Drug News
Tuesday
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. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, METH
Thursday
April 26th Drug Addiction News
HEROIN - FRANCE Drugs may cause addiction by 'remodelling' brain - PARIS (AFP) A heroin addict aching for a fix years after kicking the habit is not simply weak-willed but may be tormented by enduring changes in the brain caused by the drug itself, according a groundbreaking study released Wednesday COCAINE – USA 'Cocaine' drink pulled from local shelves – The Stamford Times Hundreds of cases of an energy drink called Cocaine have been seized by the state, which accuses the Las Vegas company that produces it of not licensing it as required by law. METH – NEW ZEALAND Crystal meth fear may hit cold medicines – Stuff LONDON: Some cold medicines may become prescription-only in Britain to prevent criminal gangs using them to make the crack-like drug, crystal meth. DRUGS – USA Drug overdoses up: Coroner sees more drug-related deaths – Shelby County Reporter Shelby County Coroner Diana Hawkins continues her mission to combat an increase in the number of teens and young adults dying from substance abuse. METH – UK Is meth abuse a UK problem? – BBC News The use of methamphetamine - commonly known as "crystal meth" or "ice" - could be spreading in the UK. MARIJUANA – USA Marijuana sold in U.S. stronger than ever – MSNBC News The marijuana being sold across the United States is stronger than ever, which could explain a growing number of medical emergencies that involve the drug. ALCOHOL – USA Study: Men, women show alcohol problems differently – CNN Health News Women with drinking problems may show it in different ways from men, which could make their alcohol abuse harder to detect, according to new research. CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND US cannabis becoming more potent – TV3 News US government experts claim the marijuana being sold across the United States is stronger than ever, which they say could explain a growing number of medical emergencies involving the drug. MARIJUANA – US U.S. marijuana grows stronger than before – Scientific America Analysis of seized samples of marijuana and hashish showed that more of the cannabis on the market is of the strongest grade, the White House and National Institute for Drug Abuse said. MARIJUANA – USA Feds say marijuana still getting stronger – Team 4 News The amount of the substance in marijuana seized last year reached eight-point-five percent, according to the White House drug-control policy office. Labels: alcohol abuse, cocaine, Crystal meth, drug abuse, heroin, ice, marijuana, substance abuse
Wednesday
April 11 Drug Addiction Headlines
ADDICTION – USA Children Teaching Children About Addiction – WOLX NewsThe students also pick up some coping skills, when dealing with peer pressure and violence. METH –USA Huntsman Combatting Utah's Growing Meth Addiction – BYU NewsnetIt all began when Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. visited the House of Hope, a drug rehabilitation center in Salt Lake City that provides treatment to mothers whose lives have been overcome by addiction. CANNABIS – UK Drug campaigners warn of cannabis threat – East Anglian Daily TimesSTRONGER and more potent forms of cannabis are on the streets of Suffolk and being used increasingly by youngsters who assume the drug is safe. CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA Campaign to stop teens smoking cannabis – Brisbane TimesThe NSW government is launching a $600,000 advertising campaign in a bid to cut down the number of young students smoking cannabis. CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA Cinema ad blitz targets cannabis – 2GB NewsTeenagers heading to the cinema over the school holidays are being warned about the dangers of cannabis use. Labels: cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine
Sunday
April 1 Drug Addiction Headlines
METH – USA Stronger meth is on the market – WALB NewsA 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 LinkThough 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 WeekDespite 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 NewsAuthorities 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 – LifesiteA 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 – eMaxHealthOn 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? – MSNBCAnheuser-Busch product so adorable it draws fire from alcohol abuse camp. MARIJUANA – USA Is Marijuana Kosher For Passover? – Washington PostIn 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 CitizenA 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 RegisterIf anyone reading this is "dabbling" in drugs, thinking it will only hurt him- or herself, read on... Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium
Thursday
March 29 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Officials Warn Of Candy-Flavored Meth – WTVMThere are reports across the country warning of candy-flavored methamphetamine. Meth use is down, so dealers are trying to come up with new ways to sell the drug. METH – USA Meth Task Force – WDEF NewsCandy, powdered drink sweetener, even chocolate -- common household objects and all tools of the meth trade nowadays...anything to hook your children on the deadly drug. METH – USA Phoenix's Crystal Meth Education Videos Heading to Schools Statewide – Prime NewswireVideos aimed at educating students on the dangers of crystal methamphetamine are on their way to schools all around Arizona. METH – USA Wet is a Problem in East Texas – KTRE Lufkin NewsIt's a popular way to get high and its affects are disturbing. People are smoking marijuana joints or tobacco cigarettes dipped in embalming fluid. On the street, it is known as wet or water. CANNABIS - UK Cannabis farm caused road collapse – AnanovaPolice discovered an illegal cannabis farm in Leeds after it caused part of a road to collapse. MARIJUANA – Africa No hash matzos? Marijuana not kosher for Passover – SABC NewsMarijuana is not kosher for Passover, a pro-cannabis advocacy group says, advising Jews who observe the week-long holiday's special dietary laws to take a break from smoking the weed. ADDICTION – USA Man dies from addiction after making anti-drug film – Bowling Green NewsHe was extremely satisfied, wanting to do more in getting the word out and showing kids what meth harm does. Labels: cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine
Friday
March 8 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – USA Surgeon General Calls for Action on Underage Drinking – Join TogetherNoting 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 TribuneLast 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 NewsAfter Record Afghan Crop In 2006, Opium Production Could Rise Yet Again, UN Reports. METH – USA Anti-meth group to launch new ads – Montana ForumTargeting 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 OnlineIn 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 PioneerMeth 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 CitizenAdolescents 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 SunAverage 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 – MSNBCAmericans need a wake-up call about the widespread use of alcohol by millions of underage drinkers. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium
Tuesday
March 6 Drug Headlines
