Drug News
Monday
May 14th Drug Addiction News
ALCOHOL – UK Alcohol is a killer for Swiss – Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews Alcohol is a major cause of death – in many cases premature - among the population in Switzerland, according to a study. ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA Teens in mass binge-drinking arranged over the internet – The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/teens-in-mass-bingedrinking-arranged-over-the-internet/2007/05/12/1178899158412.html YOUNG girls are the new face of underage drinking, lured to hastily organised booze sessions in parks and beaches by internet sites such as MySpace. DRUGS – INDIA Beware of Date Rape drugs – Hindustan Times The effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can't remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim's knowledge. PRESCRIPTION – USA Health Tip: Never Share Prescription Medications – Atlanta Journal Constitution Although you may be tempted to use a medication that has been prescribed to someone else, this is a dangerous practice. PRESCRIPTION – USA Don't flush your old prescription drugs; they could harm the environment –WiscNews Prescription medications can flush toxins from the body, but flushing the expired or unused remedies down pipes into the local sewer system may increase toxins in the environment. METH – THAILAND Crackdown against methamphetamine abuse is on – Nation Multimedia Methamphetamine abuse in Bangkok and other urban centres is on the rise and the Narcotics Control Board will launch a crackdown between now and September. ALCOHOL – UK Alcohol at home could help cut teenage binge drinking – Scots Man News A survey of 10,000 British teenagers aged 15-16 found 75 per cent had drunk alcohol, but those who were first introduced to it at home were less likely to binge-drink, drink frequently or drink in public places. COCAINE – UK Euro Zoned Out: Euro Is Choice Of Cocaine – Anorak The Euro is the No. 1 choice in the cocaine industry. Users might prefer to use rolled up fivers, but the traffickers love the euro. COCAINE – INDIA
Banned ‘Cocaine’ drink re-emerges as ‘Censored’ – Daily News and Analysis An energy drink that was barred by the US government from going on the market with the name “Cocaine” will re-emerge under the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Censored.” Labels: alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine abuse, prescription, prescription medications
Wednesday
April 18 Drug Addiction Headlines
HEROIN – USA “Cheese” heroin killing kids in Dallas – Hot AirAs many as 17 Dallas County teenagers have died since 2005 from overdoses of the popular new form of heroin known as “cheese” – the most visible sign yet that more youths are caught in the grip of a growing crisis. METH – USA Scottsdale Students Get First Look at Arizona's New Meth Prevention Campaign – PR NewswireEarlier today at Cocopah Middle School in Scottsdale, a classroom of eighth-graders got a first look at some of the television and print advertisements that depict the detrimental impacts of Meth use and that will ultimately be seen by teens across Arizona. CANNABIS – UK Cannabis use rife among teens – Scenta NewsResearch from Queen’s University Belfast has discovered that one in ten school children who had reported using cannabis at least once had now become daily users. ALCOHOL – UK British least likely to be breath-tested – Times OnlineBritain has one of the worst records in Europe for reducing deaths from drink-driving, according to a study that calls for much tougher enforcement of the limit. HEROIN – USA Lethal heroin drug mix plagues Dallas schools – Seattle TimesThe number of Dallas students getting hooked on a new drug called "cheese" is skyrocketing, with arrests for the heroin mix up 82 percent this school year. CANNABIS –UK One-third of pupils have tried cannabis by the age of 15 – The IndependentOne in three young teenagers have used cannabis, some on a daily basis, according to new research. The study appears to confirm growing fears among teachers that joints have become the 21st-century equivalent of smoking behind the bike sheds. METH – USA Flavored Meth Making Its Way To Siouxland – KTIV NewsMethamphetamine labs are declining in number in the Hawkeye State after a state law disrupted the flow of some raw materials used to make meth. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Cramming students cautioned against taking stimulant without prescription – CBC NewsIt is not known how many students are using Dexedrine to study. Robin Tribble said its use is widespread among her friends in first year who live in residence. Some of the people are now dependent on Dexedrine for studying, she said. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription
Tuesday
April 17 Drug Addiction Headlines
HEROIN – USA An Innocent Name For A Deadly Drug – ABC NewsA New Kind Of Heroin Called "Cheese" Is Turning Teens Into Addicts And Causing Deaths. ADDICTS – USA Revolving Door for Addicts Adds to Medicaid Cost – The New York TimesWith grim humor, some doctors in New York call them “frequent fliers” — addicts who check into hospital detoxification units so often that dozens of them spend more than 100 nights a year in those wards. BENZODIAZEPINE – AUSTRALIA Hotline reveals community under a hypnotic spell – The AustralianSLEEP medicine specialists have been amazed by the publicity surrounding recent reports of hundreds of callers inundating a Queensland pharmacy hotline with stories about unusual side effects after taking the world's most commonly prescribed hypnotic, zolpidem (Stilnox in Australia and Europe, Ambien in the USA). COCAINE – USA Legal Cocaine Will Soon Be Available – Associated ContentThe Redux Beverages Company has been warned by the FDA about its packaging and promotion of a new drink being introduced by the company. METH – USA Osborne talks to students about meth addiction – KHAS TV NewsHe may no longer be a Congressman, but that is not slowing down Tom Osborne from working to improve the meth problem in Nebraska. METH – USA Community on Ice: The Meth Epidemic – LasVegasNow.comMethamphetamine abuse in Nevada has been described as an epidemic problem. The Silver State ranks number one in the country for meth users over the age of 12. METH – DENMARK Gritty New Ads for Montana Meth Project Show Effect on Family and Friends – AdLandKnown for its gritty and hard-hitting portrayal of meth use, the latest ads for the Montana Meth Project don't disappoint. ALCOHOL – USA School to enforce alcohol-free dances with breath tests – The Dallas Morning NewsStudents at Wahlert High School are being tested to make sure they're not DUI – dancing under the influence. PRESCRIPTION – INDIA Youths pop prescription pills to get a high – Daily News & AnalysisAn occasional puff or a beer are no longer cool enough for youngsters to get a high. Narcotics are now the ‘in-thing’ and youth are turning to prescription medicines, especially painkillers and cough syrups, to get their high. Labels: alcohol, benzodiazepine, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription
April 10 Drug Addiction Headlines
METH – USA Meth is top law enforcement problem – Eastern Arizona CourierUsers of methamphetamines endanger themselves and their children and create a law enforcement crisis for the entire state of Arizona. ADDICTION – IRAN “Mainline” reveals disaster of drug addiction among the youth: actress – Mehr NewsActress Bita Farahi believes that the film “Mainline” is a revelation about the disastrous effects of drug addiction amongst today’s youth. METH – USA CSU-Pueblo student earns award for issue on meth – CSU Pueblo TodayPueblo’s student newspaper earned a first place regional award last month for a special news supplement on methamphetamine. METH – USA Getting to the bottom of how speed kills – San Bernardino SunSubstance abuse researchers have known for years that methamphetamine use runs high on the West Coast, especially in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. PRESCRIPTION – USA Understand prescription dangers – Wilson Daily TimesAs if today's parents didn't have enough to worry about, now there's a reputed epidemic of prescription drug abuse. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Monday
April 9 Drug Addiction Headlines
PRESCRIPTION – USA Nine Students Face Suspensions Over Prescription Drug – WBAYNext week, Kimberly's school board plans to suspend nine freshmen high school students for giving and receiving the drug Adderall on school property. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drugs, availability to children seen as main problems – The Evening TribuneThe city's drug problem may not be getting worse, but it is changing. DRUGS – UK Theatre is an educational tool in the fight against illicit drugs – Medical News TodayA new study finds that theatrical drama is an educational tool in the fight against drug addiction and abuse. METH – USA County hears of teen's meth use – The Daily AstorianRice presented a graphic, no-nonsense report on the highs and lows of meth use, complete with the signs that someone is using and ways to detect a meth lab. METH – USA How to Tell if Your Home Was Once A Meth Lab – WVLT NewsMeth labs don't just land the dealers who get caught running them, in jail. They also leave a lasting and often dangerous impression on the home, apartment or business where they are busted. DRUGS – USA Elkhart Helps Keep Teens Drug And Alcohol Free – WNDU NewsParents in Elkhart County are able to get complimentary home alcohol saliva and drug tests, to test their children. METH – USA Flavored meth aims to addict new users – San Diego Union TribuneExperts say the sweet flavor of “Strawberry Quick” may lure new users because it masks methamphetamine's bitter taste when snorted. ALCOHOL – GUAM Social costs of alcohol abuse – Pacific Daily NewsAlcohol is the number one drug of choice among Guam's adolescents, and used by more young adults than any other illicit drug. METH – USA April meth awareness programs – Alamogordo Daily NewsThe Otero County Meth Prevention/Treatment Coalition continues in our efforts to educate the community about the devastating effects of meth abuse on our youth, families and communities. METH – USA Community invited to local meth forum – Nevada AppealA methamphetamine forum on Tuesday will give parents and other interested members of the community information about the drug and what can be done to combat the growing problem of meth abuse. ALCOHOL – USA 2-ounce alcoholic drink called teen lure – North Jersey Media GroupThey have a 12 percent alcohol content and are sold for less than a dollar, advertised as shots to be drunk alone or added to beer. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
April 6 Drug Addiction Headlines
DRUGS – USA Drug Abuse Prevention: Theater Motivates People To Help – Science DailyA new study finds that theatrical drama is an educational tool in the fight against drug addiction and abuse. DRUGS – UK New Study Looks At Peer Pressure And Implications For Preventing Adolescent Substance Abuse – Medical News TodayWhy do young people smoke cigarettes or use alcohol or drugs? What skills do they need to avoid starting these habits? METH – USA Candy-Coated Crystal Meth – The HilltopAs if crystal methamphetamine, more commonly known as crystal meth, was not enough of a threat to rural America, meth manufacturers are now creating a candy-colored and flavored variety of the drug along with cartoon characters to recruit younger users. DRUGS – CANADA Thinking outside the hot box – The GazetteRitalin and alcohol, while legal, have potentially deadly side-effects on the heart and liver, respectively. On the other hand, marijuana has fewer detrimental effects, especially if it isn’t smoked. ALCOHOL – USA WHA sixth-graders complete alcohol use prevention program – Walker Pilot IndependentThe goals are to delay the age when youth start using alcohol, to reduce alcohol use among students who have already tried alcohol, and to limit the number of social, emotional and behavioral problems related to alcohol use in young people. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription-Drug Abuse Major Problem In Northeast Kingdom – Caledonian RecordPrescription-drug abuse may be a bigger problem than heroin in the Northeast Kingdom. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Thursday
April 5 Drug Addiction Headlines
METH – USA Film reveals impact of meth in community – The Lake Country EchoThe devastating impact of methamphetamines in Minnesota is undeniable as revealed recently in a documentary entitled, "Revealing Meth in Minnesota." COCAINE – USA Peru's President Urges Air Strikes Against Cocaine Factories – HULIQPeru's President has urged the use of the military to destroy jungle factories that produce cocaine. DRUGS – USA Study links illegal stimulant use to increased risk of stroke – UT The Daily TexanA recent study conducted by the UT Southwestern Medical Center provides researchers with further evidence of a correlation between frequent amphetamine and cocaine usage among young adults and the occurrence of strokes. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen abuse of prescription drugs on rise – Wilson Daily TimesLaw enforcement agencies and other organizations in Wilson say this area doesn't currently have a significant problem with teenage prescription drug abuse. But if families don't take care to monitor their children, authorities warn, that could change. ALCOHOL – UK MP shocked by amount of alcohol on the streets – Blyth Wansbeck TodayUNDER-AGE drinking on the streets has left a borough MP 'shocked and dismayed' after he witnessed the level of disorder caused by drunk youths. METH – USA Dealers now selling candy flavored drugs to youngsters – Casa Grande Valley NewspaperWell, a new kind of methamphetamine that has a strawberry flavor and bright pink coloring has hit the market. DRUGS – UK Toxic bin fumes 'drug of choice' – BBC NewsSetting wheelie bins on fire and sniffing the fumes is the new "drug of choice" for youths. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
April 4 Drug Addiction Headlines
PRESCRIPTION – USA Feds: Prescription drug problem in N.J. – Cherry Hill Courier Post3 percent of residents have abused prescription drugs in the past year, with about 6 percent of those aged 18 to 25 reporting they have misused a prescription drug. ALCOHOL – USA April is Alcohol Awareness Month – SAMHSATo recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April is designated “Alcohol Awareness Month.” DRUGS – USA Drugs Are in the Water. Does It Matter? – The New York TimesResidues of birth control pills, antidepressants, painkillers, shampoos and a host of other compounds are finding their way into the nation’s waterways. PRESCRIPTION – USA Reserve struggling with abuse of prescription drugs – The Amherst Daily NewsUsing pliers to rip out healthy teeth just to get a narcotics prescription. Twelve-year-olds having sex with men in exchange for narcotics. PRESCRIPTION – USA Feds cite New Jersey prescription drug abuse problem – NewsdayNew Jersey has a significant prescription drug abuse problem, White House drug policy officials said Monday. METH – USA Community fighting meth – Arizona Range NewsWillcox Meth Task Force works to educate residents, prevent drug use. DRUGS – USA Authorities warn of new drug trend – Dublin Courier HeraldParents are being warned by Dublin Police about a new drug trend hitting kids as early as middle school. DRUGS – USA The secret history of Big Pharma's role in creating and marketing heroin, LSD, meth, Ecstasy and speed – NewstargetAs you'll read here, drug companies actually invented many of the street drugs now considered to be the most devastating, including heroin and meth ("ice"). DRUGS – USA Drug deaths on the rise in Tennessee – WREG Memphis NewsThe number of deaths in Tennessee caused by taking prescription drugs is now almost equal to the number of murders according to a new report. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Monday
April 2 Drug Addiction Headlines
PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription-drug deaths soar in state – Tennessean.comPrescription drugs now outstrip illegal narcotics — such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin — as a cause of death across the state. METH – USA Number of ‘mom-and-pop’ meth labs declining – MSNBCCrackdown on sales of ingredients used to make drug helping in some areas. PRESCRIPTION – USA Report: Prescription drugs deaths nearly equal murders in Tennessee – WMC NewsA report by the Tennessean found that deaths from prescription drugs now roughly equal the number of murders in Tennessee. METH – USA Meth Declines, but Flavors May Entice Children – International News ServiceFlavored meth, especially a variety known as "Strawberry Quick," has been popping up across the country, particularly in Western states. DRUGS – USA Atlas, Athena Programs Address Drugs in Sports – Join TogetherThe ATLAS and ATHENA anti-drug programs developed at Oregon Health and Sciences University address alcohol and other drug use among athletes, so it's no surprise that the curriculum is based on a team approach. DRUGS – UK Drugs are a bigger threat than terrorism, says expert – The HeraldThese children are thought to be seven times more likely than the national average to develop a habit, a generational time bomb waiting to happen. Drugs are now so familiar it feels as if they have always been here. They haven't. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
March 28 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – UK Substance Abuse And Teenage Pregnancies Could Be Reduced By Improving School Culture, UK – Medical News TodayImproving the institutional culture (ethos) of schools in the UK may help reduce substance abuse and teenage pregnancies, says an article in this week's BMJ. METH – USA Meet the new meth – Metro USReports of methamphetamine with candy, soda and fruit flavors have been received by Drug Enforcement Administration agents across the country. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Abuse Increases Among College Students – Salve Regina University Mosaic OnlineImagine an unknown conglomeration of prescription pills being poured into a bowl, then grabbing a handful and ingesting a random and often dangerous combination of drugs in hopes of getting high. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen Prescription Drug Misuse Becoming Growing Problem – KOTVPolice say teenagers misusing prescription drugs has become a huge problem that keeps getting bigger and it's not just happening in big cities ADDERALL – USA Adderall for overweight teens – SMU Daily CampusAdderall, an amphetamine, has many side effects, including decreased appetite, insomnia, increased anxiety and irritability. METH – USA Man chronicles his death by meth use – MSNBCA former trucker whose documentary chronicled an agonizing descent as methamphetamine ravaged his body has died, optimistic to the end that his story would keep others from the highly addictive stimulant. METH – USA Mo. Man Who Documented Meth Use Dies – The New York TimesA southeast Missouri man who drew global attention for his documentary about how methamphetamine hopelessly ravaged his body died Monday still optimistic his film steers others from the highly addictive stimulant. CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND Cannabis linked to lung cancer risk – The New Zealand HeraldCannabis smoking may cause 5 per cent of lung cancer cases in people up to middle age, according to a New Zealand study. DRUGS – USA Open Letter To Parents: Is This Where Your Teen Goes To Get High? – Pushing BackThe National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has launched an Open Letter advertising campaign to help educate parents about the risks of abuse to teens. Labels: adderall, alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, prescription
Tuesday
March 27 Drug Headlines
CANNABIS (SKUNK) – UK So how dangerous is skunk? – The IndependentOur decision to drop The Independent on Sunday's 1997 decriminalise cannabis campaign has been applauded and decried throughout the world. At the heart of the controversy is the link between skunk and schizophrenia. TRANQUILIZER – USA Prescription drug abuse on the rise – WHOI ABC NewsMedical professionals say they are seeing more and more people abusing prescription drugs. METH – GERMANY Meth Now Comes In Flavors – Short NewsThe newest thing to come to the meth problem facing the US is flavored Meth. Officers have found meth on the street in flavors such as cola, Strawberry Quick, and chocolate. ALCOHOL – USA Survey: Drug, alcohol use by 12th-graders down – The Daily RecordDrug and alcohol use among local 12th-graders has decreased slightly in the last two years, according to recently released numbers from the statewide Healthy Youth Survey. METH – USA DEA sees flavored meth use – AZ CentralReports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse-prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, prescription, tranquilizer
March 26 Drug Headlines
CANNABIS – BULGARIA The Independent:UN warns of cannabis dangers as it backs 'IoS' drugs 'apology' – Focus NewsThe United Nations has issued an unprecedented warning to Britain about the growing threat to public health from potent new forms of cannabis. METH – CANADA Meth curse can strike anywhere – Edmonton Sun NewsA city drug cop says the meth-induced downward spiral of the privileged daughter of Alberta's top judge proves the demon drug doesn't discriminate between victims. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drug dangers, focus of campaign – NBC NewsIt's spring cleaning that could save someone's life. Operation Medicine Cabinet is getting parents to throw out unused drugs. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol, tobacco make top 10 list of risky drugs – MSNBCBritish study rated the substances more dangerous than marijuana, Ecstasy. METH – USA Yuma, we have a problem: Meth is everywhere – Yuma SunYou could pretty much go to any neighborhood and probably find meth - either someone using it or selling it. METH – USA Meth dealers hit the schoolyards with a new bag of tricks – Catoosa County NewsMeth is old news in Georgia. Since appearing on the scene around 2001, it quickly became the state’s fastest spreading drug problem. HEROIN – USA Heroin a problem in Valley schools, police official says – East Valley TribuneParents leaving Gilbert’s annual drug prevention seminar Thursday night felt prepared to begin a conversation with their kids about drugs. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol, drugs and violence impact the youth – eMax HealthA new survey of Washington students shows most kids are saying no to alcohol, drug use, and other risky behaviors, but too many continue to risk their health. OPIUM – CANADA Ninety per cent of British heroin is from Afghanistan, says U.K. attorney general – Victoria Times ColonistNinety per cent of the heroin in Britain comes from Afghanistan’s booming poppy trade. METH – USA 'Meth is a monster,' says recovering addict – Ventura County StarMethamphetamine has invaded Ventura County. In the past five years, addiction to this devastating stimulant has surpassed heroin, cocaine and other drugs Labels: alcohol, cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Thursday
March 22 Drug Headlines
ADDICTION – GERMANY Cannabis Addiction Treatment at All-Time Highs, Potent "Skunk" Blamed – Short NewsSuper-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 StarThe 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 AfghanistanThe 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 – NewsweekHospital 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 NewsAs 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 NEWSFinancial losses, ruined lives and cries for hope, all part of a one-hour prime time program tonight. METH – USA Meth Abuse – Black Hills TodayYoung 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 CourierAttorney 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 ResponsibilityFollowing 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 PhoenixAbuse of prescription drugs has begun to rise, particularly among youths in rural or small communities. PRESCRIPTION – USA Students Selling Prescription Drugs – Omaha ABC NewsTeenagers 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 OnlineMy 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 NewsYoung people are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of smoking high-strength cannabis. CANNABIS (SKUNK) – UK Skunk: growing danger on the streets – The TelegraphA record number of people are now seeking treatment for cannabis addiction as high-strength strains of the drug take a grip on users. Labels: cannabis, cocaine, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, oxycodone, prescription
