH – CANADA
Meth curse can strike anywhere – Edmonton Sun News
A city drug cop says the meth-induced downward spiral of the privileged daughter of Alberta's top judge proves the demon drug doesn't discriminate between victims.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug dangers, focus of campaign – NBC News
It's spring cleaning that could save someone's life. Operation Medicine Cabinet is getting parents to throw out unused drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol, tobacco make top 10 list of risky drugs – MSNBC
British study rated the substances more dangerous than marijuana, Ecstasy.

METH – USA
Yuma, we have a problem: Meth is everywhere – Yuma Sun
You could pretty much go to any neighborhood and probably find meth - either someone using it or selling it.

METH – USA
Meth dealers hit the schoolyards with a new bag of tricks – Catoosa County News
Meth is old news in Georgia. Since appearing on the scene around 2001, it quickly became the state’s fastest spreading drug problem.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin a problem in Valley schools, police official says – East Valley Tribune
Parents leaving Gilbert’s annual drug prevention seminar Thursday night felt prepared to begin a conversation with their kids about drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol, drugs and violence impact the youth – eMax Health
A new survey of Washington students shows most kids are saying no to alcohol, drug use, and other risky behaviors, but too many continue to risk their health.

OPIUM – CANADA
Ninety per cent of British heroin is from Afghanistan, says U.K. attorney general – Victoria Times Colonist
Ninety per cent of the heroin in Britain comes from Afghanistan’s booming poppy trade.

METH – USA
'Meth is a monster,' says recovering addict – Ventura County Star
Methamphetamine has invaded Ventura County. In the past five years, addiction to this devastating stimulant has surpassed heroin, cocaine and other drugs

March 21 Drug Headlines

CANNABIS – UK
Record number of youngsters seek help for cannabis problems – Norwich Evening News
An increasing number of young people are suffering severe mental health problems as a result of smoking cannabis, new figures have revealed.

CANNABIS – UK
Police issue warning about super strength Cannabis – ic Liverpool
Strength cannabis so potent that just one puff can cause schizophrenia is being grown by Merseyside drug gangs.

METH – USA
Community group forming to fight meth – Rome News Tribune
A local non-profit group is forming a community coalition to fight the effects of methamphetamines.

METH – USA
County helps fund meth task force – Glenwood Springs Post Independent
A regional study of methamphetamine use and related crimes is under way that will help quantify the problem in Garfield County.

ALCOHOL – USA
Teen alcohol laws apply to everyone – The Olympian
A new initiative has been launched in Washington state to curb teen alcohol consumption and to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking.

ALCOHOL – USA
Report: Fewer City Teenagers Using Drugs And Alcohol – NY1
Health officials say fewer city teens are using drugs and alcohol, but there is still reason for concern.

ALCOHOL – USA
Report: Drug, alcohol use down among NYC teens – ABC News
Drug and alcohol use about city teens is declining, and it's actually below the national average.

March 20 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Montana airs provocative anti-meth ad campaign – WAVY TV 10
Jarring, provocative, and effective is how some describe Montana's efforts to keep teens away from meth.

HEROIN – USA
Dallas Health Warns of Dangers of Cheese Heroin – eMax Health
Heroin is an old drug that is making a major come back in a new form known on the streets as cheese.

COCAINE – USA
West Africa becomes a hub for cocaine traffic to Europe – Baltimore Sun
A landmark shift in trafficking routes has transformed West Africa into a hub for cocaine smuggling from South America to a booming European market.

ALCOHOL – USA
Video steers teens away from alcohol, drugs – The Grand Rapids Press
A video from Mothers Against Drunk Driving will be in the back of Cameron Morgan's mind when he faces choices dealing with alcohol.

METHADONE – USA
Using methadone as a painkiller is proving deadly – The Wichita Eagle
The increasing use of methadone for pain relief, rather than to help people overcome addiction, has led to a sharp spike in deaths, both nationally and in Kansas.

ALCOHOL – USA
Increasing Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among the Nation's 'Best and Brightest' – The Epoch Times
College presidents are reluctant to take on issues they feel they cannot change and this growing public health crisis reflects today's society where students are socialized to consider substance abuse a harmless rite of passage.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis addiction soars as drug gets stronger – Daily Mail
Record numbers of teenagers are having treatment for addiction to super-strength cannabis.

METH – CANADA
Stay away from meth, pregnant women warned – Star Phoenix
It's very difficult to know the (troubles) that meth causes in humans because there's very little documentation about what they're exposed to.

CANNABIS – UK
How the Independent on Sunday got it horribly wrong on Cannabis – Transform Drug Policy Foundation
The facts are all over the place. On the front cover Jonathan Owen informs us that skunk today 'is 25 times stronger than the resin sold a decade ago'.

CANNABIS (SKUNK) – UK
Skunk and soap – The Guardian
Two products: heavily reconstituted hashish from Morocco, known as soap, and indoor-grown skunk.

SLEEPING PILLS – AUSTRALIA
One in ten Aussies pop sleeping pills – The Age
Popular sleeping tablet, Stilnox, can have bizarre side-effects, prompting some people to binge eat or even drive while asleep.

March 19 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Use Joins Binge Drinking as Campus Drug Problems – Join Together
A new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) finds that 49 percent of U.S. college students ages 18-24 are binge drinkers and that growing numbers of students are misusing prescription drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Young people able to buy beer at stores even without proper ID – Pacific Institute
Clerks at grocery and convenience stores were more likely to sell alcohol to a young person without asking for an ID than other stores.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking And Drug Abuse On The Increase Among US Students Report Says – Medical News Today
A new study suggests that binge drinking and drug abuse is on the increase among American students and that colleges should do more to address the problem.

METH – USA
Montana Gives Meth a Face – Associated Content
Montana teens are tuning into more than music videos these days. The state has launched a provocative ad campaign in hopes of fighting the rampant use of meth within its borders.

ADDICTION – USA
Drug Addiction vs. Drug Dependence: Same or Different? – About News
The fear of addiction keeps doctors from prescribing opioids to relieve pain and keeps patients from controlling their pain.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Drinking and Prescription Abuse Growing at Colleges – WLNS
A new report says binge drinking and prescription drug abuse are a growing problem among college students.

METH – USA
Seminar looks at how children are affected by meth use in their homes – Salem Times Commoner
Children living in meth labs might as well be taking the drug directly.

ALCOHOL – ROMANIA
College Life Oozes Drug and Alcohol Abuse – Playfuls
Almost half of U.S. college students dabble one time too many in alcohol, marijuana, sedatives, painkillers and stimulants – they might call it freedom and independence, but they are risking their lives.

METH – USA
Eagle Meth Meeting Focuses on Growing Drug Problem – Fox 12 Boise
The governor's March Against Meth began 15 days ago, and already several communities have gotten involved.

SKUNK – USA
Skunk: How the 'safe' drug of choice for the hippy generation became a serious health hazard – The Independent
In 1997, when this paper called for decriminalisation, 1,600 people were being treated for cannabis addiction. Today, the number is 22,000.

DRUGS – USA
New Anti-Drug Ad Hits the Airwaves – Pushing Back
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE) released a new public service announcement.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
E.R. Visits Up for Prescription Drug Abuse – About: News
A new report indicates that abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs is increasing, while the abuse of illegal drugs remains about the same.

ALCOHOL – USA
Adolescent Drinking: It is Not Just About Limiting Media Exposure – RAND
Pro-drinking messages are delivered to adolescents through mass media, peers, and adult drinking behavior.

METH – USA
Montana Fights Meth, and Pulls No Punches – ABC News
Montana is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to methamphetamine addiction, and it's one of the best at coping with it.

METH – USA
Class to help fight against meth – The Wabash Plain Dealer
The Southwood High School Adult Farmer Committee and Purdue Extension of Wabash County will host a Meth Awareness class Monday, March 19.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Oregon Has High Rate Of Painkiller Abuse – KOIN News
Oregon has one of the highest rates of painkiller abuse in the nation, especially among teenagers.

March 16 Drug Headlines

HEROIN – USA
Heroin use on rise in Nevada County – The Union of Grass Valley
While methamphetamine is still the drug of choice in Nevada County, two other narcotics are emerging on the scene - heroin and OxyContin - powerful and addictive substances.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine confounds eradication efforts – San Luis Obispo Tribune
Colombia supplies 90 percent of cocaine that ends up in the U.S.

METHADONE – USA
Doctor speaks out against methadone – The Times-Journal
A local hospital physician told the DeKalb County Commission there are dangers associated with methadone.

DRUGS – USA
Health Highlights: March 15, 2007 – Washington Post
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of Health Day.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Kids Selling Prescription Drugs: Expert Says Problem Widespread – KETV
A drug prevention expert said teens and parents need to talk about the dangers of using and abusing prescription drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – AUSTRALIA
Prescription drugs on campus – The Daily Telegraph
PARENTS of university students often have binge drinking and class fees to worry about, but now a greater danger is threatening their children - prescription drugs.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking, pill abuse intensify at colleges – MSNBC
Report warns of dangers of ‘extreme’ substance abuse among students.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge drinking among young stays high in EU – MSNBC
Survey: 1 in 5 15- to 24-year-olds have more than five drinks a session.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
Ireland heads alcohol binge drinking ranking in Europe – Fin Facts Ireland
Binge drinking across Europe remains a problem in Ireland, the UK, Finland and Denmark.

DRUGS – USA
"Alarming Crisis" As More College Students Abuse Alcohol/Drugs – All Headline News
Among full-time college students, it is reported that 49 percent (equaling 3.8 million students) binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study: Prescription drugs a problem on campus – CNN Health
About half of U.S. college students binge drink or abuse drugs, and the number who abuse prescription medication such as painkillers is up sharply.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA: Sleeping pills can cause 'sleep-driving' – CNN Health
All prescription sleeping pills may sometimes cause sleep-driving, federal health officials warned Wednesday.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
F.D.A. Issues Warning on Sleeping Pills – The New York Times
Prescription sleeping pills can cause unusual behavior like driving and eating while asleep.

March 15 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Crackdown on serving alcohol to minors – Vail Daily News
It could happen on any given night at any given bar. Minors trying to order alcohol is not an uncommon event in Eagle County.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Sleeping Pill Advertisement Targeting Children Illustrates Need for Congress to Reform Prescription Drug Ads – Yuba Net
This advertisement geared to children going 'back to school' is outrageous, and we urge the FDA take stronger and more timely actions in cases such as this.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Emergency Room Visits Climb for Misuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs – Media Newswire
Emergency room visits related to the nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, increased 21 percent from 2004 to 2005.

METH – USA
Dangers of Methamphetamine – News 10 Now
Participants in Tuesday's Methamphetamine meeting found out everything from signs and symptoms, the different types and how it's made.

OPIUM – IRAN
NATO predicts opium-free northern Afghanistan in few years – Islamic Republic News Agency
According to assessment by experts in Afghanistan, the entire northern half of Afghanistan will be opium free in a few years.

OPIUM – USA
Afghanistan's poppy conundrum – Spero News
This year's eradication campaign in Helmand seems to be accomplishing little except beefing up support for the Taliban.

COCAINE – UK
Cocaine problem on the rise, police reveal – Newry Democrat
People think that only the bad ones take drugs but there are a lot of good kids using them as recreation. The downside is that a lot of parents say their kids are only smoking blow and that it won’t do them any harm. That’s not true.

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis cultivation ‘booming’ in Britain but law enforcement hitting local supplies – Drugscope News
Growing cannabis commercially near the point of sale can dramatically increase profits, but this increases the risk of detection. There are significant implications for police resources in trying to keep up with the growers who are becoming increasingly smart in establishing new farms and avoiding arrest.

March 14 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Docs Call for Ban on Alcohol Ads in College Sports – Join Together
The American Medical Association (AMA) is paying for a series of ads in college newspapers calling on schools to stop accepting alcohol advertising during college sports events.

HEROIN – USA
Boston-Area Heroin Use Declining – Join Together
A new report from the Boston Public Health Commission indicates that heroin use may be declining in the Boston area, reversing a trend that has raised alarm about use of the drug in recent years.

DRUGS – UK
Substance abuse project extended – BBC News
A project tackling drug and alcohol misuse among children is being extended, it has been revealed.

HEROIN – RUSSIA
Russia hit by flood of heroin – ABC News
Last year, Afghanistan produced a record crop of opium poppies; production increased by nearly 60 per cent. It's now begun hitting the streets of Europe as high-grade heroin, and healthcare workers are bracing for a surge in drug overdoses.

HEROIN – BULGARIA
Heroin-the Most Often Drug-Traffic Powder in Bulgaria – International News
Heroin has the biggest part of drug traffic in Bulgaria.

ALCOHOL – USA
Survey finds many county youngsters drink alcohol – Journal Times Online
Nearly one in four Racine County eighth-graders have drunk alcohol in the past month, according to a study by a local nonprofit organization.

DRUGS – USA
Misuse of pharmaceuticals linked to more ER visits – USA Today
Overdoses of prescription and over-the-counter drugs are sending more people than ever to emergency rooms.

OPIUM – AUSTRALIA
Afghan opium crop plagues European streets – ABC Online
While it remains an open question as to who's winning the war on terrorism, in Afghanistan at least, there's no doubt who's winning on the second front in that country the drug war.

METH – USA
Auburn Forum to address Meth use – Roseville and Rocklin Today
The purpose of the forum is to increase awareness of meth abuse in communities such as Auburn, identify how drug-related behavior affects communities and brainstorm about possible solutions.

March 10 Drug Headlines

HEROIN – USA
New Report Shows Heroin Abuse Decreasing – Boston Channel
Heroin abuse in the city has stabilized in the past year, but alcohol remains a major substance of abuse.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drug Abuse Increases In Southeast Texas – KBTV
Authorities say prescription drug abuse is out of hand in Southeast Texas.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Ads in NCAA Sports Targeted – Central Florida News
Full-page ads in college newspapers Friday call on university leaders, athletic conferences and the NCAA to "stop the madness" by banning alcohol marketing from college sports.

ALCOHOL – USA
Extra Mile applauds surgeon general’s actions – Fremont Tribune
Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life.

METH – USA
Flavored meth targets children – Idaho Press Tribune
Idaho drug and law enforcement officials are on the lookout for a new brightly colored version of methamphetamine that is either strawberry or chocolate flavored, resembles rock candy and targets the youngest potential addicts.