DRUGS – USA Drug testing kids a bad idea, doctors say – MSNBCScreening for substance abuse often inaccurate and leads to loss of trust. MARIJUANA – USA Video appears to show brothers, 2 and 5, smoking pot – CNN NewsPolice 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 LifeParents 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 ReviewsA 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 UnlimitedThe 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 NewsThe 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 ReviewsWhile 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 StatesmanHere is a list of people for whom any amount of alcohol is dangerous and should be avoided. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Feb 28 Drug Headlines
METHADONE – USA Methadone abuse continues to grow – Herald NetIt's the "easy-to-get" nature of the drug that has led to the spike in methadone deaths, according to government officials. PESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise – News MaxWhen you think of drug abuse, you might imagine a frantic crack addict handing over cash to dealer in a seedy part of town. What about this portrait of drug abuse? A middle-class person walks up to a pharmacist and hands over a forged prescription for some pain killers. PAINKILLERS – USA Daily painkiller raises heart attack risk – The AgeTHE safety of popular over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs has been questioned after a huge Harvard study found prolonged use can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. PAINKILLERS – USA Painkiller Risk: High Blood Pressure – Health SentinelThe most widely used medicines in the world -- over-the-counter pain drugs -- raise a person's risk of high blood pressure. METH – USA War on Drugs no help as meth epidemic worsens in the U.S. – Trans World NewsMethamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug that can have horrifying side effects, but perhaps the most shocking thing about this drug is that the FDA and Big Business may be contributing to its spread in pursuit of profits. MARIJUANA – USA Driving While Young: Teens and Marijuana – ABC Local NewsWith so many tragedies involving young drivers, our Eyewitness News special project "DWY: Driving While Young" looks at the dangers teens face behind the wheel. MARIJUANA – USA Lawmakers target marijuana-flavored candy – AJC Capitol UpdatesA bill that would ban the sale of marijuana-flavored candy to children in Georgia won approval from a legislative committee this morning, advancing the proposal toward a vote in the House of Representatives. METH – USA Boys & Girls Club takes meth program to schools – The Verde IndependentThe clubs have been presenting the nationally acclaimed MethSMART program in West Sedona and Big Park elementary schools in Sedona and Mingus High School in Cottonwood over five weeks. OPIUM – THIALAND The war that won't go away – Bangkok PostLike most wars, the society problem often labelled as the ''war on drugs'' is a matter of many small battles. This war has had many ups and downs. It should not be surprising that drug trafficking and usage are increasing once again. OPIUM – USA Opium eradication starts in Afghanistan – Houston ChronicleAnguish creased the weathered face of the opium farmer as a U.S.-trained eradication team swept through his farm fields in this southern Afghan village. Labels: marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Friday
Feb 22 Drug Headlines
METH – NEW ZEALAND Tenfold increase in methamphetamine entering NZ – New Zealand HeraldPolice and customs officials say the amount of pure methamphetamine ("P") entering New Zealand has increased tenfold in the past year. METH – USA Local students are winning war on meth – Lake County LeaderThe first-time sensation of meth is so powerful that someone dumb enough to try the drug is almost instantaneously hooked. They will never again attain that first ‘high’, but will ruin their lives in the attempt. MARIJUANA – USA U.S. Is Sued Over Position on Marijuana – New York TimesFrustrated by government policy and inaction, a group of advocates for medical marijuana sued two federal health agencies on Wednesday over the assertion that smoking it has no medical benefit. ADDICTION – UK 'We can help each other' – The GuardianIn 1967, Mollie Craven, the mother of a heroin addict, wrote an article in the Guardian appealing to readers to start a self-help group for addicts and their families. Now, 40 years later, Addaction is Britain's leading drug charity. ADDICTION – UK Kicking old habits – The GuardianIt's a quiet morning in a quiet road just off Mare Street in Hackney, east London. Drop-in hours are not until the afternoon, but already people are arriving at the doors of Addaction Hackney Community Drug Service. HEROIN – USA Parents confront deadly heroin mix – KVUEParents and community leaders, concerned about a cheap and deadly drug that has invaded a cluster of northwest Dallas schools, demanded Wednesday that school and police officials take the problem more seriously. CANNABIS – SWITZERLAND 'Cannabis is not for cows' – IOL NewsSwitzerland's agriculture ministry has called on the country's farmers to stop feeding their cows cannabis. Labels: cannabis, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Thursday
Feb 21 Drug Headlines
METH – NEW ZEALAND People power filling gap in drug battle – New Zealand HeraldThe 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 NewsThe 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 EyeAfter 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 ZealandAt 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 PostPeople 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 NewsStudents 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 GazetteThe 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 Affairsn 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 BackA poll conducted by the University of South Alabama reveals strong demand for confidential random drug testing programs. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Monday
Feb 17 Drug Headlines
CANNABIS – UK Cannabis loses appeal for young people – ABC News OnlineA 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 HeraldSMOKING 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 IndependentChildren 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 PressSome 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 DailyAvoiding the severe pain, nausea, agitation, sweats and other symptoms of opiate withdrawal are among the many reasons addicts are motivated to continue taking drugs. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, prescription
Friday
Feb 15 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Come together to fight meth – Montrose Daily PressThe toll of methamphetamine use can be felt in all aspects of the community and at all levels. Meth is a highly addictive drug that has a devastating impact on the individual as well as their families. And no one is immune from it. METH – USA Candy-Looking Meth Hits Streets – WVNS-TVMethamphetamine production and addiction is a continuing problem, especially in rural areas. Now, there's a troubling new development. Drug dealers are now targeting children with flavored, candy-colored versions of the drug. PRESCRIPTION – USA Report: Teens Using Prescription Drugs – Sci-Tech TodayWhile teen use of marijuana declined, the use of OxyContin, a painkiller, increased from 2.7 percent to 3.5 percent over the same period. METHADONE – USA METHADONE DEATHS – NBC NewschannelThe highly-addictive drug methadone was initially used to help heroin addicts break their addiction. A few years ago, Idaho became one of the first states to see methadone also being prescribed for chronic pain. RITALIN – USA Prescription Drug Use Among Students Growing – City on a Hill PressAccording to the Greater Dallas Council on Alcoholic and Drug Abuse website, Ritalin ranks in the top 10 most frequently reported controlled pharmaceuticals stolen from licensed handlers. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Teens Continue To Abuse Prescription Drugs – E Canada NowThough U.S. teen use of some drugs is in decline their use of prescription drugs is going strong and increasing in certain areas. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Teens Turning to Prescription DrugsMore and more US teens are turning away from marijuana in favor of prescription drugs from their own medicine cabinets. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen abuse of prescription drugs holds steady – MSNBCAccording to an analysis of national surveys prepared by Walters’ office, 2.1 million teenagers abused prescription drugs in 2005. DRUGS – USA Dobbs: The war within, killing ourselves – CNNWe're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades. MARIJUANA – USA Parents are urged to learn about today's marijuana – Amador Ledger DispatchToday's marijuana is not yesterday's marijuana. I find this to be very interesting information for parents, teachers and anyone who has had the questions asked or will be asked: What's so wrong with smoking marijuana? It's not a drug? Right? METHADONE – USA Methadone Deaths More Common – Post ChronicleA study finds that U.S. deaths from methadone, the prescription drug often used to treat heroin addicts, almost quadrupled between 1999 and 2004. OPIUM – USA Afghanistan: What the United States Has Spent – ABC NewsDespite Billions Spent, and Lives Lost, Opium Trade Thrives and Fuels Insurgent Attacks. OPIUM – USA Losing Afghanistan to opium? – The Washington TimesThe spring opium harvest will soon begin in Afghanistan. So will a murderous spring offensive by the Taliban and its allies against U.S. and coalition troops. The two events are directly related. Labels: marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, prescription, ritalin
Wednesday
Feb 13 Drug Headlines
MARIJUANA – INDIA Smoking : Long-term marijuana smoking leads to respiratory complaints – Spirit IndiaLong-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 TribuneExpressing 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 – ISNProvincial 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 – ZWireThe 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 NewsNinety 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 InfernoAccording 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 AssociationWhile 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 NewsIt's targetted at young people and others experimenting with drugs. METH – USA Anti-meth blitz set to educate – Peninsula ClarionStatewide campaign aimed to curb methamphetamine use. METH – CANADA Council and police take aim at crystal meth – The ChroniclePolice 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! NewsAccording 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 NewsAlcohol 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 TodayStatistics 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 NewsMethadone 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 RecordPrescription pain medications, such as morphine and oxycodone, are increasingly being sold on the street. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drugs are not the answer – Stoneham SunI 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, HealthA 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. Labels: adderall, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, oxycodone, prescription
Monday
Feb 3 Drug Headlines
COCAINE – USA Passion alone won't rescue Colombia from its narco-economy stigma – Guardian UnlimitedThanks to the western appetite for cocaine, this stunningly beautiful country has the tourist appeal of Afghanistan. ALCOHOL – USA Women And Recovery From Alcoholism – Medical NewsPhD 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 NewsIn 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 AcornEfforts 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.comWhen 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 DrillerOxyContin 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 OnlineLaw 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. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Tuesday
Dec 18 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK Britain's booziest Christmas ever - The IndependentPrice 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 StarFor 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 TelegraphWarning 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 TimesAs 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 - CNNEcuador 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 TimesThe $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 TogetherSome 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 NewsMexican 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 yearThe 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 HeraldMore 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 growingCannabis 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 ScotsmanThe 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 TribuneThe 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. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, prescription
Monday
Dec 17 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - SCOTLAND Cold turkey plan for Scots addicts - The ScotmanThe 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. GENERAL - US Drugs might be the reason the season has been so violent - Our MidlandA carjacking and attempted kidnapping in broad daylight at a grocery store in Midland has a number of people wondering what is going on in our community. Even the police have taken notice, with one official saying that criminal behavior in Midland is changing and becoming more serious. HEROIN - US Three die amid 'bad heroin' fears - BBCThree drug users have died in a week after injecting themselves with "contaminated" heroin, police fear. Two men and a woman, aged in their 20s, died in separate incidents while a fourth man remains seriously ill. HEROIN - UK Take the war on drugs to the poppy fields - The ObserverHeroin isn't a snob. Nor, to be strictly accurate, is it an inverted snob. Here at least it cannot be faulted. Class As are impressively classless; heroin is happy to enter your bloodstream whatever your bloodline. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Bongs set for national banThe Howard Government is pushing for a ban on the sale of marijuana bongs throughout Australia. The Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Christopher Pyne, said the Government believed the legal sale of bongs sent a tacit signal that the Government approved the use of such drugs. METH - AUSTRALIA Ice smuggled in through 'porous borders'Cracks in Australia's border protection are being blamed for the smuggling of the potentially lethal drug ice. NSW Police Minister John Watkins accused the federal government on Sunday of not doing enough to catch drug smugglers, saying more shipping containers should be checked for ice, also known as crystal methamphetamine. GENERAL - US Sobering VacationA new wave of addiction treatment centers is turning Malibu into the capital of luxury rehab -- and raising questions about whether five-star service and recovery mix. GENERAL - SCOTLAND Scotland shakes up drug lawsScotland is undergoing a shake-up in its drug policy, with proposals to help get the country's 50,000 addicts off heroin and other drugs. HEROIN - AFGHAN Drug war, Taliban, poppies are all in full flower Opium, thugs bloom under U.S. policies in Afghanistan warA little more than five years since the start of the Bush administration's Afghan war, the "ousted" Taliban is back in full flower, and so is the notorious Afghan poppy. There's no doubt the two are intimately connected. HEROIN - UK Three die amid 'bad heroin' fearsThree drug users have died in a week after injecting themselves with "contaminated" heroin, police fear. GENERAL - US Meth down, heroin on riseLately, when grand juries hand up indictments for drug charges, meth-lab cooks are conspicuously absent, and the drugs of choice now seem to be heroin, cocaine and pills. MARIJUANA - UK Drug dealers offer cash to home growersAfter a police crackdown in Britain, drug dealers reportedly are paying customers to grow marijuana in their homes. Labels: heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Dec 15 Drug Headlines
