June 15th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 9th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 8th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 22 Drug Headlines

ADDICTION – GERMANY
Cannabis Addiction Treatment at All-Time Highs, Potent "Skunk" Blamed – Short News
Super-strength varieties of home-grown skunk are replacing the North African hash found in Britain, which can approach strengths 25 times that of plants grown just a decade prior.

OPIUM – MALAYSIA
Narcotics police – Malaysia Star
The Narcotics Department continues a battle against drugs that began in the 1800s.

OPIUM – AFGHANISTAN
Drug Chief Says Opium Production In Southern Afghanistan "Out Of Control" – Radio Free Afghanistan
The situation is out of control in the southern part of [Afghanistan], in some provinces [opium poppy cultivation] increasing, in some provinces stable, but we don't have a specific number.

METHADONE – USA
A Fatal Dose – Newsweek
Hospital administrators confirmed to NEWSWEEK and NBC News last week that five veterans there died of overdoses of illegal and prescription drugs in less than three months this winter.

METH – USA
Gritty MT meth ads grab attention – KTVB News
As efforts to cut down on the use of methamphetamine use in the State of Idaho gear up, many are looking across the border to a groundbreaking project in Big Sky Country.

METH – USA
"LIFE OR METH" – NBC NEWS
Financial losses, ruined lives and cries for hope, all part of a one-hour prime time program tonight.

METH – USA
Meth Abuse – Black Hills Today
Young people, ages 12-14, who live in small towns like those across South Dakota are over 100 percent more likely to use meth than those living in large cities.

METH – USA
Register for Meth Awareness Conference – Eastern Arizona Courier
Attorney General God-dard was at the forefront of the initial state efforts to combat crystal meth. His campaign to target the production, distribution and use of crystal meth helped to bring this public health issue out of meetings and into the public eye.

COCAINE – COLUMBIA
Ireland and Scotland Face-Up to Increasing Cocaine Abuse – Shared Responsibility
Following revelations of Irish and Scottish drug consumption figures indicating a two- and three-fold increase in cocaine use, respectively, both countries gear up to battle this trend.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription drug abuse on rise, especially among rural youth – Muskogee Daily Phoenix
Abuse of prescription drugs has begun to rise, particularly among youths in rural or small communities.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Students Selling Prescription Drugs – Omaha ABC News
Teenagers selling illegal drugs. It’s not an unfamiliar crime but it seems more teens are being caught peddling prescription drugs to classmates.

OXYCODONE – CANADA
Issue must be addressed – Fort Frances Times Online
My thanks to Jeff Tilbury for his letter last week drawing attention to the exploding oxycodone addiction problem in our local communities.

CANNABIS – UK
Rethink urges government action over cannabis – Craegmoor Healthcare News
Young people are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of smoking high-strength cannabis.

CANNABIS (SKUNK) – UK
Skunk: growing danger on the streets – The Telegraph
A record number of people are now seeking treatment for cannabis addiction as high-strength strains of the drug take a grip on users.

March 20 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 16 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 12 Drug Headlines

HEROIN –USA
Heroin is back, more destructive than ever – Journal and Courier
Narcotics investigators say the highly addictive opiate is quickly replacing methamphetamine among hard-core users.

COCAIANE – USA
Cocaine report shows increased use in Ireland – National Documentation Centre
Dr. Des Corrigan, chairman of the NACD, stated that all indicators show a continued increase in cocaine use that crosses all social strata.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Abuse of legal drugs worse than heroin and ice – The Age
OVERDOSING on prescription or over-the-counter drugs is twice as common as overdosing on illicit drugs.

METHADONE – USA
Methadone use, overdoses on rise – Petoskey News Review
Just like other prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Fentanyl, which are very useful when handled properly, methadone has become popular among drug abusers in recent years.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Doctors Alerted to Prescription Narcotics Abuse – eMaxHealth
The number of people abusing prescription narcotics is increasing. As a result, a physician's oversight group in Washington State has issued new guidelines.

METH – USA
It's a parade: students to March on Meth – The Verde Independent
Students and youth groups from all over the Verde Valley will march against methamphetamine March 31 in Cottonwood.

March 10 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

March 7 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 2 Drug Headlines

ADDICTION – USA
Nevada panel targeting meth addiction holds first meeting – KOLO TV
A panel formed to help reduce methamphetamine addiction in Nevada held its first meeting Thursday, outlining plans to quickly endorse legislative proposals for anti-drug efforts.

METHADONE – USA
Growing Methadone problem – Acadiana’s News Channel
Methadone was first created in a German lab in the 1930's. The drug gained popularity in the 1990's as a treatment for people who were addicted to heroin and morphine. The trouble is you can't just quit taking it. KATC's David D'aquin found out it's one of the most difficult drug dependencies to treat.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Abuse of prescription drugs surges across globe – MSNBC
In the United States, the abuse of prescription medications has gone beyond almost all illicit drugs with the exception of marijuana, the International Narcotics Control Board said.

CODEINE – INDIA
'Abuse of medicines on rise in India' – Chennai Online News
The use of cocaine and abuse of medicines like pain-killers and cough syrups is on the rise in India, which has emerged as a major transit point for smuggling of narcotics, a UN report said today.

METH – USA
2007 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report – US Department of State
Today, the Department of State releases its 24th annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), which is mandated by law and produced by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

COCAINE – USA
Africa Increasingly Being Used in Cocaine Trafficking – VOA News
Africa is increasingly being used as a conduit to traffic cocaine, with increasing numbers of couriers apprehended and more bulk cocaine seized.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Prescription Abuse Surpassing Illicit Drugs – Sci-Tech Today
Prescription drug abuse already has outstripped traditional illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy in parts of Europe, Africa and South Asia.

