Drug Abuse Awareness Blog

Make more noise against drug abuse

2007-01-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night I attended a meeting regarding drug addiction awareness. A small group of mothers with a special bond decided to start up this group (never underestimate the power of a mother). There were approximately 60 people in attendance all with the same goal - to have our town and schools drug free and safe, to offer more facilities in Parry Sound to help people in recovery, to work together as a community with existing services, to offer education and prevention and to lobby politicians to make changes to existing laws. This seems like a tall order for 60 voices. When the next meeting is announced let us have hundreds of voices in attendance. We live in one of the most beautiful towns in the country, however, within our community an ugly and dangerous world of drugs exists.

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Article - The lesson of Justice Rehniquist's drug addiction - US ...

2007-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Newly released FBI records reveal that a physician prescribed a powerful sleeping pill for the late William Rehnquist when he was an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. According to these records, the doctor prescribed 500 milligrams of Placidyl every evening. Instead, the justice popped 1500 milligrams every night before bed. The problem apparently came to a head in 1981 when, according to a shrink interviewed by the FBI, the family admitted awareness of long-standing slurred speech which seems to coincide with the administration of Placidyl. A month-long detox program weaned His Honor off the addiction in 1982, we are told. Its instructive to ask what sorts of decisions the Justice was rendering at the peak of his drug addiction in 1981. While hardly an exhaustive review of the cases in which Justice Rehnquist weighed in, here are a couple of quick examples: In Robbins v.

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Editorial: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration drunk at the wheel

2007-01-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

BALTIMORE - A new audit shows the state agency charged with overseeing substance abuse programs needs treatment — for financial misfeasance, at least. And it's not the first time. Two audits in a row of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration, covering six years ending in March, criticized its mismanagement of taxpayer funds. Among the reports' findings are that the ADAA did not properly monitor whether agencies under its supervision provided services they claimed and that it did not manage its cash receipts in a timely fashion. The ADAA does not handle pocket change — it granted about $125 million last year for substance abuse programs. How much of that is not accounted for? The audit found that 80 of the 265 care providers it serves never received a site visit. The agency's response to each of the audit's recommendations was “procedures are being implemented," to fix this or that problem.

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Abu Dhabi to host global conference on drug addiction

2007-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Abu Dhabi: The emirate will initiate a global campaign against drug addiction when it hosts the first UAE International Conference on Addiction (UICA) next year, officials announced yesterday. With the motto "Yes...to Life", the UICA is organised by the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the National Addiction Centre in London. Over 300 speakers from various countries will participate in the first campaign of its kind, including Queen Silvia of Sweden, president of the Mentor foundation, a non-government drug prevention organisation. "Prevention is better than cure," said Abdul Aziz Nasser Al Raisi, NRC Chairman. "The best strategy is to address drugs. We want to develop rehabilitation and treatment inside the country, and be a support for other centres worldwide by exchanging expertise." The UICA will cover all kinds of addictions, including alcohol, prescribed and illegal drugs.

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Decline In Drug Abuse Hopeful, But More Research, Education Needed

2006-12-31T10:23:00.000-08:00

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry applauds the 23.2 percent decline in drug use by young people reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), but calls for more research and education on the impact of youth drug abuse. The Monitoring the Future Study survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders shows an illicit drug use decline by 23.2 percent over a five-year period. It also showed that youth prescription drug, and over-the-counter medicine abuse remains high. "This illustrates that education is driving prevention," says Thomas F. Anders, M.D., President of AACAP. "Continued collaboration among parents, teachers, physicians, and mental health professionals is essential to show youth the long-term consequences of using drugs." The AACAP emphasizes the need for the identification and treatment of mental illnesses that often are present in youth who use drugs and/or alcohol.

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Youths can take different routes to drug addiction

2006-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Drug policies in the United States have long been influenced by the idea of a "gateway progression" in drug use, where the use of one substance eventually leads to "harder" drugs. Marijuana is often called a "gateway drug" because many young people who use it later move on to substances such as heroin and cocaine, and the gateway progression has been considered a strong predictor for drug dependency. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh, however, suggests that teens who follow a reverse sequence -- using harder drugs without having first tried "softer" ones, such as cigarettes and alcohol -- are just as likely to develop a drug dependency. In a study of 214 boys, researchers monitored participants' use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana over a 10-year period, until they reached the age of 22.

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Report ties teen smoking to drug abuse

2006-12-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Young people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to use drugs and abuse alcohol than non-smoking youth, a new study says. A study of 15- to 19-year-olds by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse found a "very strong" association between tobacco use and hazardous drinking, use of marijuana, and other drugs. "What surprised me was the strength of the association," said Chris Davis, one of the researchers for the study. The study found 91% of smoking youth used marijuana some time in the year before the study, compared to 29% of non-smoking youth. Young people who smoke were more likely to binge drink and more than twice as likely to be hazardous drinkers than non-smokers. .