March 8 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Surgeon General Calls for Action on Underage Drinking – Join Together
Noting that alcohol "remains the most heavily abused substance by America's youth," acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H., called for government, school officials, parents, communities, and youth themselves to do more to prevent underage drinking.

METH – CANADA
‘People’s lives are destroyed’ – Williams Lake Tribune
Last week Williams Lake Indian Band hosted a workshop to help front-line workers get up to speed on drugs, particularly crystal methamphetamine, or just crystal meth.

OPIUM – NEW ZEALAND
Opium Production Could Rise Yet Again, UN Reports – Scoop, Independent News
After Record Afghan Crop In 2006, Opium Production Could Rise Yet Again, UN Reports.

METH – USA
Anti-meth group to launch new ads – Montana Forum
Targeting 1st-time users.The project was started by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation in 2005 with the goal of significantly reducing first-time use of meth by teenagers.

ALCOHOL – USA
Surgeon General Urges Action on Underage Drinking – Treatment Online
In an official confirmation of a widely recognized issue, Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu issued a call to arms regarding underage drinking, calling alcohol the "drug of choice" for teens and urging all corners of society to act toward minimizing the problem.

METH – USA
Meth seminar to focus on helping service workers – Black Hills Pioneer
Meth affects everyone in the community, even people who may never give it a second thought.

METH – USA
State, counties plan anti-meth ad campaign – Tucson Citizen
Adolescents with rotting teeth, bloody sores and other disfigured features will grace Arizona TV screens and newspaper pages next month as part of $5 million campaign against methamphetamine use.

MARIUJANA – CANADA
More young people smoke pot than tobacco, survey finds – The Vancouver Sun
Average age of first marijuana use is 14.7 years, compared to 13.9 years for tobacco and 14.1 years for alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study: 7.2 million U.S. teens binge drink – MSNBC
Americans need a wake-up call about the widespread use of alcohol by millions of underage drinkers.

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.

March 6 Drug Headlines

DRUGS – USA
Drug testing kids a bad idea, doctors say – MSNBC
Screening for substance abuse often inaccurate and leads to loss of trust.

MARIJUANA – USA
Video appears to show brothers, 2 and 5, smoking pot – CNN News
Police in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, said a videotape found in a search for stolen goods appears to show two teenagers persuading a 2-year-old boy and his 5-year-old brother to smoke marijuana.

DRUGS – USA
Teens and drugs – Hometown Life
Parents can play a bigger role than they may think in whether their children become drug users.

ALCOHOL – UK
Binge-drink battle gets £12m fund – Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews
A consortium of the UK's biggest alcohol companies is backing a £12m marketing initiative to promote responsible drinking among consumers.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
Prescription abuse outstrips illegal drug use, UN warns – Guardian Unlimited
The abuse and trafficking of prescription drugs, including painkillers and stimulants, has overtaken the use of nearly all illegal drugs with the sole exception of cannabis.

METH – UK
Crystal meth increasing problem – BBC News
The highly addictive drug crystal meth is moving away from clubs and becoming more widely available on London's streets, a drugs court judge reveals.

ALCOHOL – UK
Middle Aged Boozers Drink Themselves To Death – Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews
While teenage binge drinking makes most of the headlines, it is actually those in their thirties, forties and fifties who are more likely to drink themselves to death.

ALCOHOL – USA
Health Tip: Who Should Avoid Alcohol – Austin American Statesman
Here is a list of people for whom any amount of alcohol is dangerous and should be avoided.

March 4 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Governor kicks off "March Against Meth" month – IDAHO News Now
If your child hasn't heard about meth, they just might, thanks to a statewide campaign to educate children about the drug.

METH – USA
Toxic Meth Chemicals Lead to New Bill – My Fox Cleveland
According to DEA, the toxic chemicals used to make meth get into everything from walls to woodwork to carpets to furniture and can remain there for up to ten years.

METH – USA
Police On The Lookout For Strawberry Meth – Local ABC News
There's a new method drug dealers are using to get kids hooked on methamphetamine. It's called strawberry meth.

ALCOHOL – IRELAND
60% of pregnant women drink alcohol – The Irish Times
It examines trends in the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs by over 120,000 pregnant women during the past two decades.

METH – USA
Faces tell methamphetamine story – The Dalles Chroniclce
The faces of meth are not pretty. King has put together a video showing the effect prolonged use of methamphetamine has on people. His pictorial subjects were inmates at the Multnomah County Jail.

DRUGS – USA
U.S. report cites friends, foes in global drug war – MSNBC
In its annual global survey of the drug war, the department said massive opium poppy production in Afghanistan, long the world's top producer of the main ingredient for heroin, continued to pose a major threat

OPIUM – USA
Opium called key – Kansas City Star
Success in Afghanistan depends less on defeating the Taliban than it does on curbing the country’s opium trade and cleaning up corrupt courts and police.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin activity in county rises – Longmont FYI
The Boulder County Drug Task Force is investigating an increase in heroin-related activity that officers say is illustrated by five fatal overdoses over the past five months.

Feb 27 Drug Headlines

DRUGS – USA
Discontinuing Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Detox or Maintenance – Addiction helpBlog
Treatment using Buprenorphine (Suboxone) may be stopped or discontinued by a physician for many reasons.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone Abuse is Our Fastest-Growing Drug Problem – Treatment Online
Initially developed as a drug to treat patients suffering from the often extreme elements of opiate withdrawal, methadone has become one of the most widely abused drugs in the world.

ALCOHOL – UK
'I drank so that I felt as if I belonged' - Telegraph
Alcohol-related deaths are soaring among young girls. Here, one former binge-drinker gives Michael Shelden a brutally honest insight into the highs and lows of excess.

PRESCRIPTION - USA
Survey Finds Teens and Parents Think Abuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medicines is Safer Than Illicit Drug Use – Drug Free America
A new study released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and the MetLife Foundation found that more than a third of teens (40 percent) and parents (37 percent) think teen abuse of prescription pain killers is safer than abuse of illicit street drugs.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Drink risks don't stop boys – The Australian
TEENAGE boys ignore the risks of binge drinking despite knowing they are three times more likely to kill themselves than girls who drink.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Binge booze takes one young life each week – Australia’s News Network
YOUNG Victorians are dying of alcohol-induced violence and accidents at the rate of one a week with regional youth at greater risk than city counterparts.

ALCOHOL – Australia
Alcohol Prevention More Difficult For Young Men To Swallow – UNSW
Young men are three times more likely to die from alcohol-related injuries than females. To make matters worse, new research released today shows that they do not respond to school-based drug education as well as their female counterparts.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Finds Reduced Brain Growth In Alcoholics With Family Drinking History – Medical News Today
The brains of alcohol-dependent individuals are affected not only by their own heavy drinking, but also by genetic or environmental factors associated with their parents' drinking.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Officials Warn Parents About Prescription Drugs – KMBC-TV
Federal officials said nearly one in five teens has abused prescription drugs -- and many are getting them right from home.

METH – USA
New Ads Tackle Meth With A Touch Of Horror – Press Release Newswire
Wyoming Department of Health's Meth Campaign Strikes Fear In Wyoming Residents: Difficult to watch, the ads resemble scenes from horror movies.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone emerges as new killer – Baltimore Sun
Methadone, a potent opiate once used almost exclusively to treat heroin addicts, is increasingly being prescribed by doctors as a pain medication and abused by drug users searching for a cheap, easy way to get high.

Feb 26 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Senator Cogdill Fights To Remove Methamphetamine Problems – My Mother Lode News
Senator Dave Cogdill is pushing hard to remove the problem of methamphetamine out of the Central Valley and rural California.

METH – USA
Personal horrors aid meth fight – Kansas City Star
The camera draws in on a young woman's face. Her teeth are blackened with decay. Her neck is covered with red sores - the work of a manic methamphetamine addict who can't stop clawing at her own skin.

COCAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
Teens plan 'cocaine parties' via cellphone – IOL
Port Elizabeth high school girls are organising "cocaine parties" via their cellphones, according to media reports.

METH – USA
UCD study: Meth can lead to fatal form of heart disease – Daily Democrat
Young people who use methamphetamine, an addictive, illegal stimulant also known as meth, crank, crystal and speed, more than triple their risk of cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle.

ADDICTION – USA
Middle East's Opium Addiction – Epoch Times International
Thriving drug addiction is one such problem that remains neglected. After the collapse of the Taliban, opium use more than doubled in Afghanistan.

METHADONE – USA
Anna Nicoles family tragedy not atypical – HARMD - Blogger News Network
‘Don’t make us laugh’ respond HARMD (Helping America Reduce Methadone Deaths) - a large lobbyist group formed by families of methadone victims. ‘That hackneyed promo phrase is a bit off, given over 4000 deaths or one for every 50 addiction patients are occurring yearly now’.

ALCOHOL – USA
Turning the tables around on alcohol education in schools – Clanton Advertiser
We all know the best way not to abuse alcohol is not to start, but if you do drink, then you should at least know how to do it safely.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol is killing us … it’s time to show some spirit and fight back – Sunday Herald
LENT BEGAN last Wednesday, an annual opportunity to give up chocolate and to walk to work instead of taking the bus. This year we should forget about the jokey little sacrifices and skip to a big one; if there's one thing Scots could do with giving up permanently it's the booze.

OPIUM – THAILAND
Officials: Drug use on the rise in Thailand – Bangkok Post
The use of illicit recreational and hard drugs is growing again, especially among young people, after a lull during the deadly war on drugs by the former administration of Thaksin Shinawatra, according to officials.

Feb 24 Drug Headlines

METHADONE – UK
Addicts offered a sporting chance – Sunday Herald
A NEW "abstinence" programme which helps drug and alcohol abusers escape their addictions by promoting a healthy lifestyle is set to be introduced across Scotland.

ALCOHOL – USA
PREGNANCY, ALCOHOL BAD MIX – Monterey Herald
Your unborn child eats what you eat and drinks what you drink, and drinking alcohol is no less than feeding your unborn child poison, say a growing number of health-care experts who believe it is time to sound an alarm.

OPIUM – THAILAND
Drugs a rising problem in Thailand – The Nation
The area under opium cultivation has risen 10 per cent to 1,075 rai, while the amount of narcotics smuggled into the country through the northern border has also risen.

METH – USA
‘Life's Great, Don't Meth It Up' – KDBC News
Kids and drugs -- It's a connection parents, teachers and even students have fought for years. Now U.S. Congressman Stevan Pearce is getting involved.

METH – USA
Meth presentation focuses on ways to help – The News Review
Since taping the video years ago that played Thursday night at Umpqua Community College, Dr. Jack Stump — who has lectured about meth for 14 years — has used it and others like it to show the drastic effects the drug has on people.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Growing trend of prescription drug thefts – WRDW News
Investigators say they get reports of thieves taking highly addictive painkillers from the people who need them every week. In some cases, they say the drugs are sold on the streets.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
This country's biggest drug problem is alcohol – The Australian
TODAY about 175 Australians will go into hospital because of a major drugs problem. After tobacco, it is the major drugs problem in Australia, and one that we are not adequately tackling – alcohol.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Teens' prescription abuse up – Daily Iowan
With the introduction of online pharmacies, prescription drugs are becoming easier to obtain, and recent studies show teens are increasingly using the substances recreationally.

ALCOHOL – UK
Big rise in number of young people killed by heavy drinking – The Independent
The alcopops generation are drinking themselves to death, latest figures show.

Feb 21 Drug Headlines

METH – NEW ZEALAND
People power filling gap in drug battle – New Zealand Herald
The Government strategy on methamphetamine is under attack from P campaigners who believe the approach is not working - so they are investing thousands of dollars in their own community campaigns.

ALCOHOL – USA
Students encouraged to participate in alcohol study – UW-Madison News
The University of Wisconsin System is conducting a survey of undergraduates this month to better understand the impacts of alcohol and other drug use by UW students.

ALCOHOL – USA
Surveys examine alcohol use – LHU Eagle Eye
After two consecutive Mondays and Tuesdays of surveying, the Wellness Center and Safe Haven are preparing to compile the data they gathered regarding LHU students and alcohol use.

CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND
Testing for Cannabis may prompt Athletes to switch to P – Radio New Zealand
At least one sports official has suggested that might encourage some athletes to use P, rather than risking being caught for cannabis use.

MARIJUANA – USA
Long-Term Marijuana Use May Impair Lung Function – Washington Post
People who smoke marijuana for a long time face many of the same kinds of respiratory problems -- such as phlegm, coughing and wheezing -- as long-term cigarette smokers.

METH – USA
Silverton students spread the word about meth – Silverton Appeal News
Students saw images of beautiful people whose teeth had rotted, who had sores on their faces and whose weight had dwindled to barely survivable levels.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Drug-laced ‘lollipops’ found at Damascus High School – Maryland Gazette
The lollipop drugs are sold on the street for $20, even though their retail value is $9.

PESCRIPTION – USA
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES FOR PROPER DISPOSAL OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – New and Public Affairs
n the face of rising trends in prescription drug abuse, the Federal government today issued new guidelines for the proper disposal of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs.

DRUGS – USA
Poll: 90% Support Drug Tests for Students – Pushing Back
A poll conducted by the University of South Alabama reveals strong demand for confidential random drug testing programs.

Feb 19 Drug Headlines

OPIUM – MEXICO
Anti-drug raids hit border – The Herald
Officials also said that in the two months since intensive raids began in central and western Mexico they have destroyed almost as many opium fields as plots of marijuana, long Mexico´s principal drug crop.

MORPHINE – USA
Drug test science adapts with the times – Charleston Daily Mail
If lighting up a marijuana joint is in your evening plans, you’d better hope you’re not screened for drugs within the next 30 days.

DRUGS – UK
The terrible logic of kids, drugs and killing – Times Online
Whenever I met young drug dealers who had either shot others or themselves been shot, I wondered whether they had any real notion of death as a permanent state of oblivion.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Makers of Cough Remedies Join with Anti-Drug Coalitions to Fight Medicine Abuse – Consumer Healthcare Products Association
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) today launched a new campaign designed to educate communities about how to prevent cough medicine abuse among teenagers.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deadly risk seen from interactions of OTC, prescription meds – Denver Post
The timing of two recent news items - a national health report and the autopsy of an R&B singer - was coincidental. But coming on the same day, they illustrated a deadly, growing problem with prescription and over-the-counter medications.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Alcohol review targets teens – Stuff
The Government is looking for ways to prevent underage teenagers from getting alcohol as experts point to its devastating effects.