MARIJUANA - US Prosecutors may change marijuana limitsLimits on the number of marijuana plants people with doctors' recommendations are allowed to grow in Nevada County may become more stringent in coming months, as the district attorney-elect re-evaluates local standards for cultivation of the drug. MARIJUANA - US City aims to prohibit medicinal marijuana dispensariesSimi Valley could soon become the first city in Ventura County to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. HEROIN - AFGHAN Southwest Asia: US Drug Czar Announces Afghanistan Will Spray Opium PoppiesOffice of National Drug Control Policy head John Walters announced Saturday at a Kabul press conference that Afghanistan's poppy crops will be sprayed with herbicides in an effort to put a crimp in the country's booming opium and heroin trade. But the Afghan government, which is not enthusiastic about spraying, has yet to confirm Walters' pronouncement. METH - US Governor Wants Money for Meth-Addicted MothersIn addition to a big tax cut and a hefty gift for public schools, Governor Jon Huntsman Junior wants five million dollars to help meth-addicted mothers recover. Salt Lake City Meth Initiative Project Manager Marjean Searcy hopes the money will cut current waiting lists for treatment. GENERAL - US Bangor: Addiction treatment of mothers exploredThe growing problem of opiate addiction was the focus of a presentation at Eastern Maine Medical Center on Thursday morning by national specialist and researcher Dr. Martha Wunsch, M.D. HEROIN - US Seizures Show increase in heroin smugglingOfficials report a substantial increase in the smuggling of heroin although seizures of other drugs are remaining stable . Seizures by the Santa Cruz County Metro Task Force have shown an increase in heroin smuggling. Labels: heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Thursday
Dec 13 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US Antidepressant suicide warning may be expanded - CNNTreatment 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 TimesPublic 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 HamiltonHamilton 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 HeraldHamilton 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 OpinionThe 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 TimesStrong 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 - BBCEcuador'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 ColonistAmerica'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 StarThe 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 TogetherHunters 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 - ReutersThe 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 UseSwitzerland'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 alcoholMost 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 collegesWhen 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 DispensariesTulare 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 NGOAlcohol 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 AlertAttorney 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. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Dec 11 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL & GENERAL DRUGS - US National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, 2006 - White HouseEach 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 HeraldWhereas 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 findsThe 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 OrbitAddicts 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 TogetherUse 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 GuardianAfghanistan 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 ProjectA 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 mythsWilliam 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. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, over-the-counter, prescription
Dec 5 Drug Headlines
MARIJUANA - US Marijuana-flavored lollipops in Toledo - ABC Local OhioA candy product has already fueled a bitter debate across the country; now it's showing up in Toledo stores. Lollipops are putting a bitter taste in some people's mouths. Chronic Candy or pot suckers are a part of a growing trend that has made its way to Toledo. HEROIN - US Keys to fighting heroin scourge - Indy StarOur position: Tougher law enforcement and more treatment options are needed to curb growing rate of heroin addiction. Heroin use is on the rise again in Indiana. State Police will investigate about 700 heroin cases this year -- three times Indiana's total in 2004. PRESCRIPTION - CANADA Students taking drugs - The UbysseyThe abuse of stimulants such as Ritalin and Dexedrine is on the rise at UBC. In professional health programs, such as medicine or pharmacy, students are being equipped with knowledge that can be used to abuse the health care system to their benefit. And, while many forego this practice, others don’t. GENERAL - US Drug Free Marshals Get the Word Out - Your HubThe Church of Scientology's Drug Free Marshals marched in the Boulder Lights of December Parade, Saturday December 2nd, advising all onlookers to "Say Yes To Life, Say No To Drugs." The Marshals were greeted with support and cheers as they handed out anti-drug education booklets about a variety of abused drugs. PRESCRIPTION - US Students shouldn’t use medication to study - The ExponentDuring the home stretch of these next two weeks, we are struggling to survive dead week and finals. In this time of intense struggling, some students are looking to stimulant drugs to give them some fuel to study. One of the most popular abused prescription drugs among college students is Adderall. OPIUM - AFGHAN & US Pentagon resists pleas for help in Afghan opium fight - LA TimesThe Pentagon, engaged in a difficult fight to defeat a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, has resisted entreaties from U.S. anti-narcotics officials to play an aggressive role in the faltering campaign to curb the country's opium trade. METH - US NICU first home for addicted babies - Bangor Daily NewsBabies born to opiate-addicted mothers are almost always addicted, too. In eastern Maine, where young women of childbearing age make up the fastest-growing segment of the opiate-abusing population, the number of babies who begin their lives in the physical and emotional distress of opiate withdrawal is increasing as well. METH - US Abuse of illegal drugs could end your life - Sea Coast OnlineState officials held a press conference in Stratham last week to talk about the efforts to combat the expansion of methamphetamine use in New Hampshire. They said they are at the front line of the battle, "doing everything possible to get a foothold on meth before it becomes a problem." PRESCRIPTION - US Over-prescribed pill imperils students - Badger Heraldt’s that time of the year again. No, not the holiday season, instead I mean the time when The Badger Herald publishes its annual article addressing the blood-curdling, stress-induced stomach ulcers created by finals. Labels: heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Monday