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Doherty treated for drug addiction

2006-12-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

BRITISH rock star Pete Doherty, the on-off boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss, is reportedly being treated for drug addiction at a clinic in Portugal. The 27-year-old Babyshambles frontman will have the drug naltrexone, which reduces the craving for heroin, implanted in his abdomen at the clinic at Oeiras, an oceanside suburb of Lisbon, Portuguese newspaper 24Horas reports, citing clinic sources. Doherty arrived in Portugal on Monday and is being accompanied by a British doctor, the paper said. The troubled singer has repeatedly sought treatment for drug addiction before in Portugal as well as at clinics in England, France and Thailand. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing crack cocaine earlier this month after he was spotted driving his Jaguar erratically near his home in East London.

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OBNDD Selects SumTotal for Online Curriculum to Stem Drug Abuse

2006-11-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) has chosen SumTotal Systems' software to build an online curriculum to stem the abuse of drugs, specifically methamphetamines. OBNDD will develop and deliver Web-based courses with SumTotal's learning and content management systems. SumTotal's TotalLMS and TotalLCMS are part of a suite of software products that deliver, analyze and track training over the Internet. .

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George Michael - Drug Addiction For Real

2006-11-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

The former lead singer of Wham hit rock bottom with anti-drug and alcohol prevention groups with his recent comments and his behavior prior to filming the British TV program, The South Bank Show. Comments attributed to Michael included the claim this that his pot-smoking behavior has kept him "sane and happy." The singer made headlines not only with his comments but with film clips that reportedly showed him lighting up a joint before the interview on the British show. Paul Corry of the agency Rethink panned the behavior and was highly critical of the singer. Michael's "comments are stupid and naïve." said Corry. "Cannabis is not a risk-free drug. For a significant minority of people it is a trigger for developing a severe long term mental illness ..." Twice in the last nine months, Michael has been found slumped over in a car seemingly under the influence of some substances.

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Judge Hatchett: Child abuse amplified by drug abuse

2006-11-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

Television's Judge Glenda Hatchett said the more we talk about child abuse, the better off we are. She visited Wayne State University yesterday to discuss child abuse and its effect on the community. Phyllis Ivory Vroom, Dean of the Wayne State University college of social work, called child abuse an “immense social issue," saying 30,000 Michigan children are victims of mistreatment each year, and 20,000 are in foster care. Vroom also said “children of color" are more likely to be in the child protection system and less likely than white children to be reunited with parents. Hatchett, who not “in her wildest dreams" envisioned becoming a judge, said “these are not just numbers, these are children." .

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Courtney Love Credits Gibson With Her Drug Addiction Recovery

2006-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

New York, NY (AHN) - Noted actress and rock singer, Courtney Love said on Tuesday that Mel Gibson helped her on her road to recovery from drug addiction. The widow of rock legend Kurt Cobain, who has been sober for 15 months, said Gibson showed up unexpectedly at a Beverly Hills, California hotel where she was in the throws of a drug binge, and coaxed her to seek help. "Mel kept coming to the door with this cheesy grin going, `Hi!'" Love said on Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I just kept looking at him going - I can't cuss - um, `Blank off!' ... I know him and he's a nice guy. It didn't matter who it was. It could have been Jesus. I didn't care," she said. The 42-year-old former lead singer for the band Hole, said that Gibson came with addiction counselor, Warren Boyd.

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Governor says drug abuse serious concern

2006-11-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Drug and alcohol misuse among young people are some of the most important challenges facing the country, according to H.E the Governor Stuart Jack. He made his comments at the opening ceremony of the two-day Cayman Against Substance Abuse (CASA) youth leadership conference on Thursday 2 November. Co-ordinated by CASAs Youth to Youth section, Mr Jack, along with Youth Minister the Hon Alden McLaughlin, Health Minister the Hon Anthony Eden, CASA leaders, top-level police representatives, corporate-sector supporters, and officials from the Youth Department, National Drug Council, and the care homes all attended. Government is making great effort to make the Cayman Islands what it should be, but there are different leadership situations, from running the country, government, school, family and mentoring friends and classmates, the Governor said.