Tuesday
March 20 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Montana airs provocative anti-meth ad campaign – WAVY TV 10Jarring, 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 HealthHeroin 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 SunA 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 PressA 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 EagleThe 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 TimesCollege 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 MailRecord numbers of teenagers are having treatment for addiction to super-strength cannabis. METH – CANADA Stay away from meth, pregnant women warned – Star PhoenixIt'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 FoundationThe 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 GuardianTwo products: heavily reconstituted hashish from Morocco, known as soap, and indoor-grown skunk. SLEEPING PILLS – AUSTRALIA One in ten Aussies pop sleeping pills – The AgePopular sleeping tablet, Stilnox, can have bizarre side-effects, prompting some people to binge eat or even drive while asleep. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, methadone, methamphetamine, prescription, sleeping-pills
Monday
March 19 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Drug Use Joins Binge Drinking as Campus Drug Problems – Join TogetherA new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) finds that 49 percent of U.S. college students ages 18-24 are binge drinkers and that growing numbers of students are misusing prescription drugs. ALCOHOL – USA Young people able to buy beer at stores even without proper ID – Pacific InstituteClerks at grocery and convenience stores were more likely to sell alcohol to a young person without asking for an ID than other stores. ALCOHOL – USA Binge Drinking And Drug Abuse On The Increase Among US Students Report Says – Medical News TodayA new study suggests that binge drinking and drug abuse is on the increase among American students and that colleges should do more to address the problem. METH – USA Montana Gives Meth a Face – Associated ContentMontana teens are tuning into more than music videos these days. The state has launched a provocative ad campaign in hopes of fighting the rampant use of meth within its borders. ADDICTION – USA Drug Addiction vs. Drug Dependence: Same or Different? – About NewsThe fear of addiction keeps doctors from prescribing opioids to relieve pain and keeps patients from controlling their pain. PRESCRIPTION – USA Drinking and Prescription Abuse Growing at Colleges – WLNSA new report says binge drinking and prescription drug abuse are a growing problem among college students. METH – USA Seminar looks at how children are affected by meth use in their homes – Salem Times CommonerChildren living in meth labs might as well be taking the drug directly. ALCOHOL – ROMANIA College Life Oozes Drug and Alcohol Abuse – PlayfulsAlmost half of U.S. college students dabble one time too many in alcohol, marijuana, sedatives, painkillers and stimulants – they might call it freedom and independence, but they are risking their lives. METH – USA Eagle Meth Meeting Focuses on Growing Drug Problem – Fox 12 BoiseThe governor's March Against Meth began 15 days ago, and already several communities have gotten involved. SKUNK – USA Skunk: How the 'safe' drug of choice for the hippy generation became a serious health hazard – The IndependentIn 1997, when this paper called for decriminalisation, 1,600 people were being treated for cannabis addiction. Today, the number is 22,000. DRUGS – USA New Anti-Drug Ad Hits the Airwaves – Pushing BackThe Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Alliance for Consumer Education (ACE) released a new public service announcement. PRESCRIPTION – USA E.R. Visits Up for Prescription Drug Abuse – About: NewsA new report indicates that abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs is increasing, while the abuse of illegal drugs remains about the same. ALCOHOL – USA Adolescent Drinking: It is Not Just About Limiting Media Exposure – RANDPro-drinking messages are delivered to adolescents through mass media, peers, and adult drinking behavior. METH – USA Montana Fights Meth, and Pulls No Punches – ABC NewsMontana is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to methamphetamine addiction, and it's one of the best at coping with it. METH – USA Class to help fight against meth – The Wabash Plain DealerThe Southwood High School Adult Farmer Committee and Purdue Extension of Wabash County will host a Meth Awareness class Monday, March 19. PAINKILLERS – USA Oregon Has High Rate Of Painkiller Abuse – KOIN NewsOregon has one of the highest rates of painkiller abuse in the nation, especially among teenagers. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Friday
March 16 Drug Headlines
HEROIN – USA Heroin use on rise in Nevada County – The Union of Grass ValleyWhile 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 TribuneColombia supplies 90 percent of cocaine that ends up in the U.S. METHADONE – USA Doctor speaks out against methadone – The Times-JournalA local hospital physician told the DeKalb County Commission there are dangers associated with methadone. DRUGS – USA Health Highlights: March 15, 2007 – Washington PostHere 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 – KETVA 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 TelegraphPARENTS 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 – MSNBCReport warns of dangers of ‘extreme’ substance abuse among students. ALCOHOL – USA Binge drinking among young stays high in EU – MSNBCSurvey: 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 IrelandBinge 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 NewsAmong 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 HealthAbout 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 HealthAll 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 TimesPrescription sleeping pills can cause unusual behavior like driving and eating while asleep. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methadone, prescription
Thursday
March 15 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – USA Crackdown on serving alcohol to minors – Vail Daily NewsIt could happen on any given night at any given bar. Minors trying to order alcohol is not an uncommon event in Eagle County. PRESCRIPTION – USA Sleeping Pill Advertisement Targeting Children Illustrates Need for Congress to Reform Prescription Drug Ads – Yuba NetThis advertisement geared to children going 'back to school' is outrageous, and we urge the FDA take stronger and more timely actions in cases such as this. PRESCRIPTION – USA Emergency Room Visits Climb for Misuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs – Media NewswireEmergency room visits related to the nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, increased 21 percent from 2004 to 2005. METH – USA Dangers of Methamphetamine – News 10 NowParticipants in Tuesday's Methamphetamine meeting found out everything from signs and symptoms, the different types and how it's made. OPIUM – IRAN NATO predicts opium-free northern Afghanistan in few years – Islamic Republic News AgencyAccording to assessment by experts in Afghanistan, the entire northern half of Afghanistan will be opium free in a few years. OPIUM – USA Afghanistan's poppy conundrum – Spero NewsThis year's eradication campaign in Helmand seems to be accomplishing little except beefing up support for the Taliban. COCAINE – UK Cocaine problem on the rise, police reveal – Newry DemocratPeople think that only the bad ones take drugs but there are a lot of good kids using them as recreation. The downside is that a lot of parents say their kids are only smoking blow and that it won’t do them any harm. That’s not true. CANNABIS – UK Cannabis cultivation ‘booming’ in Britain but law enforcement hitting local supplies – Drugscope NewsGrowing cannabis commercially near the point of sale can dramatically increase profits, but this increases the risk of detection. There are significant implications for police resources in trying to keep up with the growers who are becoming increasingly smart in establishing new farms and avoiding arrest. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Tuesday
March 13 Drug Headlines
PAINKILLERS – USA Hunting new option in balance between painkiller's help, and abuse – South Coast TodayScientists are hunting new ways to help millions of pain sufferers — from addiction-resistant narcotics to using brain scanners for biofeedback — amid a worrisome rise in abuse of today's top prescription painkillers. ADICTION – USA On TV: 'Addiction' takes pains to show us real drug abuse – Seattle Post IntelligencerAddiction is a demon that can slip into anyone's house without warning. Once inside, it can take a lifetime to evict. DRUGS – UK Just Say No to this ‘radical rethink’ on drugs – SpikedThe ‘Get Unhooked’ adverts offer a powerful endorsement of the myths underlying both current drugs policy and the RSA’s radical rethink. PRESCRIPTION – AUSTRALIA Prescription drug abuse on the rise: report – The World TodayIt's usually illicit drugs that capture the headlines but research in Melbourne shows it is the abuse of prescription drugs that should be arousing real concern across the nation. RITALIN – USA Ritalin Bill "Not Perfect, but Good Step for Parents" – KCPWAfter a five-year battle, parents' rights advocates got a victory late Friday when Governor Huntsman signed the so-called "Ritalin Bill." METH – USA Meth slide – Daily JournalWith meth arrests down by more than 30 percent in Northeast Mississippi in 2006, it appears that new laws designed to slow the manufacturing of the drug may be working. CANNIBIS – NEW ZEALAND Cannabis 'greatest enemy' – The Nelson MailA Golden Bay man whose son started taking cannabis at 15 says drugs are the "greatest enemy for parents in the world". PAINKILLERS – USA Scientists explore abuse-resistant painkillers – MSNBCGrowing misuse of pain meds drives hunt for drugs with no exploitation risk. Labels: cannabis, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription, ritalin
Monday
March 12 Drug Headlines
HEROIN –USA Heroin is back, more destructive than ever – Journal and CourierNarcotics 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 CentreDr. 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 AgeOVERDOSING 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 ReviewJust 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 – eMaxHealthThe 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 IndependentStudents and youth groups from all over the Verde Valley will march against methamphetamine March 31 in Cottonwood. Labels: cocaine, heroin, methadone, methamphetamine, prescription
March 10 Drug Headlines
HEROIN – USA New Report Shows Heroin Abuse Decreasing – Boston ChannelHeroin 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 – KBTVAuthorities say prescription drug abuse is out of hand in Southeast Texas. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol Ads in NCAA Sports Targeted – Central Florida NewsFull-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 TribuneResearch 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 TribuneIdaho 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. Labels: alcohol, heroin, methadone, prescription
Wednesday
March 7 Drug Headlines
METHADONE – USA Scientists get a fix on methadone risks – NZZ OnlineSwiss 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, AdelaideAlcohol 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 CarolinaBelieve 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 InternationalTeenagers 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 CoasterTo 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 AtlasAre 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 NewsA "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 EgyptianThe 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 BoiseA 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 TimesAfghanistan’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 GlobeThe 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 HeraldA 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 NewsMethadone, which is a drug, comes in pill form as well as in liquid. Labels: adderall, alcohol, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Tuesday
March 6 Drug Headlines
DRUGS – USA Drug testing kids a bad idea, doctors say – MSNBCScreening for substance abuse often inaccurate and leads to loss of trust. MARIJUANA – USA Video appears to show brothers, 2 and 5, smoking pot – CNN NewsPolice in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, said a videotape found in a search for stolen goods appears to show two teenagers persuading a 2-year-old boy and his 5-year-old brother to smoke marijuana. DRUGS – USA Teens and drugs – Hometown LifeParents can play a bigger role than they may think in whether their children become drug users. ALCOHOL – UK Binge-drink battle gets £12m fund – Alcoholics Anonymous ReviewsA consortium of the UK's biggest alcohol companies is backing a £12m marketing initiative to promote responsible drinking among consumers. PRESCRIPTION – UK Prescription abuse outstrips illegal drug use, UN warns – Guardian UnlimitedThe abuse and trafficking of prescription drugs, including painkillers and stimulants, has overtaken the use of nearly all illegal drugs with the sole exception of cannabis. METH – UK Crystal meth increasing problem – BBC NewsThe highly addictive drug crystal meth is moving away from clubs and becoming more widely available on London's streets, a drugs court judge reveals. ALCOHOL – UK Middle Aged Boozers Drink Themselves To Death – Alcoholics Anonymous ReviewsWhile teenage binge drinking makes most of the headlines, it is actually those in their thirties, forties and fifties who are more likely to drink themselves to death. ALCOHOL – USA Health Tip: Who Should Avoid Alcohol – Austin American StatesmanHere is a list of people for whom any amount of alcohol is dangerous and should be avoided. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
March 2 Drug Headlines
ADDICTION – USA Nevada panel targeting meth addiction holds first meeting – KOLO TVA 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 ChannelMethadone 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 – MSNBCIn 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 NewsThe 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 StateToday, 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 NewsAfrica 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 TodayPrescription drug abuse already has outstripped traditional illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy in parts of Europe, Africa and South Asia. Labels: cocaine, codeine, methadone, methamphetamine, prescription
Thursday
March 1 Drug Headlines
PESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drug abuse among teenagers on the rise: NewsTarget.com – Trans World NewsForget the Mary Jane; all the cool kids are getting high right out of mom and dad's medicine cabinet – much to the alarm of teen drug abuse watchdogs. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription abuse to pass illicit drugs – Kansas City StarAbuse of prescription drugs is about to exceed the use of illicit street narcotics worldwide, and the shift has spawned a lethal new trade in counterfeit painkillers, sedatives and other medicines potent enough to kill. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Abuse to Pass Illicit Drugs – ABC News HealthPrescription drug abuse already has outstripped traditional illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and Ecstasy in parts of Europe, Africa and South Asia. METH – USA Principal charged with dealing crystal meth – CNN NewsA middle school principal was charged with dealing crystal methamphetamine after police found the drug in his school office. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Feb 28 Drug Headlines
METHADONE – USA Methadone abuse continues to grow – Herald NetIt's the "easy-to-get" nature of the drug that has led to the spike in methadone deaths, according to government officials. PESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise – News MaxWhen you think of drug abuse, you might imagine a frantic crack addict handing over cash to dealer in a seedy part of town. What about this portrait of drug abuse? A middle-class person walks up to a pharmacist and hands over a forged prescription for some pain killers. PAINKILLERS – USA Daily painkiller raises heart attack risk – The AgeTHE safety of popular over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs has been questioned after a huge Harvard study found prolonged use can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. PAINKILLERS – USA Painkiller Risk: High Blood Pressure – Health SentinelThe most widely used medicines in the world -- over-the-counter pain drugs -- raise a person's risk of high blood pressure. METH – USA War on Drugs no help as meth epidemic worsens in the U.S. – Trans World NewsMethamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug that can have horrifying side effects, but perhaps the most shocking thing about this drug is that the FDA and Big Business may be contributing to its spread in pursuit of profits. MARIJUANA – USA Driving While Young: Teens and Marijuana – ABC Local NewsWith so many tragedies involving young drivers, our Eyewitness News special project "DWY: Driving While Young" looks at the dangers teens face behind the wheel. MARIJUANA – USA Lawmakers target marijuana-flavored candy – AJC Capitol UpdatesA bill that would ban the sale of marijuana-flavored candy to children in Georgia won approval from a legislative committee this morning, advancing the proposal toward a vote in the House of Representatives. METH – USA Boys & Girls Club takes meth program to schools – The Verde IndependentThe clubs have been presenting the nationally acclaimed MethSMART program in West Sedona and Big Park elementary schools in Sedona and Mingus High School in Cottonwood over five weeks. OPIUM – THIALAND The war that won't go away – Bangkok PostLike most wars, the society problem often labelled as the ''war on drugs'' is a matter of many small battles. This war has had many ups and downs. It should not be surprising that drug trafficking and usage are increasing once again. OPIUM – USA Opium eradication starts in Afghanistan – Houston ChronicleAnguish creased the weathered face of the opium farmer as a U.S.-trained eradication team swept through his farm fields in this southern Afghan village. Labels: marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Tuesday
Feb 27 Drug Headlines
DRUGS – USA Discontinuing Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Detox or Maintenance – Addiction helpBlogTreatment 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 OnlineInitially 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' - TelegraphAlcohol-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 AmericaA 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 AustralianTEENAGE 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 NetworkYOUNG 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 – UNSWYoung 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 TodayThe 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-TVFederal 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 NewswireWyoming 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 SunMethadone, 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. Labels: alcohol, methadone, methamphetamine, prescription
Sunday
Feb 24 Drug Headlines
METHADONE – UK Addicts offered a sporting chance – Sunday HeraldA 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 HeraldYour 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 NationThe 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 NewsKids 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 ReviewSince 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 NewsInvestigators 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 AustralianTODAY 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 IowanWith 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 IndependentThe alcopops generation are drinking themselves to death, latest figures show. Labels: alcohol, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Thursday
Feb 21 Drug Headlines
METH – NEW ZEALAND People power filling gap in drug battle – New Zealand HeraldThe Government strategy on methamphetamine is under attack from P campaigners who believe the approach is not working - so they are investing thousands of dollars in their own community campaigns. ALCOHOL – USA Students encouraged to participate in alcohol study – UW-Madison NewsThe University of Wisconsin System is conducting a survey of undergraduates this month to better understand the impacts of alcohol and other drug use by UW students. ALCOHOL – USA Surveys examine alcohol use – LHU Eagle EyeAfter two consecutive Mondays and Tuesdays of surveying, the Wellness Center and Safe Haven are preparing to compile the data they gathered regarding LHU students and alcohol use. CANNABIS – NEW ZEALAND Testing for Cannabis may prompt Athletes to switch to P – Radio New ZealandAt least one sports official has suggested that might encourage some athletes to use P, rather than risking being caught for cannabis use. MARIJUANA – USA Long-Term Marijuana Use May Impair Lung Function – Washington PostPeople who smoke marijuana for a long time face many of the same kinds of respiratory problems -- such as phlegm, coughing and wheezing -- as long-term cigarette smokers. METH – USA Silverton students spread the word about meth – Silverton Appeal NewsStudents saw images of beautiful people whose teeth had rotted, who had sores on their faces and whose weight had dwindled to barely survivable levels. PAINKILLERS – USA Drug-laced ‘lollipops’ found at Damascus High School – Maryland GazetteThe lollipop drugs are sold on the street for $20, even though their retail value is $9. PESCRIPTION – USA FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES FOR PROPER DISPOSAL OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS – New and Public Affairsn the face of rising trends in prescription drug abuse, the Federal government today issued new guidelines for the proper disposal of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs. DRUGS – USA Poll: 90% Support Drug Tests for Students – Pushing BackA poll conducted by the University of South Alabama reveals strong demand for confidential random drug testing programs. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Wednesday
Feb 20 Drug Headlines
PESCRIPTION – USA Feds Issue New Way To Curb Prescription Drug Abuse – WTOVThe federal government has issued new ways to get rid of old medicine in an effort to prevent kids from getting high on prescription drugs. METH – USA Strong Connection Between Identity Theft And Meth Use – Fox NewsMany meth addicts can't work because of the drug's effect on the body. But identity theft is relatively easy and more lucrative than robbing a bank. METH – USA Health, safety officials address ongoing meth problem – KTUU NewsMethamphetamine: It's a drug with far-reaching side effects that go way beyond the user. ADDICTION – USA Drug addiction affects all of us – Guelph MercuryToo often, drug addiction is described as something affecting "those people" or people living in "that neighbourhood." The reality is much different. HEROIN – UK Calls for inquiry to settle heroin policies – The HeraldScotland's top social workers yesterday called for a Royal Commission to settle the row over methadone. OPIUM – USA Afghan envoys warns of terrorist-drug link – United Press InternationalAfghanistan's ambassador to Australia has warned his country could become a terrorist-backed narco-state unles it gets help to combat drug trafficking. Labels: heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Tuesday