Dec 1 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US Warning on Paxil - New York TimesWomen who are pregnant, or plan to be, should avoid taking Paxil because of a risk of birth defects, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has warned. METH - US Collateral damage of methamphetamine addictionMonroe County ranks among the top five counties in Tennessee for methamphetamine lab seizures. Law agencies say they are making progress in stamping out meth use across the state, but their work isn't done yet. METH - US State's mission to curb methamphetamineMethamphetamine, by any name, is a dangerous drug migrating from western states and Mexico, state officials warned Thursday. Gov. M. Jodi Rell joined U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor, Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane, Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle and other law enforcement and health officials to ask for the public's help in fighting the drug. MARIJUANA - US Medical Marijuana: California Supreme Court Rules Patients Can Transport ItThe California Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state's medical marijuana laws allow people to transport the drug as long as they can show it was for their personal medical use. The court said that the law protects even patients carrying large amounts of weed as long as they can show it is consistent with their medical needs. HEROIN - US Growing heroin addiction problem in WaterfordHeroin addicts trying to kick the habit in Waterford have to wait a minimum of ten months before they can even get assessed for suitability for the methadone programme operated from the HSE’s Community Care building on the Cork Road. PAINKILLER - US Painkillers may reduce effectiveness of vaccinesThe intake of painkillers at the time of vaccination may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, suggests a new study. When a person is vaccinated, the goal is to produce as many antibodies as possible to effectively neutralise the infection, reported science portal EurekAlert. COCAINE - IRELAND Cocaine deaths here may be under-reported, says poison doctorThe Director of the National Poisons Information Centre in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital, Dr Joe Tracey, said he is “convinced there are an awful lot more people dying from cocaine than are being picked up” and the Centre recorded only two cocaine deaths last year. OPIUM - AFGHAN Afghanistan's progress might be thwarted by Opium productionAfghanistan's soaring opium production threatens to wreck efforts to rebuild the country after years of war, the UN and the World Bank have warned. Labels: cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Friday
Nov 29 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - WORLDWIDE Drugs and the law around the world - The HeraldInformation 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 NewsNew 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 - ScoopThe 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 HeraldTeenagers 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 GuardianA 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 TimesEfforts 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 TogetherPeople 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 TogetherHuman 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 plantationPolice 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 MailThe 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 StarAfghanistan'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. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Nov 28 Drug Headlines
OPIUM - AFHGANISTAN Pesticide solution to eradicate opium trade - Telegraph UKThe 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 epidemicA 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 TrimesterNew 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 TimesPeople 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 marijuanaLast 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 MarijuanaVoters 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 supportTuesday 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 EUROPEBulgarians 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 streetsDetectives 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 HouseA Proclamation by the President of the United States of America METH - US & MEXICO Entering the ´ice age,´ a lethal drug emergesThe 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 useCounting 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 OxyContinA 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. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Tuesday
Nov 27 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA Schoolies' dangerous drinking - Herald SunAlcohol 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 TogetherA 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 mafiaAfghanistan’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 AustraliaThe 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 CocaineSaving 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 AdvisoryFDA 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 - CNNPeople 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 PIPeople 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 NewsIt'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 TribuneAuthorities 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 PostRepresentatives 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 TVMichigan 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 13Michigan residents could legally use marijuana on private property under a measure proposed for the 2008 ballot. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, opium, painkillers
Nov 25 Drug Headlines
COCAINE - UK Powder to the people - Guardian UnlimitedCocaine has conquered Britain. This angry little island is in thrall to an angry little drug. ALCOHOL - US Tests find alcohol in many suicides - Washington TimesMore 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 SunMore 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 drugsA 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 - KentuckyPolice destroyed more marijuana growing outdoors in Kentucky this year than they had in more than a decade, according to numbers compiled by state police. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, marijuana
Friday
Nov 23 Drug Headlines
New ArticlesGENERAL - UK Measuring Different Aspects of Problem Drug Use: Methodological Developments - Drugs UK GovernmentThis 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 ArticlesALCOHOL - US Disclosure Of Advertising Tactics Reduces Odds Kids Will Drink - Medical NewsA 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 NewsThe 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 AgeWelfare 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 HeraldIllegal 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 - BBCAlmost 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 FertilityMarijuana 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 saysTeenagers 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 ReviewWhile 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 ScotsmanNearly 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 - MetroCocaine users were warned the drug is increasingly being cut with a chemical which puts them at a 'very high risk of getting cancer'. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Wednesday