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Drug addiction costing billions of dollars

2006-10-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

The fight against drugs comes at a huge cost, but its not even close to what the damage costs are when it comes to drug addiction. Staff Sergeant Ian Sanderson, the RCMP Drug Awareness Coordinator was in Spirit River last week to talk to Central Peace area school kids during the day before closing out the evening with a talk about drug use to parents and community members. It costs us about $3 billion a year for the damage thats caused by alcohol and tobacco in Alberta and nationally were looking at about $48 billion it costs the Canadian economy for illicit drug use, said Sanderson. Thats why he says the argument cant be made to legalize and tax drugs because the province doesnt collect $3 billion in taxes from alcohol and tobacco. It doesnt really matter what the drug is, its the addiction that is the issue, noted Sanderson.

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Drug-abuse funds coming to state

2006-10-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Federal drug czar John Walters today is expected to announce a five-year, $14 million grant for emergency rooms and clinics in Denver and southeastern Colorado to identify and help substance abusers before they become addicts. At least one as-yet-undetermined Denver public school- based clinic will be part of the innovative program, officials familiar with the grant said. The plan is to get young abusers treatment and counseling to prevent addiction rather than rely on intervention programs geared toward the addict. "With this major grant, we will partner with Colorado in a meaningful way to prevent the disease of addiction, particularly among our young people," Walter said in a news release detailing today's announcement, scheduled at Denver's South High School. Walters will also announce that three other states - Wisconsin, Florida and Massachusetts - are to receive similar funding, which comes from the U.S.

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Theft, drug abuse cases to be given priority: Criminal Court

2006-10-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Criminal Court has said that it will place special importance on concluding theft, robbery, and drug abuse cases and they will be dealt with much more promptly that usual. Ghazee Abdulla Areef said that an average of 21 cases of these crimes would be dealt with every day to hasten the process. “The number of cases dealt with daily is low because of shorter working hours in Ramazan," said the Ghazee. “So we shall place priority on the cases of those who are under arrest. Those under police custody are those implicated in theft, robbery, and drug abuse." The Ghazee said that the conclusion of the cases was now proceeding at a satisfactory rate. .

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Drug court helps people fight addiction

2006-10-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Efrain Rivera is charged with possession of narcotics, essentially the same crime Bridgeport Mayor John M. Fabrizi has acknowledged committing. But he finds himself in far different circumstances. He's in Bridgeport Superior Court, a few blocks from City Hall, his wrists crossed behind his back as if someone might slap cuffs on him at any second. When seven sweaty guys in baggy jeans and leg irons shuffle in on the way to another courtroom, he looks away fast. He doesn't want to be like them. In the past, Rivera has been charged with possession of cocaine. This time it's heroin. His checkered past raises the stakes: If things go badly he might find himself among more than 700 inmates serving time in state prisons for possession of cocaine or heroin — not dealing or trafficking, just possession.

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Study Compares Overeating To Drug Addiction

2006-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

New York, NY (AHN) - A recent study conducted by a team of Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers says overeating is like drug addiction for obese people. The team performed scans on seven overweight people, and the results showed that the areas controlled by satiety were similar to those in drug addicts abusing substances. The researchers analyzed brain impulses in seven overweight individuals. All of them had been fitted with a weight-reduction device called an implantable gastric stimulator (IGS). The device transmits signals that eventually relay satiety messages to the brain so as to reduce one's desire for food. Dr Gene-Jack Wang, at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, says, "As soon as we saw these scans, immediately it reminded me of what we had studied in drug abuse when people were under a craving situation - the same areas in the brain lit up." The experts believe the findings of their study could pave the way for the discovery of new therapies for obesity.

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South Africa: Crackdown On Teen Drug Abuse

2006-10-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

THE Tshwane council is drafting drastic bylaws to give Metro cops the power to conduct drug tests at schools, concerts, stadiums, movie theatres and in other public places. This follows last week's announcement by Tshwane Executive Mayor Gwen Ramokgopa that she wanted to implement radical bylaws to combat drug abuse in the city. The initiative will see Tshwane becoming the first city in the country to introduce the bylaws. Mel Vosloo, the Tshwane Metro Police spokesman, said the proposal already enjoyed the support of all political parties. "The levels of drug abuse are far too high. This problem needs to be combated on every level of society." He said the council had established that cinemas, schools, concerts and stadiums were places where drug-use was more prevalent.

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Drug addiction is disease, not a social stigma, say experts

2006-10-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

AMRITSAR: The experts and social scientists who participated in the one-day seminar on "Drug Addiction and Youth in Punjab" were of the unanimous view that drug evil could only be eradicated from the society with the active participation of general masses. Experts said that drug addiction is a disease and drug-addicts may not be considered as social stigma. Today, proper counselling and rehabilitation of addicted patients by the experts is the need of the hour. This seminar on "Drug Addiction and Youth in Punjab" was organized by the students of Guru Nanak Dev University under the aegis of Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre of the University, here today. Dr. Jai Rup Singh, Vice-Chancellor inaugurated the seminar while Mr. S. Shrivastva, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar, Dr.