Feb 19 Drug Headlines
OPIUM – MEXICO Anti-drug raids hit border – The HeraldOfficials also said that in the two months since intensive raids began in central and western Mexico they have destroyed almost as many opium fields as plots of marijuana, long Mexico´s principal drug crop. MORPHINE – USA Drug test science adapts with the times – Charleston Daily MailIf lighting up a marijuana joint is in your evening plans, you’d better hope you’re not screened for drugs within the next 30 days. DRUGS – UK The terrible logic of kids, drugs and killing – Times OnlineWhenever I met young drug dealers who had either shot others or themselves been shot, I wondered whether they had any real notion of death as a permanent state of oblivion. PESCRIPTION – USA Makers of Cough Remedies Join with Anti-Drug Coalitions to Fight Medicine Abuse – Consumer Healthcare Products AssociationThe Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) today launched a new campaign designed to educate communities about how to prevent cough medicine abuse among teenagers. PRESCRIPTION – USA Deadly risk seen from interactions of OTC, prescription meds – Denver PostThe timing of two recent news items - a national health report and the autopsy of an R&B singer - was coincidental. But coming on the same day, they illustrated a deadly, growing problem with prescription and over-the-counter medications. ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND Alcohol review targets teens – StuffThe Government is looking for ways to prevent underage teenagers from getting alcohol as experts point to its devastating effects. DRUGS – AUSTRALIA Dope loses its cool – Herald SunThe drug once perceived as harmless is now overwhelming viewed as dangerous, addictive and linked to a range of serious health and social problems. Labels: alcohol, morphine, opium, prescription
Monday
Feb 17 Drug Headlines
CANNABIS – UK Cannabis loses appeal for young people – ABC News OnlineA new study has found a third of young Australians think using cannabis is unacceptable, and the majority believe it is a dangerous drug. MARIJUANA – AUSTRALIA Pot not hot: weed losing its cool – Sydney Morning HeraldSMOKING a joint is no longer cool among the young, according to a new poll, which found one in three regard it as unacceptable. ALCOHOL – UK Revealed: Britain's 12-year-old alcoholics – The IndependentChildren as young as 12 are being diagnosed as alcoholics amid growing concerns about binge-drinking in Britain, an investigation by The Independent on Sunday reveals today. PESCRIPTION – USA Teens now going for parents' pills, not their booze – The Oakland PressSome parents of teenagers keep their liquor cabinets locked. Should the medicine cabinet be next? DRUGS – USA Disrupting Brain's Stress System Intensifies Opiate Withdrawal – Science DailyAvoiding the severe pain, nausea, agitation, sweats and other symptoms of opiate withdrawal are among the many reasons addicts are motivated to continue taking drugs. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, prescription
Friday
Feb 15 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Come together to fight meth – Montrose Daily PressThe toll of methamphetamine use can be felt in all aspects of the community and at all levels. Meth is a highly addictive drug that has a devastating impact on the individual as well as their families. And no one is immune from it. METH – USA Candy-Looking Meth Hits Streets – WVNS-TVMethamphetamine production and addiction is a continuing problem, especially in rural areas. Now, there's a troubling new development. Drug dealers are now targeting children with flavored, candy-colored versions of the drug. PRESCRIPTION – USA Report: Teens Using Prescription Drugs – Sci-Tech TodayWhile teen use of marijuana declined, the use of OxyContin, a painkiller, increased from 2.7 percent to 3.5 percent over the same period. METHADONE – USA METHADONE DEATHS – NBC NewschannelThe highly-addictive drug methadone was initially used to help heroin addicts break their addiction. A few years ago, Idaho became one of the first states to see methadone also being prescribed for chronic pain. RITALIN – USA Prescription Drug Use Among Students Growing – City on a Hill PressAccording to the Greater Dallas Council on Alcoholic and Drug Abuse website, Ritalin ranks in the top 10 most frequently reported controlled pharmaceuticals stolen from licensed handlers. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Teens Continue To Abuse Prescription Drugs – E Canada NowThough U.S. teen use of some drugs is in decline their use of prescription drugs is going strong and increasing in certain areas. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Teens Turning to Prescription DrugsMore and more US teens are turning away from marijuana in favor of prescription drugs from their own medicine cabinets. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen abuse of prescription drugs holds steady – MSNBCAccording to an analysis of national surveys prepared by Walters’ office, 2.1 million teenagers abused prescription drugs in 2005. DRUGS – USA Dobbs: The war within, killing ourselves – CNNWe're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades. MARIJUANA – USA Parents are urged to learn about today's marijuana – Amador Ledger DispatchToday's marijuana is not yesterday's marijuana. I find this to be very interesting information for parents, teachers and anyone who has had the questions asked or will be asked: What's so wrong with smoking marijuana? It's not a drug? Right? METHADONE – USA Methadone Deaths More Common – Post ChronicleA study finds that U.S. deaths from methadone, the prescription drug often used to treat heroin addicts, almost quadrupled between 1999 and 2004. OPIUM – USA Afghanistan: What the United States Has Spent – ABC NewsDespite Billions Spent, and Lives Lost, Opium Trade Thrives and Fuels Insurgent Attacks. OPIUM – USA Losing Afghanistan to opium? – The Washington TimesThe spring opium harvest will soon begin in Afghanistan. So will a murderous spring offensive by the Taliban and its allies against U.S. and coalition troops. The two events are directly related. Labels: marijuana, methadone, methamphetamine, opium, prescription, ritalin
Wednesday
Feb 14 Drug Headlines
DRUGS – USA Dobbs: The war within, killing ourselves – CNN NewsWe're fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money. We're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades. ALCOHOL – UK Teenage drinkers face alcohol test – News ScientistBig Brother has arrived at a high school in New Jersey, determined to stop their students consuming alcohol at weekends. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol use becoming risk by the eighth grade – Topics.comMore than 56,000 children and youth live in Hamilton County, and it's estimated that by eighth grade nearly half of them will have tried alcohol. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen abuse of prescription drugs remains a problem, government report shows – Centre DailyTheir use of marijuana may be declining, but teenagers' abuse of prescription drugs is holding steady or in some cases increasing. PRESCRIPTION – USA Report: Teens Using Prescription Drugs – Journal Gazette and Times-CourierMany teenagers are obtaining drugs over the Internet, getting them free from friends or taking them from someone's medicine cabinet. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teens Turn Away From Street Drugs, Move to Prescription Drugs, New Report Reveals – Earth TimesReport shows that teens are turning away from street drugs, like marijuana and cocaine, and are now abusing prescription drugs to get high. Labels: alcohol, prescription
Feb 13 Drug Headlines
MARIJUANA – INDIA Smoking : Long-term marijuana smoking leads to respiratory complaints – Spirit IndiaLong-term exposure to marijuana smoke is linked to many of the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms like cough, phlegm and wheeze, according to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. OPIUM – PAKISTAN US law makers for use of micro-herbicide on poppy plants – Pak TribuneExpressing concern over the increase in poppy cultivation in the country over the previous two years, several US law makers believe use of micro-herbicide is the only solution to the problem, which they argue is providing finances for terrorism. OPIUM – SWITZERLAND Helmand heads for record poppy harvest – ISNProvincial officials say 2007 could be the biggest year yet for opium production in the war-torn province. METH – USA Student designs wanted for anti-meth poster campaign – ZWireThe Van Buren County Methamphetamine Task Force has launched an anti-meth poster contest for middle school students in an effort to provide a creative way for them to learn about the drug's dangers. COCAINE – UK Key Farc role in US cocaine trade – BBC NewsNinety per cent of cocaine reaching the United States comes from Colombia - most of it via Farc rebels, a senior US official has told a magazine. OXYCODONE – USA CDC: Drug Overdoses on the Rise – News InfernoAccording to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, poisoning mortality rates in the United States increased each year. ADDERALL – USA Many Teens Abusing Medications – Journal of the American Medical AssociationWhile rates of illicit drug use among teens in the United States continue to decline, abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medication in this age group remains alarmingly high. METH – USA New "strawberry" meth has police concerned – ABC NewsIt's targetted at young people and others experimenting with drugs. METH – USA Anti-meth blitz set to educate – Peninsula ClarionStatewide campaign aimed to curb methamphetamine use. METH – CANADA Council and police take aim at crystal meth – The ChroniclePolice and town council are joining forces to meet crystal meth head on. Crystal meth is on their radar, including meth laboratory operations in the community. PRESCRIPTION – USA Guard Against Prescription Drug Error – Yahoo! NewsAccording to the National Academy of Medicine, approximately 1.5 million Americans annually fall victim to prescription drug error. ALCOHOL – UK Terrible toll of alcohol on Britain's children – Metro NewsAlcohol abuse is affecting increasing numbers of youngsters, with three children having been treated for alcohol-related liver cirrhosis in the last five years. ALCOHOL – UK It's too easy for kids to buy alcohol – Peterborough TodayStatistics obtained by The Evening Telegraph showed that a third of all children under the age of 18 have been able to buy booze from off-licences in the city. PRESCRIPTION – USA Deadly abuse of methadone tops other prescription drugs – ABC NewsMethadone has emerged as an increasingly popular and deadly street drug, joining narcotics such as Vicodin and OxyContin as frequently abused prescription drugs. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Prescription drugs hit streets – The RecordPrescription pain medications, such as morphine and oxycodone, are increasingly being sold on the street. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drugs are not the answer – Stoneham SunI am a volunteer for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (www.cchreus.org). I recently took part in a protest in Sudbury to bring the exposure of the medications used by John Odgren. ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA One in three young Australians binge drink – The Australian, HealthA third of Australians aged 18 to 24 are classified as binge drinkers, with nearly one in four drinking to the point of passing out on at least five occasions. Labels: adderall, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, oxycodone, prescription
Tuesday
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 HealthThe 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 NewsAfghan police, supported by NATO forces, are about to begin a poppy eradication campaign in Afghanistan’s Helmand province PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Medicine Safety – ABC NewsIt'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' – TelegraphBottles 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 – ONDCPNew 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 TogetherMore 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 PostOut of the media spotlight, anti-narcotic officers are continuing their fight against smugglers along the borders. METHADONE – USA Methadone overdose on rise – ExaminerOverdoses 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 LinkIllegal 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 PeopleA DEADLY new type of cannabis called grit weed is sweeping Britain. DRUGS – USA CDC finds dramatic rise in drug deaths – Oblerlin TimesThis 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. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, heroin, methadone, opium, prescription
Thursday
Feb 8 Drug Headlines
ADDERALL – USA Hey Jumbos, lose the Adderall and go take a nap instead – The Tufts DailyWith homework starting to pile up and the semester's first exams looming in the distance, many students accept the extreme pressure they face. METH – USA Board views slideshow about meth – The Dispatch OnlineThe board only saw a portion of the slideshow that told how easy meth could be made with home ingredients, the effects of meth use in a home and tips on what to look for in a child or parent who may be involved with meth. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol screening at school good for all – The Express TimesFar too many teens incorporate alcohol into their social lives and an alarming number of underage drinkers are hooked on the extremely dangerous practice of binge drinking. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol abuse based on a pattern of use – The Citizen, AuburnMany terms float around when dealing with alcohol related health problems: alcoholism, dependence, abuse, tolerance and withdrawal. Let me take this time to explain these terms, the impact of alcohol on our health and what you can do if you have a problem with alcohol. METH – USA Web site lists information on meth offenders – Shakopee Valley NewsThe Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has unveiled a new Web site with information about offenders convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine — a dangerous and highly addictive illegal drug. PRESCRIPTION – USA Tennessee ranks No. 1 in prescription drug use – WREG TVTennessee led the nation in prescription drug use and ranked second in prescription drug spending in 2005. ALCOHOL – USA This Hand Sanitizer is on Fire, Without Alcohol – Yahoo! NewsWith recent news events highlighting the dangers of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it's no wonder that alcohol-free cleansers like Hands2GO® have experienced a phenomenal 500% jump in distribution over the last year. Labels: adderall, alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Feb 7 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION – USA WA: Prescription Drug Overdose Becomes Big Killer – Join TogetherWashington residents are dying from unintended drug poisoning in numbers beginning to approach deaths in car crashes, and overdose deaths blamed on legal drugs now exceed fatal overdoses caused by illicit drugs. DRUGS – UK UNODC launches updated multilingual dictionary of drugs under international control – United Nations Office of Drugs and CrimeThe United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime today launched an updated multilingual dictionary of all drugs controlled under the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. METH – UK Move to ban ice pipes welcome – The Hon Christopher Pyne MPA move by the Queensland Government to ban the sale and display of ice pipes in Queensland has been welcomed by the Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Tuesday
Feb 6 Drug Headlines
COCAINE – ITALY Cocaine use on the rise – Wanted in RomeCocaine use has more than doubled in Italy between 2001-2005. METH – USA Meth addicts stealing sprinkler heads – KVBC NewsThieves are after another metal for drug money. And they've already targeted two neighborhoods in the valley. ALCOHOL – UK FTBs willing to sacrifice alcohol and holidays to get on first rung – Assetz NewsThe pleasures of boozy nights and holidays, sometimes at the same time, go out of the window for many first time buyers trying to get on to the property ladder, claims new research. PRESCRIPTION – USA Overdoses of prescription drugs skyrocket – Yakima Herald Republic onlineStatewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a 10-year period, according to new research. METH – USA Crackdown slows meth labs: Sheriff: Mexican ice, a purer form of methamphetamine, takes up slack – Texarkana GazetteLaws limiting the sale of cold medications containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor to methamphetamine production, have decreased the number of meth labs law enforcement finds in this area. METH – USA Small crowd, many questions about meth – Dunn County NewsA small crowd asked some big questions at the follow-up community forum on methamphetamine at Colfax High School Tuesday evening. METH – USA Second National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis Underway in Salt Lake City – Stop the Drug WarAround a thousand people, including some of the nation's foremost experts in treating, researching and developing responses to methamphetamine use, gathered at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City METH – USA Meth Destroying Teeth of Prisoners, Causing Dental Budget to Soar – KRNV NewsMethamphetamine use can turn a healthy set of teeth into a rotting mess. And its widespread use is causing a surge in the dental budget of Nevada's prison system. CANNABIS – UK YOUNGSTERS INFORMED ABOUT DANGERS OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL MISUSE – Isle of Man TodayYoung people are helping to shape the future of drug and alcohol education. RITALIN – USA Public School Bonanza – The American DailyHere are ten reasons why parents should keep their kids in public schools Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription, ritalin
Monday
Feb 5 Drug Headlines
MORPHINE – INDIA Healing, with a pinch of salt – Hindustan TimesIf you ever wanted reconfirmation, here is a living proof that faith can take you where modern-day physicians would fear to tread. HYDROCODONE – USA Prescription painkillers causing more fatal overdoses in WA – The ColumbianStatewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a ten-year period, according to new research. METH – USA Meth destroying teeth of prisoners, causing dental budget to soar – ABC NewsMethamphetamine use can turn a healthy set of teeth into a rotting mess. And its widespread use is causing a surge in the dental budget of Nevada's prison system. METH – USA The Salt Lake Methamphetamine Conference Gets Underway – Stop the DrugWarThe 2nd National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV, and Hepatitis is now in its second day. CODEINE – AUSTRALIA Implants fail to stop overdose – Herald SunAn implant designed to help heroin addicts kick their habit could contribute to their deaths. METH – USA County zeroes in on meth use – Wyoming Tribune-EagleThe Cheyenne and Laramie County Methamphetamine Assessment Report will be released at a news conference and public presentation Thursday at the Cheyenne-Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park. METH – GERMANY Meth Addicts now Using Urine to Get High – Short NewsMeth addicts and dealers appear to have devised a disgusting new method of administering the illicit substance. METH – USA DEALING WITH ADDICTION: Meth punishes users' mouths – Review JournalDentists work to correct devastating, unique oral effects of drug DRUGS – UK The never ending drug scam – Drug Link blogFor several years, small businesses have been targeted by fraudulent publishing companies over the production of drug education and other materials for school children. ALCOHOL – USA Heavy Alcohol Drinking Takes Excessive Toll on Women With Hepatitis C – eMaxHealthWomen tend to survive longer than men if infected with the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus (HCV) - but if they drink alcohol heavily, that survival advantage completely disappears, according to a new study. ALCOHOL – USA Program helps parents talk about drugs, alcohol – Foster's OnlineIt might not be as sexy as talking about the "birds and the bees," but 120 city parents now are better prepared to have a similarly life changing discussion about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. OXYCODONE – USA Police say man jumped pharmacy counter, stole drugs – KWWL.comA Marion man has been arrested on second-degree theft charges after allegedly hopping a pharmacy counter and stealing nearly 17-hundred-dollars in prescription medications. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription painkillers causing more fatal overdoses in WA – Seattle piStatewide deaths linked to prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and methadone increased by more than 800 percent in a ten-year period, according to new research. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription drug abuse big in Livingston County – KQ2.comBattling drugs that aren’t illegal is the biggest burden in a Midland Empire community. Prescription drugs are among the highest abused in the nation, and right in Livingston County. Labels: alcohol, codeine, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, morphine, oxycodone, prescription
Friday
Feb 2 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol In Hand Sanitizer Poses Abuse Risk – CBSPrison officials and poison control centers can add a new substance to their list of intoxicants — hand sanitizer. ALCOHOL – USA S.C. bill would ban alcohol vaporizer – Star News OnlineA device that turns liquor into a breathable vapor of oxygen and alcohol would be banned under new South Carolina legislation, even though the product is unknown to some law enforcement groups. METH – USA Dismantled meth labs doubled in '06 – Herald JournalThe youth said he believed the contents of the bag were suspicious, based on what he had learned at a meth presentation at the school earlier in the year. ALCOHOL – UK 'Worrying trends' in drink study – BBC NewsEast Sussex has the highest rate for under-18s having treatment for alcohol in the South East, a report has shown. PRESCRIPTION – UK Drug company 'hid' suicide link – BBC NewsSecret emails reveal that the UK's biggest drug company distorted trial results of an anti-depressant, covering up a link with suicide in teenagers. DRUGS – USA No Child Left Untested? – NewsweekThe White House wants more schools to adopt random student drug-testing programs. NEWSWEEK talks to advocates on both sides of the issue. METH – AUSTRALIA Fight drugs at primary school – The Daily TelegraphPRIMARY students should be taught about the dangers of drugs along with the alphabet and times tables, the Federal Government's chief drug adviser says. RITALIN – USA Senate committee advances Ritalin bill – Salt Lake TribuneThe so-called Ritalin bill that would prohibit school employees from recommending psychiatric medication for students passed the Senate Education Committee Thursday and is now only a floor vote and governor's signature away from becoming law. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription, ritalin
Thursday
Feb 1 Drug Headlines