DRUGS – AUSTRALIA
Dope loses its cool – Herald Sun
The drug once perceived as harmless is now overwhelming viewed as dangerous, addictive and linked to a range of serious health and social problems.

Feb 17 Drug Headlines

CANNABIS – UK
Cannabis loses appeal for young people – ABC News Online
A new study has found a third of young Australians think using cannabis is unacceptable, and the majority believe it is a dangerous drug.

MARIJUANA – AUSTRALIA
Pot not hot: weed losing its cool – Sydney Morning Herald
SMOKING a joint is no longer cool among the young, according to a new poll, which found one in three regard it as unacceptable.

ALCOHOL – UK
Revealed: Britain's 12-year-old alcoholics – The Independent
Children as young as 12 are being diagnosed as alcoholics amid growing concerns about binge-drinking in Britain, an investigation by The Independent on Sunday reveals today.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Teens now going for parents' pills, not their booze – The Oakland Press
Some parents of teenagers keep their liquor cabinets locked. Should the medicine cabinet be next?

DRUGS – USA
Disrupting Brain's Stress System Intensifies Opiate Withdrawal – Science Daily
Avoiding the severe pain, nausea, agitation, sweats and other symptoms of opiate withdrawal are among the many reasons addicts are motivated to continue taking drugs.

Feb 14 Drug Headlines

DRUGS – USA
Dobbs: The war within, killing ourselves – CNN News
We're fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money. We're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades.

ALCOHOL – UK
Teenage drinkers face alcohol test – News Scientist
Big Brother has arrived at a high school in New Jersey, determined to stop their students consuming alcohol at weekends.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol use becoming risk by the eighth grade – Topics.com
More than 56,000 children and youth live in Hamilton County, and it's estimated that by eighth grade nearly half of them will have tried alcohol.


PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen abuse of prescription drugs remains a problem, government report shows – Centre Daily
Their use of marijuana may be declining, but teenagers' abuse of prescription drugs is holding steady or in some cases increasing.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Report: Teens Using Prescription Drugs – Journal Gazette and Times-Courier
Many teenagers are obtaining drugs over the Internet, getting them free from friends or taking them from someone's medicine cabinet.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens Turn Away From Street Drugs, Move to Prescription Drugs, New Report Reveals – Earth Times
Report shows that teens are turning away from street drugs, like marijuana and cocaine, and are now abusing prescription drugs to get high.

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 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.

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 6 Drug Headlines

COCAINE – ITALY
Cocaine use on the rise – Wanted in Rome
Cocaine use has more than doubled in Italy between 2001-2005.

METH – USA
Meth addicts stealing sprinkler heads – KVBC News
Thieves are after another metal for drug money. And they've already targeted two neighborhoods in the valley.

ALCOHOL – UK
FTBs willing to sacrifice alcohol and holidays to get on first rung – Assetz News
The pleasures of boozy nights and holidays, sometimes at the same time, go out of the window for many first time buyers trying to get on to the property ladder, claims new research.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Overdoses of prescription drugs skyrocket – Yakima Herald Republic online
Statewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a 10-year period, according to new research.

METH – USA
Crackdown slows meth labs: Sheriff: Mexican ice, a purer form of methamphetamine, takes up slack – Texarkana Gazette
Laws limiting the sale of cold medications containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor to methamphetamine production, have decreased the number of meth labs law enforcement finds in this area.

METH – USA
Small crowd, many questions about meth – Dunn County News
A small crowd asked some big questions at the follow-up community forum on methamphetamine at Colfax High School Tuesday evening.

METH – USA
Second National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis Underway in Salt Lake City – Stop the Drug War
Around a thousand people, including some of the nation's foremost experts in treating, researching and developing responses to methamphetamine use, gathered at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City

METH – USA
Meth Destroying Teeth of Prisoners, Causing Dental Budget to Soar – KRNV News
Methamphetamine use can turn a healthy set of teeth into a rotting mess. And its widespread use is causing a surge in the dental budget of Nevada's prison system.

CANNABIS – UK
YOUNGSTERS INFORMED ABOUT DANGERS OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL MISUSE – Isle of Man Today
Young people are helping to shape the future of drug and alcohol education.

RITALIN – USA
Public School Bonanza – The American Daily
Here are ten reasons why parents should keep their kids in public schools

Feb 5 Drug Headlines

MORPHINE – INDIA
Healing, with a pinch of salt – Hindustan Times
If you ever wanted reconfirmation, here is a living proof that faith can take you where modern-day physicians would fear to tread.

HYDROCODONE – USA
Prescription painkillers causing more fatal overdoses in WA – The Columbian
Statewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a ten-year period, according to new research.

METH – USA
Meth destroying teeth of prisoners, causing dental budget to soar – ABC News
Methamphetamine use can turn a healthy set of teeth into a rotting mess. And its widespread use is causing a surge in the dental budget of Nevada's prison system.

METH – USA
The Salt Lake Methamphetamine Conference Gets Underway – Stop the DrugWar
The 2nd National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis is now in its second day.

CODEINE – AUSTRALIA
Implants fail to stop overdose – Herald Sun
An implant designed to help heroin addicts kick their habit could contribute to their deaths.

METH – USA
County zeroes in on meth use – Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
The Cheyenne and Laramie County Methamphetamine Assessment Report will be released at a news conference and public presentation Thursday at the Cheyenne-Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park.

METH – GERMANY
Meth Addicts now Using Urine to Get High – Short News
Meth addicts and dealers appear to have devised a disgusting new method of administering the illicit substance.

METH – USA
DEALING WITH ADDICTION: Meth punishes users' mouths – Review Journal
Dentists work to correct devastating, unique oral effects of drug

DRUGS – UK
The never ending drug scam – Drug Link blog
For several years, small businesses have been targeted by fraudulent publishing companies over the production of drug education and other materials for school children.

ALCOHOL – USA
Heavy Alcohol Drinking Takes Excessive Toll on Women With Hepatitis C – eMaxHealth
Women tend to survive longer than men if infected with the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus (HCV) - but if they drink alcohol heavily, that survival advantage completely disappears, according to a new study.

ALCOHOL – USA
Program helps parents talk about drugs, alcohol – Foster's Online
It might not be as sexy as talking about the "birds and the bees," but 120 city parents now are better prepared to have a similarly life changing discussion about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

OXYCODONE – USA
Police say man jumped pharmacy counter, stole drugs – KWWL.com
A Marion man has been arrested on second-degree theft charges after allegedly hopping a pharmacy counter and stealing nearly 17-hundred-dollars in prescription medications.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription painkillers causing more fatal overdoses in WA – Seattle pi
Statewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a ten-year period, according to new research.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse big in Livingston County – KQ2.com
Battling drugs that aren’t illegal is the biggest burden in a Midland Empire community. Prescription drugs are among the highest abused in the nation, and right in Livingston County.

Feb 3 Drug Headlines

COCAINE – USA
Passion alone won't rescue Colombia from its narco-economy stigma – Guardian Unlimited
Thanks to the western appetite for cocaine, this stunningly beautiful country has the tourist appeal of Afghanistan.

ALCOHOL – USA
Women And Recovery From Alcoholism – Medical News
PhD candidate Ms Janice Withnall, from the UWS School of Education, is carrying out the project in a bid to better understand the experiences of women who have successfully stopped drinking.

MARIJUANA – CANADA
Hotline launched to combat marijuana grow ops – Toronto News
In an effort to combat a rapidly increasing problem, Toronto police have launched a hotline for tipsters to report marijuana grow operations.

METH – USA
Narconon works to end addiction to meth – Moorpark Acorn
Efforts at reducing the number of methamphetamine labs in the U.S. have been working, but the demand for the drug is being met by meth manufacturers in foreign countries.

METH – USA
Meth Users Turning To Urine To Get High – WJZ.com
When Wright County, Minn. deputies opened up a smelly rented storage locker last June, they had no idea what they would find. Inside a man had stored 50 gallon jugs of urine.

HEROIN – USA
Heroin makes a comeback – Taft Midway Driller
OxyContin addicts using drug to avoid withdrawal pain. People addicted to a powerful pain medicine are turning to an older substitute when they run out of their drug of choice.

METH – USA
New Strawberry-Flavored Meth Hits the Streets – CADCA Coalitions Online
Law enforcement officials in Carson City, Nev. have discovered a new kind of methamphetamine that they fear can be more attractive to young people—bright pink strawberry-flavored meth. The event was reported in the Jan. 29th issue of the Nevada Appeal.

Feb 2 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol In Hand Sanitizer Poses Abuse Risk – CBS
Prison officials and poison control centers can add a new substance to their list of intoxicants — hand sanitizer.

ALCOHOL – USA
S.C. bill would ban alcohol vaporizer – Star News Online
A device that turns liquor into a breathable vapor of oxygen and alcohol would be banned under new South Carolina legislation, even though the product is unknown to some law enforcement groups.

METH – USA
Dismantled meth labs doubled in '06 – Herald Journal
The youth said he believed the contents of the bag were suspicious, based on what he had learned at a meth presentation at the school earlier in the year.

ALCOHOL – UK
'Worrying trends' in drink study – BBC News
East Sussex has the highest rate for under-18s having treatment for alcohol in the South East, a report has shown.

PRESCRIPTION – UK
Drug company 'hid' suicide link – BBC News
Secret emails reveal that the UK's biggest drug company distorted trial results of an anti-depressant, covering up a link with suicide in teenagers.

DRUGS – USA
No Child Left Untested? – Newsweek
The White House wants more schools to adopt random student drug-testing programs. NEWSWEEK talks to advocates on both sides of the issue.

METH – AUSTRALIA
Fight drugs at primary school – The Daily Telegraph
PRIMARY students should be taught about the dangers of drugs along with the alphabet and times tables, the Federal Government's chief drug adviser says.

RITALIN – USA
Senate committee advances Ritalin bill – Salt Lake Tribune
The so-called Ritalin bill that would prohibit school employees from recommending psychiatric medication for students passed the Senate Education Committee Thursday and is now only a floor vote and governor's signature away from becoming law.

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 31 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Too many parents giving children alcohol: report – ABC.net
Parents are being asked to try harder when it comes to controlling their teenagers' drinking habits. The latest report on the problem reveals Australian high school students are getting most of their alcohol from their parents.

ALCOHOL – USA
School Adds Alcohol Urine Test to Curriculum – ABC News
Students at Pequannock Township High School in New Jersey will soon be subjected to a new sort of pop quiz, one that alerts their parents if they have been drinking.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Analysis: Prescription drug ads leave out risks, alternatives – USA Today
An analysis of television commercials for prescription drugs found that few mentioned risk factors or non-drug treatments for the conditions they target, scientists reported Monday.

ALCOHOL – USA
High school to expand alcohol testing – Houston Chronicle
Some teenagers who drink over the weekend could be in big trouble come Monday morning: A New Jersey school district plans to institute random urine tests capable of detecting whether alcohol was consumed up to 80 hours earlier.

ALCOHOL – UK
Excessive Drinking, Not Alcoholism, May Lead To Most Alcohol-Related Problems – Medical News Today
Many people assume that most people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics. A recent survey of 4,761 New Mexico adults found that while 16.5 percent drank alcohol in excess of national guidelines, only 1.8 percent met criteria for alcohol dependence.

ALCOHOL – UK
Awash with alcohol – The Herald
There was no way of putting a decent gloss on yesterday's figures on the death and destruction being wrought by alcohol in Scotland.

ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND
Vitamin D may prevent alcohol-related bone loss – Stuff.co.nz
New research conducted now suggests that vitamin D or the anti-osteoporosis drug Boniva (ibandronate) can prevent alcohol-related bone loss caused by regular binge drinking.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Doctors Criticize TV Prescription Drug Ads – Broadcast Newsroom
A new study claims TV drug ads are education-lite, a claim challenged by the ad industry.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Marketers Blast Drug-Ad Study – AD Week
Advertisers' lobbying groups reacted with anger today at a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine that criticized direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

METH – CANADA
Shaw TV to Air 'Black Ice -The Truth About Crystal Meth' – CNN Mathews
Shaw Communications today announced plans to produce and air a 90 minute eye-opening special about Crystal Meth and its social and economic impact within the province of Alberta.

METH – USA
Strawberry meth removes any doubt about the scope of Carson City's drug problem – Nevada Appeal
The Carson City Sheriff's Department seized "strawberry meth" during a search of a Como Street apartment on Saturday. It was the first time the pink, flavored meth, designed to be more attractive to young people, was found there.

ALCOHOL – UK
Alcohol abuse and crime – The Herald
Problem drinking fuels many crimes: 40% of those in Scotland's jails committed their crime while under the influence of alcohol.

Jan 26 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – NETHERLANDS
Excessive drinking, not alcoholism, may lead to most alcohol-related problems – Press Zoom
Excessive drinking, not alcoholism, may lead to most alcohol-related problems.

METH – USA
A Portrait of the Typical School-Age Meth User – Pride Surveys
The typical student user of methamphetamines is a 17-year old white male who lives with both parents, first tried meth at age 12.6 years, under performs in the classroom, and does not view the drug as harmful to the health.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking May Be Biggest Alcohol Threat: Survey – Food Consumer
A statewide New Mexico survey suggests that most Americans who drink too much may not, in fact, be full-blown alcoholics but rather binge drinkers.

METH – USA
Meth Use Among Females On The Rise – KCPW
Women of child bearing age are a growing demographic among meth users. According to experts from the Salt Lake County Division of Substance Abuse, most women addicted to meth began using due to relationship pressures.

Jan 24 Drug Headlines

DRUGS – CANADA
Flying in the face of facts, governments cling to futile drug strategies – Vancouver Sun
With all the controversy about Vancouver's supervised injection facility, one could easily be lulled into thinking that we've all but abandoned enforcing Canada's drug laws, that we've chosen to emphasize harm reduction at the expense of prevention, treatment and enforcement.

OPIUM – AFGHANISTAN
AFGHANISTAN: Girls and women traded for opium debts – IRIN News
HELMAND PROVINCE, 23 Jan 2007 (IRIN) - On 4 November 2006, Nasima, 25, a member of a local women’s council, grabbed the AK-47 from the policeman guarding the council meeting in the Grishk district of southern Helmand province and killed herself.