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH LAWSUIT ALLEGES DRUG ABUSE

2006-10-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

LATEST: The photojournalist claiming to be the father of ANNA NICOLE SMITH's baby daughter alleges in court documents that Smith was taking methadone and is hiding out in the Bahamas to keep her baby from being tested for drugs. LARRY BIRKHEAD filed court papers in Los Angeles on Monday (02OCT06), attempting to establish paternity and obtain legal custody of the child. Birkhead began legal proceedings after learning that Smith's close friend and attorney HOWARD K STERN, who she wed in a commitment ceremony last Thursday (28SEP06), is also claiming to be the father. The lawsuit alleges Smith was taking methadone, which is normally used to treat heroin addiction, and that Stern has been facilitating her habit. Birkhead also claims Smith is hiding out in the Bahamas to keep her baby from being tested for drugs.

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Iran: Brothers Change The Face Of HIV, Drug-Addiction Treatment

2006-10-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Two Iranian siblings have revolutionized the way drug addicts and HIV/AIDS-infected people are treated in their country. Doctors Arash and Kamiar Alaei were raised in a wealthy family but now devote their lives to helping the less fortunate on the streets, treating them, and counseling them on how to rejoin society and even find a spouse. .

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Drug abuse is target of hot line

2006-10-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

HAMILTON - The Butler County prosecutor hopes a new hot line will help cut down on prescription-drug abuse and crimes related to it. Prosecutor Robin Piper has set up the hot line, 1-888-662-3673 (1-888-NO2-DOPE). "Many people addicted to drugs just need help; your call could save lives," placards advertising the hot line say. .

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Marking National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

2006-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Imagine a nation in which a deadly but treatable disease is taking its toll on more than 5 percent of the population. One that is wreaking havoc with the lives of millions of men, women, and children, but only 20 percent of the people who need treatment are receiving it. Would we help?These are the statistics that prevail in the U.S. today. The disease is alcohol and drug addiction.Alcohol and drug abuse disrupts families, threatens the safety of our neighborhoods and ruins the lives of countless men, women and youths. During September, National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, we recognize the damaging effects of substance abuse and renew our support for individuals battling to overcome addiction.The theme for the 2006 Recovery Month campaign is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Build a Stronger, Healthier Community." It is always our hope that the campaign will urge all Americans to help prevent alcohol and drug abuse and to promote treatment and recovery options.Recovery Month is a national public education campaign developed by the U.S.

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Drug Trafficking and Addiction: Still on the rise

2006-09-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

UNICEF recently made a survey of the state of drug addiction and drug trafficking in the Maldives, revealing that as much as half of the youth population was addicted to drugs in the islands. The survey has shown a great increase in the number of drugs over the past few years. Over 50 percent of the youth abuse drugs in some islands, said the UNICEF report. The most common substance abused is heroin. The average age when the habit forms is 12, the report said, although there were cases as young as 9 years old. A joint investigation into the extent of drug abuse in the Maldives is being conducted by the National Narcotics Control Board (NNCB) and UNICEF. The investigation will touch upon key issues such as the specifics of trafficking, and the number of new addicts. The survey will be conducted throughout all the regions of the Maldives and on all the islands where the abuse of drugs is present.

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Video statements in Lakin case detail sex, drug abuse allegations

2006-09-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

One is a shaggy-haired boy, now 16. Another, a distressed elder brother. Then there's the bewildered woman, just barely 18. And two older women who say they were overwhelmed with drugs and sex. Their video statements, recorded in April for East Alton attorney Ed Unsell and made available to the Post-Dispatch, present a clearer and more emotional picture of the child sex and drug abuse allegations against former attorney and Metro East power broker Tom Lakin. The accusations paint Lakin - publicly an accomplished lawyer and political boss - as a free-wheeling man of sexual avarice. Tom Lakin's exact whereabouts are unknown, but Brad Lakin, who heads the firm his father founded, has strenuously denied the allegations that also accuse him and another brother of trying to cover up the sordid affair.

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'Drug-addiction patients becoming younger '

2006-09-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

The profile of patients attending the Aurora Alcohol and Drug rehabilitation centre in Bloemfontein has become younger over the years, the centre's director said on Wednesday. "(Previously) you mainly worked with alcoholism at centres like this, the other stuff (drugs) were a side issue," said Gert Kruger. "Today the majority of your patients are under 35 years of age." .