METH – AUSTRALIA Schools may lead meth fight – The Border MailSchools may become the first line of defence in the battle against drugs like ice or crystal meth, which can turn users into violent criminals, or even killers. METH – USA Meth Coalition Task Force meets with area students – The Pilot IndependentWith a raise of hands, nearly all of the youth present indicated that someone they know is currently using methamphetamine. PAINKILLERS – USA F-D-A unveils initiatives to better handle drug safety – WIS TVThe folks who regulate what's in your medicine cabinet say they're making changes in the way they handle drug safety matters. ALCOHOL – USA Berkeley council backs new alcohol statutes – Mercury NewsThe council this week gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that will require bartenders, cocktail servers, liquor store clerks and others in alcohol sales or service to take a four-hour training class that will teach them not to sell to minors and to cut off customers when they've had too much to drink. ALCOHOL – USA Survey: Are Alcohol Ads Targeting Children?With a large audience viewing in to the Super Bowl every year, commercials have become a high light on it's own and drawing its own hype. PRESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Drugs | FDA Announces Initiatives To Improve Prescription Drug Safety, Public Education – Kaiser NetworkFDA on Tuesday announced several initiatives designed to improve prescription drug safety, including increased monitoring of adverse events after drugs have been approved and are on the market. METH – AUSTRALIA School programs can cut ice use: reportSchools may become the first line of defence in the battle against drugs like ice or crystal meth, which can turn users into violent criminals, or even killers. ADDERALL – USA New study focuses on prescription drug abuse – Daily TargumAccording to results from a recent study conducted by a Massachusetts psychopharmacologist, prescription attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs have grown in popularity amongst college students. ADDERALL – USA More Teens Abusing ADD Drugs – WREX.comWorkers at Rosecrance Health Network say more and more teenagers admitted there abuse attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs, all without a doctor's prescription. CANNABIS – UK Cannabis popular in France? – Planet RugbyPierre Bordry, the owner of 'Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (the French agency of the war against doping) gave the results of tests on rugby players in the last quarter of 2006. PRESCRIPTION – USA Many Drug Ads Fail to Properly Inform Patients – Treatment OnlinePharmaceutical ads, once heavily regulated by law, have become an unavoidable presence in the world of prime-time television, billboards and magazines, and internet campaigns. PRESCRIPTION – USA F.D.A. Widens Safety Reviews on New Drugs – New York TimesThe Food and Drug Administration announced changes yesterday that were intended to ensure that marketed drugs are as safe as advertised ALCOHOL – USA School to test for students' weekend drinking – CNNSome teenagers who drink over the weekend could be in big trouble come Monday morning. ALCOHOL – USA N.J. School to Test Students for Alcohol – Join TogetherRandom urine tests will be administered to students at Pequannock Township High School in New Jersey starting next month, ABC News reported Jan. 29. ALCOHOL – USA U.S. doctors warn of poisoning from hand gels – CNN HealthAt least two people have become intoxicated by drinking hand-sanitizing gels, a potentially deadly habit, doctors reported Wednesday. Labels: adderall, alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Wednesday
Jan 31 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA Too many parents giving children alcohol: report – ABC.netParents are being asked to try harder when it comes to controlling their teenagers' drinking habits. The latest report on the problem reveals Australian high school students are getting most of their alcohol from their parents. ALCOHOL – USA School Adds Alcohol Urine Test to Curriculum – ABC NewsStudents at Pequannock Township High School in New Jersey will soon be subjected to a new sort of pop quiz, one that alerts their parents if they have been drinking. PRESCRIPTION – USA Analysis: Prescription drug ads leave out risks, alternatives – USA TodayAn analysis of television commercials for prescription drugs found that few mentioned risk factors or non-drug treatments for the conditions they target, scientists reported Monday. ALCOHOL – USA High school to expand alcohol testing – Houston ChronicleSome teenagers who drink over the weekend could be in big trouble come Monday morning: A New Jersey school district plans to institute random urine tests capable of detecting whether alcohol was consumed up to 80 hours earlier. ALCOHOL – UK Excessive Drinking, Not Alcoholism, May Lead To Most Alcohol-Related Problems – Medical News TodayMany people assume that most people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics. A recent survey of 4,761 New Mexico adults found that while 16.5 percent drank alcohol in excess of national guidelines, only 1.8 percent met criteria for alcohol dependence. ALCOHOL – UK Awash with alcohol – The HeraldThere was no way of putting a decent gloss on yesterday's figures on the death and destruction being wrought by alcohol in Scotland. ALCOHOL – NEW ZEALAND Vitamin D may prevent alcohol-related bone loss – Stuff.co.nzNew research conducted now suggests that vitamin D or the anti-osteoporosis drug Boniva (ibandronate) can prevent alcohol-related bone loss caused by regular binge drinking. PRESCRIPTION – USA Doctors Criticize TV Prescription Drug Ads – Broadcast NewsroomA new study claims TV drug ads are education-lite, a claim challenged by the ad industry. PRESCRIPTION – USA Marketers Blast Drug-Ad Study – AD WeekAdvertisers' lobbying groups reacted with anger today at a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine that criticized direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. METH – CANADA Shaw TV to Air 'Black Ice -The Truth About Crystal Meth' – CNN MathewsShaw Communications today announced plans to produce and air a 90 minute eye-opening special about Crystal Meth and its social and economic impact within the province of Alberta. METH – USA Strawberry meth removes any doubt about the scope of Carson City's drug problem – Nevada AppealThe Carson City Sheriff's Department seized "strawberry meth" during a search of a Como Street apartment on Saturday. It was the first time the pink, flavored meth, designed to be more attractive to young people, was found there. ALCOHOL – UK Alcohol abuse and crime – The HeraldProblem drinking fuels many crimes: 40% of those in Scotland's jails committed their crime while under the influence of alcohol. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Monday
Jan 29 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Professor discusses meth addiction – Nevada AppealAbout 100 residents turned out at Carson Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday to find the answer to the question, "Why can't they just stop?" PRESCRIPTION – USA LISD raising awareness on teen drug use – Courier GazetteAccording to school officials, 31 percent of students in fourth through sixth grades, and 71 percent in seventh through 12th grades reported using some type of substance in their lifetime. ADDICTION – USA Addiction speaker to focus on kids, drugs – GJ SentinelDrug abuse among athletes is “more relevant today than it’s ever been,” said John Underwood, director of the American Athletic Institute. And one problem that perpetuates this type of abusive behavior in young athletes is in the way adults deal with it, he said. DRUGS – AUSTRALIA Drug abuse fight must go beyond government initiatives – The Australian News, HealthDepending on whom you talk to, amphetamine usage is a full-blown crisis in Australia, a disaster just waiting to explode, or no bigger a problem than the use of any other illicit drug. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
Jan 25 Drug Headlines
METH – USA Methadone clinics eyed as part of drug abuse focus – Herald DispatchA spate of fatal overdoses has prompted lawmakers to examine drug abuse in West Virginia, starting with methadone. METH – USA Clarksburg City Council Targets Methadone Clinic – Wboy.comClarksburg city council is urging state legislators to review regulations for methadone clinics. Methadone is supposed to help addicts stay off illegal drugs. Some Clarksburg officials say the clinics that distribute it are doing more harm than good. HYDROCODONE – USA For Pain or for PartyPartying with a cocktail of alcohol and prescription painkillers or sedatives seems to be a growing trend. METH – USA Police issue warning on spread of crystal meth – Guardian UnlimitedMethamphetamine, or crystal meth, the highly addictive drug prevalent across the US and Australia, is present in almost every town and city in England and Wales, according to an internal police report. METH – CANADA 'Meth-mouth' turning up in the Yukon – CBC NewsYukon dentists who are dealing with what they suspect is damage from crystal meth use say they are seeing more cases all the time. HEROIN – IRLAND Heroin use increasing in city – Limerick PostThe use and abuse of heroin in Limerick is growing at a rate comparable to Dublin, city councillor, Diarmuid Scully has warned. PRESCRIPTION – USA Don't give away prescription drugs; you will be responsible – Daily DispatchPeople who give their prescription drugs to someone else are responsible if whoever else ultimately ends up with them winds up injured - or dead - the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. Labels: heroin, hydrocodone, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Jan 23 Drug Headlines
COCAINE – USA Cocaine Cowboys – DVD TalkIn the typically highbrow world of documentaries, Cocaine Cowboys is a decidedly different breed of cat. A machinegun-paced exploration of South Florida's cocaine trade in the late Seventies and early Eighties, it is violent, exploitive and lurid. METH – USA Public awareness is fighting crystal meth – Abbotsford NewsLast week’s crystal meth forum at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium drew a full house of concerned residents. METH – USA Meth Watch InanityMost citizens of North Dakota, and a lot of other states, are familiar with so-called “meth watch” laws which regulate the sale of products that are commonly used in the production of methamphetamine. ADDERALL – USA A tough dose of the truth: Prescription drugs becoming more popular among youths - ZWire.comAwareness about over the counter medication and prescription drug use among teenagers appears to be sweeping the nation. COCAINE – USA Peru official says cocaine output is growing – MSNBCPeru has reduced and stabilized illegal coca leaf planting areas over the past few years, but yields from some farms have doubled and cocaine output soared due to a lack of funds to fight the lucrative business. Labels: adderall, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription
Monday
Jan 22 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – AUSTRALIA Alcohol mixed with other drugs proves popular with students – Melbourne IndymediaOld research has already found many high school children are increasing the risks of drug use by mixing different substances. PESCRIPTION – USA Report: Drug deaths on the rise – The Derrick and News HeraldIn addition, reports show that more people are using more potent and addictive drugs than in years past. DRUGS – USA LETTER: Honest communication – Lufkin Daily NewsIt's smart business to educate our kids about the risks of using drugs. But that message is best delivered by qualified health care professionals and counselors, not by uniformed police officers and DARE. CANNABIS – AUSTRALIA Cannabis, alcohol ‘most popular mix’ – The AgeCannabis and alcohol are the most popular combination of drugs for Australian students, and the general population, research shows. ADDICTION – USA Professor to discuss meth issues – Record CourierBolstered by community interest, the Partnership of Community Resources is hosting a University of Nevada, Reno, professor Thursday who is to discuss the medical aspects of methamphetamine. METH – USA Rising meth use ripples through community – Amador Ledger DispatchWhen it comes to the toll the rise in methamphetamine use is taking on the nation and its cities, the health effects can get especially ugly. DRUG – CANADA Drug Endangered Children Act gives police tool to halt abuseAs a member of Edmonton's green team, RCMP Cpl. Ian Gillan has seen too many heartbreaking cases of young children being neglected or abused because of their parents' drug activity. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, prescription
Jan 19 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – USA Mirren refuses alcohol at awards – Rx PG NewsActress Dame Helen Mirren, who recently won the best actress trophy at the Golden Globes, does not resort to alcohol to fight her nervousness at awards functions because she is scared she will embarrass herself. METH – CANADA Play gives voice to Meth – Kamloops This WeekWitness the destructive power of meth through the words of those who have struggled with the ruthless addiction to which it can lead — and participate in the healing. METH – USA Daily HIV/AIDS Report – Kaiser NetworkSome health officials are concerned that the ease with which people can use the Internet to find crystal methamphetamine and sex partners will lead to an increase in the number of new HIV cases among men who have sex with men, Reuters reports. METH – USA Meth is Death Week' to draw attention to problem – The Daily WorldA county-wide observance will be conducted next week to raise awareness about the continuing methamphetamine problem in Greene County. PRECRIPTION – USA Prescription Drugs: The One Thing You Should Never Share – FOX NewsThere are several reasons why you should never share a prescription with someone-- even if you think it will help the person. DRUGS – USA Group fighting teen drug, alcohol use – Cannon Falls BeaconAccording to a 2004 student survey, 7% of Cannon Falls sixth graders admitted they had drunk alcohol during the past year, and the percentage rose to 42.5% for the freshmen class. An astonishing 79.5% of the 2004 senior class acknowledged drinking one or more times. ALCOHOL – USA Increased TV Alcohol Ads Creating Young Drinkers – The HOYAIf you watch television tonight, you are much more likely to see an alcohol ad than you were six years ago. Largely as a result of a decision by liquor companies to end their voluntary ban on television advertising, in 2005 there were 34 percent more alcohol ads on television than in 2001. DRUGS – USA Jackson County Student Drug Testing – ABC NewsIn 2005, the school district received a grant to administer drug tests to students who participate in clubs, sports and band. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
Jan 18 Drug Headlines
METHADONE – UK There are more on methadone than ever – News ScotsmanCity 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 DailyNarcotic 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 InteractiveOnce 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 StarMethamphetamine, 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 SentinelPublic 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 ForumNikki Phillips was a beautiful star athlete, bright and personable, who seemed to have everything going for her. Yet in a moment, she was gone. Labels: heroin, methadone, methamphetamine, prescription
Monday
Jan 7 Drug Headlines (and 6 & 5)
PAINKILLERS – USA Arthritis sufferers "misusing painkillers" – Park TribuneThousands of patients with severe arthritis are adding over-the-counter medication to prescribed drugs because GPs are limiting their doses amid safety fears, it is claimed today. PRESCRIPTION – INDIA More Americans Die Due To Side Effects From Prescription Drugs Every Year: Report - Med IndiaAccording to a newly published article by genetics and law experts at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, legal liability is a powerful driver that could dramatically hasten the development of personalized medicine. CODEINE – NEW ZEALAND Dry Mouth Condition Affecting Younger People – News WireA chance discovery by Otago University, in research about a little-known dry mouth condition called xerostomia, is generating interest worldwide. ALCOHOL – USA Many Hispanics Shun Help for Alcohol Abuse – Forbes.com (Healthday News)Hispanics and blacks with alcohol problems are less likely than whites to seek help, a new study finds. ALCOHOL – UK Youngest Drinkers Likelier To Use Alcohol For Stress Relief As Adults – Medical News TodayThe younger someone starts drinking alcoholic beverages, the more likely he or she is to reach for a drink to relieve stress when older, a large new study suggests. Labels: alcohol, codeine, painkillers, prescription
Thursday
Jan 3 Drug Headlines
COCAINE – UK COCAINE BINGERS ARE DICING WITH DEATH – The Daily RecordRISK-TAKING Scots are endangering their lives by mixing booze and cocaine. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teen Prescription Drug Use on the Rise – Kait8.comIt's a growing problem with teens and it's probably already in your home. According to a University of Michigan study, teen drug use has declined 23% since 2001. While that is an encouraging statistic, not all teen drug use is seeing the same drop. METH – USA Commissioners support ‘Meth is Death Week' in county – Daily WorldThe Greene County Commissioners went on record Tuesday morning supporting a county-wide methamphetamine public awareness campaign planned later this month. METH – USA Meth Scare; Did the last person living in your home smoke meth? Does it matter? –Salt Lake City WeeklyNicole says her mother watched a local TV news broadcast last November about a do-it-yourself kit to test for meth contamination in homes and became convinced her granddaughter’s earaches were caused by Utah’s scariest drug. METH – USA Researcher Studies Meth Exposure on Kids – First Coast NewsA University of Montana researcher is exposing laboratory mice to methamphetamine smoke to try to determine the long-term effect of the illegal drug on children who live in houses where meth is manufactured and used. ALCOHOL – USA Resolution to imbibe less goes awry — already. Myriad of conflicting medical studies are enough to drive this writer to drink – MSNBCThe fruitcake’s been digested, the gift cards are empty, and now it’s time to face the most grueling holiday task of all: the annual reassessment. DRUGS – USA Drug Abuse Rising Among American Adults – Treatment OnlineDespite claims to the contrary by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, drug abuse in America is generally not on the decline, and the most dramatic increases in the use of illicit substances and related health problems have been among middle-aged adults. While most report first using illicit substances in their teens or early twenties, the most common age for death by overdose is now around 45. ALCOHOL – USA Alcohol Alert; Young Adult Drinking - NIAAAToo often today’s headlines bring news of yet another alcohol-related tragedy involving a young person—a case of fatal alcohol poisoning on a college campus or a late-night drinking–driving crash. ALCOHOL – USA Drinking Can Lead To Pancreatic Tissue Death In Patients - Simple Solution Found To Stabilize Pancreatic Attack – Medical News TodayChronic and excessive alcohol consumption is linked to a variety of health woes, including acute pancreatitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas which can lead to permanent organ damage. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
Dec 28 Drug Headlines
OPIUM – INDIA Rebels boosting poppy business in Myanmar – Hindustan TimesPoppy trade is flourishing in Myanmar, thanks to the activities of a rebel group that has the support of the country's military regime, a media report said. GENERAL – USA New Year's Eve, A Time to Help Those with Addiction – CBS NewsNew Year's Eve parties are the devil for people who are struggling with an addiction. "That belief that everyone should go out and celebrate and, of course, most celebrating involves alcohol, and so I do believe that it's a definite time of relapse for a lot of people," says Wausau Health Services Director Deborah Piskoty. ALCOHOL – UK Every day more than 70 victims seek help after alcohol-fuelled attacks – Scotsman NewsALCOHOL-FUELLED violence is responsible for nearly 30,000 admissions to Scotland's hospitals each year and the problem is getting worse, according to a stark new report. ALCOHOL – CANADA Happy Healthy Holidays! – Body and HealthThis time of year, many festivities involve alcohol. And with social events sometimes around every corner, it's easy to let our alcohol consumption increase. METH – USA Methamphetamine use increases artery tears & stroke risk – Zee NewsWashington, Dec 27: Methamphetamine use may be associated with increased risks of major neck artery tears and stroke, according to an article published in the December 26, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ALCOHOL – USA Brains Can Recover From Alcoholic Damage But Patients Should Stop Drinking As Soon As Possible – Medical News TodayThe findings, published in the online edition of the journal Brain [1], used sophisticated scanning technology and computer software to measure how brain volume, form and function changed over six to seven weeks of abstinence from alcohol in 15 alcohol dependent patients (ten men, five women). GENERAL – USA Are Drugs Not Approved By The FDA Safe? - Health LifelineWe go to the doctor, get a prescription and assume it is safe, but each year, physicians and pharmacists unknowingly give patients drugs that don't have the government's OK. PRESCRIPTION – USA Study: Teens Using More Prescription Drugs – kxan.comA new study shows the lengths some teenagers are going to to get high. They're using everything from Ritalin to painkillers. Some are even crushing, then snorting the prescription drugs. METH – USA Meth might hurt ability to feel normal pleasure – The Post and CourierRonald See, a professor of neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina, said the effects of methamphetamine may be more damaging than some other illegal drugs because it produces a long-lasting high of eight hours or more. Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Thursday
Dec 27 Drug Headlines
GENERAL – USA Popular heartburn drugs linked to hip fractures – CNN HealthCHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Taking such popular heartburn drugs as Nexium, Prevacid or Prilosec for a year or more can raise the risk of a broken hip markedly in people over 50, a large study in Britain found. PRESCRIPTION – USA FDA To Crack Down On Unapproved Prescription Drugs – KeyetvMillions of prescriptions are being filled each day for drugs that don't have the Food and Drug Administration approval. Doctors, pharmacists and patients usually have no idea the meds aren't OK'd by the government. METH – USA Methamphetamine May Trigger Ischemic Stroke – MedpageIRVINE, Calif., Dec. 26 -- Methamphetamine users may develop carotid artery dissections, leading to a severe stroke, an effect also seen in cocaine users, according to researchers here. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Dec 26 Drug Headlines (and 23, 24 & 25)
GENERAL – US Survey: Teens abusing more legal drugs – ExaminerThat’s the increasingly popular way for teenagers to get high, according to a new government survey. “This is a phenomenon that has been going on for the last five years,” said Michael Gimbel, Sheppard Pratt Health System’s director of Substance Abuse Education. “We’re seeing a huge increase in teenage use of legal drugs, prescription drugs. The kids actually call it ‘pharming.’ ” CODEINE – TAIWAN Foundation says doctors over-prescribing for kids – Taipei TimesDoctors are prescribing redundant and excessive levels of medicines for children, according to the results of a survey released yesterday by the Taiwan Health Reform Foundation. Of the 15 prescriptions that the foundation sampled, 13 were determined to be improper. Eleven contained at least five kinds of medicines, although some had as many of 13. PAINKILLERS – USA FDA urges mandatory painkiller warnings – Washington TimesThe Food and Drug Administration yesterday proposed mandatory labeling for over-the-counter painkillers aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. COCAINE – INDIA Cocaine on 94 percent of Spanish banknotes: study – DNA WorldMADRID: Traces of cocaine can be found on 94 percent of banknotes in Spain, a country that has one of the world's highest rates of users, according to a study published on Sunday. METH – USA Survey will help gauge knowledge, attitudes about meth – STLToday.comHILLSBORO — How much do you know about methamphetamine? In Jefferson County, which has led the state since 2003 in the number of meth lab raids, the Methamphetamine Action Coalition is planning to survey county residents next spring to gauge public knowledge and attitudes about the drug. The aim is to help develop education, prevention and treatment programs. PESCRIPTION – USA Prescription Drug Fraud – Weau.comMany people are traveling this holiday weekend, and taking their prescription medications with them. But, pharmacists say some of those people are using holiday travel as an excuse to get drugs they plan to sell or use themselves. METH – USA Strokes in Young People Could be Due to Meth – Scientific AmericaThe drug known on the streets as crystal meth could increase the risk of stroke and major tears in neck arteries, neurologists report. GENERAL – USA Drugs, alcohol abusers getting younger – Daily NewsSANTA CLARITA — Specialists who work with local kids in therapeutic programs and in the schools say drug and alcohol use among teens and adolescents is skewing younger and younger. Labels: cocaine, codeine, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Friday