METHAMPHETAMINE – USA
DPA to Develop State Methamphetamine Education Program – Drug Policy Alliance
Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico will create a statewide education program to address methamphetamine abuse among high school students, using a nearly $500,000 grant obtained by U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico) through a Department of Justice appropriations bill.

ALCOHOL – UK
Protecting fetuses from mothers who drink – New Scientist
Taking cholesterol supplements during pregnancy may prevent at-risk mothers from conferring alcohol-related damage to their growing fetus, according to a preliminary study in zebrafish.

Jan 22 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol mixed with other drugs proves popular with students – Melbourne Indymedia
Old research has already found many high school children are increasing the risks of drug use by mixing different substances.

PESCRIPTION – USA
Report: Drug deaths on the rise – The Derrick and News Herald
In addition, reports show that more people are using more potent and addictive drugs than in years past.

DRUGS – USA
LETTER: Honest communication – Lufkin Daily News
It's smart business to educate our kids about the risks of using drugs. But that message is best delivered by qualified health care professionals and counselors, not by uniformed police officers and DARE.

CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA
Cannabis, alcohol ‘most popular mix’ – The Age
Cannabis and alcohol are the most popular combination of drugs for Australian students, and the general population, research shows.

ADDICTION – USA
Professor to discuss meth issues – Record Courier
Bolstered by community interest, the Partnership of Community Resources is hosting a University of Nevada, Reno, professor Thursday who is to discuss the medical aspects of methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Rising meth use ripples through community – Amador Ledger Dispatch
When it comes to the toll the rise in methamphetamine use is taking on the nation and its cities, the health effects can get especially ugly.

DRUG – CANADA
Drug Endangered Children Act gives police tool to halt abuse
As a member of Edmonton's green team, RCMP Cpl. Ian Gillan has seen too many heartbreaking cases of young children being neglected or abused because of their parents' drug activity.

Jan 19 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Mirren refuses alcohol at awards – Rx PG News
Actress Dame Helen Mirren, who recently won the best actress trophy at the Golden Globes, does not resort to alcohol to fight her nervousness at awards functions because she is scared she will embarrass herself.

METH – CANADA
Play gives voice to Meth – Kamloops This Week
Witness the destructive power of meth through the words of those who have struggled with the ruthless addiction to which it can lead — and participate in the healing.

METH – USA
Daily HIV/AIDS Report – Kaiser Network
Some health officials are concerned that the ease with which people can use the Internet to find crystal methamphetamine and sex partners will lead to an increase in the number of new HIV cases among men who have sex with men, Reuters reports.

METH – USA
Meth is Death Week' to draw attention to problem – The Daily World
A county-wide observance will be conducted next week to raise awareness about the continuing methamphetamine problem in Greene County.

PRECRIPTION – USA
Prescription Drugs: The One Thing You Should Never Share – FOX News
There are several reasons why you should never share a prescription with someone-- even if you think it will help the person.

DRUGS – USA
Group fighting teen drug, alcohol use – Cannon Falls Beacon
According to a 2004 student survey, 7% of Cannon Falls sixth graders admitted they had drunk alcohol during the past year, and the percentage rose to 42.5% for the freshmen class. An astonishing 79.5% of the 2004 senior class acknowledged drinking one or more times.

ALCOHOL – USA
Increased TV Alcohol Ads Creating Young Drinkers – The HOYA
If you watch television tonight, you are much more likely to see an alcohol ad than you were six years ago. Largely as a result of a decision by liquor companies to end their voluntary ban on television advertising, in 2005 there were 34 percent more alcohol ads on television than in 2001.

DRUGS – USA
Jackson County Student Drug Testing – ABC News
In 2005, the school district received a grant to administer drug tests to students who participate in clubs, sports and band.

Jan 17 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Parents working together to prevent teen alcohol use
Keeping track of teens can be tough for parents and worrying about whether they are drinking or even doing drugs can be especially worrying, but some parents at Algonquin and Westborough high schools have created a network so they can keep in touch with each other.

METH – USA
The highest highs the lowest lows – The Columbian News
Years before brain scans proved his theory, Dr. Jack Stump figured the toxic brew known as methamphetamine irreversibly damaged the areas that control behavior and emotion.

ALCOHOL – USA
Young Drinkers Turn to Alcohol to Relieve Stress – Join Together
One of the reasons that people who start drinking at a young age tend to become problem drinkers when they get older is that they are more likely to use alcohol for stress relief, the Washington Post reported Jan. 11.

Jan 10 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – UK
Dealing with alcohol-related problems at work – Norwich Union Risk Services
A new guide has been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to help small medium-sized businesses deal with alcohol-related problems at work.

METH – USA
Meth problem worth all the attention it receives – Nevada Appeal
It's possible that nobody you know uses meth, but that doesn't mean the drug isn't affecting your life.

ALCOHOL – USA
Binge Drinking Common Among High Schoolers
Researchers working with the CDC and SAMHSA have released their analysis of data that has been culled from the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The group was looking into rates of binge drinking, defined as drinking five or more drinks in a row, among high school students.

METH – USA
Meth Call Center
It has become Nevada's most serious drug problem, and it's getting worse.

HEROIN – USA
'Candy' an articulate look at heroin addiction – Scripps News
Too much of a good thing isn't much fun. And too much of a bad thing that feels like a good thing for a while - even though you and everyone around you know it's actually a bad thing - can be deadly.

METH – UK
Frequent methamphetamine use associated with primary NNRTI resistance in gay men – Aids Map
Frequent methamphetamine use is associated with primary resistance to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) in gay men, according to a study conducted in San Francisco and published in the January

Jan 9 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
'Meth' destroys health of mind, body, community – American Air Force
Methamphetamine is a threat to the safety and health of communities around Air Force bases, but Drug Demand Reduction Program offices and local law enforcement agencies are stepping up to combat the threat.

METH – USA
Placer County Unveils Meth DVD – KCRA.com
Placer County officials on Monday unveiled a new weapon in the war on methampheatimine abuse -- a new DVD.

ALCOHOL – USA
Dentists Sink Their Teeth Into Fighting Alcoholism, Patients Approve - Study Shows Most Feel Comfortable Discussing Drinking Habits With Their Dentist – Medical News Today
Addiction experts at MUSC say the link between oral cancer and heavy drinking makes dentists ideal sources of alcohol intervention.

ADDICTION – CHINA
China targets primary, middle school students to combat drug addiction
Drug addiction has increased by 54 per cent nationwide in the last seven years but China has achieved some success where it counts most, among primary and middle school students, a senior anti-drug official said on Monday.

ALCOHOL – PHILIPPINES
Alcohol intoxication or poisoning in kids – Sun Star Davao
ETHANOL is the common cause of alcohol intoxication or poisoning. It is mostly present in alcoholic beverages, over the counter medications and cold preparations.

Jan 7 Drug Headlines (and 6 & 5)

PAINKILLERS – USA
Arthritis sufferers "misusing painkillers" – Park Tribune
Thousands of patients with severe arthritis are adding over-the-counter medication to prescribed drugs because GPs are limiting their doses amid safety fears, it is claimed today.

PRESCRIPTION – INDIA
More Americans Die Due To Side Effects From Prescription Drugs Every Year: Report - Med India
According to a newly published article by genetics and law experts at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, legal liability is a powerful driver that could dramatically hasten the development of personalized medicine.

CODEINE – NEW ZEALAND
Dry Mouth Condition Affecting Younger People – News Wire
A chance discovery by Otago University, in research about a little-known dry mouth condition called xerostomia, is generating interest worldwide.

ALCOHOL – USA
Many Hispanics Shun Help for Alcohol Abuse – Forbes.com (Healthday News)
Hispanics and blacks with alcohol problems are less likely than whites to seek help, a new study finds.

ALCOHOL – UK
Youngest Drinkers Likelier To Use Alcohol For Stress Relief As Adults – Medical News Today
The younger someone starts drinking alcoholic beverages, the more likely he or she is to reach for a drink to relieve stress when older, a large new study suggests.

Jan 3 Drug Headlines

COCAINE – UK
COCAINE BINGERS ARE DICING WITH DEATH – The Daily Record
RISK-TAKING Scots are endangering their lives by mixing booze and cocaine.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen Prescription Drug Use on the Rise – Kait8.com
It's a growing problem with teens and it's probably already in your home. According to a University of Michigan study, teen drug use has declined 23% since 2001. While that is an encouraging statistic, not all teen drug use is seeing the same drop.

METH – USA
Commissioners support ‘Meth is Death Week' in county – Daily World
The Greene County Commissioners went on record Tuesday morning supporting a county-wide methamphetamine public awareness campaign planned later this month.

METH – USA
Meth Scare; Did the last person living in your home smoke meth? Does it matter? –Salt Lake City Weekly
Nicole says her mother watched a local TV news broadcast last November about a do-it-yourself kit to test for meth contamination in homes and became convinced her granddaughter’s earaches were caused by Utah’s scariest drug.

METH – USA
Researcher Studies Meth Exposure on Kids – First Coast News
A University of Montana researcher is exposing laboratory mice to methamphetamine smoke to try to determine the long-term effect of the illegal drug on children who live in houses where meth is manufactured and used.

ALCOHOL – USA
Resolution to imbibe less goes awry — already. Myriad of conflicting medical studies are enough to drive this writer to drink – MSNBC
The fruitcake’s been digested, the gift cards are empty, and now it’s time to face the most grueling holiday task of all: the annual reassessment.

DRUGS – USA
Drug Abuse Rising Among American Adults – Treatment Online
Despite claims to the contrary by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, drug abuse in America is generally not on the decline, and the most dramatic increases in the use of illicit substances and related health problems have been among middle-aged adults. While most report first using illicit substances in their teens or early twenties, the most common age for death by overdose is now around 45.

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol Alert; Young Adult Drinking - NIAAA
Too often today’s headlines bring news of yet another alcohol-related tragedy involving a young person—a case of fatal alcohol poisoning on a college campus or a late-night drinking–driving crash.

ALCOHOL – USA
Drinking Can Lead To Pancreatic Tissue Death In Patients - Simple Solution Found To Stabilize Pancreatic Attack – Medical News Today
Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is linked to a variety of health woes, including acute pancreatitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas which can lead to permanent organ damage.

Jan 2 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Teens binge drink, U.S. study finds – CNN Health
Nearly half of all U.S. high-school students admit to recently drinking alcohol illegally, and most of them were binge drinkers, according to a government survey published on Tuesday.

METH – USA
Montana researcher unlocks dangers meth holds for kids – Times-News
The dope is cooked over a backpacking stove instead of on a putrid hot plate, and the woman in a lab coat and latex gloves is a post-doctorate fellow, not a drug manufacturer.

PAINKILLERS – USA
A Painkiller Reminder - Washington Post
A recent Food and Drug Administration proposal to add stronger warning labels to several popular types of over-the-counter painkillers, noting they pose a risk of liver and stomach damage, shouldn't scare most consumers into avoiding the products entirely, experts say.

METHADONE –USA
Methadone toll hits W.Va. hardest – Charleston Gazette
A new study reveals that almost 4,000 Americans died of an overdose of the prescription drug methadone in 2004, more than any other prescription narcotic.

Dec 29 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – USA
Alcohol, crowded roads are a bad mix this weekend – Statesman Journal
New Year’s Eve packs a dangerous combination of factors: lots of drivers hastening to parties, lots of alcohol flowing.

METH – USA
Tahoe teens win anti-meth film grant – The Union
A group of Kings Beach teens will become movie producers, actors and camera operators this January as they educate the community about the dangers of methamphetamine.

Dec 28 Drug Headlines

OPIUM – INDIA
Rebels boosting poppy business in Myanmar – Hindustan Times
Poppy trade is flourishing in Myanmar, thanks to the activities of a rebel group that has the support of the country's military regime, a media report said.

GENERAL – USA
New Year's Eve, A Time to Help Those with Addiction – CBS News
New Year's Eve parties are the devil for people who are struggling with an addiction. "That belief that everyone should go out and celebrate and, of course, most celebrating involves alcohol, and so I do believe that it's a definite time of relapse for a lot of people," says Wausau Health Services Director Deborah Piskoty.

ALCOHOL – UK
Every day more than 70 victims seek help after alcohol-fuelled attacks – Scotsman News
ALCOHOL-FUELLED violence is responsible for nearly 30,000 admissions to Scotland's hospitals each year and the problem is getting worse, according to a stark new report.

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Happy Healthy Holidays! – Body and Health
This time of year, many festivities involve alcohol. And with social events sometimes around every corner, it's easy to let our alcohol consumption increase.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine use increases artery tears & stroke risk – Zee News
Washington, Dec 27: Methamphetamine use may be associated with increased risks of major neck artery tears and stroke, according to an article published in the December 26, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

ALCOHOL – USA
Brains Can Recover From Alcoholic Damage But Patients Should Stop Drinking As Soon As Possible – Medical News Today
The findings, published in the online edition of the journal Brain [1], used sophisticated scanning technology and computer software to measure how brain volume, form and function changed over six to seven weeks of abstinence from alcohol in 15 alcohol dependent patients (ten men, five women).

GENERAL – USA
Are Drugs Not Approved By The FDA Safe? - Health Lifeline
We go to the doctor, get a prescription and assume it is safe, but each year, physicians and pharmacists unknowingly give patients drugs that don't have the government's OK.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Study: Teens Using More Prescription Drugs – kxan.com
A new study shows the lengths some teenagers are going to to get high. They're using everything from Ritalin to painkillers. Some are even crushing, then snorting the prescription drugs.

METH – USA
Meth might hurt ability to feel normal pleasure – The Post and Courier
Ronald See, a professor of neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina, said the effects of methamphetamine may be more damaging than some other illegal drugs because it produces a long-lasting high of eight hours or more.

Dec 21 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Riding Under The Influence: New Study Shows More Than A Quarter Of High School Students In Atlantic Canada Have Accepted Rides With Drunk Drivers – Medical News Today
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Canadian teenagers, and according to recent statistics, alcohol is involved in 40% of these fatalities.