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Gathering focuses on drug abuse

2006-09-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

GREENSBORO — A conference on substance abuse in Guilford County will bring together voices for recovery at the end of the month.The Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition, a group of more than 40 public and private organizations and agencies, will hold its fourth annual Substance Abuse Symposium on Sept. 29 and 30 at Centenary United Methodist Church.The conference will provide people with information on substance abuse issues and the network of community resources available. About 100 people attended last year 's event and the coalition hopes to draw 150 people this year, said George Coates, executive director of the coalition.A 2002- 03 survey estimated that in Guilford County more than 28,000 people are using illegal drugs and more than 70,000 are abusing alcohol. Flo Stein, a state health official who served as chairwoman of the Mental Health Reform Project, will open the symposium with a presentation and discussion on the mental health reforms and their impact on substance abuse and the community.The symposium will also include training sessions on adolescent substance abuse, treating older adults, family perspectives, gangs and treatment.

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Peas' Fergie reveals drug addiction

2006-09-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Fergie, singer with the Black Eyed Peas, has admitted she was once a drug addict and that ending her dependency on crystal meth was like a difficult relationship break-up. Speaking to Time magazine while promoting her first solo album, 'The Dutchess', Stacy Ferguson called the drug "the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with". "I dug deep as to why I got there," she added. "It's the drug that's addicting. But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. "A lot of it was being a child actor, I learned to suppress feelings." Before she found fame with the band best known for their song 'Where Is The Love?', Ferguson starred in 1980s sitcoms like 'Married With Children' and 'Mr Belvedere'. She also featured in 'Monster in the Closet', a horror spoof.

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Fergie had to dig deep to beat drug addiction

2006-09-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

New York - Fergie, the female voice of the Black Eyed Peas, says she had to dig deep within herself to kick her crystal meth addiction. "It was the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with," Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson told Time magazine in an interview for the issue that hits newsstands on Monday. "It's the drug that's addictive," said Fergie, who has released her first solo album, The Dutchess. "But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. A lot of it was being a child actor; I learned to suppress feelings." .

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Drug abuse treatment successful

2006-09-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ireland's first longitudinal study on drug misuse treatment has shown that significant reductions in drug use and involvement in crime by participants were achieved after one year of treatment. Researchers recruited 404 opiate users when they started drug treatment and followed them over one year. Interviews were carried out when the opiate user entered drug treatment, after six months and after 12 months. Significant reductions in heroin and other drug use were observed in the followed-up study population one year after treatment intake. Twenty-seven per cent of those followed up were abstinent from all drugs excluding alcohol after one-year compared to 7% at treatment intake. Extensive reductions in injecting drug use were observed; both the number of days participants injected and the number of times per day reduced.

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Catholicos-Patriarch To Hold Meeting Regarding Drug Addiction

2006-09-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

With the aim of uniting people interested in struggle against drug addiction the Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II will meet non-governmental organizations working on drug addiction, journalists, government officials and member of Georgian Parliament on Friday. Prime-News was told at anti-drug Media Club that a project on anti-drug strategy will be presented at the meeting. The aforementioned project, elaborated by the Council on drug policy is being discussed at the Parliament of Georgia. According to Media Club motto of the meeting is “Let's find together ways of solution of drug addiction". By experts' evaluations, 250 000 of people use drugs in Georgia. .

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Nightclub owners get tough on drug abuse

2006-09-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

"Owners and managers of entertainment venues have a bounden duty to keep drugs out of their businesses," said She Zhenzhong, deputy general manager of Passion Disco & KTV, a well-known night spot in Beijing. She was speaking at a seminar held at the city's Municipal Centre of Detoxification and Rehabilitation yesterday. "Fighting against drugs is not only the police's duty, but also the responsibility of business operators," he said. She's opinion was shared by 160 owners and managers of Beijing entertainment venues who were participating in a special anti-drug training programme offered by the city's public security bureau yesterday. The programme, including seminars, classes and tours, helped participants increase awareness of the dangerous effects of new drugs like methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine.

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Campaign to check drug abuse

2006-09-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

KOCHI: The Police and Residents' Associations' Initiative in District Ernakulam (PRIDE) will take up fight against drug abuse in the city as the key result area for the next year. This was decided at a meeting between representatives of the Ernakulam District Residents Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC) and City Police Commissioner P. Vijayan here on Saturday. The decision will be announced at the second anniversary meeting of PRIDE, scheduled for mid-September. Strategies to check the sale and use of narcotics will be finalised at the meeting. Discussions on other public safety issues will also be held, said S. Surendran, Assistant Commissioner of Police. PRIDE has steadied itself and communications between residents' associations and the police have been streamlined. Hence, it is now time to take up specific themes.