Dec 21 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL – CANADA Riding Under The Influence: New Study Shows More Than A Quarter Of High School Students In Atlantic Canada Have Accepted Rides With Drunk Drivers – Medical News TodayMotor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Canadian teenagers, and according to recent statistics, alcohol is involved in 40% of these fatalities. PRESCRIPTION – CANADA Teens Popping Prescription Drugs Like Vicodin More Often - eCanadaNowLos Angeles (eCanadaNow) - A new study finds that fewer teens are using illegal drugs than ever before but more teens are using legal drugs more often DRUGS – USA Methamphetamine Update: 'Tis the Season – ChicoER.comThe following is another poem from an addict reflecting the travesty of addiction and the hope that recovery offers. THE DARK BEFORE CHRISTMAS DRUGS – USA Study: Teens getting high on legal drugs – CNN HealthWASHINGTON (CNN) -- Slightly fewer adolescents abused illegal drugs and alcohol in 2006, but fairly high numbers of them continued to abuse prescription narcotics, according to a new study. PRESCRIPTION – USA Teens turn to cough syrup to get high, feds say - MSNBCWASHINGTON - Teens increasingly are getting high with legal drugs like painkillers and mood stimulants, and they’re turning to cough syrup as well, says a government survey released Thursday. CODEINE – TAIWAN Parents urged to beware safety of medicines for children – China PostThe Taiwan Health Reform Foundation yesterday called for parents to beware the safety of the medicines prescribed by doctors for children, lest their children should suffer from redundant or problematic medicines. Labels: alcohol, codeine, prescription
Thursday
Dec 20 Drug Headlines
GENERAL – UK COKE EPIDEMIC GRIPS NATION: Addiction has tripled in 5 years – Daily Record UKSCOTLAND 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 NewsSCOTLAND'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 GleanerThe 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 NewsWhile 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 TribuneWASHINGTON -- 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 MailThe 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 - TimeAn overdose of Tylenol can damage the liver. The problem is, we’re often taking it when we don’t even realize it. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, codeine, methadone, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Wednesday
Dec 19 Drug Headlines
PAINKILLERS - CANADA U.S. officials push to beef up painkiller warnings - The StarFederal health officials on Tuesday proposed sterner warning labels for acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen, again cautioning millions of Americans who take the nonprescription pain relievers regularly of potentially serious side effects. CANNABIS - CANADA Drug driving doubled since 1989 - Edmonton SunA study coming on the heels of federal efforts to discourage drug-impaired drivers indicates driving under the influence of marijuana and hashish has more than doubled since 1989. The survey by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse says young males are driving under the influence of cannabis as often as, or more often, than they drive under the influence of alcohol. ALCOHOL – USA Too Much Christmas Cheer? A Number Of Tips On Staying In Control Over The Festive Season - Medical News TodayChristmas is a time when the drinks flow freely- there are more parties than usual and the temptation is to overindulge a little. After all, there are always New Year’s resolutions! PRESCRIPTION – USA FDA Panel Recommends Warning For Adult Antidepressant Suicide Risk - Medical News TodayAn FDA advisory panel on Wednesday voted 6-2 in favor of updating black box warnings on antidepressants to state that there is an increased suicide risk for young adults up to age 25, the New York Times reports (Carey, New York Times, 12/13). ALCOHOL – CANADA Blood alcohol levels have paradoxical effect on brain injuriesA study led by trauma surgeon Dr. Homer Tien out of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, shows that alcohol has a paradoxical effect on mortality of patients admitted to hospital with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). ALCOHOL - UK Alcohol Abuse 'Severely Impairs the Brain'Excessive alcohol consumption over an extended period of time can have a drastic impact upon the brain, new research suggests. Scientists in Germany, Britain, Switzerland and Italy examined 15 alcoholic men and women over a period of 38 days after they stopped drinking and the changes observed in their brains were remarkable. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, painkillers, prescription
Tuesday
Dec 18 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK Britain's booziest Christmas ever - The IndependentPrice wars in supermarkets and drink promotions in pubs are making alcohol cheaper than ever. And we're lapping it up, as this exclusive survey for the 'IoS' reveals. Which is why police are calling for a ban on advertising aimed at young drinkers and doctors are warning of record levels of liver disease. Sophie Goodchild and Marie Woolf report GENERAL - BRAZIL Brazil's teenagers - gangs and drugs - The StarFor teenagers in Rio de Janeiro's mean slums, working in the drug trade is a lucrative way to make a living. It's also a fast way to dying. Youths as young as 11 start off as messengers and look-outs for the drug gangs that control the packed shantytowns known as favelas, then earn promotion to soldiers or sellers. ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA Baby labels on alcohol - The Daily TelegraphWarning labels telling pregnant mothers they risk doing irreversible harm to their unborn children by drinking could be put on alcoholic products after the number of damaged babies has soared. ECSTASY - UK The Ecstasy and the agony - UK TimesAs the first wave of Ecstasy users reach their forties, research suggests that the drug can cause long-term brain damage COCAINE - COLOMBIA & ECUADOR Ecuador just says no to Colombia coca fumigation - CNNEcuador will not back down from its demand that Colombia halt aerial fumigation of coca plantations along their shared border, President Alfredo Palacio said. CANNABIS - US Pot is called biggest cash crop - LA TimesThe $35-billion market value of U.S.-grown cannabis tops that of such heartland staples as corn and hay, a marijuana activist says. PRESCRIPTION - US Sleep Medicine Ambien Abused by Teens - Join TogetherSome adolescents are misusing the prescription sleep medication Ambien, which they say causes hallucinations and blackouts. MARIJUANA - MEXICO Mexican Officials Find Nearly 1,800 Marijuana Fields - Fox NewsMexican soldiers and federal police sent to restore order in Michoacan state have discovered 1,795 marijuana fields in the past week and seized or destroyed marijuana worth about $8.2 million, security officials said Monday. MARIJUANA - US OPD: 381 percent more marijuana confiscated this yearThe Street Crimes Division of the Owensboro Police Department increased their arrests by 37 percent and cash recovery to 43 percent. But the biggest change, they confiscated 381 percent more marijuana than in 2005. GENERAL - US In jail study, most inmates used marijuana, cocaine - The HeraldMore men and women are being booked into the Snohomish County Jail with marijuana and cocaine in their systems than any other drug, including methamphetamine, according to a new study. CANNABIS - NEW ZEALAND Police to target cannabis growingCannabis growing season is under way in the Taupo district and so is a police crackdown into the operations. GENERAL - SCOTLAND Cold turkey plan for Scots addicts - The ScotsmanThe biggest shake-up of drugs policy for 20 years is to be pushed through by Labour in a bid to get Scotland's 50,000 addicts off heroin and other deadly substances. HEROIN - AFGHAN Governor of Afghanistan's biggest opium-producing province replaced; 5 killed in violence - International Herald TribuneThe Afghan government has fired the governor of its biggest drug-producing province, while clashes and a suicide bombing killed six militants and wounded six U.S.-led coalition troops, officials said Monday. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, prescription
Friday
Dec 14 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US FDA Set to Add to Antidepressant Warnings, Allow Emotion to Sway PolicyIt seems all but a certainty that the FDA will proceed forward with its plan to add to the existing black box warning on SSRI class antidepressants. After hearing testimony and deliberating yesterday, the FDA's advisory panel recommended that the current warnings be expanded to include warnings of increased suicidality among those receiving antidepressants up to the age of 24. METH - AUSTRALIA States urged to ban 'ice' pipes - ABC NewsThe Federal Government is pushing for tougher action from the states to deal with problems associated with crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride, the drug commonly known as 'ice'. ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA Parents warned about impact of supplying alcohol to Schoolies - ABC NewsA Gold Coast city councillor says parents need to understand the consequences of supplying their teenagers with alcohol to be consumed during Schoolies Week. ALCOHOL - UK Drunk, disorderly and unpoliced: coming to a town centre near youJohn Reid has surrendered town centres to drunken thugs over the Christmas party season by axing a police crackdown on their appalling behaviour. Police and trading standards teams normally receive an extra £2.5m of cash to flood the streets with extra officers, and stop shops selling alcohol to children. GENERAL - IRELAND Many suspected drink drivers on drugsA new study has found that a significant number of Irish drivers who were suspected of drink driving but were then found to be below the legal blood alcohol level, later tested positive for a range of drugs. PRESCRIPTION - US Teens Using Ambien As A 'Party Drug'The government said Ambien is safe if you follow the directions, but teenagers and college students are using the drug to get high. When Ambien is abused, there are serious health risks. Users said the drug makes them high and even blackout. It is a party drug with street names including "A-minus" and "Zombie pills". College students said they are seeing the drug more and more frequently on campus. HEROIN - HUNGARY Hungary to become a key transit country of heroin tradeWith a sharp rise in Afghan heroin production, Hungary has become a popular transit country for drug traffickers supplying the western European market, national daily Népszabadság said on Thursday. HEROIN - IRELAND Explosion of heroin on streets of CarlowA huge explosion of heroin has swamped the Carlow market as organised crime gangs target the town. Yet while the local market is awash with drugs and Carlow becomes the latest victim of thieving Dublin crime gangs Carlow gardaí remain desperately understaffed. GENERAL - CANADA U.S. Involved in Discussions of Canadian Drug Strategy - Join TogetherU.S. government officials are keeping a close eye on discussions of a new national drug strategy in Canada, which appears to be moving toward a more tough-minded approach after the government embraced harm reduction initiatives several years ago. GENERAL - MEXICO New President of Mexico Launches Anti-Drug Blitz - Join TogehterIn what is being called the first major initiative since his inauguration earlier this month, Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered the deployment of about 4,000 troops to help combat drug crime in his home state of Michoacan. PRESCRIPTION - US Some Prescription Drugs Not Approved by FDAAll of us, at one time or another, will need prescription drugs, but did you know that your next prescription may not have the government's approval? Oxycodone, hydrochloride, Phenobarbital and chloral hydrate are all popularly prescribed medications, but none of them is FDA approved. METH - AUSTRALIA States reject ban on ice pipesThe states and territories have rejected a federal MP's call for a uniform national ban on pipes used to smoke the drug ice. METH - AUSTRALIA Drug conference proposes new approaches to ice problemMethamphetamine is the drug police forces seem to be most worried about at the moment. Also known as ice, crystal, or meth, it can be smoked, injected or swallowed. METH - US Santa Barbara County Methamphetamine Prevention Summit Held in BuelltonSanta Barbara County's growing addiction to crystal meth is the subject of the first ever county-wide prevention summit. Labels: alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription
Thursday
Dec 13 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US Antidepressant suicide warning may be expanded - CNNTreatment with antidepressants increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in patients up to age 24, according to proposed changes to the drugs' labels unveiled Wednesday by health officials. PRESCRIPTION - US Panel to Debate Antidepressant Warnings - New York TimesPublic health officials, psychiatrists, grieving parents and outraged former patients will fill a hotel ballroom in Silver Spring, Md., this morning to argue the most bitterly divisive question in psychiatry: do the drugs that doctors prescribe to relieve depression make some people more likely to attempt suicide? METH - NEW ZEALAND Concerns over African methamphetamine-like drug in HamiltonHamilton Police are concerned an African plant with methamphetamine-like effects is being imported into New Zealand. Last week 10 kilos of the plant khat (pronounced cot or chat) were discovered during searches of two houses in Claudelands, Hamilton. METH - NEW ZEALAND Concerns over African methamphetamine-like drug in Hamilton - New Zealand HeraldHamilton Police are concerned an African plant with methamphetamine-like effects is being imported into New Zealand. Last week 10 kilos of the plant khat (pronounced cot or chat) were discovered during searches of two houses in Claudelands, Hamilton. METH - AUSTRALIA Ice, ice, baby - Online OpinionThe rise in crystal methamphetamine (or ice) use in Australia has vividly illustrated how ineffective, and often counterproductive, current drug policies are. With a Federal Parliamentary inquiry about to hand down a report on how to constrain the illicit market for amphetamines and other synthetic drugs, the question is whether the major parties are ready to put aside political interests and fundamentally reform Australia’s drug strategies. PRESCRIPTION - US Panel Wants Broader Antidepressant Labeling - New York TimesStrong warning labels about the suicide risk associated with antidepressants, which now include children and adolescents, should be extended to adults under 25, a federal advisory panel concluded Wednesday. GENERAL - ECUADOR & COLOMBIA Ecuador, Colombia in border row - BBCEcuador's Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion has described a renewed crop-spraying programme by Colombia along their border as a hostile act. GENERAL - CANADA U.S. shows us what not to do - Times ColonistAmerica's hardline approach to battling drug abuse has been a costly disaster. It's painful to watch the federal government stumble toward a disastrously wrong path in its search for a solution to the real problem of drug abuse. ALCOHOL - CANADA Students put a face to drinking and driving - Toronto StarThe statistics are numbing: About 1,000 Canadians are killed in alcohol-related motor-vehicle accidents each year. That's roughly one-third of all road deaths in Canada, making it what police call the largest criminal cause of death in the country. METH - US Some Hunters Find Methamphetamine Labs in Their Midst - Join TogetherHunters in four states recently have discovered methamphetamine labs or their remnants during their excursions in the woods, as drug makers seek more remote areas in which to produce meth. COCAINE - SPAIN Spain sees sharp rise in cocaine use - ReutersThe number of Spaniards regularly snorting cocaine has doubled since 1999, taking consumption to among the highest in Europe, the government said on Wednesday. HEROIN - SWITZERLAND Decriminalization of Heroin Leads to Drop in Drug UseSwitzerland's change in its drug laws that 10 years ago decriminalized the use of heroin have been closely watched to see if the result would be massive increases in heroin use. ALCOHOL - US Know your limit when drinking alcoholMost of you know what alcohol looks like, how it is packaged and how it makes you feel. Perhaps something you didn't know is that alcohol is a drug. Its scientific name is ethyl alcohol and it is classified as a depressant, the same drug class as a barbiturate or tranquilizer. PRESCRIPTION - US Misuse of drug an issue at collegesWhen asked if she's aware of students taking nonprescribed ADHD medicines to help them study, University of Notre Dame junior Mary Agee doesn't hesitate. Her answer: "Definitely." MARIJUANA - US Tulare Considering Regulating Medicinal Marijuana DispensariesTulare County is considering regulating where medicinal marijuana dispensaries are located. Their biggest concerns are how close they'll be to schools and whether patients can smoke marijuana on premises. GENERAL - MAURITIUS Alcoholism, drug addiction plague Mauritius, says NGOAlcohol and drug abuse pose a major social problem in Mauritius with more citizens now addicted to the substances, according to Groupe A deCassis, an NGO fighting against drugs, alcohol and HIV/AIDS in the country. METH - US State meth cases down 31 percent in 2006 - The Chetek AlertAttorney General Peg Lautenschlager recently announced that statistics compiled for the calendar year 2006 show a dramatic decrease in both the number of methamphetamine cases and methamphetamine laboratories in Wisconsin-a success she attributes to Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement strategies and the efforts of local law enforcement agencies. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Dec 12 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - MEXICO Calderon vows war against notorious drug gangs - CNNSoldiers stopped cars and frisked passengers Tuesday, searching for drugs or weapons. Helicopters swooped low over remote mountaintops, looking for signs of opium and marijuana fields. Ships patrolled Mexico's main Pacific port, a hub for drugs arriving from Central America and Colombia. OPIUM - AFGHAN Walters Says Poppies in Afghanistan Will Be Sprayed - Join TogetherThe director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said at a news conference that Afghan poppies will be sprayed with herbicide to combat a steep rise in opium production in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported Dec. 9. GENERAL - MEXICO Mexico launches drugs crackdown - BBCThousands of Mexican troops are patrolling the streets in Michoacan state in an anti-drug trafficking drive ordered by President Felipe Calderon. GENERAL - UK Christmas crackdown on city drugs - BBCAnti-social behaviour and illegal drug use in Leicester city centre are to be targeted as part of a police operation to clean up the city. Plain-clothed and uniformed officers will work with the force's passive drugs dog to "disrupt and detect" people involved with illegal drugs. ALCOHOL - UK What's your poison? - The GuardianMany of us would like to believe that different types of alcohol can produce very different effects. If only it were that simple, reports Emine Saner ALCOHOL - US B Vitamins Are Efficacious for Alcoholic Polyneuropathy - Join TogetherBoth the direct toxic effects of alcohol and alcoholism-associated vitamin deficiencies can cause mild to incapacitating sensorimotor polyneuropathy. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Northern Rivers a haven for drugmakers: Police - Northern StarThe Northern Rivers is becoming a manufacturing centre for drugs aimed at the Brisbane and Gold Coast markets, police fear. And despite recent big busts, the problem is growing. CANNABIS - US Young cannabis users 'suffer from paranoia and blackouts' - 24 DashAnti-drug campaigners have called for urgent research into the effects of cannabis on teenagers' mental health after a survey found half of young users suffer paranoia and blackouts. GENERAL - MEXICO Thousands of Mexican troops ordered to arrest smugglers, burn marijuana and opium fields - Boston HeraldSoldiers stopped cars and frisked passengers Tuesday, searching for drugs or weapons. Helicopters swooped low over remote mountaintops, looking for signs of opium and marijuana fields. Ships patrolled Mexico’s main Pacific port, a hub for drugs arriving from Central America and Colombia. HEROIN - CANADA Addicts turn to hillbilly heroin - Edmonton SunHeroin use is fading out in Canada, but local addicts are increasingly turning to "hillbilly heroin" to bring them down from cocaine and meth highs, say cops and outreach workers. HEROIN - US City heroin's havoc in hinterlands - Philadephia Daily NewsI've been teaching at a northeastern Pennsylvania community college for the last three years. The region has been a gold mine for heroin dealers from the "Badlands" area of North Philadelphia that serves as an open-air drug market. I've quickly learned to identify those students who are users and have come to realize that heroin isn't just an inner-city problem. PRESCRIPTION - US Waismann Method of Detoxification Successfully Treats Severe Morphine and Methadone Levels While Leaving Patients With Reduced PainThe Waismann Method of Opiate Detoxification announced today the successful treatment of two patients taking dangerously high doses of prescription pain-relieving drugs. Both patients are now opiate-free and in less pain than they were prior to detoxification. OPIUM - AFGHAN The Drug Czar Has Another Brilliant Idea - Stop The Drug WarAfghanistan is in flames. The Taliban are resurgent. The opium economy provides livelihoods for millions of Afghans. And now, US drug czar John Walters announces over the weekend, that Afghanistan will begin spraying the poppy fields with glyphosate, the same stuff we've been using with such great success in Colombia against the coca crops. METH - US White House tabs coalition: Anti-drug efforts recognized - News ZapWith less than one year under its belt, the Northeast Valley Coalition Against Methamphetamine garnered recognition from the Bush Administration. Paul Skoczylas, staff member of the President’s Office of National Drug Policy, presented to the group Nov. 30 a certificate commending the coalition’s meth prevention and education efforts. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Dec 11 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL & GENERAL DRUGS - US National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, 2006 - White HouseEach year, thousands of Americans lose their lives in accidents involving drunk and drugged driving. During National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, we continue our efforts to promote awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and encourage fellow citizens to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. GENERAL - US Drugs contract will put children’s rights first - The HeraldWhereas the focus of policy had been on the rights of addicts – to state support, treatment services etc – there is now a recognition of the rights of children, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to be free from abuse, neglect and maltreatment. PRESCRIPTION - US Drugs factor in car crashes, study findsThe focus on the dangers of drinking and driving may have overshadowed a similarly serious problem: the effect of drugs, including prescription medication, on drivers. OPIUM - US Opiate Addicts Find Fewer Hospital-Run Detox Beds Available - Red OrbitAddicts who overdose on heroin or other opiates are likely to land first in a hospital emergency room, where doctors can often save them from brain damage or death. OTC - US Teen Use of Over-the-Counter Cold Medicines Rising - Join TogetherUse of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines has become one of the fastest-growing drug abuse problems for youths in California and elsewhere, and much of the increase is being seen in the pre-teen population, the Los Angeles Times reported Dec. 5. OPIUM - AFGHAN Afghanistan's opium poppies will be sprayed, says US drugs tsar - The GuardianAfghanistan has agreed to poppy-spraying measures in a desperate bid to deflate the soaring drugs trade, America's anti-narcotics tsar announced at the weekend. MARIJUANA - US Laws Don't Curb Teen Marijuana Use - Marijuana Policy ProjectA new report from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in Washington, D.C., challenges the key assumption underlying present U.S. marijuana laws: that marijuana must be prohibited for adults in order to deter teens from using it. METH - US Stetson student busts meth mythsWilliam Collum knew methamphetamine ruined addicts' lives but was surprised to read the drug also hurt innocent victims -- such as a family that moved into a house where meth was once cooked. The report showed how failure to clean the house properly left the air toxic and sickened the family. A financial crisis, breakup and divorce followed, said Collum, a Stetson University political science major. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, over-the-counter, prescription