Nov 19 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK Underage Alcohol Poisoning Increases In UK - Medical NewsDuring the last five years the number of under-eighteens admitted to hospital for alcohol poisoning has gone up by 20%, according to a BBC Panorama programme, called "Booze: What Teenagers Need to Know". GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Lib pledge minimum terms for drug dealers - The AgeMinimum sentences for drug dealers will be introduced in Victoria if the Liberals win next Saturday's state election, Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu says. METH - AUSTRALIA State hit by methamphetamine crisis - News.com.auIce is destroying the lives of thousands of ordinary West Australians. An investigation by The Sunday Times has revealed the extent of the damage caused by the powerful crystal form of methamphetamine, which is up to 85 per cent pure. HEROIN - US Dallas struggles with heroin use among pre-teensA growing number of children, some as young as 11, have become addicted to a combination of heroin and over-the-counter cold medicine they call "cheese," officials said. HEROIN - US More students seeking help for addiction to heroin mixtureA growing number of Dallas children have become addicted to a combination of heroin and over-the-counter cold medicine they call "cheese." MARIJUANA - US Pot users in New York get marijuana delivered to their doorIn a city where you can get just about anything delivered to your door — groceries, dry cleaning, Chinese food — pot smokers are increasingly ordering takeout marijuana from drug rings that operate with remarkable corporate-style attention to customer satisfaction. COCAINE - US Editorial: Restoring fairness, sanity to cocaine drug war - Sacramento BeeWhat's the difference between crack cocaine and the powdered form of the same drug? Ask people who have been convicted of selling one or the other. Conviction for possession of only 5 grams of crack carries a mandatory minimum five years in prison. A drug dealer would have to be caught with 500 grams of powder cocaine to draw that same sentence. COCAINE - UK Cocaine use among young reaches shocking levelsThe number of people in the UK addicted to the 'celebrity' drug cocaine is out of control and has reached shocking levels, a new report has shown. METH - US Funding the fight against methThe Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department won a $1.65 million state grant for a new task force that will go after methamphetamine manufacturers and distributors in the county. COCAINE - UK UK is Europe's worst offender for cocaine useBritain's drug users take more cocaine than people in almost every other country in Europe a comprehensive study is expected to reveal. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine
Monday
Nov 17 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK Fears over rise in child drinking - BBCExcessive drinking by young people has seen a 20% rise in hospital admissions in England over the last five years, a BBC inquiry has revealed. ALCOHOl - UK Alcohol risks and limits - BBCExcessive drinking by young people has seen a 20% rise in hospital admissions in England, a BBC inquiry has revealed. GENERAL - CANADA Consider legalizing drug use, panel says - The Globe and Mail, British ColumbiaA blue-ribbon advisory group to British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell has offered the government two choices for dealing with crime and illegal drugs: Consider lobbying for legalization or go for an all-out war on drugs. GENERAL - US President Personnel Announcement - White HouseThe President intends to nominate Terry L. Cline, of Oklahoma, to be Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. ALCOHOl - US House Passes Underage-Drinking Prevention Bill - Join TogetherA bill that's being called the first national legislation to focus exclusively on underage-drinking prevention has been overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and now heads to the Senate for consideration. MARIJUANA - US Cities take sides on medical marijuana - Daily BulletinSeveral cities throughout the Inland Valley, including Claremont, Upland, Norco and Pomona, have addressed marijuana distribution. PRESCRIPTION - US NAUGHTY KIDS NEED DISCIPLINE NOT DRUGSA whole generation is in danger of becoming drug-dependent because parents and doctors want to "medicalise" bad behaviour, rather than control it through diet, discipline and parental devotion. I am not a doctor, and do not pretend to medical knowledge. But my sense of smell is unimpaired, and this business stinks. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, prescription
Friday
Nov 15 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - UK Drug abuse: Children of 10 and 11 are involved - TelegraphHeroin, crack cocaine and cannabis blight huge swaths of Britain's inner cities and sink housing estates. Drug abuse has become a crucial driver of the family breakdown and under-achievement of a generation of young working-class white boys. COCAINE - US Research Report: Cocaine Comeback - University of Florida NewsA new study shows cocaine is making a major comeback as a killer of college-age students and people with a lot of disposable income. New data from the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows that cocaine is increasingly cited as the cause of death in coroner’s reports. PRESCRIPTION - US Deadly Drug Grows in Popularity - WJAC NewsOfficials say fentanyl is known as the new oxycontin. It's 80 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. GENERAL - US Pot, Meth a Growing Problem in SCV - Santa Clarify Valley The SignalSince Sgt. Phil Morris arrived at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station narcotics unit in June, he has helped seize five marijuana crops. Marijuana is not the only problem in the Santa Clarita Valley. Methamphetamine use has got narcotics investigators scrambling to deal with a drug that is still not considered a narcotic, Morris said. MARIJUANA - US San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Deprioritize Adult Marijuana Offenses - Drug Policy AlliancePending the formality of a second reading next Tuesday, San Francisco has joined several cities, most recently Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, and Santa Barbara, all in California, as well as Missoula, Montana, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in making marijuana the lowest local law enforcement priority. The ordinance was approved 8-3, with only one neighborhood group in opposition. HEROIN - US Heroin bust proves drug's use is growing in SWFL - NBCAfter a 17 month investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 11 suspected heroin dealers. Some say it is proof the drug’s use is growing in our area. GENERAL - US Meth, Ecstacy, heroin readily availableLarger amounts of drugs are coming into the United States from Mexico, Columbia and Asia, the National Drug Intelligence Center said. In its 2007 drug threat assessment, the center said organizations producing ice methamphetamine in Mexico have expanded their presence throughout the United States. The center, which is part of the Department of Justice, said the presence of Mexican traffickers in U.S. drug markets has allowed the