PRESCRIPTION – CANADA
Teens Popping Prescription Drugs Like Vicodin More Often - eCanadaNow
Los Angeles (eCanadaNow) - A new study finds that fewer teens are using illegal drugs than ever before but more teens are using legal drugs more often

DRUGS – USA
Methamphetamine Update: 'Tis the Season – ChicoER.com
The following is another poem from an addict reflecting the travesty of addiction and the hope that recovery offers. THE DARK BEFORE CHRISTMAS

DRUGS – USA
Study: Teens getting high on legal drugs – CNN Health
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Slightly fewer adolescents abused illegal drugs and alcohol in 2006, but fairly high numbers of them continued to abuse prescription narcotics, according to a new study.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teens turn to cough syrup to get high, feds say - MSNBC
WASHINGTON - Teens increasingly are getting high with legal drugs like painkillers and mood stimulants, and they’re turning to cough syrup as well, says a government survey released Thursday.

CODEINE – TAIWAN
Parents urged to beware safety of medicines for children – China Post
The Taiwan Health Reform Foundation yesterday called for parents to beware the safety of the medicines prescribed by doctors for children, lest their children should suffer from redundant or problematic medicines.

Dec 20 Drug Headlines

GENERAL – UK
COKE EPIDEMIC GRIPS NATION: Addiction has tripled in 5 years – Daily Record UK
SCOTLAND is facing a fast-growing cocaine and crack problem, shock figures out yesterday reveal.

METHADONE – SCOTLAND
Widespread use of methadone 'fails to tackle the damage of drug abuse' – Scotsman News
SCOTLAND'S reliance on methadone is failing to tackle the damage wreaked on society by drug abuse, it was claimed yesterday, as new figures showed a massive rise in the use of the heroin substitute.

ALCOHOL – JAMAICA
The genesis of alcohol abuse - Jamaica Gleaner
The younger a boy is when he starts drinking alcohol, the more likely he will be a risky drinker as an adult, says the results of a four-year survey of male Marine Corps recruits that raises concerns for society at large.

METH – CANADA
Meth ed falling short – Goldstream News
While we applaud the provincial government’s efforts to fund groups like the Crystal Meth Victoria Society to educate students about the dangers of crystal methamphetamine, the bottom line is it amounts to far too little far too late.

CODEINE – USA
Stronger warnings urged for painkillers - Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON -- The government on Tuesday proposed stronger safety warnings for non-prescription painkillers found in most family medicine cabinets, as well as many an office drawer and gym bag, including aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Motrin and Aleve.

CANNABIS – CANADA
Drug-driving rate doubles in 15 years – Globe and Mail
The number of people getting behind the wheel after smoking pot has more than doubled in the past 15 years, a trend spurred by the belief that being nabbed for drugged driving is far less likely than being caught driving drunk, new research shows.

PAINKILLERS – CANADA
The FDA's Painkiller Warning: How to Avoid Taking Too Much - Time
An overdose of Tylenol can damage the liver. The problem is, we’re often taking it when we don’t even realize it.

Dec 19 Drug Headlines

PAINKILLERS - CANADA
U.S. officials push to beef up painkiller warnings - The Star
Federal health officials on Tuesday proposed sterner warning labels for acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen, again cautioning millions of Americans who take the nonprescription pain relievers regularly of potentially serious side effects.

CANNABIS - CANADA
Drug driving doubled since 1989 - Edmonton Sun
A study coming on the heels of federal efforts to discourage drug-impaired drivers indicates driving under the influence of marijuana and hashish has more than doubled since 1989. The survey by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse says young males are driving under the influence of cannabis as often as, or more often, than they drive under the influence of alcohol.

ALCOHOL – USA
Too Much Christmas Cheer? A Number Of Tips On Staying In Control Over The Festive Season - Medical News Today
Christmas is a time when the drinks flow freely- there are more parties than usual and the temptation is to overindulge a little. After all, there are always New Year’s resolutions!

PRESCRIPTION – USA
FDA Panel Recommends Warning For Adult Antidepressant Suicide Risk - Medical News Today
An FDA advisory panel on Wednesday voted 6-2 in favor of updating black box warnings on antidepressants to state that there is an increased suicide risk for young adults up to age 25, the New York Times reports (Carey, New York Times, 12/13).

ALCOHOL – CANADA
Blood alcohol levels have paradoxical effect on brain injuries
A study led by trauma surgeon Dr. Homer Tien out of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, shows that alcohol has a paradoxical effect on mortality of patients admitted to hospital with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

ALCOHOL - UK
Alcohol Abuse 'Severely Impairs the Brain'
Excessive alcohol consumption over an extended period of time can have a drastic impact upon the brain, new research suggests. Scientists in Germany, Britain, Switzerland and Italy examined 15 alcoholic men and women over a period of 38 days after they stopped drinking and the changes observed in their brains were remarkable.

Dec 18 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL - UK
Britain's booziest Christmas ever - The Independent
Price wars in supermarkets and drink promotions in pubs are making alcohol cheaper than ever. And we're lapping it up, as this exclusive survey for the 'IoS' reveals. Which is why police are calling for a ban on advertising aimed at young drinkers and doctors are warning of record levels of liver disease. Sophie Goodchild and Marie Woolf report

GENERAL - BRAZIL
Brazil's teenagers - gangs and drugs - The Star
For teenagers in Rio de Janeiro's mean slums, working in the drug trade is a lucrative way to make a living. It's also a fast way to dying. Youths as young as 11 start off as messengers and look-outs for the drug gangs that control the packed shantytowns known as favelas, then earn promotion to soldiers or sellers.

ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA
Baby labels on alcohol - The Daily Telegraph
Warning labels telling pregnant mothers they risk doing irreversible harm to their unborn children by drinking could be put on alcoholic products after the number of damaged babies has soared.

ECSTASY - UK
The Ecstasy and the agony - UK Times
As the first wave of Ecstasy users reach their forties, research suggests that the drug can cause long-term brain damage

COCAINE - COLOMBIA & ECUADOR
Ecuador just says no to Colombia coca fumigation - CNN
Ecuador will not back down from its demand that Colombia halt aerial fumigation of coca plantations along their shared border, President Alfredo Palacio said.

CANNABIS - US
Pot is called biggest cash crop - LA Times
The $35-billion market value of U.S.-grown cannabis tops that of such heartland staples as corn and hay, a marijuana activist says.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Sleep Medicine Ambien Abused by Teens - Join Together
Some adolescents are misusing the prescription sleep medication Ambien, which they say causes hallucinations and blackouts.

MARIJUANA - MEXICO
Mexican Officials Find Nearly 1,800 Marijuana Fields - Fox News
Mexican soldiers and federal police sent to restore order in Michoacan state have discovered 1,795 marijuana fields in the past week and seized or destroyed marijuana worth about $8.2 million, security officials said Monday.

MARIJUANA - US
OPD: 381 percent more marijuana confiscated this year
The Street Crimes Division of the Owensboro Police Department increased their arrests by 37 percent and cash recovery to 43 percent. But the biggest change, they confiscated 381 percent more marijuana than in 2005.

GENERAL - US
In jail study, most inmates used marijuana, cocaine - The Herald
More men and women are being booked into the Snohomish County Jail with marijuana and cocaine in their systems than any other drug, including methamphetamine, according to a new study.

CANNABIS - NEW ZEALAND
Police to target cannabis growing
Cannabis growing season is under way in the Taupo district and so is a police crackdown into the operations.

GENERAL - SCOTLAND
Cold turkey plan for Scots addicts - The Scotsman
The biggest shake-up of drugs policy for 20 years is to be pushed through by Labour in a bid to get Scotland's 50,000 addicts off heroin and other deadly substances.

HEROIN - AFGHAN
Governor of Afghanistan's biggest opium-producing province replaced; 5 killed in violence - International Herald Tribune
The Afghan government has fired the governor of its biggest drug-producing province, while clashes and a suicide bombing killed six militants and wounded six U.S.-led coalition troops, officials said Monday.

Dec 14 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPTION - US
FDA Set to Add to Antidepressant Warnings, Allow Emotion to Sway Policy
It seems all but a certainty that the FDA will proceed forward with its plan to add to the existing black box warning on SSRI class antidepressants. After hearing testimony and deliberating yesterday, the FDA's advisory panel recommended that the current warnings be expanded to include warnings of increased suicidality among those receiving antidepressants up to the age of 24.

METH - AUSTRALIA
States urged to ban 'ice' pipes - ABC News
The Federal Government is pushing for tougher action from the states to deal with problems associated with crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride, the drug commonly known as 'ice'.

ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA
Parents warned about impact of supplying alcohol to Schoolies - ABC News
A Gold Coast city councillor says parents need to understand the consequences of supplying their teenagers with alcohol to be consumed during Schoolies Week.

ALCOHOL - UK
Drunk, disorderly and unpoliced: coming to a town centre near you
John Reid has surrendered town centres to drunken thugs over the Christmas party season by axing a police crackdown on their appalling behaviour. Police and trading standards teams normally receive an extra £2.5m of cash to flood the streets with extra officers, and stop shops selling alcohol to children.

GENERAL - IRELAND
Many suspected drink drivers on drugs
A new study has found that a significant number of Irish drivers who were suspected of drink driving but were then found to be below the legal blood alcohol level, later tested positive for a range of drugs.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Teens Using Ambien As A 'Party Drug'
The government said Ambien is safe if you follow the directions, but teenagers and college students are using the drug to get high. When Ambien is abused, there are serious health risks. Users said the drug makes them high and even blackout. It is a party drug with street names including "A-minus" and "Zombie pills". College students said they are seeing the drug more and more frequently on campus.

HEROIN - HUNGARY
Hungary to become a key transit country of heroin trade
With a sharp rise in Afghan heroin production, Hungary has become a popular transit country for drug traffickers supplying the western European market, national daily Népszabadság said on Thursday.

HEROIN - IRELAND
Explosion of heroin on streets of Carlow
A huge explosion of heroin has swamped the Carlow market as organised crime gangs target the town. Yet while the local market is awash with drugs and Carlow becomes the latest victim of thieving Dublin crime gangs Carlow gardaí remain desperately understaffed.

GENERAL - CANADA
U.S. Involved in Discussions of Canadian Drug Strategy - Join Together
U.S. government officials are keeping a close eye on discussions of a new national drug strategy in Canada, which appears to be moving toward a more tough-minded approach after the government embraced harm reduction initiatives several years ago.

GENERAL - MEXICO
New President of Mexico Launches Anti-Drug Blitz - Join Togehter
In what is being called the first major initiative since his inauguration earlier this month, Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered the deployment of about 4,000 troops to help combat drug crime in his home state of Michoacan.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Some Prescription Drugs Not Approved by FDA
All of us, at one time or another, will need prescription drugs, but did you know that your next prescription may not have the government's approval? Oxycodone, hydrochloride, Phenobarbital and chloral hydrate are all popularly prescribed medications, but none of them is FDA approved.

METH - AUSTRALIA
States reject ban on ice pipes
The states and territories have rejected a federal MP's call for a uniform national ban on pipes used to smoke the drug ice.

METH - AUSTRALIA
Drug conference proposes new approaches to ice problem
Methamphetamine is the drug police forces seem to be most worried about at the moment. Also known as ice, crystal, or meth, it can be smoked, injected or swallowed.

METH - US
Santa Barbara County Methamphetamine Prevention Summit Held in Buellton
Santa Barbara County's growing addiction to crystal meth is the subject of the first ever county-wide prevention summit.

Dec 13 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPTION - US
Antidepressant suicide warning may be expanded - CNN
Treatment with antidepressants increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients up to age 24, according to proposed changes to the drugs' labels unveiled Wednesday by health officials.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Panel to Debate Antidepressant Warnings - New York Times
Public health officials, psychiatrists, grieving parents and outraged former patients will fill a hotel ballroom in Silver Spring, Md., this morning to argue the most bitterly divisive question in psychiatry: do the drugs that doctors prescribe to relieve depression make some people more likely to attempt suicide?

METH - NEW ZEALAND
Concerns over African methamphetamine-like drug in Hamilton
Hamilton Police are concerned an African plant with methamphetamine-like effects is being imported into New Zealand. Last week 10 kilos of the plant khat (pronounced cot or chat) were discovered during searches of two houses in Claudelands, Hamilton.

METH - NEW ZEALAND
Concerns over African methamphetamine-like drug in Hamilton - New Zealand Herald
Hamilton Police are concerned an African plant with methamphetamine-like effects is being imported into New Zealand. Last week 10 kilos of the plant khat (pronounced cot or chat) were discovered during searches of two houses in Claudelands, Hamilton.

METH - AUSTRALIA
Ice, ice, baby - Online Opinion
The rise in crystal methamphetamine (or ice) use in Australia has vividly illustrated how ineffective, and often counterproductive, current drug policies are. With a Federal Parliamentary inquiry about to hand down a report on how to constrain the illicit market for amphetamines and other synthetic drugs, the question is whether the major parties are ready to put aside political interests and fundamentally reform Australia’s drug strategies.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Panel Wants Broader Antidepressant Labeling - New York Times
Strong warning labels about the suicide risk associated with antidepressants, which now include children and adolescents, should be extended to adults under 25, a federal advisory panel concluded Wednesday.

GENERAL - ECUADOR & COLOMBIA
Ecuador, Colombia in border row - BBC
Ecuador's Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion has described a renewed crop-spraying programme by Colombia along their border as a hostile act.

GENERAL - CANADA
U.S. shows us what not to do - Times Colonist
America's hardline approach to battling drug abuse has been a costly disaster. It's painful to watch the federal government stumble toward a disastrously wrong path in its search for a solution to the real problem of drug abuse.

ALCOHOL - CANADA
Students put a face to drinking and driving - Toronto Star
The statistics are numbing: About 1,000 Canadians are killed in alcohol-related motor-vehicle accidents each year. That's roughly one-third of all road deaths in Canada, making it what police call the largest criminal cause of death in the country.

METH - US
Some Hunters Find Methamphetamine Labs in Their Midst - Join Together
Hunters in four states recently have discovered methamphetamine labs or their remnants during their excursions in the woods, as drug makers seek more remote areas in which to produce meth.

COCAINE - SPAIN
Spain sees sharp rise in cocaine use - Reuters
The number of Spaniards regularly snorting cocaine has doubled since 1999, taking consumption to among the highest in Europe, the government said on Wednesday.

HEROIN - SWITZERLAND
Decriminalization of Heroin Leads to Drop in Drug Use
Switzerland's change in its drug laws that 10 years ago decriminalized the use of heroin have been closely watched to see if the result would be massive increases in heroin use.