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 27 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feb 26 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feb 24 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feb 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 12 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jan 18 Drug Headlines

METHADONE – UK
There are more on methadone than ever – News Scotsman
City drugs tsar and former deputy chief constable Tom Wood is quite correct to hail a drop in the number of heroin addicts as an encouraging sign, especially when not so long ago he was predicting that the levels of heroin abuse in Edinburgh threatened to return to the levels of the dark days of Trainspotting. But although the most recent fall is to be welcomed, the success is somewhat overshadowed by a further increase in the numbers taking methadone.

NARCOTICS – USA
Long-term Narcotics Use For Back Pain May Be Ineffective And Lead To Abuse – Science Daily
Narcotic drugs (opioids) are commonly prescribed for short-term relief of chronic back pain, but their effectiveness long-term has been questioned in a review article by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, who also found that behaviors consistent with opioid abuse was reported in 24 percent of cases.

ADDICTION – PHILIPPINES
The path to drug addiction – ABS CBN Interactive
Once a person gets into drugs, a number of paths will be taken. If he is lucky, a bit of experimentation will be all that is needed to satisfy his curiosity. That is if he does not get hooked on the drugs he is playing with.

METH – USA
Community looks at devastation of meth addiction – Aldergrove Star
Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, is becoming the drug of choice for many young people, with devastating consequences.

HEROIN – USA
State warns heroin blend could become a problem – Morning Sentinel
Public health and public safety officials worry that a type of heroin blend that has led to hundreds of overdoses elsewhere in the country could become a serious problem in Maine.

ADDERALL – USA
Students give the straight dope about drug use in Weston – The Weston Forum
Nikki Phillips was a beautiful star athlete, bright and personable, who seemed to have everything going for her. Yet in a moment, she was gone.

Jan 4 Drug Headlines

METH – USA
Meth: The Overstated Assiction – Coastal Post Online
The Department of Justice has declared today National Methamphetamine Awareness Day. What better way to observe it than taking a break from the hype?

ADDICTION – USA
Kicking an addiction, with real people – International Herald Tribune
NEW YORK: Every time they turn around, smokers are being lectured by nonsmokers about health risks and costs to society, but many of them keep smoking anyway, so pharmaceuticals and anti-smoking groups are turning to smokers and ex-smokers themselves to make the point.

OXYCODONE – USA
Drug deaths on the rise – York Daily Record
Drug users walk a razor's edge between the ultimate high and death, and, in York County last year, the prescription drug Fentanyl became the rage, according to the York County Corner's Office.

PAINKILLERS – USA
Painkiller's toll high – Courier Post
A wave of overdoses involving fentanyl, a powerful narcotic often mixed with street drugs, killed at least 98 people in the tri-county area last year, state officials say.

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

ADDICTION – USA
More Legal Controversy Over Zyprexa
The recent $500 million dollar class action settlement on the part of drug manufacturer Eli Lilly makes necessary a reexamination of the industry's legal responsibility to its customers and the crucial relationships between the FDA, the manufacturers, and the doctors who ultimately prescribe the drugs they make. The company agreed to pay an average of $27,000 to the 18,000 plaintiffs involved in the suit, each of whom claimed to have been damaged by Lilly's top drug, the antipsychotic Zyprexa.

Jan 2 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

Dec 20 Drug Headlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nov 13 Drug Headlines

Updated Articles

PAINKILLER - US
Prolonging Painkillers - Science Mag
Morphine 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 saliva
Saliva 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 Aricles

GENERAL - US
Class Drug Swabs - Schools Eye Wipe Kit - New York Post
A 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 Age
Australian 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 Times
One 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 Together
Alcoholism 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 Together
Few 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-Gazette
Police 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 Start
In 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."

Nov 12 Drug Headlines

CANABIS - UK
Dealers get desperate as drug supply dries up - The Observer
Drug dealers are under pressure from a nationwide police blitz on cannabis farms. The clampdown, which has targeted farms producing potent 'skunk', has seen prices almost double in some cities, according to Drugscope, the drugs awareness charity, which calculates street values based on interviews with dealers.

PRESCRIPTION - US
Hyperactive children ‘need exercise, not drugs' - Sunday Herald
A leading child development expert has sparked fury among campaigners after claiming that children with attention deficit disorders could be prescribed exercise instead of drugs. Professor Richard Bailey, who has worked with Unesco as an expert adviser for physical education and sport, argued that some youngsters diagnosed with the conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be suffering from a lack of exercise.

CANNABIS - PHILIPPINES
Police To Burn 2,500 Fully-Grown Cannabis Trees - La Union, Philippines (AHN)
The Philippine National Police in northern Philippines is set to burn some 2,500 fully-grown marijuana trees as part of the government's campaign against the illegal growing of cannabis.

CANNABIS - US
As pot grows, so do crimes - Post Star
"Historically we've seen more home invasions robberies for marijuana than for any other drug," said Glens Falls Police Detective Sgt. Lloyd Swartz. While proponents of the drug argue it should be legalized and that its effects on society are far less troublesome than so-called "harder" drugs like cocaine and heroin, local police see the trouble it causes daily.

METHADONE - US
Methadone, the quiet killer -- Part 1 - Wood TV
Since January 2005, 24 methadone-related overdose deaths have occurred in Kalamazoo County. Nearly all were accidental.