introduction of Mexican black tar and brown powder heroin into Southeastern and Midwestern states. Labels: cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Nov 14 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US & JAPAN FDA to parents: Watch for 'abnormal behavior' onTamiflu - CNNMore than 100 recent cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior in Japanese patients treated with Tamiflu should have parents watching for similar reactions when treating their children with the flu drug. That's the new advice from the Food and Drug Administration in adding a new precaution to the label of the influenza drug, prescribed about 2 million times a year in the United States. GENERAL - AFRICA Teenager wins battle against addiction - The Herald, South AfricaIn the biannual alcohol and drug abuse trends study conducted by the Medical Research Council for the period July to December 2005, it was found that the Eastern Cape had the highest percentage of known cocaine and mandrax users in South Africa. GENERAL - US Wipes Used to Detect Drugs on School Surfaces; Foreheads Eyed - Join TogetherSome New York area schools are using "DrugWipes" to detect drug residue left on surfaces such as student lockers from contact with student sweat, the New York Post reported Nov. 13. GENERAL - RUSSIA Officially drugs kill 8,000 Russians yearly, unofficially 70,000Eight thousand deaths were registered from illegal drug use in Russia last year, but unofficial estimates suggest total drug-related fatalities may be as high as 70,000 per year, the government's narcotics watchdog said Tuesday. GENERAL - CANADA Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Costs Ontario $34 Billion - Canada News WireA new study released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reveals that, in the year 2000, the economic cost of mental disorders and substance abuse in Ontario was $33.9 billion. ALCOHOL - UK Alcohol Concern: New Evidence on Alcohol - Related Deaths are just the Tip of the Iceberg - Alcohol ConcernFigures just released by the Office for National Statistics putting alcohol-related deaths at 8,386 do not fully capture the scale of the problem, Alcohol Concerns Annual Conference will hear today. The charity, which is launching a national campaign to persuade Government and local health authorities to put more money into alcohol treatment services has just released a new report: Wasted: lives lost to Alcohol. CANNABIS - US Cannabis: A token issue no longer - The Daily ReveilleThese ballot initiatives asked voters to legalize the possession of marijuana in some way. South Dakotans were asked to decide whether they should become the 12th state in the Union to allow medical marijuana. OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN If not opium, then what? - Channel 4 NewsIt's difficult to exaggerate the scale of the opium production problem in Afghanistan. President Karsai has said that either Afghanistan destroys opium or opium will destroy Afghanistan. The United Nations estimates that poppy cultivation is up by nearly 60 per cent this year. MARIJUANA - ITALY Government lifts marijuana limit - Italy MagazineThe centre-left government announced on Monday that it had raised the amount of marijuana a person can carry without being arrested for dealing. PRESCRIPTION - US Academic Doping In Local Classrooms - WKRCThe search for academic perfection may be fueling a disturbing drug trend on local high school and college campuses. Nationally, one in 10 teenagers say they've taken Adderall or Ritalin without a doctor's order. The stimulants, typically prescribed for ADHD, are often taken from parents' medicine cabinets and sold to classmates. METH - UK Drug use 'behind crumbling euros' - BBCUsers of the drug crystal methamphetamine may be causing euro banknotes to disintegrate, German police have told Der Spiegel magazine. Sulphates used in the production of the drug could form sulphuric acid when mixed with human sweat, they say, causing banknotes to corrode. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Tuesday
Nov 13 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLER - US Prolonging Painkillers - Science MagMorphine and other opiates dull pain, but they don't stick around for long. Almost immediately, a class of enzymes known as peptidases burst onto the scene and degrade these painkillers. Now researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule in humans that blocks this process, prolonging the effect of opiates. The findings, say the researchers, may lead to new ways to combat pain. PAINKILLER - US Natural-born painkiller found in human salivaSaliva from humans has yielded a natural painkiller up to six times more powerful than morphine, researchers say. The substance, dubbed opiorphin, may spawn a new generation of natural painkillers that relieve pain as well as morphine but without the addictive and psychological side effects of the traditional drug. Original AriclesGENERAL - US Class Drug Swabs - Schools Eye Wipe Kit - New York PostA handful of schools in the tri-state area are hoping to wipe out drugs with one quick swipe. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Survey to examine drug driving - The AgeAustralian attitudes towards driving after using illegal drugs will be assessed in the biggest survey yet on the growing offence. The Australian Drug Foundation launched the online survey in an attempt to better understand the attitudes of both users and non-users. METHADONE - US Methadone, the quiet killer -- Part 2 - Wood TV"How to" labels on prescription methadone could pose a danger to patients as West Michigan sees an increased number of accidental overdose deaths. COCAINE - US Take another crack at that cocaine law - LA TimesOne of our most infamous contemporary laws is the 100-1 difference in sentencing between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Under federal drug laws, prison sentences are usually tied to the quantity of drugs the defendant trafficked. For example, selling 5,000 grams of powder cocaine (about a briefcase full) gets a mandatory 10-year prison sentence, but so does selling only 50 grams of crack cocaine (the weight of a candy bar). ALCOHOL - RUSSIA Russia Staggered by Alcohol Problems - Join TogetherAlcoholism is having a profound effect on Russia, where more than 42,000 people die each year from drinking bootleg alcohol and heavy drinking has pushed the average life expectancy down to 66, well below that of the neighboring European Union. PRESCRIPTION & ALCOHOL - US Prescription Drug Misuse More Common in Drinkers - Join TogetherFew studies have examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD). To characterize this relationship, researchers analyzed data from 43,093 adults who had participated in a national survey on alcohol and related conditions. HEROIN - US Police investigating rash of heroin deaths, nonfatal overdoses - Pittsburgh Post-GazettePolice continue to investigate a rash of possible heroin deaths and some nonfatal overdoses in the city during the past week. Pittsburgh police and the Allegheny County medical examiner's office yesterday were investigating the death of a man at an apartment building, Downtown, Saturday night. MARIJUANA - CANADA Dazed & Confused: Problematic Marijuana Use Among Teens - Ottawa StartIn recognition of National Drug & Addictions Awareness Week, November 19-25, 2006, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), will host a forum, entitled, "Dazed and Confused: Problematic Marijuana Use Among Teens." Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methadone, prescription
Friday