ALCOHOL - US
Know your limit when drinking alcohol
Most of you know what alcohol looks like, how it is packaged and how it makes you feel. Perhaps something you didn't know is that alcohol is a drug. Its scientific name is ethyl alcohol and it is classified as a depressant, the same drug class as a barbiturate or tranquilizer.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Misuse of drug an issue at colleges
When asked if she's aware of students taking nonprescribed ADHD medicines to help them study, University of Notre Dame junior Mary Agee doesn't hesitate. Her answer: "Definitely."

MARIJUANA - US
Tulare Considering Regulating Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries
Tulare County is considering regulating where medicinal marijuana dispensaries are located. Their biggest concerns are how close they'll be to schools and whether patients can smoke marijuana on premises.

GENERAL - MAURITIUS
Alcoholism, drug addiction plague Mauritius, says NGO
Alcohol and drug abuse pose a major social problem in Mauritius with more citizens now addicted to the substances, according to Groupe A deCassis, an NGO fighting against drugs, alcohol and HIV/AIDS in the country.

METH - US
State meth cases down 31 percent in 2006 - The Chetek Alert
Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager recently announced that statistics compiled for the calendar year 2006 show a dramatic decrease in both the number of methamphetamine cases and methamphetamine laboratories in Wisconsin-a success she attributes to Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement strategies and the efforts of local law enforcement agencies.

Dec 12 Drug Headlines

GENERAL - MEXICO
Calderon vows war against notorious drug gangs - CNN
Soldiers stopped cars and frisked passengers Tuesday, searching for drugs or weapons. Helicopters swooped low over remote mountaintops, looking for signs of opium and marijuana fields. Ships patrolled Mexico's main Pacific port, a hub for drugs arriving from Central America and Colombia.

OPIUM - AFGHAN
Walters Says Poppies in Afghanistan Will Be Sprayed - Join Together
The director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said at a news conference that Afghan poppies will be sprayed with herbicide to combat a steep rise in opium production in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported Dec. 9.

GENERAL - MEXICO
Mexico launches drugs crackdown - BBC
Thousands of Mexican troops are patrolling the streets in Michoacan state in an anti-drug trafficking drive ordered by President Felipe Calderon.

GENERAL - UK
Christmas crackdown on city drugs - BBC
Anti-social behaviour and illegal drug use in Leicester city centre are to be targeted as part of a police operation to clean up the city. Plain-clothed and uniformed officers will work with the force's passive drugs dog to "disrupt and detect" people involved with illegal drugs.

ALCOHOL - UK
What's your poison? - The Guardian
Many of us would like to believe that different types of alcohol can produce very different effects. If only it were that simple, reports Emine Saner

ALCOHOL - US
B Vitamins Are Efficacious for Alcoholic Polyneuropathy - Join Together
Both the direct toxic effects of alcohol and alcoholism-associated vitamin deficiencies can cause mild to incapacitating sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

GENERAL - AUSTRALIA
Northern Rivers a haven for drugmakers: Police - Northern Star
The Northern Rivers is becoming a manufacturing centre for drugs aimed at the Brisbane and Gold Coast markets, police fear. And despite recent big busts, the problem is growing.

CANNABIS - US
Young cannabis users 'suffer from paranoia and blackouts' - 24 Dash
Anti-drug campaigners have called for urgent research into the effects of cannabis on teenagers' mental health after a survey found half of young users suffer paranoia and blackouts.

GENERAL - MEXICO
Thousands of Mexican troops ordered to arrest smugglers, burn marijuana and opium fields - Boston Herald
Soldiers stopped cars and frisked passengers Tuesday, searching for drugs or weapons. Helicopters swooped low over remote mountaintops, looking for signs of opium and marijuana fields. Ships patrolled Mexico’s main Pacific port, a hub for drugs arriving from Central America and Colombia.

HEROIN - CANADA
Addicts turn to hillbilly heroin - Edmonton Sun
Heroin use is fading out in Canada, but local addicts are increasingly turning to "hillbilly heroin" to bring them down from cocaine and meth highs, say cops and outreach workers.

HEROIN - US
City heroin's havoc in hinterlands - Philadephia Daily News
I've been teaching at a northeastern Pennsylvania community college for the last three years. The region has been a gold mine for heroin dealers from the "Badlands" area of North Philadelphia that serves as an open-air drug market. I've quickly learned to identify those students who are users and have come to realize that heroin isn't just an inner-city problem.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Waismann Method of Detoxification Successfully Treats Severe Morphine and Methadone Levels While Leaving Patients With Reduced Pain
The Waismann Method of Opiate Detoxification announced today the successful treatment of two patients taking dangerously high doses of prescription pain-relieving drugs. Both patients are now opiate-free and in less pain than they were prior to detoxification.

OPIUM - AFGHAN
The Drug Czar Has Another Brilliant Idea - Stop The Drug War
Afghanistan is in flames. The Taliban are resurgent. The opium economy provides livelihoods for millions of Afghans. And now, US drug czar John Walters announces over the weekend, that Afghanistan will begin spraying the poppy fields with glyphosate, the same stuff we've been using with such great success in Colombia against the coca crops.

METH - US
White House tabs coalition: Anti-drug efforts recognized - News Zap
With less than one year under its belt, the Northeast Valley Coalition Against Methamphetamine garnered recognition from the Bush Administration. Paul Skoczylas, staff member of the President’s Office of National Drug Policy, presented to the group Nov. 30 a certificate commending the coalition’s meth prevention and education efforts.

Dec 11 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL & GENERAL DRUGS - US
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, 2006 - White House
Each year, thousands of Americans lose their lives in accidents involving drunk and drugged driving. During National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, we continue our efforts to promote awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and encourage fellow citizens to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

GENERAL - US
Drugs contract will put children’s rights first - The Herald
Whereas the focus of policy had been on the rights of addicts – to state support, treatment services etc – there is now a recognition of the rights of children, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to be free from abuse, neglect and maltreatment.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Drugs factor in car crashes, study finds
The focus on the dangers of drinking and driving may have overshadowed a similarly serious problem: the effect of drugs, including prescription medication, on drivers.

OPIUM - US
Opiate Addicts Find Fewer Hospital-Run Detox Beds Available - Red Orbit
Addicts who overdose on heroin or other opiates are likely to land first in a hospital emergency room, where doctors can often save them from brain damage or death.

OTC - US
Teen Use of Over-the-Counter Cold Medicines Rising - Join Together
Use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines has become one of the fastest-growing drug abuse problems for youths in California and elsewhere, and much of the increase is being seen in the pre-teen population, the Los Angeles Times reported Dec. 5.

OPIUM - AFGHAN
Afghanistan's opium poppies will be sprayed, says US drugs tsar - The Guardian
Afghanistan has agreed to poppy-spraying measures in a desperate bid to deflate the soaring drugs trade, America's anti-narcotics tsar announced at the weekend.

MARIJUANA - US
Laws Don't Curb Teen Marijuana Use - Marijuana Policy Project
A new report from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in Washington, D.C., challenges the key assumption underlying present U.S. marijuana laws: that marijuana must be prohibited for adults in order to deter teens from using it.

METH - US
Stetson student busts meth myths
William Collum knew methamphetamine ruined addicts' lives but was surprised to read the drug also hurt innocent victims -- such as a family that moved into a house where meth was once cooked. The report showed how failure to clean the house properly left the air toxic and sickened the family. A financial crisis, breakup and divorce followed, said Collum, a Stetson University political science major.

Dec 8 Drug Headlines

GENERAL - ITALY
More Accurate Estimates Of Community-Wide Illicit Drug Use - Medical News
Scientists in Italy are reporting development of a method for more accurate estimates of the amount of illicit drug use in a community. Sara Castiglioni and colleagues note that current estimates of community-wide illicit drug use are based on indirect methods - such as population surveys, crime statistics and interviews - that tend to be unreliable.

HEROIN - UK
Young 'turning to cheaper heroin' - BBC
Teenagers in Swansea say they are smoking heroin because cannabis is almost impossible to buy.

METH - MEXICO
Mexico police seize 20 tons of meth ingredient - CNN
Mexican police seized a large shipment of a chemical used for making methamphetamine on Wednesday in a Pacific state at the center of a bloody war between traffickers producing the drug for U.S. markets.

PRESCRIPTION - UK
Geraldine Burns - Radio Interview With Dr Gloria Gilbere On Benzodiazepine Prescription Drug Addiction
Geraldine a former benzodiazepine iatrogenic addict appeared on one of the largest natural health orientated world wide internet radio shows with up to half million listeners in 41 countries on December the 8th 2006.

ALCOHOL - US
Going for STOP: Congress Passes First Major Underage-Drinking Law - Join Together
A bill that's being called an important first step towards addressing the national problem of underage drinking was approved by both the U.S. Senate and House this week, and heads to President Bush's desk for approval.

GENERAL - US
Florida Drug Tourism - Join Together
"Drug runs" to Florida from other states have become more popular as addicts and dealers take advantage of the state's weak prescription-drug monitoring program to illegally obtain potent pain pills.

HEROIN - THAI
Drug mule suspects found with heroin in stomachs
The Shanghai Anti-Drug Commission said recently that city police had solved 534 retail drug cases in the first 10 months this year, seizing 893 suspects and more than four kilograms of heroin.

HEROIN - US
Northeastern Pennsylvania ripe area for garnering heroin profits - Citizens Voice
Five or 10 years ago, it was addicts and small-time dealers trekking to New York City or Philadelphia for a fix. They would return and sell a few bags of heroin to support their habits, constituting hundreds of satellite, small-scale operations throughout the county.

HEROIN - US
Sheriff sees 'bad trend' in heroin overdoses - The Oakland Press
Reported overdoses and cases involving heroin abuse in Oakland County have reached epidemic proportions, Sheriff Michael Bouchard says. "We are seeing what I would call a very bad trend in the increase of activity and usage of heroin, specifi cally heroin laced with other components," Bouchard said.

COCAINE - CANADA
Cocaine ring smuggled drugs to Canada via 'torpedo' - CBC News
The RCMP drug squad in Montreal says a cocaine ring broken up Thursday was smuggling drugs from South America to Eastern Canada by attaching contraband below the waterline of ships.

OPIUM - AFGHAN & CANADA
Focus Afghanistan development on alternatives to illicit opium, says May - Newswire
Canada's role in Afghanistan must shift dramatically away from unbalanced military involvement and on to development and greater diplomatic efforts in order to achieve dialogue and lasting peace, said Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May.

OPIUM - AFGHAN & US
U.S. military to aid DEA's Afghan effort - Chicago Tribune
The Pentagon, which has resisted appeals from federal drug agents to play a bigger role in the campaign to curb Afghanistan's flourishing opium trade, has pledged more support for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's counternarcotics efforts.

ALCOHOL - FRANCE
Teenagers on binge should learn to drink wine, say MPs - UK Times
A trend towards binge-drinking among French teenagers could be curbed if schools taught children the health benefits of drinking French wine, according to a parliamentary report which has stirred the ire of the Government.

Dec 4 Drug Headlines

GENERAL - US
Law enforcement divided about decriminalizing drugs
Vermont's top law enforcement official disagrees with a county prosecutor's call for decriminalizing illegal drugs.

OTC - US
Cough medicine drug a hallucinogen for some - CNN
Young people are increasingly abusing a drug found in nonprescription cough medicines that can produce hallucinogenic effects, but at a risk to their well-being, researchers said Monday.

GENERAL - UK
Campaign launched to reduce festive season drug deaths in Glasgow
A pre-Christmas information campaign to prevent drug-related deaths among users during the high-risk festive holiday period in Glasgow is being launched today in conjunction with Scottish Drugs Forum.

HEROIN - UK
U.K. to Give Free Heroin to Addicts - Join Together
A pilot program in Brighton and Hove, England will distribute free heroin to addicts in a bid to cut crime and addiction, The Argus reported Nov. 25.

HEROIN - US
Injection Drug Use Up Among Younger Heroin Treatment Clients - Join Together
Injection is increasingly becoming the prevalent route of administration among younger heroin users admitted to treatment, according to data from the national Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).

PAINKILLER - AUSTRALIA
Lawyers called in to fight methadone move - Mercury
A group of Wollongong business owners have joined forces to fight the possible relocation of Wollongong's controversial methadone clinic to their backyard.

ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA
Ross Fitzgerald: Turning a blind eye to alcohol addiction - The Australian Opinion
A hard-hitting American study from the Rand Corporation - hardly a soft and fuzzy organisation - found that every dollar spent on treating drug and alcohol addiction saved seven dollars in law enforcement. But this research has had little impact on policy directions in any country, let alone the US.

GENERAL - AUSTRALIA
Prisons director denies rise in inmate drug use - ABC News
Tasmania's director of prisons has rejected union claims of a marked increase in drug use by inmates at the old Risdon Prison site.

GENERAL - US
Council to weigh bouncer law - Boston.com
The City Council is expected to hold a hearing this afternoon to discuss a proposal that would require background checks on bouncers and other security staff members at bars and clubs.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Parents Worry About Prescription Drugs, Too - Human Events
Methamphetamine and marijuana aren't the only drugs parents worry about. The problems caused by prescription combinations called "drug cocktails" have finally broken into the national news stream.

OPIUM - AFGHAN
60% leap in opium production in 2006 - Asia News
This was denounced by the United Nations and the US government. Drug cartels have their own armies that fight operations by Kabul and NATO. One-third of the national GDP comes from opium.

COCAINE - CANADA
Cocaine use on the rise in northern Manitoba - CBC
RCMP and addictions officials in northern Manitoba say they're dealing with a rapid rise in cocaine use and trafficking this year, but also an increase in the number of people seeking help for their addiction.

METH - US
Meth gets big part of blame surge in prisoners - Sioux City Journal
Methamphetamine is being blamed for much of the increase in South Dakota's prison population in 2005. South Dakota's 11.9 percent growth in inmate numbers last year was the largest in the nation.

METH - US
Methamphetamine spreads eastward from West - Arbiter Online
Scientists know methamphetamine as one of the most dangerous psycho stimulant drugs created. Broken down, ‘meth’ has a longer acting morphine-like effect in which people use in replacement of a morphine or heroin addiction.

HEROIN - IRELAND
Heroin deaths cause concern - Emigrant
Following the unexplained deaths of six heroin addicts in the previous 10 days, the National Disease Surveillance Centre on Saturday warned other addicts to seek medical advice if they became ill. There is concern that a contaminated batch of the drug is being sold on the streets of Dublin. Post-mortem examinations have been conducted on the five men and one woman but it will be some time before toxicology tests are complete.

