June 13th Drug Addiction News

HEROIN – USA
Deadly $2 heroin targets teens – CNN News
A cheap, highly addictive drug known as "cheese heroin" has killed 21 teenagers in the Dallas area over the past two years, and authorities say they are hoping they can stop the fad before it spreads across the nation.

DRUGS – USA
Report: Drug Deaths On Rise In Florida – Local 10 News
Illegal and prescription drugs were listed as the official cause of death in thousands of Florida autopsies.

CODEINE – UK
WOMEN'S HEALTH RISKS – Mirror News
Painkiller addiction affects 20,000 Britons. Seventy per cent are women, and of those more than half are housewives who started taking the pills to tackle problems such as backache.

METH – USA
So Long Crystal Meth, Hello Cocaine! – STATS
The Sunday Styles section helpfully pointed users and potential users (and presumably police as well) to online advertisements and tried to give the terminally un-hip some clues about current cocaine references in pop culture.

METH – USA
Native group tackles meth problems – KTUU News
According to NCAI delegates, meth manufacturers and dealers are targeting Indian Country because they view the population as more vulnerable and enforcement lenient.

METH – USA
An anti-meth campaign in a rural community – Range News
Willcox, Arizona is not immune to the devastation of methamphetamine, not unlike many other rural communities across the United States.

METH – USA
Tribal leaders unveil new ‘meth toolkit’ – KOB News
Leaders of the National Congress of American Indians say methamphetamine is endangering tribal cultures across the nation. So they’ve unveiled a new “meth toolkit” to help battle the crisis.

COCAINE – USA
Cocaine's Cachet Quietly Rising – Join Together
In certain trendy circles, cocaine use is enjoying a comeback reminiscent of its heyday in the '70s and '80s, the New York Times reported June 10.

DRUGS – UNITED NATIONS
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – UNODC
The slogan of the UNODC anti-drugs campaign to be launched on 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs." The slogan will be used for three years and focus on different aspects of drug control.

ALCOHOL – UK
UK drinking habits in flux – The Publican
UK drinking habits are in a state of flux following a period of responsible drinking messages, says a new report.

METH – USA
Montana Meth Ads Maybe Coming to Wichita – WIBW News
Authorities are hoping to crack down on methamphetamine related crimes by convincing kids not to try the drug even once.

May 30th Drug Addiction News

DRUGS – CANADA
Drug use climbing – Osprey Media
Prescription drug addiction can happen to anybody. Without the proper information and monitoring, it is very easy for someone to become dependent on medications such as opiates, benzodiazepines and stimulants.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Teen alcohol forum to focus on parents – The Geelong Advertiser
VICTORIAN Children's Minister Lisa Neville hopes a forum at Lara tonight will encourage parents to take more responsibility for tackling teen alcohol abuse.

ALCOHOL – USA
Study Finds Parents Give Kids First Taste of Alcohol –
The study claims the primary source of alcohol is parents, but Hearst says it’s not exactly kids taking alcohol from home.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Generation Rx: How Prescription Drugs are Altering American Lives, Minds, and Bodies – Psychiatric Services
In Generation Rx, Greg Critser reviews changes in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in Americans' relationship to their medicines, and even changes in the concept of illness—defining illnesses by the medicines that treat them.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Deadly Prescription Drug Effects Six Years Before FDA – HULIQ
They swoop in to investigate early signs of trouble years before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes notice.

METH – USA
More grants to battle meth epidemic – Daily Review Atlas
Businesses that sell anhydrous ammonia continue to be a target of drug dealers who manufacture methamphetamine.

May 27th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 21st Drug Addiction News

OPIUM – USA
Opium: Afghan kids gotta have it – Foreign Policy
Even more disturbing is the fact that, according to the United Nations, some 600,000 of those addicts are under 15.

COCAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
South African drug trade's bitter taste – Mail & Guardian Online
South Africans are changing their hard-drug habits, but the fallout from substance abuse remains the same: the destruction of lives, families and communities.

METH – CANADA
Kits help combat meth – The Morning Star
Some local organizations are using the tools of education to combat crystal meth in our community.

ADDICTION – AUSTRALIA
Parents' drug addiction affects 1 in 8 children: report – ABC NEWS
For the first time, an attempt has been made to work out how many Australian children live with adults who use drugs.

ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA
Alcohol creeps up on you – The Geelong Advertiser
The good news for drinkers is that one of Geelong's top liver experts doesn't mind a tipple himself. The sobering news for drinkers is that he's all too familiar with the ugly consequences when tipplers tipple too much.

METH – USA
Parents warned of new meth –The Fergus Falls Daily Journal
Methamphetamine is coming this way in a form intended to target youth, local law enforcement officials said. Called "Strawberry Quick," it looks like the popular "Pop Rocks" candy. It is dark pink in color and has a strawberry scent to it.

ALCOHOL – USA
Preventing alcohol experimentation – The Paper 24/7
The percentage of American teenagers who drink weekly is increasing. This means alcohol, along with other harmful drugs and substances, is a primary concern for parents.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Which prescription drugs could create a deadly combination? – ABC Local News
This has brought to the forefront the possibility of it happening to anyone. Three billion prescriptions are filled every year, and one out of every five have serious side effects.

DRUGS – CANADA
New Drug Education Resource Launched in Schools – Government of Nova Scotia
Mock game shows, graffiti-making, role-playing and a host of other creative learning strategies are a key part of a new classroom resource that helps junior high students make better choices about drugs and alcohol.

May 18th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 17th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 8th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 4th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 30th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 29th Drug Addiction News

METH – USA
Dangers of Methamphetamine – KOLO TV News
Authorities say the cold hard hitting fact about Methamphetamine is that all it takes is one high before you can become an addict.

METH – USA
Methamphetamine Abuse and Emergency Department Utilization – Academic Emergency Medicine
Objectives: To quantify the frequency, cost, and patient characteristics associated with methamphetamine-related emergency department (ED) visits.

PRESCRIPTION – USA
Teen prescription drug abuse on upswing – Duncan Banner
In February, a drug-awareness forum was held for the parents; aimed at getting parents more familiar with drugs and their dangers and to raise awareness of the growing trend among teens to misuse prescription drugs.

COCAINE – USA
U.S. cocaine prices drop, purity rises – BOGOTA
Cocaine prices in the United States have dropped and the drug's purity increased, despite years of effort and nearly $5 billion spent by the U.S. government to combat Colombia's drug industry.

METH – USA
A new drug danger is hitting the streets, candy flavored meth – KQTV News
This is what police agencies throughout the country are referring to as "strawberry quick" methamphetamine, flavored to give it a strawberry taste.

METH – USA
New trend:Candy flavored crystal meth – Daily Review Atlas
Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have been asked to be on the lookout for candy-flavored methamphetamine.

METH – USA
Meth for Kids – KTTc News
It's candy flavored meth and now lawmakers taking matters into their own hands, before kids in our area get it in their hands.

PRESCRIPTION – IRAN
Prescription drugs can be addictive – Press TV
Heroin may be the most notorious drug but it's only one in a class of addictive substances known as opioids, mostly used as pain killers.

DRUGS – UK
Cannabis and Drug Abuse: how should schools respond – Poverty Debate
Wellington College, the impressive Berkshire establishment, recently hosted a conference on Cannabis and Drug Abuse, focussing particularly on the ways in which schools should respond to the pervasive issue of drug abuse.

HEROIN – USA
'Cheese' Heroin: Questions and Answers – My Fox Dallas
WHAT IS CHEESE? Cheese is black-tar heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets. Drug abuse experts, doctors, and police say it's highly addictive and very, very dangerous.

April 25th Drug Addiction News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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