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.

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.

April 11 Drug Addiction Headlines

ADDICTION – USA
Children Teaching Children About Addiction – WOLX News
The students also pick up some coping skills, when dealing with peer pressure and violence.

METH –USA
Huntsman Combatting Utah's Growing Meth Addiction – BYU Newsnet
It 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 Times
STRONGER 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 Times
The 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 News
Teenagers heading to the cinema over the school holidays are being warned about the dangers of cannabis use.

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 29 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Officials Warn Of Candy-Flavored Meth – WTVM
There 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 News
Candy, 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 Newswire
Videos 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 News
It'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 – Ananova
Police 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 News
Marijuana 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 News
He was extremely satisfied, wanting to do more in getting the word out and showing kids what meth harm does.

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 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.

Feb 28 Drug Headlines

METHADONE – USA
Methadone abuse continues to grow – Herald Net
It'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 Max
When 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 Age
THE 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 Sentinel
The 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 News
Methamphetamine 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 News
With 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 Updates
A 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 Independent
The 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 Post
Like 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 Chronicle
Anguish 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.

Feb 22 Drug Headlines

METH – NEW ZEALAND
Tenfold increase in methamphetamine entering NZ – New Zealand Herald
Police 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 Leader
The 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 Times
Frustrated 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 Guardian
In 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 Guardian
It'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 – KVUE
Parents 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 News
Switzerland's agriculture ministry has called on the country's farmers to stop feeding their cows cannabis.

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 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 15 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Come together to fight meth – Montrose Daily Press
The 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-TV
Methamphetamine 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 Today
While 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 Newschannel
The 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 Press
According 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 Now
Though 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 Drugs
More 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 – MSNBC
According 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 – CNN
We'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 Dispatch
Today'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 Chronicle
A 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 News
Despite Billions Spent, and Lives Lost, Opium Trade Thrives and Fuels Insurgent Attacks.

OPIUM – USA
Losing Afghanistan to opium? – The Washington Times
The 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.

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 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.

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 17 Drug Headlines

GENERAL - SCOTLAND
Cold turkey plan for Scots addicts - The Scotman
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.

GENERAL - US
Drugs might be the reason the season has been so violent - Our Midland
A 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 - BBC
Three 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 Observer
Heroin 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 ban
The 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 Vacation
A 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 laws
Scotland 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 war
A 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' fears
Three drug users have died in a week after injecting themselves with "contaminated" heroin, police fear.

GENERAL - US
Meth down, heroin on rise
Lately, 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 growers
After a police crackdown in Britain, drug dealers reportedly are paying customers to grow marijuana in their homes.

Dec 15 Drug Headlines

MARIJUANA - US
Prosecutors may change marijuana limits
Limits 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 dispensaries
Simi 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 Poppies
Office 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 Mothers
In 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 explored
The 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 smuggling
Officials 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.

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 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 5 Drug Headlines

MARIJUANA - US
Marijuana-flavored lollipops in Toledo - ABC Local Ohio
A 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 Star
Our 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 Ubyssey
The 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 Hub
The 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 Exponent
During 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 Times
The 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 News
Babies 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 Online
State 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 Herald
t’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.

Dec 1 Drug Headlines

PRESCRIPTION - US
Warning on Paxil - New York Times
Women 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 addiction
Monroe 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 methamphetamine
Methamphetamine, 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 It
The 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 Waterford
Heroin 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 vaccines
The 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 doctor
The 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 production
Afghanistan's soaring opium production threatens to wreck efforts to rebuild the country after years of war, the UN and the World Bank have warned.

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