Dec 2 Drug Headlines

HEROIN - AFGHAN
Afghanistan Opium Crop Sets Record - Washington Post
Opium production in Afghanistan, which provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, broke all records in 2006, reaching a historic high despite ongoing U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts, the Bush administration reported yesterday.

HEROIN - PORTUGAL
Heroin use on the rise in Portugal - The Portugal News
The findings of a report issued last week reveal that heroin use is on the increase in Portugal as well as Spain and Greece.

OPIUM - PORTUGAL
Lisbon on red alert over Afghan bumper opium crop - The Portugal News
The mayor of Lisbon was last week warned by the United Nations to expect a sharp increase in heroin overdoses among the citys drug users as Afghanistans record opium poppy crop begins flooding on to the European market.

ALCOHOL - UK
Do you drink much more than you think? - The UK Times
Know your limit. As wines get stronger and glasses larger, many of us are knocking back more than we should.

METH - MEXICO
Meth Labs Proliferate in Mexico - Join Together
A crackdown on U.S. methamphetamine labs has sparked a proliferation of meth production in Mexico, from ranches in Baja California to industrial parks in Guadalajara, the Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 26.

OTC - US
Officials seeing a new drug abuse
It may not have been what police were looking for in Bedford North Lawrence High School’s drug search Friday, but an over-the-counter substance recently has put the school on alert.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Thieves snatch pharmacy narcotics - The Birmingham News
Three men smashed out the window of a Mount Olive pharmacy Thursday night and stole $3,000 worth of pain pills, authorities said Friday. The thieves were in and out of the store in less than two minutes, making off with a haul of hydrocodone and oxycodone stuffed into a pillowcase, said Jefferson County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Randy Christian.

PRESCRIPTION - UK
Inside story: swapping prescription drugs - UK Times Online
There’s a dangerous new practice in Britain: swapping prescription drugs. The people who are doing it won’t talk about it on the record. Health authorities won’t acknowledge it. The only way to broach the subject was to ask someone who trades painkillers for sleeping pills to write about his experiences (under a pseudonym). He explains why people are ignoring what the doctor ordered — for health and, sometimes, just for kicks.

HEROIN - UK
Warning over rogue heroin in city - BBC
Police in Bristol have warned drug users to steer clear of a batch of rogue heroin they believe has claimed the lives of three men.

METH - US
Mothers Against Meth, other groups work to combat epidemic - TribStar
Susan Gehring is joining with mothers of methamphetamine users in an attempt to help combat the meth epidemic in the Wabash Valley.

COCAINE - US
Cocaine users at risk of contracting Hepatitis C - Magic Statistics
And they may not know it until twenty or thirty years after their drug-using days are over. The risk is so high that a US study recommended that everyone who has ever snorted cocaine or other drugs should be tested.

Nov 30 Drug Headlines

METH - US
National Methamphetamine Awareness Day - November 30, 2006
In an effort to generate awareness about the damaging effects of methamphetamine abuse on individuals, families and American communities, the Federal Government has designated Thursday, November 30 as National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

METH - US
Meth epidemic spreading along East Coast - MSNBC
Methamphetamine use is increasing along the East Coast after years of largely being confined to rural areas west of the Mississippi River, a government report shows.

ECSTASY - US
Ecstasy Can Harm The Brains Of First-Time Users - Medical News
Researchers have discovered that even a small amount of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, can be harmful to the brain, according to the first study to look at the neurotoxic effects of low doses of the recreational drug in new ecstasy users. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

METH - US
National Methamphetamine Awareness Day
As we mentioned a little while back, "the meth epidemic," which only a few short months ago seemed to be on magazine and newspaper covers across the country, has all but disappeared from the national news cycle. Well, thankfully, the federal government hasn't forgotten the seriousness of the situation that we face when talking about methamphetamine. The US Department of Justice and The White House have made today National Methamphetamine Awareness Day.

METH - US
DVD warning to teenagers as P gets cheaper - New Zealand Herald
An educational reality-type docudrama showing a young man's descent into full-blown P abuse is about to hit secondary schools. Told through the eyes of a teenage girl,Sophie's Story is a harrowing account of the effects P has on families and youth, who a drug education group warns are trying it earlier.

ALCOHOL - SCOTLAND
Scots' alcohol habits cause alarm - BBC
Many young Scots regularly wake up unable to remember how much they drank the night before, a survey has claimed.

GENERAL - UK
Call for new way to fight addiction as crime up 93%
Tory MSP Bill Aitken demanded action after it was revealed that while funding for Drug and Alcohol Action Teams in the city had nearly trebled since 1999, drug crimes had increased by 93%.

METH - US
Today is National Methamphetamine Day
The Methamphetamine problem in southern Illinois has been well documented, however the trend locally seems to suggest a decline. Thursday is National Methamphetamine Day and Marion County Sheriff Brad Wolenhaupt says there are many factors leading to the decline.

METH - US
Penthouse lab busted in methamphetamine crackdown - Newsday
A Manhattan corporate executive accused of cooking up methamphetamine in his penthouse apartment was one of 10 people busted in a crackdown on clandestine drug labs in the city and Long Island, Drug Enforcement Administration officials announced Thursday.

METH - US
Methamphetamine abuse affects us all - Orlando Sentinel
It has become a familiar scene on the evening news across the country: Neighbors watch in stunned silence as police raid the house next door and the nice couple, who for the most part kept to themselves, is hauled away for running a methamphetamine lab in their basement.

METH - US
Study finds methamphetamine use on rise on U.S. East Coast
Methamphetamine use is increasing along the U.S. East Coast after years of largely being confined to rural areas west of the Mississippi River, a government report shows.

METH - NEW ZEALAND
Police find 1000th methamphetamine lab in 10 years
New Zealand police have located 1000 clandestine methamphetamine drug laboratories in the past 10 years.

Nov 29 Drug Headlines

GENERAL - WORLDWIDE
Drugs and the law around the world - The Herald
Information on laws for different countries

PRESCRIPTION - US
Parents blame antidepressant for toddler's heart defect - CNN
* A mom fears the Paxil she took while pregnant caused her son's heart defect. * FDA says two studies suggest paroxetine, or Paxil, increases birth defect risk. * Paxil's labeling was changed last year to warn about the risks of birth defects

ALCOHOL - US
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Appears To Increase An Infant's Stress Response - Medical News
New findings indicate that the days between conception and pregnancy recognition may be critical for the development of stress-response systems among infants whose mothers consume alcohol.

PAINKILLER (METHADONE) - US
One pill to kill say methadone bereaved - Scoop
The FDA yesterday warned health care professionals about the dangers of methadone including cardio-toxicity, saying Prescribers' should read and carefully follow prescribing information. Methadone is a synthetic opiate commonly given to opiate addicts so their lives will be less chaotic.

METH - NEW ZEALAND
Fears drop in price of P attracting more teens - New Zealand Herald
Teenagers as young as 14 are trying methamphetamine or P as the price of the drug has halved in the last year, a drug education group Welltrust says.

ALCOHOL - UK
Britain's binge drinkers begin to sober up - The Guardian
A tide of binge drinking that threatened to engulf Britain has started to recede, according to official figures yesterday.

OPIUM - US
A step towards breaking a dark embrace - UK Times
Efforts to clamp down on the opium trade in Afghanistan have only swelled the power of the drugs barons and have failed to stop the business reaching “unprecedented levels”, according to the World Bank and a United Nations agency.

MARIJUANA - US
Calif. Court Gives More Protection to Medical Marijuana Users - Join Together
People found by police to be carrying even seemingly large amounts of marijuana can defend themselves in court by claiming that they are medical-marijuana users, the California Supreme Court has ruled.

ECSTASY - US
Ecstasy Can Quickly Hurt Brain, Researchers Say - Join Together
Human brain cells can be altered and damaged by low doses of ecstasy, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain, researchers say.

CANNABIS - EUROPE/HUNGARY
Police bust Europe's largest cannabis plantation
Police have busted Europe's largest ever cannabis plantation at an abandoned Slovakian slaughterhouse where top-notch technology was used by Austrian and Hungarian men to grow a copious amount of weed, a Hungarian county police reported on Wednesday.

HEROIN - AFGHAN
Afghans to use herbicide on nation's poppy crop - The Globe and Mail
The United States has persuaded Afghanistan to spray herbicide on poppy fields in an effort to slow the country's opium boom, according to a senior Western diplomat.

OPIUM - AFGHAN
Opium trade flourishing - Indy Star
Afghanistan's criminal underworld has compromised key government officials who protect drug traffickers, allowing a flourishing opium trade that will not be stamped out for a generation, an ominous U.N. report said.

Nov 28 Drug Headlines

OPIUM - AFHGANISTAN
Pesticide solution to eradicate opium trade - Telegraph UK
The Afghan government is to launch a campaign of pesticide spraying of opium poppy for the first time following intense American pressure for a more radical approach to the country's burgeoning drugs problem.

METH - AUSTRALIA
Ice fuels Sydney armed robbery epidemic
A massive rise in the number of armed robberies in inner Sydney may be the result of the growing use of the drug ice.

ALCOHOL - US
Infant May Be Harmed by Alcohol in First Trimester
New findings on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure suggest the days between conception and pregnancy recognition may be critical for the development of stress-response systems among infants whose mothers consume alcohol.

MARIJUANA - US
Justices rule on transport of medicinal pot - LA Times
People charged with transporting marijuana may avoid conviction if they can show that the drug was for their personal medical use, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.

MARIJUANA - US
War on drugs: national spotlight on marijuana
Last year marked the largest number of marijuana arrests in U.S. history, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

MARIJUANA - US
Voters May Get Chance to Legalize Marijuana
Voters could decide next year whether to legalize marijuana use. The state has given a Michigan group permission to move ahead with the ballot initiative. Advocates say the climate is right and a growing number of people think smoking marijuana should be legal in some cases.

MARIJUANA - US
State hears testimony on legalizing medicinal marijuana; Exclusive WZZM 13 Survey USA Poll shows huge support
Tuesday lawmakers held a public hearing on a bill that would make Michigan the 12th state in the nation to legalize medicinal marijuana.

COCAINE - BULGARIA
BULGARIANS CONTROL COCAINE TRAFFICKING FROM LATIN AMERICA TO EUROPE
Bulgarians controlled the high levels of cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe, drug enforcement chief Stanimir Florov told a news conference on November 28 2006.

HEROIN - UK
'Killer' heroin on the streets
Detectives are warning junkies that a batch of killer heroin is on the streets of Reading after it was blamed for claiming the lives of two men in as many days.

METH - US
National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, 2006 - White House
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

METH - US & MEXICO
Entering the ´ice age,´ a lethal drug emerges
The methamphetamine laboratories that once plagued California´s hinterlands and powered a national explosion of drug abuse have been replaced by an increasing supply from Mexico, U.S. law enforcement officials say

METH - US
Authorities try to deter meth use
Counting on the shock value, local Drug Enforcement Administration chief William Renton Jr. motioned to a mugshot of a man with a withered, skeletal face with grizzled patches of white hair.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Feds consider testing truck drivers for OxyContin
A 20-year-old drug testing policy aimed to keep you safe on the road is failing to keep up with the speed of OxyContin. 13 Investigates first told you how truck drivers are escaping detection for the potent painkiller. Now the federal government reacts to driving concerns over old tests and new drugs.

Nov 27 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA
Schoolies' dangerous drinking - Herald Sun
Alcohol is clearly the drug of choice among school leavers celebrating on the Gold Coast, with almost a quarter drinking to the point where they are physically sick. More than 85 per cent of schoolies surveyed by drug education centre DRUG ARM said they had consumed alcohol within the past 24 hours.

ALCOHOL - US
Alcohol Involved in One-Third of Suicides - Join Together
A third of suicide victims in a recent study had alcohol in their system, and about 10 percent tested positive for other drugs, such as opiates, cocaine, marijuana, or amphetamines, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN
War on drugs strengthens Afghan mafia
Afghanistan’s war on drugs has been marred by corruption that has strengthened the grip of an increasingly powerful mafia on the country’s narcotics trade, a report by the World Bank and United Nations said. Over the past five years, the British-led counter-narcotics strategy had penalised the country’s poorest farmers and strengthened networks of organised crime, consolidating the trade among a tiny elite of traffickers, the damning report said.

ECSTASY - AUSTRALIA
Ecstasy study turns dance floor into lab - ABC Australia
The idea of being followed around a nightclub by a researcher bent on taking a blood sample and measuring your temperature may not be your idea of a good time.

COCAINE - US
Test Strips For The Rapid Detection Of Cocaine
Saving the life of a poisoning victim is often a matter of minutes. It is best when the emergency doctor can perform a reliable diagnosis on the spot to determine which poison or what type of drug overdose a patient is suffering from.

PAINKILLER - US
Methadone Use for Pain Control May Result in Death and Life-Threatening Changes in Breathing and Heart Beat - FDA Public Health Advisory
FDA has received reports of death and life-threatening side effects in patients taking methadone. These deaths and life-threatening side effects have occurred in patients newly starting methadone for pain control and in patients who have switched to methadone after being treated for pain with other strong narcotic pain relievers.

PAINKILLER - US
Deaths, side effects prompt new methadone warning - CNN
People starting treatment with methadone have died and suffered life-threatening side effects, health officials said Monday in warning of the dangers of overdosing on the painkiller.

PAINKILLER - US
Warning issued on dangers of methadone - Seatle PI
People starting treatment with methadone have died and suffered life-threatening side effects, health officials said Monday in warning of the dangers of overdosing on the painkiller.

PAINKILLER - US
FDA Issues New Methadone Warning - CBN News
It's a drug that's been used to treat heroin addiction -- and, increasingly, as a pain-reliever. And now, the government is warning of the dangers of using too much methadone.

HEROIN - US
Police: Heroin cases rise sharply in state - Chicago Tribune
Authorities say heroin has become increasingly easy to find in Indianapolis and other parts of the state. The Indiana State Police estimate they will investigate nearly 700 heroin cases this year -- twice as many as last year and triple the number of cases in 2004.

GENERAL - BANGKOK
Asean aims to be drug-free by 2015 - Bangkok Post
Representatives of Asean member countries and local, regional and international NGOs are meeting now in Bangkok to seek concrete solutions to the drug problem in the region, with a goal of making Asean a drug-free region in 2015.