Tuesday
Dec 10 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - SCOTLAND Top traffic policeman warns officers are 'powerless' to tackle drug-drivers - ScotsmanScotland's most senior traffic policeman has admitted that officers are "powerless" to stop drug-drivers and that reliable tests capable of securing convictions are years away. PRESCRIPTION - US Ritalin on campus a growing problem - News Times LiveA 15-page paper to write. A major final exam to study for. When the pressure is on, college students sometimes feel they need a little help to make sure they can concentrate. Sometimes that help is a pill. OPIUM - AFGHAN For Many In Opium-infested Afghanistan, Drug Addiction Can Begin In The WombFarida's son inherited her drug addiction in the womb, and drank her opium-laced breast milk. And when he cried and fussed, she calmed him with specks of opium diluted in tea. OPIUM - AFGHAN U.S. anti-drug chief: Afghan poppies to be sprayed with herbicide - International Herlad TribuneThe top U.S. anti-drug official said Saturday that Afghan poppies would be sprayed with herbicide to combat an opium trade that produced a record heroin haul this year, a measure likely to anger farmers and scare Afghans unfamiliar with weed killers. OPIUM - AFGHAN Opium poppy crop to be sprayed - Los Angeles TimesThe top U.S. anti-drug official said Afghan poppies would be sprayed with herbicide to combat an opium trade that produced a record heroin haul this year. METH - US The fear on meth: Local lab output - The Boston GlobeWhen 12 pounds of crystal methamphetamine arrived in Seabrook on Oct. 24 , officials say, federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents and Seabrook police officers were ready. They arrested four men and seized the drugs, which had an estimated $1.5 million street value -- the largest amount ever seized in New England . METH - US Meth 'superlabs' move to Mexico - Daily PressEven criminal enterprises are outsourcing jobs to Mexico. As a mark of success for the Methamphetamine Interdiction Team, it seems the push to shut down “superlabs” within San Bernardino County — capable of creating dozens of pounds of meth per batch — has created a booming industry just south of the border. PRESCRIPTION - US Blumenthal targets Internet sales of prescription drugs - News Time LiveThe ability to obtain drugs without a prescription has grown not only from those who sell their pills to others, but also from sales on the Internet. PRESCRIPTION - US ADHD drugs may have 'addictive and emotional' side effects - News Time LiveThey are drugs that doctors give to 8-year-olds. How dangerous can they be? Plenty. Medical experts said that drugs like Ritalin and Adderall are prescribed to children -- and adults -- with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, for specific reasons. Labels: methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Monday
Dec 9 Drug Headlines
HEROIN - AFGHAN U.S. anti-drug chief: Afghan poppies to be sprayed with herbicide - International Herald TribuneThe top U.S. anti-drug official said Saturday that Afghan poppies would be sprayed with herbicide to combat an opium trade that produced a record heroin haul this year, a measure likely to anger farmers and scare Afghans unfamiliar with weed killers. GENERAL - TAJIKISTAN Tajikistan Grapples With Drug Addiction - Washington PostCentral Asia's poorest county is also one of the world's leading transit routes for heroin, opium and other drugs from Afghanistan. Sergei Makhkamov has been caught in the flood. PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS - US Athletes' unbeatable foe - LA TimesThe worldwide sports anti-doping program, created to fight performance enhancing drug use in international athletics, imposes severe punishments for accidental or technical infractions, relies at times on disputed scientific evidence and resists outside scrutiny, a Times investigation has found. HEROIN - US Deadly heroin mix plagues region; ‘Drop Dead’ blamed for surge of overdoses - The Patriot LedgerThe Hanover man’s death is among a succession of overdoses recently - some fatal, most not - that have led federal drug agents and local emergency responders to sound the alarm over heroin’s ever increasing death toll. HEROIN - US A higher high, a deadly fallSuburban parents, police and health care officials are alarmed at what they say is a two-fold problem: heroin use on the rise among a younger crowd, and users looking to punch up their high by mixing in prescription drugs such as OxyContin, methadone and other opiates in dangerous combinations. PRESCRIPTION - US Sac Fire Toughens Access To Engine Morphine Stash - CBS 13The first tampered seal was November of 2005 when morphine vials turned up with damaged seals. Nothing seemed suspicious until the trend continued, and officials checked what was actually in the damaged vials. “Some of the vials looked like they still have liquid in it," said Sacramento Fire Captain Jim Doucette. METH - US Serious crimes in Boulder down from last year - Your Hub BoulderSerious crimes in Boulder are down for the first three quarters of 2006, but there has been an increase in daily contacts and arrests involving methamphetamine users, according to a Dec. 7 press release from the City of Boulder. PRESCRIPTION - US Addiction to Prescription Fraud - KJCT 8 NewsCreating fraudulent and falsifiable prescriptions is unacceptable and unethical behavior, according to most pharmacists. Anyone can be unethical and get arrested. It's supposed to be legal to offer money and the accurate prescription to the pharmacist, but people take advantage and eventually get caught. Labels: heroin, methamphetamine, performance-enhancing, prescription
Dec 8 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - ITALY More Accurate Estimates Of Community-Wide Illicit Drug Use - Medical NewsScientists in Italy are reporting development of a method for more accurate estimates of the amount of illicit drug use in a community. Sara Castiglioni and colleagues note that current estimates of community-wide illicit drug use are based on indirect methods - such as population surveys, crime statistics and interviews - that tend to be unreliable. HEROIN - UK Young 'turning to cheaper heroin' - BBCTeenagers in Swansea say they are smoking heroin because cannabis is almost impossible to buy. METH - MEXICO Mexico police seize 20 tons of meth ingredient - CNNMexican police seized a large shipment of a chemical used for making methamphetamine on Wednesday in a Pacific state at the center of a bloody war between traffickers producing the drug for U.S. markets. PRESCRIPTION - UK Geraldine Burns - Radio Interview With Dr Gloria Gilbere On Benzodiazepine Prescription Drug AddictionGeraldine a former benzodiazepine iatrogenic addict appeared on one of the largest natural health orientated world wide internet radio shows with up to half million listeners in 41 countries on December the 8th 2006. ALCOHOL - US Going for STOP: Congress Passes First Major Underage-Drinking Law - Join TogetherA bill that's being called an important first step towards addressing the national problem of underage drinking was approved by both the U.S. Senate and House this week, and heads to President Bush's desk for approval. GENERAL - US Florida Drug Tourism - Join Together"Drug runs" to Florida from other states have become more popular as addicts and dealers take advantage of the state's weak prescription-drug monitoring program to illegally obtain potent pain pills. HEROIN - THAI Drug mule suspects found with heroin in stomachsThe Shanghai Anti-Drug Commission said recently that city police had solved 534 retail drug cases in the first 10 months this year, seizing 893 suspects and more than four kilograms of heroin. HEROIN - US Northeastern Pennsylvania ripe area for garnering heroin profits - Citizens VoiceFive or 10 years ago, it was addicts and small-time dealers trekking to New York City or Philadelphia for a fix. They would return and sell a few bags of heroin to support their habits, constituting hundreds of satellite, small-scale operations throughout the county. HEROIN - US Sheriff sees 'bad trend' in heroin overdoses - The Oakland PressReported overdoses and cases involving heroin abuse in Oakland County have reached epidemic proportions, Sheriff Michael Bouchard says. "We are seeing what I would call a very bad trend in the increase of activity and usage of heroin, specifi cally heroin laced with other components," Bouchard said. COCAINE - CANADA Cocaine ring smuggled drugs to Canada via 'torpedo' - CBC NewsThe RCMP drug squad in Montreal says a cocaine ring broken up Thursday was smuggling drugs from South America to Eastern Canada by attaching contraband below the waterline of ships. OPIUM - AFGHAN & CANADA Focus Afghanistan development on alternatives to illicit opium, says May - NewswireCanada's role in Afghanistan must shift dramatically away from unbalanced military involvement and on to development and greater diplomatic efforts in order to achieve dialogue and lasting peace, said Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May. OPIUM - AFGHAN & US U.S. military to aid DEA's Afghan effort - Chicago TribuneThe Pentagon, which has resisted appeals from federal drug agents to play a bigger role in the campaign to curb Afghanistan's flourishing opium trade, has pledged more support for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's counternarcotics efforts. ALCOHOL - FRANCE Teenagers on binge should learn to drink wine, say MPs - UK TimesA trend towards binge-drinking among French teenagers could be curbed if schools taught children the health benefits of drinking French wine, according to a parliamentary report which has stirred the ire of the Government. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Dec 7 Drug Headlines
METH - US Click here for drug offenders in your area - MSNBCInternet registries of rapists or pedophiles are available in every state, but a new breed of criminal now is experiencing the notoriety of being outed online — people convicted of making or selling methamphetamine. GENERAL - US New Poll Shows Parents Afraid Of Talking To Their Teens; Avoid Tough Topics, Especially Drug UseThe White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is urging parents to sharpen their conversation skills and monitor their teen's activities, after a new poll shows that most parents have difficulty getting through to their teens about important subjects, especially drug use. According to a new survey by VitalSmarts, most parents of teens indicate that they are even afraid to talk to their teens about everyday issues. OTC - US OTC Drug Abuse Soaring, New Study Says. History May Provide Another LessonInformation published in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine shows that teens in California have been abusing over-the-counter cough medications in increasingly larger numbers. OTC - US Calif. Reports Rising DXM Abuse Among Adolescents - Join TogetherDextromethorphan, a cough medicine ingredient known colloquially as DXM, is landing an increasing number of California youths in hospitals, according to a report from the state's poison-control center. PRESCRIPTION - SCOTLAND There’s a depressing trend we must address - The HeraldIt's 40 years since Mick Jagger satirised the plight of Valium-addicted housewives, predominant victims of the first chemical generation. Forty years. Half a lifetime. Long enough, you might hope, for everyone to grow wise to the fallacy that swallowing pills can make you happy, but apparently not long enough for Scotland, where prescriptions of anti-depressants have trebled in the past decade. GENERAL - US CPL To Drug Test Pro Gamers In 2007While no one has ever been caught using illicit drugs in a pro gaming tournament, there have been suspicions that players may be using crystal meth and prescription drugs such as Ritalin to increase alertness levels, reflex times and physical and mental stamina. PRESCRIPTION - US Pro Gamers to be drug testedAccording the Director of The Cyberathlete Professional League, Angel Munoz, the gaming league has has begun the necessary preparations to drug test professional gamers at next year's CPL tournaments. HEROIN - US Heroin Use Increases For Oakland County TeensThe Oakland County Sheriff's Office told Local 4 there is a new trend of heroin use among high school students. One city that is seeing a rise in teenage heroin cases is Royal Oak, with three teenagers overdosing in the last few weeks, police said. Labels: heroin, methamphetamine, over-the-counter, prescription
Thursday
Dec 6 Drug Headlines
METH - US Click here for drug offenders in your area - MSNBCInternet registries of rapists or pedophiles are available in every state, but a new breed of criminal now is experiencing the notoriety of being outed online — people convicted of making or selling methamphetamine. METH - US California Using Fiction to Fight Methamphetamine - Join TogetherThe state of California has distributed thousands of copies of a book warning against the dangers of involvement in the methamphetamine trade to immigrant laborers from Mexico, the Associated Press reported Nov. 24. CANNABIS - CANADA CANNABIS: CANADA STOPS THERAPEUTIC USE - AGIThe Canadian Federal Government decided to cancel the Medical Marijuana Research Program (MMRP), that is, the research programme on the medical use of marijuana. OPIUM - AFGHAN Drug Addiction on Rise With Afghan Kids - Washington PostFarida's son inherited her drug addiction in the womb, and drank her opium-laced breast milk. And when he cried and fussed, she calmed him with specks of opium diluted in tea. HEROIN - BULGARIA HEROIN SMUGGLING RING BUSTED IN BULGARIA - Sofia EchoA joint operation of the police and of Interior Ministry anti-crime structures busted in the town of Sliven a heroin smuggling-ring responsible for trafficking from Bulgaria to EU. PRESCRIPTION - US Oxycodone is drug of choice in Rock Hill Pharmacy break-ins - Record OnlineThe drugstore break-ins are a sign of the times, Sullivan County District Attorney Steve Lungen said. It's not just OxyContin, a time-release form of oxycodone that relieves severe pain. People have gotten oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, fentanyl, methadone and other narcotics through forged prescriptions or street deals. PRESCRIPTION - US Parents told they could be the ones supplying their kids with drugs - The Fincastle HeraldHunt is a Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition (RAYSAC) representative and told those at the workshop one of the fastest growing areas of drug abuse today is found in medicine cabinets around the area. Teens are stealing prescription drugs from parents, grandparents and neighbors. COCAINE - CANADA Cocaine use on the rise: Thompson problem areaAddiction experts believe cocaine use is on the rise in Thompson, and police are seizing more of the drug than ever before in the northern mining city. Labels: cannabis, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Wednesday
Dec 5 Drug Headlines
MARIJUANA - US Marijuana-flavored lollipops in Toledo - ABC Local OhioA candy product has already fueled a bitter debate across the country; now it's showing up in Toledo stores. Lollipops are putting a bitter taste in some people's mouths. Chronic Candy or pot suckers are a part of a growing trend that has made its way to Toledo. HEROIN - US Keys to fighting heroin scourge - Indy StarOur position: Tougher law enforcement and more treatment options are needed to curb growing rate of heroin addiction. Heroin use is on the rise again in Indiana. State Police will investigate about 700 heroin cases this year -- three times Indiana's total in 2004. PRESCRIPTION - CANADA Students taking drugs - The UbysseyThe abuse of stimulants such as Ritalin and Dexedrine is on the rise at UBC. In professional health programs, such as medicine or pharmacy, students are being equipped with knowledge that can be used to abuse the health care system to their benefit. And, while many forego this practice, others don’t. GENERAL - US Drug Free Marshals Get the Word Out - Your HubThe Church of Scientology's Drug Free Marshals marched in the Boulder Lights of December Parade, Saturday December 2nd, advising all onlookers to "Say Yes To Life, Say No To Drugs." The Marshals were greeted with support and cheers as they handed out anti-drug education booklets about a variety of abused drugs. PRESCRIPTION - US Students shouldn’t use medication to study - The ExponentDuring the home stretch of these next two weeks, we are struggling to survive dead week and finals. In this time of intense struggling, some students are looking to stimulant drugs to give them some fuel to study. One of the most popular abused prescription drugs among college students is Adderall. OPIUM - AFGHAN & US Pentagon resists pleas for help in Afghan opium fight - LA TimesThe Pentagon, engaged in a difficult fight to defeat a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, has resisted entreaties from U.S. anti-narcotics officials to play an aggressive role in the faltering campaign to curb the country's opium trade. METH - US NICU first home for addicted babies - Bangor Daily NewsBabies born to opiate-addicted mothers are almost always addicted, too. In eastern Maine, where young women of childbearing age make up the fastest-growing segment of the opiate-abusing population, the number of babies who begin their lives in the physical and emotional distress of opiate withdrawal is increasing as well. METH - US Abuse of illegal drugs could end your life - Sea Coast OnlineState officials held a press conference in Stratham last week to talk about the efforts to combat the expansion of methamphetamine use in New Hampshire. They said they are at the front line of the battle, "doing everything possible to get a foothold on meth before it becomes a problem." PRESCRIPTION - US Over-prescribed pill imperils students - Badger Heraldt’s that time of the year again. No, not the holiday season, instead I mean the time when The Badger Herald publishes its annual article addressing the blood-curdling, stress-induced stomach ulcers created by finals. Labels: heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Dec 4 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - US Law enforcement divided about decriminalizing drugsVermont's top law enforcement official disagrees with a county prosecutor's call for decriminalizing illegal drugs. OTC - US Cough medicine drug a hallucinogen for some - CNNYoung people are increasingly abusing a drug found in nonprescription cough medicines that can produce hallucinogenic effects, but at a risk to their well-being, researchers said Monday. GENERAL - UK Campaign launched to reduce festive season drug deaths in GlasgowA pre-Christmas information campaign to prevent drug-related deaths among users during the high-risk festive holiday period in Glasgow is being launched today in conjunction with Scottish Drugs Forum. HEROIN - UK U.K. to Give Free Heroin to Addicts - Join TogetherA pilot program in Brighton and Hove, England will distribute free heroin to addicts in a bid to cut crime and addiction, The Argus reported Nov. 25. HEROIN - US Injection Drug Use Up Among Younger Heroin Treatment Clients - Join TogetherInjection is increasingly becoming the prevalent route of administration among younger heroin users admitted to treatment, according to data from the national Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). PAINKILLER - AUSTRALIA Lawyers called in to fight methadone move - MercuryA group of Wollongong business owners have joined forces to fight the possible relocation of Wollongong's controversial methadone clinic to their backyard. ALCOHOL - AUSTRALIA Ross Fitzgerald: Turning a blind eye to alcohol addiction - The Australian OpinionA hard-hitting American study from the Rand Corporation - hardly a soft and fuzzy organisation - found that every dollar spent on treating drug and alcohol addiction saved seven dollars in law enforcement. But this research has had little impact on policy directions in any country, let alone the US. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Prisons director denies rise in inmate drug use - ABC NewsTasmania's director of prisons has rejected union claims of a marked increase in drug use by inmates at the old Risdon Prison site. GENERAL - US Council to weigh bouncer law - Boston.comThe City Council is expected to hold a hearing this afternoon to discuss a proposal that would require background checks on bouncers and other security staff members at bars and clubs. PRESCRIPTION - US Parents Worry About Prescription Drugs, Too - Human EventsMethamphetamine and marijuana aren't the only drugs parents worry about. The problems caused by prescription combinations called "drug cocktails" have finally broken into the national news stream. OPIUM - AFGHAN 60% leap in opium production in 2006 - Asia NewsThis was denounced by the United Nations and the US government. Drug cartels have their own armies that fight operations by Kabul and NATO. One-third of the national GDP comes from opium. COCAINE - CANADA Cocaine use on the rise in northern Manitoba - CBCRCMP and addictions officials in northern Manitoba say they're dealing with a rapid rise in cocaine use and trafficking this year, but also an increase in the number of people seeking help for their addiction. METH - US Meth gets big part of blame surge in prisoners - Sioux City JournalMethamphetamine is being blamed for much of the increase in South Dakota's prison population in 2005. South Dakota's 11.9 percent growth in inmate numbers last year was the largest in the nation. METH - US Methamphetamine spreads eastward from West - Arbiter OnlineScientists know methamphetamine as one of the most dangerous psycho stimulant drugs created. Broken down, ‘meth’ has a longer acting morphine-like effect in which people use in replacement of a morphine or heroin addiction. HEROIN - IRELAND Heroin deaths cause concern - EmigrantFollowing the unexplained deaths of six heroin addicts in the previous 10 days, the National Disease Surveillance Centre on Saturday warned other addicts to seek medical advice if they became ill. There is concern that a contaminated batch of the drug is being sold on the streets of Dublin. Post-mortem examinations have been conducted on the five men and one woman but it will be some time before toxicology tests are complete. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, over-the-counter, painkillers, prescription