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Drug abuse is us

2006-09-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

The indictment of Dr. David Thomas, a Louisville anesthesiologist, on charges of writing OxyContin and hydrocodone prescriptions in exchange for remodeling work on his rental properties, should remind everybody, one more time, that drug abuse can't be explained by aggressive marketing. Back in 2001, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District, threatened an investigation of how Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, marketed and promoted the powerful painkiller. When Dr. Paul Goldenheim defended his company and its efforts to combat abuse of the drug, Mr. Rogers dismissed him with, "Oh, give me a break!'' .

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Trying To Stem the Menace of Drug Addiction in Punjab

2006-09-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

The age profile of those addicted to drugs has changed dramatically in the recent years with children as young as five taking narcotics in Jalandhar alone. Now, teenagers and college students are initiating measures to try to help stem the tide of drug addiction. According to NGOs, counsellors and doctors, earlier people between the age group of 30 and 40 used to seek help as the after-effects of the addictions surfaced. But now, there is a 25 per cent increase in young people between the age group of 16 and 25 visiting various drug de-addiction centres or seeking help from a helpline. Awareness is beginning about the effects of drug addiction in later life, other factors like the prospects of marriage, job and going abroad drive so some youths re beginning to head for various drug de-addiction centres and camps.

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Parents: Open your eyes to prescription-drug abuse

2006-08-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

A recent survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that increasing numbers of young people are prone to abuse alcohol along with several kinds of drugs, including prescription drugs, at parties and other social gatherings. Worse yet, the study found that most parents had no clue about such activities, even those who were at home during many of these parties. As parents open their eyes to this reality, they must also know that the intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high has quickly established itself as a serious new tier of teen substance abuse, one that deserves great attention and their immediate action. .

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'Discipline Key To Fighting Drug Abuse'

2006-08-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Bandar Seri Begawan - Drug does not discriminate the young from the old, the rich from the poor, and the educated from those who are not." This was said by Her Royal Highness Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah in her sabda during the Pidato Anti-Dadah competition at the Institute Perkhidmatan Awam, Gadong yesterday. HRH was accompanied by HRH Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bulqiah at the event that saw eight students battling it out during the anti-drug contest. Princess Azemah also said, in her sabda, that there are "many excuses given by young individuals who get involved in drug abuse; some say curiosity, others blame it on peer pressure. Some use drugs to enhance their physical and mental endurances, while others try it solely out of boredom. None of these excuses, however, justify having a drug habit".

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Drug Addiction Rates Soar in War-Torn Afghanistan

2006-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

The United Nations says addiction rates in war-torn Afghanistan have doubled in the past two years, to the point that nearly a million people are now using illegal drugs. The lyrics are a prayer. A drug counselor is asking God to help end drug addiction in Afghanistan. As he sings, about 25 men sit on cushions scattered across the floor of the drug treatment center, nodding their heads as they listen. Several of the men are in their 50s or 60s and silently stroke their beards in time to the music. The clinic is an old two-story building with a small central courtyard. From the street the building is anonymous, just one more dilapidated house on a dusty street outside Kabul. But inside, the men are taking their first steps toward ending their addiction.

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Address youth drug addiction collectively

2006-08-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Lions Club of Dar es Salaam has called on the society to focus on collective responsibility in addressing the problem of drug addiction among the youths. Speaking at the occasion to inaugurate the new board of directors in Dar es Salaam at the weekend, new Lions Club President of Dar es Salaam (Azania) Mikidadi Hamza said drug abuse remained a matter of concern for the youth. ”If the youths continue misusing drugs, our generation is likely to lose possible talented leaders,” he said. Drug addicts are rendered helpless by the substances they take such that they cannot contribute effectively to the growth of the national economy. ”Every member of the society should make a contribution to end the predicament,” he said. Tanzania, just like many other African countries in south of Sahara, said Hamza, has had enough of problems ranging from malaria, HIV/Aids, drought and floods.”Consumption of drugs worsens the already bad situation,” he said.

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Drug court offers ways to combat addiction

2006-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Graham County is arming itself with a new weapon to combat the ever-escalating war on drug addiction: Drug Court.The program has swept across the United States in the past two decades as a new way for dealing with drug addiction in youths. A new drug court will be in place, hopefully by the end of the month, according to Safford Magistrate D. Corey Sanders. The court will use its initial backing of $18,000 in funds the county received to kick start the program."We would love to have more, but before we ever got those funds, we were committed to doing this at our cost," Graham County deputy prosecutor C. Allan Perkins said.Perkins, who along with officers from the probation department and Judge Sanders, attended a training seminar at the end of July to prepare them for running the drug court.

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It's zero tolerance towards drug abuse

2006-08-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

But Minister for Health, Khaw Boon Wan, and Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee didn't mince words yesterday. Mr Khaw ticked off doctors for freely prescribing Subutex, a prescription drug introduced in 2002 to help heroin addicts kick their habit. .