MARIJUANA - US
Marijuana petition drive for 2008 ballot is under way - Wood TV
Michigan residents could legally use marijuana on private property for recreational or medical purposes under a measure proposed for the 2008 statewide ballot.

MARIJUANA - US
Petition drive seeks to legalize marijuana use in Michigan - WZZM 13
Michigan residents could legally use marijuana on private property under a measure proposed for the 2008 ballot.

Nov 25 Drug Headlines

COCAINE - UK
Powder to the people - Guardian Unlimited
Cocaine has conquered Britain. This angry little island is in thrall to an angry little drug.

ALCOHOL - US
Tests find alcohol in many suicides - Washington Times
More than a third of those who committed suicide in 2004 tested positive for alcohol, according to a federal study. The test results, taken from suicide victims in 13 states, also showed that 10 percent had opiates, cocaine, marijuana or amphetamines in their system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in the report, which was released Thursday.

GENERAL - AUSTRALIA
Drug ghouls prey on the schoolies - Herald Sun
More than half the schoolies surveyed by the Herald Sun yesterday said they had been offered drugs. Most said they had been asked whether they wanted ecstasy or cannabis, but some also said they had been offered cocaine, speed and acid.

CANNABIS - UK
'I'll fight on to save youths from drugs
A magistrate who is calling for the reclassification of cannabis has said he will continue to work to protect youths from the drug after receiving support from the Magistrates' Association.

MARIJUANA - US
After 20 years, war on marijuana changes - Kentucky
Police destroyed more marijuana growing outdoors in Kentucky this year than they had in more than a decade, according to numbers compiled by state police.

Nov 24 Drug Headlines

New Articles

GENERAL - AFGHAN
Afghan Drug Boom Fuels Child Addiction Rates
Doctors estimate that there are more than 2,000 drug-addicted children in the western city of Herat alone.

GENERAL - UK
Addicted to Failure - The Times
The most optimistic reading of the remarks by Europe’s top anti-drugs official yesterday was that the war against drugs is in a quagmire. In Britain, new government statistics suggest that there is a serious and growing drug problem. Although the illicit nature of drug use means that no calculation can ever be wholly accurate, the Home Office estimates are probably more robust, and more alarming, than anything previously published.

METH - MEXICO
Mexico Produces Most of Methamphetamine Coming into US
As methamphetamine abuse continues its scourge of the country, state and federal elected officials have worked over the last two years to pass laws restricting sales of over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine.

Original Articles

ALCOHOL - US
CDC Says Alcohol a Factor in One of Three Suicides - Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that post-mortem toxicology screenings found alcohol present in 33% of suicides across 13 states. Opiates were involved in 16%. Maybe most worrisome is that, as Reuters reports, the number of suicide deaths that involved drugs and alcohol didn't change even when drugs were the suspected method of suicide.

CANNABIS - UK
Cannabis is linked to rising child crime and harder drugs - Times Online
Magistrates are calling for tougher laws on cannabis to halt a crime wave among children who are stealing to buy drugs and graduating to more dangerous drugs. The demand for the Government to move the drug back to Class B from Class C for young offenders came yesterday as two reports showed that Britain’s drug problems continue unabated.

GENERAL - UK
Britain's £5.9bn a year drug habit - THe Guardian
The UK has 327,466 hardcore "problem drug users" who are regularly using either heroin, crack or cocaine, research revealed yesterday. The figure is far higher than a previous estimate of 270,000.

HEROIN - UK
Killer heroin on our streets - Get Reading UK
Police fear a batch of killer heroin is in circulation following the deaths of two men in two days. They have issued an urgent warning to heroin users to beware shooting up a deadly dose of the drug.

HEROIN - UK
BAD HABIT TO GIVE ADDICTS HEROIN - Daily Record UK
TRYING awfully hard to understand the logic behind prescribing heroin for druggies on the NHS. It would, according to the police, cut burglaries, muggings and shop-lifting by half because the junkies wouldn't have to steal to feed their habits. Except some might think, at a time when medication is being denied to those suffering from early stage Alzheimer's, that shelling out £15,000 a year for each addict is not maybe the best use of our resources.

HEROIN - UK
NHS to give addicts free drugs - The Argus
Drug addicts are to be prescribed heroin on the NHS in a controversial plan to cut crime and get users off drugs. Addicts would be allowed to inject themselves under supervision as part of a scheme costing £12,000 to £15,000 a year for every user.

OPIUM - UK & AFGHANISTAN
British troops wary of joining Afghan war on drugs - Daily Times
Despite being urged to do so by Afghan and western counter-narcotics chiefs, British troops are wary of joining the offensive against the drugs trade in Afghanistan, The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday. British commanders reportedly stand accused of taking too soft a line on opium farmers, and forces in the southern Helmand province – where the majority of British soldiers are based – are being asked to bomb or ambush drug smugglers.

COCAINE - UK
Britain leads Europe in cocaine use
A study finds that cocaine use in Europe is highest in England and Wales with Spain ranking second. In England and Wales, cocaine use has tripled among all adults and quadrupled among those aged 15 to 24 in the past 10 years, the BBC reported.

COCAINE - UK
Cancerous substance in cocaine? - Female First
Drug users have been cautioned that the drug is more commonly being cut with a chemical which places them at a 'very high risk of getting cancer'.

COCAINE - UK
Britain leads Europe in cocaine use - Washington Times
A study finds that cocaine use in Europe is highest in England and Wales with Spain ranking second. In England and Wales, cocaine use has tripled among all adults and quadrupled among those aged 15 to 24 in the past 10 years, the BBC reported.

METH - US
‘Meth is Death Week' planned for Jan. 21-27 - Daily Citizen
Plans are coming together for a planned county-wide week-long observance in January to raise the local awareness about the continuing methamphetamine problem in Greene County. Tabbed “Meth is Death Week” - the public awareness campaign is sponsored by Greene United Against Meth (GUAM), a pro-active grassroots organization, that has been involved in educating the public about the perils of meth use in the community for more than three years.

GENERAL - UK
Rising drug addiction costs UK £15 billion annually - Earth Times
The rise of drug abuse in the UK is costing its tax payers £15 billion. This figure has arisen in a Home Office study that was published recently. The amount is made up of drug related crimes, health service usage, drug-related deaths and the socio-economic care of addicts.

MARIJUANA - CANADA
Marijuana more addictive for youth
Young people can easily become dependent on marijuana because their brain is still developing, says an expert on youth substance abuse.

Nov 23 Drug Headlines

New Articles

GENERAL - UK
Measuring Different Aspects of Problem Drug Use: Methodological Developments - Drugs UK Government
This report brings together the results of three studies which provide robust updated estimates of the size of the illegal drug use problem, from different perspectives.

Original Articles

ALCOHOL - US
Disclosure Of Advertising Tactics Reduces Odds Kids Will Drink - Medical News
A new research report from Penn State's Smeal College of Business finds that modest in-school lessons revealing the goals and effects of alcohol advertising can reduce the likelihood that adolescents will drink.

GENERAL - AFGHANISTAN
Rising Illicit Injection Drug Use In Afghanistan Might Contribute To Spread Of HIV, Health Official Says - Medical News
The increasing use of illicit injection drugs in Afghanistan might be fueling the spread of HIV in the country, Afghan Health Minister Saifour Rehman said recently, AFP/Yahoo! News reports.

GENERAL - AUSTRALIA
Welfare voucher plan for addict parents - The Age
Welfare activists gave federal Community Services Minister Mal Brough a frosty reception as he outlined his plan to quarantine welfare payments from irresponsible parents. Cabinet has agreed in principle to Mr Brough's plan to provide food and clothing vouchers to parents who might otherwise spend their welfare payments on drugs, alcohol and gambling.

COCAINE & HEROIN - EUROPE
Cocaine and heroin prices falling in Europe - New Zealand Herald
Illegal drugs may be cheaper than ever before in Europe, with prices of heroin slumping 45 per cent and cocaine down 22 per cent over five years, according to the first Europe-wide report of its kind on drug prices.

COCAINE - UK
Festive warning over cocaine use - BBC
Almost 50 pubs and clubs have joined forces in Edinburgh to warn festive party-goers of the dangers of taking cocaine. Licensees in premises across Edinburgh will help spread the message over the weekend that even occasional cocaine use carries major health risks.

MARIJUANA - US
Marijuana and Its Effect on Fertility
Marijuana causes obstruction in sperm mobility and can reduce the sperm count, thus decreasing its effectiveness. It also decreases the volume of seminal fluid.

MARIJUANA - US
Teens quicker to become marijuana dependent, expert says
Teenagers can quickly become dependent on marijuana because their brain is still developing, says an expert on youth substance abuse.

METH - US
Are you addicted to crystal meth? Trying the drug is akin to Russian roulette - Richmond Review
While crystal meth can be deadly addictive for many, not everyone who uses the drug will become helplessly hooked.

COCAINE - SCOTLAND
Venues back blitz on cocaine - The Scotsman
Nearly 50 pubs and clubs in Edinburgh are taking part in a hard-hitting campaign warning festive revellers of the dangers of cocaine. The popular city centre venues will target 18 to 26-y

COCAINE - UK
Cocaine cut with cancerous drugs - Metro
Cocaine users were warned the drug is increasingly being cut with a chemical which puts them at a 'very high risk of getting cancer'.

Nov 22 Drug Headlines

ALCOHOL - US
Britons 'in denial' over alcohol - BBC
Britons are in denial about the effect of drinking excess alcohol on their health, according to a survey. Only 12% of adults questioned worried about the effect of drinking too much alcohol on their health, according to insurer Legal & General.

OPIUM - UK
Smoking opium could make a comeback in Britain - Times Online
Opium smoking much beloved by Victorian intellectuals could be making a comeback in Britain a national drugs conference was warned yesterday. International drugs experts believe that traffickers faced with off-loading a record crop of opium poppies in Afghanistan are not bothering to refine opium into heroin but smuggling it direct for sale.

ECSTASY - UK
Call for ecstasy to be downgraded - BBC
Ecstasy and LSD should be downgraded from Class A to Class B, a government adviser on drugs law has proposed. Professor David Nutt, who chairs a committee of a drugs advisory council, said grouping the drugs with others in Class A, like heroin, was an "anomaly".

GENERAL - NEW ZEALAND
Cultural Differences Blamed For Maori Drug Addiction - Newswire
A new study reveals that Maori are twice as likely as non-Maori to become addicted to drugs.

OPIUM - UK
Smoking opium could make a comeback in Britain - Times Online
Opium smoking much beloved by Victorian intellectuals could be making a comeback in Britain a national drugs conference was warned yesterday. International drugs experts believe that traffickers faced with off-loading a record crop of opium poppies in Afghanistan are not bothering to refine opium into heroin but smuggling it direct for sale.

GENERAL - IRAN
One person dies every two hours from drug addiction in Iran - Iran Focus
One person dies every two hours from drug addiction-related illnesses in Iran, according to new statistics released by the government.

PAINKILLER - SWEDEN
Painkiller addiction kills two youngsters - The Local, Swedens News in English
Police are concerned about the use of highly addictive painkiller Tradolan among young people in Tierp, north of Stockholm. The deaths of two 17-year old boys have been linked to the drug Expressen reports. Police say both boys hade high amounts of Tradolan in their bodies at the time of death.

GENERAL - US
Changing Your Diet Can Improve Your Mood - NBC 11
Kim Goldman's despair was so bad she couldn't work. Even prescription anti-depressants failed to pull her out of a deep depression.

COCAINE - US
Love Your Heart: Just Say 'No' to Cocaine - The Crimson
Sinners, take note. Sex won’t increase your risk of a heart attack—but cocaine could up your chances nearly 24 times over, according to two Harvard researchers.

Nov 21 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPION - CANADA
Prescription Opioid Abuse More Prevalent Than Heroin, Canadian Study Reveals - Science Daily
A new study conducted in seven Canadian cities reveals that prescription opioids, and not heroin, are the major form of illicit opioid use. These findings raise questions about the current focus of Canada's drug control policy and treatment programs.

ALCOHOL - US
US push for drink detectors in cars - The Age
ALCOHOL detectors may be fitted to all vehicles in the US after private and government experts agreed that the deterrence tactic used against drink-drivers for the past 20 years was no longer working.

GENERAL - US
Relapse Rates Lower When Treatment Follows Detox - Join Together
Patients who received addiction treatment within 30 days of going through detoxification took 40 percent longer to relapse if they fell off the wagon at all, according to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

GENERAL - NEW ZEALAND
Maori 'twice as likely' to develop drug addiction - New Zealand Herald
Maori are more at risk of developing drug addictions than other ethnic groups, an addiction expert says. National Addiction Centre director Professor Doug Sellman said today that after considering variables such as age, gender, education and household income, Maori were twice as likely to have lifetime substance use disorders than other ethnic groups.

GENERAL - UK
Police chiefs to debate drugs fight - The Guardian
Britain's top police officers are beginning a two-day conference to discuss the battle against illegal drugs. The Association of Chief Police Officers event will focus on future opportunities, challenges and threats facing law enforcement officers and communities.

METH - UK
Crystal meth: Britain's deadliest drug problem - Independent
Britain is under threat from a highly addictive drug, known as crystal meth or "ice", which has the potential to rival crack cocaine as the country's most dangerous drug, police chiefs are warning.

HEROIN - US
Heroin use rate descending - CJOB
Heroin is apparently no longer the drug of choice among many substance abusers in Canada. A study has found prescription narcotics such as morphine and OxyContin are taking the place of the illicit drug.

GENERAL - AUSTRALIA
Call to screen drug-addicted mothers - The Age
A Tasmanian doctor wants the mothers of babies drug-addicted at birth to be screened for illicit substances before being allowed to take their babies home.

COCAINE - UK
A nation addicted: Cocaine - Britain's deadly habit
A major new report shows that 1.75 million young adults use a drug that most think is harmless. But 171 people have died from its use last year, an increase of 300 per cent in five years.

OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN
As opium poppies flourish, Karzai's resolve seems to wilt - Baltimore Sun
Five years ago this month, Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, was liberated from the tyranny of the Taliban regime and its "guests," al-Qaida. Five years later, Afghanistan, and indeed the world, lives under the threat of another brutal tyrant: the narcotics trade and the terrorism it funds.