Nov 8 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLERS - US Antioxidants may make more effective pain-killers than morphine - SAWFS NewsA new research on a mouse model has boffins hopeful that antioxidant-based pain killers will, in the future, become a viable alternative to addictive medications such as morphine. MARIJUANA - US Major marijuana initiatives defeated - Personal BlogEfforts to legalize marijuana for either recreational or medical use were defeated yesterday in three states. In Colorado, where Amendment 44 sought to legalize possession of an ounce of pot for adults, only 38% of the voters favored the inititative. ALCOHOL - UK Alcohol dependence: International policy implications for prison populationsResults - Alcohol dependence emerged as the most prevalent substance use disorder in both UK prisons and in the US sample. Relative frequencies of abuse and dependence for alcohol and other drugs revealed that dependence on a given substance was more prevalent than abuse as defined by the current diagnostic criteria. Original PostGENERAL - UK Charles demands help for a lost generation - TelegraphThe Prince of Wales will today highlight the plight of 1.2 million unemployed and under-educated young people facing a grim future because they have been abandoned "on the margins of society". 2006, November 8 ALCOHOL - US Alcohol Bad For Lungs As Well As Liver - Medical News TodayChronic alcohol abuse disrupts the proteins that keep fluids out of the lung, lowers a protective antioxidant, disrupts immune defenses and can lead to a condition known as 'alcoholic lung,' according to research to be presented at the conference, "Physiological Genomics and Proteomics of Lung Disease." 2006, November 8 OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan 'to spray poppy crop' - e-ArianaThe Afghan government has for the first time accepted that aerial chemical spraying could be considered to curb the cultivation of opium poppies. Poppy production across Afghanistan has increased by 60% since 2005. OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN Tajiks Struggle to Stem Tide of Drugs - IWPRNarcotics experts are predicting a surge in illicit drugs entering Tajikistan en route to Russia and Europe following the record opium harvest in Afghanistan. They are calling for joint efforts to create a security belt around Afghanistan to check the flow of drugs. PRESCRIPTION - US Students Abusing 'Smart Drugs' To Keep Grades Up - CBS2 ChicagoFor years, students pulling all-nighters have gulped coffee to stay awake. But now growing numbers are popping pills -- and not to party. PRESCRIPTION - UK Revealed: The thousands of drug addicts - Chronicle LIveA lost generation of over the counter prescription pill addicts is today revealed. It is thought as many as 45,000 people in the North East are in the grip of addictions to sleeping pills and drugs like Valium, diazepam and temazepam. ALCOHOL - UK Rapid Rise in U.K. Alcohol Deaths Reported - Join TogetherAlcohol-related deaths in the U.K. have risen from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,386 last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, opium, painkillers, prescription
Nov 2 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - UK Piperazines – how to regulate an emerging recreational drug not covered by existing legislationA new ‘family' of drugs, the piperazines, has emerged on the recreational drugs market over the past couple of years. Some are licensed medicines but others currently have an ambiguous legal status in the UK, with some possibly covered by the Medicines Act 1968 and others awaiting decisions on their classification under the Act by the MRHA. 2006, November 2 GENERAL - SCOTLAND Dozens of drug dealers arrested - BBCPolice have made more than 100 drug-related arrests in the latest phase of a campaign against dealers. Officers have seized drugs worth £64,000 and nearly £30,000 in cash in the six-week Scottish campaign. 2006, November 2 COCAINE - EU UN Drugs Chief Tells Europe to Wake up to its Cocaine Problem - United NationsAt a meeting today in London to launch a campaign on shared responsibility and the global problem of illicit drugs, the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, warned Europe that it was heading for a cocaine crisis. 2006, November 2 COCAINE - EU Europe warned of cocaine crisis - United Press InternationalThe U.N. narcotics czar warns that Europe is headed toward a cocaine crisis as many governments there continue to be in denial of the problem. 2006, November 2 COCAINE - EU Europe facing cocaine crisis, U.N. drug chief says - International Herald TribuneEurope is heading for a cocaine crisis, with demand for the drug rising across the continent even as it holds steady or falls elsewhere in the world, the U.N.'s drug chief said Thursday. 2006, November 2 GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Heroin, ecstasy addicts turn to ice - Herald SunHeavy heroin and ecstasy abusers are increasingly adding the dangerous street drug ice to their substances of choice, new national surveys have revealed. 2006, November 2 OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan's next opium crop likely to match this year's record harvest, officials say - Sign on San DiegoAfghan farmers now planting opium poppies will probably reap a harvest comparable to this year's record crop, in part because insurgents are preventing effective counter-narcotics work, officials said Thursday. 2006, November 2 MARIJUANA - US Marijuana measure lacks senseThere are signs up around the state that read: Make Colorado Safer. Yes on 44. We can't argue about safety, but we're voting no on Amendment 44. The initiative proposes a change to the Colorado statutes that legalizes the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for adults 21 years old and older. 2006, November 2 COCAINE - US The killing power of cocaine - Benetton TalkIt is not only those who consume it who are the victims of the cocaine. Cocaine victims are local victims as well. In the producing countries like Colombia, victims range from those kidnapped to those mutilated in their fight against the production of the drug. 2006, November 2 COCAINE - US Documentary captures Miami's cocaine craze in the 1980s - Sun-SentinelDuring the heyday of the cocaine trade in Miami during the 1970s and early '80s, drug smugglers and dealers fueled by Colombia's Medellin cartel transformed the city from a sleepy retirement community into one of the country's hot spots. The cocaine industry was a $20billion annual business in the South Florida metropolis. 2006, November 2 CANNABIS - US Pot makes you crazy - The ExonentMarijuana users beware. This product may cause hallucinations or psychotic behavior. Users may also experience periods where they believe they are a god. Researchers and scientists have been studying the effects of marijuana on the brain for years. Now they are asking themselves a new question. Can marijuana usage cause psychosis? 2006, November 2 METH - US Crystal Meth Detected In Newborns' Hair - MedPage TodayMethamphetamine can be detected in the hair of newborns whose mothers used the drug during pregnancy, researchers here have found. 2006, November 2 METH - CANADA Jury weighs recommendations in overdose death - Sun Ottawa NewsA coroner's jury began deliberating today on how to save the lives of people like Wade Hatt, who died last year after being given a massive overdose of methadone at a Centretown clinic. 2006, November 2 Labels: cannabis, cocaine, drugs, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium
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