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Drug addiction treatment sees drop in success rate

2006-08-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

The proportion of drug users who completed treatment for drug addiction decreased between 1998 and 2002, although the overall number of drug users who entered treatment increased. A British study of the outcome of treatment for drug addiction, published today in the open access journal BMC Public Health, also reveals that drug users were more likely to drop out of treatment if they had been coerced into it by the criminal justice system than if they had entered by other routes. The authors of the study conclude that efforts to make treatment for drug addiction more accessible have succeeded in getting more people into treatment, but the impact of coercive measures to push drug users into treatment needs further consideration. They write: "recent measures to increase drug treatment participation have speeded up a revolving door both into and out of treatment".

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Rahul, 5 others chargesheeted for drug abuse

2006-08-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Delhi Police today filed the chargesheet against Rahul Mahajan, son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and five others in the drug overdose case. Additional Sessions Judge S.N. Gupta issued notices to all accused to be present in the next hearing on August 5. Besides Rahul, the police also chargesheeted co-accused Sahil Zaroo, Harish Sharma, Rahul's servant Ganesh and two Nigerians Abdul Lateef Ashola Mohammad and E.James Taiwo. However, another Nigerian accused Ebrahim was not named due to lack of evidence. Chief Public Prosecutor B.S. Joon has filed the chargesheet. During the investigation it was found that, accused Sahil Zaroo had used a car for transporting drugs from Vasant Vihar to the official residence of the slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan where Rahul was staying.

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Drug addiction ruins many families

2006-08-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Inside the room, lit only by a kerosene lamp, five men crouched around a small stool. The lamp flickers on the stool while the men use a foil to heat up something they call heroin, a popular drug for the addicts. The five men are there in different shapes and doing different things. One is holding a pipe while another, tears in his dreary eyes, looks for more drugs. The scene is common in many slum huts in Dhaka's Saidabad area, according to some neighbours. Such "adda" takes place in hundreds of huts in the impoverished area - sometimes to the knowledge of law enforcement agencies. Some parties go late into the night. And there are women too. Rasheda -- not her real name -- does odd work for survival. At 28, she looks like a woman in the late 50s. She loses balance and trembles like a sick person whenever she fails to get her doses of heroin.

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Drug abuse on upswing in Zambia

2006-08-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) of Zambia said in Luskak Thursday that the commission has intercepted 70 tons of cannabis this year. DEC public relations and press liaison officer Rosten Chulu said that the amount of drugs confiscated demonstrates the gravity of drug abuse in the country. It is of great concern to the nation that people have continued to cultivate and consumer prohibited drugs, he said. He said that efforts are now being made to set up rehabilitation centers in a bid to reform those addicted to drugs. Chulu said that the rehabilitation centers are key if the consumption of drugs is to be mitigated. The DEC has embarked on a sensitization drive in schools and other institutions of learning to curb the growing trend of drug abuse in the country, he said.

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New ads split top experts on drug addiction

2006-08-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

During the 20 years since a woman cracked an egg into a hot skillet while saying, "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs," science has made great strides in understanding just how illicit drugs fry the mind. Now the nonprofit group responsible for the iconic anti-drug campaign has come out with a provocative message: that drug addiction is a disease worse than cancer, diabetes and AIDS. "It'd be better if I had cancer; then you wouldn't tell me what I'm going through is just a phase," a shirtless man says in a new public service announcement. "You wouldn't see my condition as a lack of willpower, but the disease that it truly is." Pilot-tested in Houston and Cincinnati last year, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's campaign hopes to help addicts and their loved ones overcome stigmas to seek treatment, said Ginna Marston, the group's executive vice president.

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GARDENER CLAIMS DRUG ABUSE IS WIDESPREAD

2006-08-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

British sprinter Jason Gardener claims doping remains rife in top-level athletics after learning of Justin Gatlin's failed drugs test. Gatlin faces a life ban from the sport if a B sample corresponds with the initial results, which were revealed on Saturday night. The American tested positive for excessive testosterone at the Kansas Relays event on April 22. Gardener, a member of the Great Britain relay squad who won gold ahead of the United States at the 2004 Olympics, said: "Justin is personable, I like him and he is a very good competitor, but there is so much of this stuff going on." Gatlin was a member of the US relay squad who had to settle for silver in Athens, where he won individual gold in the 100metres. He followed that up at the World Championships in Helsinki last summer with gold in both the 100m and 200m, and shares the world record of 9.77 seconds over the shorter sprint with Jamaican Asafa Powell.