Tuesday
Dec 2 Drug Headlines
HEROIN - AFGHAN Afghanistan Opium Crop Sets Record - Washington PostOpium production in Afghanistan, which provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, broke all records in 2006, reaching a historic high despite ongoing U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts, the Bush administration reported yesterday. HEROIN - PORTUGAL Heroin use on the rise in Portugal - The Portugal NewsThe findings of a report issued last week reveal that heroin use is on the increase in Portugal as well as Spain and Greece. OPIUM - PORTUGAL Lisbon on red alert over Afghan bumper opium crop - The Portugal NewsThe mayor of Lisbon was last week warned by the United Nations to expect a sharp increase in heroin overdoses among the citys drug users as Afghanistans record opium poppy crop begins flooding on to the European market. ALCOHOL - UK Do you drink much more than you think? - The UK TimesKnow your limit. As wines get stronger and glasses larger, many of us are knocking back more than we should. METH - MEXICO Meth Labs Proliferate in Mexico - Join TogetherA crackdown on U.S. methamphetamine labs has sparked a proliferation of meth production in Mexico, from ranches in Baja California to industrial parks in Guadalajara, the Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 26. OTC - US Officials seeing a new drug abuseIt may not have been what police were looking for in Bedford North Lawrence High School’s drug search Friday, but an over-the-counter substance recently has put the school on alert. PRESCRIPTION - US Thieves snatch pharmacy narcotics - The Birmingham NewsThree men smashed out the window of a Mount Olive pharmacy Thursday night and stole $3,000 worth of pain pills, authorities said Friday. The thieves were in and out of the store in less than two minutes, making off with a haul of hydrocodone and oxycodone stuffed into a pillowcase, said Jefferson County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Randy Christian. PRESCRIPTION - UK Inside story: swapping prescription drugs - UK Times OnlineThere’s a dangerous new practice in Britain: swapping prescription drugs. The people who are doing it won’t talk about it on the record. Health authorities won’t acknowledge it. The only way to broach the subject was to ask someone who trades painkillers for sleeping pills to write about his experiences (under a pseudonym). He explains why people are ignoring what the doctor ordered — for health and, sometimes, just for kicks. HEROIN - UK Warning over rogue heroin in city - BBCPolice in Bristol have warned drug users to steer clear of a batch of rogue heroin they believe has claimed the lives of three men. METH - US Mothers Against Meth, other groups work to combat epidemic - TribStarSusan Gehring is joining with mothers of methamphetamine users in an attempt to help combat the meth epidemic in the Wabash Valley. COCAINE - US Cocaine users at risk of contracting Hepatitis C - Magic StatisticsAnd they may not know it until twenty or thirty years after their drug-using days are over. The risk is so high that a US study recommended that everyone who has ever snorted cocaine or other drugs should be tested. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, over-the-counter, prescription
Monday
Dec 1 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US Warning on Paxil - New York TimesWomen who are pregnant, or plan to be, should avoid taking Paxil because of a risk of birth defects, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has warned. METH - US Collateral damage of methamphetamine addictionMonroe County ranks among the top five counties in Tennessee for methamphetamine lab seizures. Law agencies say they are making progress in stamping out meth use across the state, but their work isn't done yet. METH - US State's mission to curb methamphetamineMethamphetamine, by any name, is a dangerous drug migrating from western states and Mexico, state officials warned Thursday. Gov. M. Jodi Rell joined U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor, Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane, Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle and other law enforcement and health officials to ask for the public's help in fighting the drug. MARIJUANA - US Medical Marijuana: California Supreme Court Rules Patients Can Transport ItThe California Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state's medical marijuana laws allow people to transport the drug as long as they can show it was for their personal medical use. The court said that the law protects even patients carrying large amounts of weed as long as they can show it is consistent with their medical needs. HEROIN - US Growing heroin addiction problem in WaterfordHeroin addicts trying to kick the habit in Waterford have to wait a minimum of ten months before they can even get assessed for suitability for the methadone programme operated from the HSE’s Community Care building on the Cork Road. PAINKILLER - US Painkillers may reduce effectiveness of vaccinesThe intake of painkillers at the time of vaccination may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, suggests a new study. When a person is vaccinated, the goal is to produce as many antibodies as possible to effectively neutralise the infection, reported science portal EurekAlert. COCAINE - IRELAND Cocaine deaths here may be under-reported, says poison doctorThe Director of the National Poisons Information Centre in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital, Dr Joe Tracey, said he is “convinced there are an awful lot more people dying from cocaine than are being picked up” and the Centre recorded only two cocaine deaths last year. OPIUM - AFGHAN Afghanistan's progress might be thwarted by Opium productionAfghanistan's soaring opium production threatens to wreck efforts to rebuild the country after years of war, the UN and the World Bank have warned. Labels: cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Friday
Nov 29 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - WORLDWIDE Drugs and the law around the world - The HeraldInformation on laws for different countries PRESCRIPTION - US Parents blame antidepressant for toddler's heart defect - CNN* A mom fears the Paxil she took while pregnant caused her son's heart defect. * FDA says two studies suggest paroxetine, or Paxil, increases birth defect risk. * Paxil's labeling was changed last year to warn about the risks of birth defects ALCOHOL - US Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Appears To Increase An Infant's Stress Response - Medical NewsNew findings indicate that the days between conception and pregnancy recognition may be critical for the development of stress-response systems among infants whose mothers consume alcohol. PAINKILLER (METHADONE) - US One pill to kill say methadone bereaved - ScoopThe FDA yesterday warned health care professionals about the dangers of methadone including cardio-toxicity, saying Prescribers' should read and carefully follow prescribing information. Methadone is a synthetic opiate commonly given to opiate addicts so their lives will be less chaotic. METH - NEW ZEALAND Fears drop in price of P attracting more teens - New Zealand HeraldTeenagers as young as 14 are trying methamphetamine or P as the price of the drug has halved in the last year, a drug education group Welltrust says. ALCOHOL - UK Britain's binge drinkers begin to sober up - The GuardianA tide of binge drinking that threatened to engulf Britain has started to recede, according to official figures yesterday. OPIUM - US A step towards breaking a dark embrace - UK TimesEfforts to clamp down on the opium trade in Afghanistan have only swelled the power of the drugs barons and have failed to stop the business reaching “unprecedented levels”, according to the World Bank and a United Nations agency. MARIJUANA - US Calif. Court Gives More Protection to Medical Marijuana Users - Join TogetherPeople found by police to be carrying even seemingly large amounts of marijuana can defend themselves in court by claiming that they are medical-marijuana users, the California Supreme Court has ruled. ECSTASY - US Ecstasy Can Quickly Hurt Brain, Researchers Say - Join TogetherHuman brain cells can be altered and damaged by low doses of ecstasy, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain, researchers say. CANNABIS - EUROPE/HUNGARY Police bust Europe's largest cannabis plantationPolice have busted Europe's largest ever cannabis plantation at an abandoned Slovakian slaughterhouse where top-notch technology was used by Austrian and Hungarian men to grow a copious amount of weed, a Hungarian county police reported on Wednesday. HEROIN - AFGHAN Afghans to use herbicide on nation's poppy crop - The Globe and MailThe United States has persuaded Afghanistan to spray herbicide on poppy fields in an effort to slow the country's opium boom, according to a senior Western diplomat. OPIUM - AFGHAN Opium trade flourishing - Indy StarAfghanistan's criminal underworld has compromised key government officials who protect drug traffickers, allowing a flourishing opium trade that will not be stamped out for a generation, an ominous U.N. report said. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, painkillers, prescription
Nov 28 Drug Headlines
OPIUM - AFHGANISTAN Pesticide solution to eradicate opium trade - Telegraph UKThe Afghan government is to launch a campaign of pesticide spraying of opium poppy for the first time following intense American pressure for a more radical approach to the country's burgeoning drugs problem. METH - AUSTRALIA Ice fuels Sydney armed robbery epidemicA massive rise in the number of armed robberies in inner Sydney may be the result of the growing use of the drug ice. ALCOHOL - US Infant May Be Harmed by Alcohol in First TrimesterNew findings on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure suggest the days between conception and pregnancy recognition may be critical for the development of stress-response systems among infants whose mothers consume alcohol. MARIJUANA - US Justices rule on transport of medicinal pot - LA TimesPeople charged with transporting marijuana may avoid conviction if they can show that the drug was for their personal medical use, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. MARIJUANA - US War on drugs: national spotlight on marijuanaLast year marked the largest number of marijuana arrests in U.S. history, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. MARIJUANA - US Voters May Get Chance to Legalize MarijuanaVoters could decide next year whether to legalize marijuana use. The state has given a Michigan group permission to move ahead with the ballot initiative. Advocates say the climate is right and a growing number of people think smoking marijuana should be legal in some cases. MARIJUANA - US State hears testimony on legalizing medicinal marijuana; Exclusive WZZM 13 Survey USA Poll shows huge supportTuesday lawmakers held a public hearing on a bill that would make Michigan the 12th state in the nation to legalize medicinal marijuana. COCAINE - BULGARIA BULGARIANS CONTROL COCAINE TRAFFICKING FROM LATIN AMERICA TO EUROPEBulgarians controlled the high levels of cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe, drug enforcement chief Stanimir Florov told a news conference on November 28 2006. HEROIN - UK 'Killer' heroin on the streetsDetectives are warning junkies that a batch of killer heroin is on the streets of Reading after it was blamed for claiming the lives of two men in as many days. METH - US National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, 2006 - White HouseA Proclamation by the President of the United States of America METH - US & MEXICO Entering the ´ice age,´ a lethal drug emergesThe methamphetamine laboratories that once plagued California´s hinterlands and powered a national explosion of drug abuse have been replaced by an increasing supply from Mexico, U.S. law enforcement officials say METH - US Authorities try to deter meth useCounting on the shock value, local Drug Enforcement Administration chief William Renton Jr. motioned to a mugshot of a man with a withered, skeletal face with grizzled patches of white hair. PRESCRIPTION - US Feds consider testing truck drivers for OxyContinA 20-year-old drug testing policy aimed to keep you safe on the road is failing to keep up with the speed of OxyContin. 13 Investigates first told you how truck drivers are escaping detection for the potent painkiller. Now the federal government reacts to driving concerns over old tests and new drugs. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Nov 21 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPION - CANADA Prescription Opioid Abuse More Prevalent Than Heroin, Canadian Study Reveals - Science DailyA new study conducted in seven Canadian cities reveals that prescription opioids, and not heroin, are the major form of illicit opioid use. These findings raise questions about the current focus of Canada's drug control policy and treatment programs. ALCOHOL - US US push for drink detectors in cars - The AgeALCOHOL detectors may be fitted to all vehicles in the US after private and government experts agreed that the deterrence tactic used against drink-drivers for the past 20 years was no longer working. GENERAL - US Relapse Rates Lower When Treatment Follows Detox - Join TogetherPatients who received addiction treatment within 30 days of going through detoxification took 40 percent longer to relapse if they fell off the wagon at all, according to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). GENERAL - NEW ZEALAND Maori 'twice as likely' to develop drug addiction - New Zealand HeraldMaori are more at risk of developing drug addictions than other ethnic groups, an addiction expert says. National Addiction Centre director Professor Doug Sellman said today that after considering variables such as age, gender, education and household income, Maori were twice as likely to have lifetime substance use disorders than other ethnic groups. GENERAL - UK Police chiefs to debate drugs fight - The GuardianBritain's top police officers are beginning a two-day conference to discuss the battle against illegal drugs. The Association of Chief Police Officers event will focus on future opportunities, challenges and threats facing law enforcement officers and communities. METH - UK Crystal meth: Britain's deadliest drug problem - IndependentBritain is under threat from a highly addictive drug, known as crystal meth or "ice", which has the potential to rival crack cocaine as the country's most dangerous drug, police chiefs are warning. HEROIN - US Heroin use rate descending - CJOBHeroin is apparently no longer the drug of choice among many substance abusers in Canada. A study has found prescription narcotics such as morphine and OxyContin are taking the place of the illicit drug. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Call to screen drug-addicted mothers - The AgeA Tasmanian doctor wants the mothers of babies drug-addicted at birth to be screened for illicit substances before being allowed to take their babies home. COCAINE - UK A nation addicted: Cocaine - Britain's deadly habitA major new report shows that 1.75 million young adults use a drug that most think is harmless. But 171 people have died from its use last year, an increase of 300 per cent in five years. OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN As opium poppies flourish, Karzai's resolve seems to wilt - Baltimore SunFive years ago this month, Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, was liberated from the tyranny of the Taliban regime and its "guests," al-Qaida. Five years later, Afghanistan, and indeed the world, lives under the threat of another brutal tyrant: the narcotics trade and the terrorism it funds. Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Wednesday
Nov 20 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLER - CANADA Canadians abusing prescription painkillers more than heroinAccording to recent research, which was sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canadians have been abusing prescription painkillers in greater numbers than they have heroin. PRESCRIPTION - US Adderall Growing Addiction on CampusMarijuana and alcohol are two substances long considered the biggest abuse worries among college students. But a new danger is sneaking its way onto campuses, including those in Hawaii. Original PostPAINKILLER - CANADA Painkiller abuse more common in America than heroin - China ViewA new study conducted in seven Canadian cities has revealed that abuse of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin or Demerol is becoming more prevalent than heroin. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Babies born on 'ice' - News.com.auNineteen babies born at the Royal Hobart Hospital had to be given morphine last year to withdraw from hard drugs including the deadly illicit amphetamine cocktail ice. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Liberals take hard line on 'soft' drugs - The AgeMINIMUM sentences for drug traffickers and a specialist unit to treat "ice" addicts are the cornerstones of the Liberals' policy to crack down on drugs. PRESCRIPTION - UK Legal but dangerous - Times On-lineConcerns are growing over the safety of so-called legal highs following the publication of a report which questioned their safety. The New Zealand Medical Association stated that herbal party pills, which are being used increasingly by students, have a range of serious side effects and should be avoided. Party pills, which contain the ingredient benzylpiperazine (BZP) have become cheaply and widely available in the UK, often being sold at mainstream club nights. GENERAL - CANADA Parents Helping Parents to Prevent Drug Abuse as Part of National Addiction Awareness Week - Canadian Home and School FederationThe Canadian Home & School Federation (CHSF), the country’s first established voice for parents, is busy helping parent leaders across Canada to inform parents to prevent substance abuse. HEROIN & PRESCRIPTION - US More students seeking help for addiction to heroin mixture - KLTVA growing number of Dallas children have become addicted to a combination of heroin and over-the-counter cold medicine they call "cheese." PRESCRIPTION & HEROIN - CANADA OPICAN study in seven Canadian cities reveals prescription opioid abuse more prevalent than heroin - EurekAlertA new study conducted in seven Canadian cities reveals that prescription opioids, and not heroin, are the major form of illicit opioid use. These findings raise questions about the current focus of Canada's drug control policy and treatment programs. GENERAL - US Drugs: Family Docs Join the Drug War - NewsweekIn the war on drugs, the White House has tried just about every weapon—punitive policy, rehab programs, ads featuring fried eggs. For its next strike, it has some new recruits: family doctors. Seventeen states currently have simple, federally funded drug-and-alcohol-screening programs in place at major trauma centers. PRESCRIPTION - US Ritalin not right for children - Press ConnectsChildren with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), are not "Ritalin deficient," so why are they given this addictive drug with serious side effects to suppress symptoms instead of looking for what is causing the symptoms? Hidden food allergies have proved to be culprits, especially wheat and sugar. Environmental sensitivities, such as perfume and pollens, "set off" susceptible children. METH - US National Methamphetamine Awareness Day planned for November 30 - CCH Internet Research NetWorkIn efforts to generate awareness about the damaging effects of methamphetamine abuse on individuals, families and American communities, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it will sponsor National Methamphetamine Awareness Day on November 30, 2006. METH - US Tribes take on meth - The Norman TranscriptSome Oklahoma Native American tribes -- a few flush with money from gaming operations -- have stepped up their spending on combating methamphetamine use. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Babies born addicted to 'ice', doctor says - ABC.net.auThe doctor at the Royal Hobart Hospital in charge of caring for babies born to drug-addicted mothers is calling for parents to be screened before they take their children home. Every year up to 20 newborn babies are treated at the hospital for severe drug addictions. Labels: heroin, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Monday
Nov 17 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK Fears over rise in child drinking - BBCExcessive drinking by young people has seen a 20% rise in hospital admissions in England over the last five years, a BBC inquiry has revealed. ALCOHOl - UK Alcohol risks and limits - BBCExcessive drinking by young people has seen a 20% rise in hospital admissions in England, a BBC inquiry has revealed. GENERAL - CANADA Consider legalizing drug use, panel says - The Globe and Mail, British ColumbiaA blue-ribbon advisory group to British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell has offered the government two choices for dealing with crime and illegal drugs: Consider lobbying for legalization or go for an all-out war on drugs. GENERAL - US President Personnel Announcement - White HouseThe President intends to nominate Terry L. Cline, of Oklahoma, to be Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. ALCOHOl - US House Passes Underage-Drinking Prevention Bill - Join TogetherA bill that's being called the first national legislation to focus exclusively on underage-drinking prevention has been overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and now heads to the Senate for consideration. MARIJUANA - US Cities take sides on medical marijuana - Daily BulletinSeveral cities throughout the Inland Valley, including Claremont, Upland, Norco and Pomona, have addressed marijuana distribution. PRESCRIPTION - US NAUGHTY KIDS NEED DISCIPLINE NOT DRUGSA whole generation is in danger of becoming drug-dependent because parents and doctors want to "medicalise" bad behaviour, rather than control it through diet, discipline and parental devotion. I am not a doctor, and do not pretend to medical knowledge. But my sense of smell is unimpaired, and this business stinks. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, prescription
Friday
Nov 15 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - UK Drug abuse: Children of 10 and 11 are involved - TelegraphHeroin, crack cocaine and cannabis blight huge swaths of Britain's inner cities and sink housing estates. Drug abuse has become a crucial driver of the family breakdown and under-achievement of a generation of young working-class white boys. COCAINE - US Research Report: Cocaine Comeback - University of Florida NewsA new study shows cocaine is making a major comeback as a killer of college-age students and people with a lot of disposable income. New data from the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows that cocaine is increasingly cited as the cause of death in coroner’s reports. PRESCRIPTION - US Deadly Drug Grows in Popularity - WJAC NewsOfficials say fentanyl is known as the new oxycontin. It's 80 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. GENERAL - US Pot, Meth a Growing Problem in SCV - Santa Clarify Valley The SignalSince Sgt. Phil Morris arrived at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station narcotics unit in June, he has helped seize five marijuana crops. Marijuana is not the only problem in the Santa Clarita Valley. Methamphetamine use has got narcotics investigators scrambling to deal with a drug that is still not considered a narcotic, Morris said. MARIJUANA - US San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Deprioritize Adult Marijuana Offenses - Drug Policy AlliancePending the formality of a second reading next Tuesday, San Francisco has joined several cities, most recently Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, and Santa Barbara, all in California, as well as Missoula, Montana, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in making marijuana the lowest local law enforcement priority. The ordinance was approved 8-3, with only one neighborhood group in opposition. HEROIN - US Heroin bust proves drug's use is growing in SWFL - NBCAfter a 17 month investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 11 suspected heroin dealers. Some say it is proof the drug’s use is growing in our area. GENERAL - US Meth, Ecstacy, heroin readily availableLarger amounts of drugs are coming into the United States from Mexico, Columbia and Asia, the National Drug Intelligence Center said. In its 2007 drug threat assessment, the center said organizations producing ice methamphetamine in Mexico have expanded their presence throughout the United States. The center, which is part of the Department of Justice, said the presence of Mexican traffickers in U.S. drug markets has allowed the introduction of Mexican black tar and brown powder heroin into Southeastern and Midwestern states. Labels: cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription
Wednesday
Nov 14 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US & JAPAN FDA to parents: Watch for 'abnormal behavior' onTamiflu - CNNMore than 100 recent cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior in Japanese patients treated with Tamiflu should have parents watching for similar reactions when treating their children with the flu drug. That's the new advice from the Food and Drug Administration in adding a new precaution to the label of the influenza drug, prescribed about 2 million times a year in the United States. GENERAL - AFRICA Teenager wins battle against addiction - The Herald, South AfricaIn the biannual alcohol and drug abuse trends study conducted by the Medical Research Council for the period July to December 2005, it was found that the Eastern Cape had the highest percentage of known cocaine and mandrax users in South Africa. GENERAL - US Wipes Used to Detect Drugs on School Surfaces; Foreheads Eyed - Join TogetherSome New York area schools are using "DrugWipes" to detect drug residue left on surfaces such as student lockers from contact with student sweat, the New York Post reported Nov. 13. GENERAL - RUSSIA Officially drugs kill 8,000 Russians yearly, unofficially 70,000Eight thousand deaths were registered from illegal drug use in Russia last year, but unofficial estimates suggest total drug-related fatalities may be as high as 70,000 per year, the government's narcotics watchdog said Tuesday. GENERAL - CANADA Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Costs Ontario $34 Billion - Canada News WireA new study released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reveals that, in the year 2000, the economic cost of mental disorders and substance abuse in Ontario was $33.9 billion. ALCOHOL - UK Alcohol Concern: New Evidence on Alcohol - Related Deaths are just the Tip of the Iceberg - Alcohol ConcernFigures just released by the Office for National Statistics putting alcohol-related deaths at 8,386 do not fully capture the scale of the problem, Alcohol Concerns Annual Conference will hear today. The charity, which is launching a national campaign to persuade Government and local health authorities to put more money into alcohol treatment services has just released a new report: Wasted: lives lost to Alcohol. CANNABIS - US Cannabis: A token issue no longer - The Daily ReveilleThese ballot initiatives asked voters to legalize the possession of marijuana in some way. South Dakotans were asked to decide whether they should become the 12th state in the Union to allow medical marijuana. OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN If not opium, then what? - Channel 4 NewsIt's difficult to exaggerate the scale of the opium production problem in Afghanistan. President Karsai has said that either Afghanistan destroys opium or opium will destroy Afghanistan. The United Nations estimates that poppy cultivation is up by nearly 60 per cent this year. MARIJUANA - ITALY Government lifts marijuana limit - Italy MagazineThe centre-left government announced on Monday that it had raised the amount of marijuana a person can carry without being arrested for dealing. PRESCRIPTION - US Academic Doping In Local Classrooms - WKRCThe search for academic perfection may be fueling a disturbing drug trend on local high school and college campuses. Nationally, one in 10 teenagers say they've taken Adderall or Ritalin without a doctor's order. The stimulants, typically prescribed for ADHD, are often taken from parents' medicine cabinets and sold to classmates. METH - UK Drug use 'behind crumbling euros' - BBCUsers of the drug crystal methamphetamine may be causing euro banknotes to disintegrate, German police have told Der Spiegel magazine. Sulphates used in the production of the drug could form sulphuric acid when mixed with human sweat, they say, causing banknotes to corrode. Labels: alcohol, cannabis, marijuana, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
Tuesday
Nov 13 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLER - US Prolonging Painkillers - Science MagMorphine and other opiates dull pain, but they don't stick around for long. Almost immediately, a class of enzymes known as peptidases burst onto the scene and degrade these painkillers. Now researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule in humans that blocks this process, prolonging the effect of opiates. The findings, say the researchers, may lead to new ways to combat pain. PAINKILLER - US Natural-born painkiller found in human salivaSaliva from humans has yielded a natural painkiller up to six times more powerful than morphine, researchers say. The substance, dubbed opiorphin, may spawn a new generation of natural painkillers that relieve pain as well as morphine but without the addictive and psychological side effects of the traditional drug. Original AriclesGENERAL - US Class Drug Swabs - Schools Eye Wipe Kit - New York PostA handful of schools in the tri-state area are hoping to wipe out drugs with one quick swipe. GENERAL - AUSTRALIA Survey to examine drug driving - The AgeAustralian attitudes towards driving after using illegal drugs will be assessed in the biggest survey yet on the growing offence. The Australian Drug Foundation launched the online survey in an attempt to better understand the attitudes of both users and non-users. METHADONE - US Methadone, the quiet killer -- Part 2 - Wood TV"How to" labels on prescription methadone could pose a danger to patients as West Michigan sees an increased number of accidental overdose deaths. COCAINE - US Take another crack at that cocaine law - LA TimesOne of our most infamous contemporary laws is the 100-1 difference in sentencing between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Under federal drug laws, prison sentences are usually tied to the quantity of drugs the defendant trafficked. For example, selling 5,000 grams of powder cocaine (about a briefcase full) gets a mandatory 10-year prison sentence, but so does selling only 50 grams of crack cocaine (the weight of a candy bar). ALCOHOL - RUSSIA Russia Staggered by Alcohol Problems - Join TogetherAlcoholism is having a profound effect on Russia, where more than 42,000 people die each year from drinking bootleg alcohol and heavy drinking has pushed the average life expectancy down to 66, well below that of the neighboring European Union. PRESCRIPTION & ALCOHOL - US Prescription Drug Misuse More Common in Drinkers - Join TogetherFew studies have examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD). To characterize this relationship, researchers analyzed data from 43,093 adults who had participated in a national survey on alcohol and related conditions. HEROIN - US Police investigating rash of heroin deaths, nonfatal overdoses - Pittsburgh Post-GazettePolice continue to investigate a rash of possible heroin deaths and some nonfatal overdoses in the city during the past week. Pittsburgh police and the Allegheny County medical examiner's office yesterday were investigating the death of a man at an apartment building, Downtown, Saturday night. MARIJUANA - CANADA Dazed & Confused: Problematic Marijuana Use Among Teens - Ottawa StartIn recognition of National Drug & Addictions Awareness Week, November 19-25, 2006, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), will host a forum, entitled, "Dazed and Confused: Problematic Marijuana Use Among Teens." Labels: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methadone, prescription
Monday
Nov 12 Drug Headlines
CANABIS - UK Dealers get desperate as drug supply dries up - The ObserverDrug 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 HeraldA 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 TVSince January 2005, 24 methadone-related overdose deaths have occurred in Kalamazoo County. Nearly all were accidental. Labels: cannabis, methadone, prescription
Nov 10 Drug Headlines
GENERAL - US Workplace drug use debunked in forum - Langley TimesWith 120,000 known alcoholics and 36,000 drug addicts, B.C. has one of the highest rates of drug use in the country. METH - US Preparing for the future of Methamphetamine - Fox 12 NewsThe meth problem in Idaho continues to grow, and many local agencies are looking for answers. Local and state officials gathered to learn more about the problem Thursday, and how to deal with it, from one of the leaders in the field. PRESCRIPTION - US Drug use needs more research - The ExponentA recent study shows that 7 percent of college students nationwide have used prescription drugs as stimulants for non-medical purposes in their lifetimes and 4 percent have done so in the past year. Across 119 four-year universities across the country, the amount of students who had used the drugs for non-medical purposes ranged from 0 to 25 percent. PRESCRIPTION - US 11 million bottles of acetaminophen recalled - CNNCheck your medicine cabinet: Millions of bottles of the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen -- some sold as long as three years ago -- are being recalled because they may contain metal fragments. GENERAL - UK FRANK Talk - drugs discussion and debate - Drug.gov.ukThere's a lot of misinformation out there about drugs, so FRANK is encouraging people to have a 'FRANK Talk' about drugs in an attempt to bust the myths surronding drugs and their use and to get the real facts. PRESCRIPTION - UK Use of drugs to treat hyperactive children soars fourfold in ten years - Daily mailPrescriptions for so-called 'chemical cosh' drugs to treat hyperactive children have risen fourfold since 1997, official figures reveal. The trend has alarmed experts because Ritalin-type drugs have been linked to sudden deaths in the U.S. and Britain and its use has been under review in this country. Labels: methamphetamine, prescription
Friday
Nov 9 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLER - US Another Recall for Generic Drugmaker - MSNBCFor the third time in five years, Perrigo pulls pain reliever from shelves. PAINKILLER - US 11 Million Bottles of Painkillers Are Recalled - New York TimesAs many as 11 million bottles of store-brand acetaminophen, the pain killer, were recalled by the manufacturer today because some of the caplets in the bottles are contaminated with metal fragments. Original PostGENERAL - UK Teach drugs at nursery - TESMore than 100 children aged under 12 were treated for substance abuse in Wales last year. Most were referred for alcohol and cannabis abuse, but some were also treated for cocaine, heroin and crack addictions. OXYCODONE - US Oxycodone responsible for most drug deaths on Treasure CoastThe powerful painkiller Oxycodone was responsible for the most deaths among the 35 drug-caused fatalities on the Treasure Coast in the first half of 2006, according to a recent report released by Florida's medical examiners. METH - US Health Department To Test Homes For Meth Residue - KUTV 2 Salt Lake CityHealth department officials are offering to test homes in Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties for methamphetamine-related chemicals under a recently approved program. Methamphetamine is an addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system and is usually made from common household chemicals that can leave dangerous residue behind in buildings where the drug is made and used. Labels: methamphetamine, oxycodone, painkillers, prescription
Nov 7 Drug Headlines
ALCOHOL - UK More Brits drinking themselves to death - MSNBCThe number of British middle-aged men drinking themselves to death has more than doubled since 1991, according to official figures released on Tuesday. 2006, November 7 GENERAL (TIK) - SOUTH AFRICA Tik is taking over, say shocking drug statsThe number of people admitted to rehabilitation centres in Cape Town has risen dramatically this year, with most seeking treatment for tik and heroin abuse and more than a quarter younger than 20 years, the Medical Research Council (MRC) has found. 2006, November 7 PRESCRIPTION - US, NV Study uncovers preference in youth abuse of prescriptions - The Nevada SagebrushSeventy-five percent of students who take it agree: Adderall helps them get through the two exams, interview, biology paper, core humanities discussion group and work-hectic lifestyle of a college student better than Ritalin. 2006, November 7 Labels: alcohol, prescription
Nov 8 Drug Headlines
Updated ArticlesPAINKILLERS - US Antioxidants may make more effective pain-killers than morphine - SAWFS NewsA new research on a mouse model has boffins hopeful that antioxidant-based pain killers will, in the future, become a viable alternative to addictive medications such as morphine. MARIJUANA - US Major marijuana initiatives defeated - Personal BlogEfforts to legalize marijuana for either recreational or medical use were defeated yesterday in three states. In Colorado, where Amendment 44 sought to legalize possession of an ounce of pot for adults, only 38% of the voters favored the inititative. ALCOHOL - UK Alcohol dependence: International policy implications for prison populationsResults - Alcohol dependence emerged as the most prevalent substance use disorder in both UK prisons and in the US sample. Relative frequencies of abuse and dependence for alcohol and other drugs revealed that dependence on a given substance was more prevalent than abuse as defined by the current diagnostic criteria. Original PostGENERAL - UK Charles demands help for a lost generation - TelegraphThe Prince of Wales will today highlight the plight of 1.2 million unemployed and under-educated young people facing a grim future because they have been abandoned "on the margins of society". 2006, November 8 ALCOHOL - US Alcohol Bad For Lungs As Well As Liver - Medical News TodayChronic alcohol abuse disrupts the proteins that keep fluids out of the lung, lowers a protective antioxidant, disrupts immune defenses and can lead to a condition known as 'alcoholic lung,' according to research to be presented at the conference, "Physiological Genomics and Proteomics of Lung Disease." 2006, November 8 OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan 'to spray poppy crop' - e-ArianaThe Afghan government has for the first time accepted that aerial chemical spraying could be considered to curb the cultivation of opium poppies. Poppy production across Afghanistan has increased by 60% since 2005. OPIUM - AFGHANISTAN Tajiks Struggle to Stem Tide of Drugs - IWPRNarcotics experts are predicting a surge in illicit drugs entering Tajikistan en route to Russia and Europe following the record opium harvest in Afghanistan. They are calling for joint efforts to create a security belt around Afghanistan to check the flow of drugs. PRESCRIPTION - US Students Abusing 'Smart Drugs' To Keep Grades Up - CBS2 ChicagoFor years, students pulling all-nighters have gulped coffee to stay awake. But now growing numbers are popping pills -- and not to party. PRESCRIPTION - UK Revealed: The thousands of drug addicts - Chronicle LIveA lost generation of over the counter prescription pill addicts is today revealed. It is thought as many as 45,000 people in the North East are in the grip of addictions to sleeping pills and drugs like Valium, diazepam and temazepam. ALCOHOL - UK Rapid Rise in U.K. Alcohol Deaths Reported - Join TogetherAlcohol-related deaths in the U.K. have risen from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,386 last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Labels: alcohol, marijuana, opium, painkillers, prescription
Nov 6 Drug Headlines
Updated articlesPAINKILLERS - UK Public 'confused by painkillers' - BBCOne in three people in the UK does not know the difference between common painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol, a survey suggests. Original postsGENERAL - AUSTRALIA Aboriginal imprisonments soaring - Herald SunThe rate at which Aborigines are jailed has risen 23 per cent in six years and was 12 times higher than for non-indigenous Australians last year, a new report shows. Boscar director Don Weatherburn said drug and alcohol abuse were the strongest risk factors in for indigenous criminal prosecution and imprisonment. 2006, November 6 PRESCRIPIOTN - US New Autopsy Report Says Abused Prescription Drug Overdoses Tops Illegal Drugs - All Headline NewsAccording to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the medical examiners office released its 6-month report for the period from January through June 2006. In Florida, there were approximately 89,000 deaths during this timeframe, and 3,595 of these deaths were attributable to one or more drugs found during the autopsies. 2006, November 6 ALCOHOL - WORLD Around the World in eight hangovers - The IndependentThe task: investigating the 'cultural and traditional aspects of alcohol around the world'. In other words, getting very drunk in six of the world's most formidable drinking capitals. The man for the job? Dom Joly. 2006, November 6 METH - US Department of Justice to Sponsor National Methamphetamine Awareness Day on November 30, 2006 - DEA.govThe Department of Justice today announced that it will sponsor National Methamphetamine Awareness Day on Nov. 30, 2006, in order to generate awareness about the damaging effects of meth abuse on individuals, families and American communities. 2006, November 6 Labels: alcohol, methamphetamine, painkillers, prescription
Nov 5 Drug Headlines
PRESCRIPTION - US Pacific base officials caution about cough medicine abuse - Stars and StripesWith the approaching cold and flu season comes another health concern: children abusing over-the-counter cough suppressants. 2006, November 5 More comming... Labels: prescription
Nov 4 Drug Headlines
LEGAL DRUGS - US Today’s teenagers abusing ‘legal’ drugs like glue, stimulants and booze - IPPRGlue sniffing amongst 11 to 15 year olds has increased sevenfold over the last decade, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) to be published next week. The report says that developing social skills and strong adult role models are crucial in keeping kids off drugs, drink and cigarettes. 2006, November 4 COCAINE - SCOTLAND Cocaine-binge builders dicing with disaster says drug tsar - ScotmanThe number of builders, electricians and plumbers seeking help for cocaine abuse has soared in the Edinburgh, drug workers have revealed. They say cocaine's image as a drug mainly used by young executives in high-pressure jobs is a thing of the past. 2006, November 4 COCAINE - US, FL Cocaine continues to take toll in Palm Beach County, report says - Sun SentinelPalm Beach County no longer leads the state in the number of deaths caused by cocaine, according to an interim report issued Friday by Florida medical examiners. Still, the county had the most cocaine-related deaths in South Florida at 32. Broward County recorded 29 deaths and Miami-Dade County had 13, according to the report, which examines the first six months of 2006. 2006, November 4 PRESCRIPTION - UK Thousands at risk as substance abuse soars in schools - Times Online UKTHOUSANDS of children are risking their lives sniffing glue and aerosols in a new epidemic of solvent abuse in schools. Research on the drug habits of young teenagers has found that while use of cannabis and class A drugs has risen slightly over seven years, the numbers sniffing glue has shot up from 28,000 to 168,000 last year. 2006, November 4 Labels: cocaine, prescription
Nov 3 Drug Headlines
CANNABIS - SPAIN More cannabis used in Malaga than in any other province - SUR in EnglishWhether as marihuana or hashish, the people of Malaga are the Andalusians who use most cannabis on a regular basis, this being defined as those who have used it in the past six months. Addiction to the drug has doubled in the province over the past decade. Only 5.6 per cent of the population used it regularly in 1994 and now the figure has risen to 11.2 per cent. 2006, November 3 CANNABIS - US, CA State marijuana seizures hit all-time high - Chico ERThe California Department of Justice said its Campaign Against Marijuana Planting resulted in the eradication of nearly 1.7 million plants this season. The number reflects the seizure of pot plants in 34 California counties, and is up more than 500,000 plants over last year. 2006, November 3 HEROIN - US, TENNESSEE Heroin use above the national average among Knox County high school students - WBIRIt's highly addictive -- it can kill -- yet more and more young people in East Tennessee are using heroin. Consider these numbers: In the US 2.4% of high schoolers say they've taken heroin. In Tennessee 1.8% 2006, November 3 PRESCRIPTION - US Cough syrups, painkillers, analgesics... kids hooked on medicine highs - LUdhiana NewslineThe menace of drug addiction is increasing among the city’s schoolchildren. Many 10-15-yr-olds are in its grip. While smoking was nothing new, the latest craze is cough syrup, drugs like Proxyvon, Parbanspas and capasules of Opiate Analagesic, say the city’s medical practitioners. 2006, November 3 METH - US Meth users are finding ways around new laws, forum told - STL TodayDespite new laws limiting access to a key ingredient in methamphetamine, the drug remains a serious problem in Jefferson County, speakers at a forum on meth abuse said this week. A large part of the problem is that methamphetamine is so extremely addictive, they said. 2006, November 3 OPIATE - US, MAINE Acadia Hospital Launches Campaign To Combat Opiate Addiction - WCSH 6According to Acadia Hospital, Maine is among the states with the highest rate of opiate addiction in the country. On Thursday, the hospital launched a campaign to target the problem. 2006, November 2 PRESCRIPTION - US Med students get crash course in drug pitches - CNNMedical schools in several states are boosting programs that teach doctors and students to challenge the sales pitches of drug companies and avoid being dazzled by them. 2006, November 3 ALCOHOL - US New Evidence On Why Alcohol Consumption Is A Risk Factor For Cancer - Medical News TodayWhy is alcohol consumption a risk factor for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus? Scientists long have suspected that the culprit is acetaldehyde, a compound produced as the body breaks down the alcohol in beer, wine and hard liquor. 2006, November 3 COCAINE - UK Colombian women appeal to conscience of cocaine users - Guardian UnlimitedFive Colombian women who have survived kidnapping, bombs and landmines have come to Britain to tell cocaine users that they are helping to fuel violence and death in Colombia. The aim is to prick the conscience of the west by highlighting the side-effects of the cocaine trade. 2006, November 3 PRESCRIPTION - US Prescription Addiction Haunts Millions - KETVPrescription drug addiction has been called an epidemic, and a recent study showed that more than 15 million Americans admitted abusing prescription drugs -- doubling over a decade. 2006, November 3 GENERAL - US Piperazines - what to do with an emerging 'legal high'?The piperazines are a 'family' of drugs with similar chemical structures. Some amongst this group of drugs are used medically (including famously, Viagra) and others, are in an as-yet unclassified legal wilderness and have found a market on the (annoyingly named) 'legal high' recreational drugs scene for their stimulant effect, similar to amphetamines or ecstasy, although of lower potency. 2006, November 3 Labels: alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, prescription
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