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AFGHANISTAN: Drug abuse on the rise in Helmand

2006-07-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

LASHKAR GAH, 27 July (IRIN) - Halima's drug addiction started with a toothache. "Some of my relatives told me to put a piece of opium in my mouth to relieve the pain. After a while I soon became addicted to this evil," the 30-year-old mother-of-four said as she sat in a long queue of women waiting for treatment at a drug addiction clinic in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand. Helmand, the largest opium-producing province in a country that produces nearly 90 percent of the world's illicit opium, has seen a steady increase in addiction. "It [opium] made me so weak and sluggish," mother-of-six Jamila, 35, said. "Even my children have become fed up with me so I decided to end this misery and seek treatment at this clinic. The doctors here are so kind and helpful and their medicine has changed my whole perspective on life." The 20-bed clinic, founded in June by the Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan (WADAN), an NGO in Lashkar Gah, is struggling to cope with the demand.

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Drug Addiction Treatment Methods

2006-07-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This is a fact sheet covering research findings on effective treatment approaches for drug abuse and addiction. If you are seeking treatment, please call 1-800-662-HELP(4357) for information on hotlines, counseling services, or treatment options in your state. This is the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service. Drug treatment programs by state also may be found online at www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov. Drug addiction is a treatable brain disease. Through treatment that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.

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Nurse sues Cleveland Clinic after drug abuse allegation

2006-07-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND - A nurse has sued the Cleveland Clinic, claiming hospital officials wrongly accused her of using drugs and held her against her will before firing her. In May, Brianna Sharp, 42, was called into a meeting in which hospital administrators accused her of giving a patient pain medication without a proper order and having a substance abuse problem, the lawsuit claims. A nurse manager had "reasonable suspicion" that Sharp was impaired, according to an employee corrective action report of the meeting. After Sharp voluntarily took a drug test, clinic managers would not let her drive home to Warren, about 50 miles southeast of Cleveland. Instead, she said they watched over her for three hours while she waited for a ride. When she needed to retrieve items from her car, clinic managers made her ride there and back in a police cruiser, she said.

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Scientist Recognized for Drug Addiction Research

2006-07-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

RTI International Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Center for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry F. Ivy Carroll, Ph.D., has been presented the College on Problems of Drug Dependence's 2006 Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award for outstanding research in the field of drug addiction. Carroll has led RTI research focusing on substance abuse treatments for more than 30 years. Among his many achievements, Carroll developed RTI-336 and JDTic, two pharmacotherapies for the treatment of cocaine abuse and the prevention of relapse to cocaine use that are planned for clinical studies next year. Earlier research led to the development of Iodine-123 RTI-55, which serves as a diagnostic agent for Parkinson's disease as well as a clinical tool to study drug abuse patients.

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Hilary Swank Hubbie Chad Lowe Upset By Her Drug Abuse Charges

2006-07-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hilary Swank and her lawyers insist that she warned hubbie Chad Lowe what she had revealed to Vanity Fair magazine regarding his "substance abuse problem", but he is still reportedly furious with his estranged wife having detailed his substance abuse problem to the world in the article. In the August 2005 issue of the magazine, Swank made the shocking revelation that Lowe's problem contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. A source close to Lowe reportedly told Us Weekly, "Chad was pretty surprised that Hilary would bring (his problem) into the equation." .

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Significant role of genetics in drug abuse, Norwegian study

2006-07-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

A Norwegian study has discovered a connection between genetic factors and drug abuse saying that genetic tendencies play a significant role in the use of drugs. Dr. Kenneth S. Kendler, who has led the research, said "This is the first study to show the importance of genetic factors in a culture/country (Norway) with rather low rates of drug problems. It has been suggested that in such countries, social rather than genetics factors should prove to be most important. Our results do not support that hypothesis." Kendler and his team came to this conclusion after interviewing 1,300 Norwegian pairs of adult twins regarding the manner of drug use till date. The findings suggest a strong link between genetic factors and the risk of drug abuse. Medindia on Response to Diseases Vary at Gene Level Recent research has revealed that men and women often respond differently to diseases and drugs probably because of the differences in gene behavior in the organs of males and females.

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Concern about drug abuse leads to book

2006-07-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

IN HIS 23 years as an East London policeman, Michael Potgieter has witnessed first hand the degradation caused by drug abuse especially among the youth. And the contact with concerned East London parents in the execution of his police duties, about their childrens drug problems, inspired him to write a book about the local drug scene entitled What teens and parents should know about drugs. Michael, 42, is a police official at the Cambridge Police Station. South Africa, he said, continues to experience increased levels of substance abuse, and the age of first experimentation with drugs has dropped to between nine and 10 years. The lines between use, overuse, and abuse are often blurry. Michael has had the opportunity of witnessing severe cases of drug abuse: young children who turn to drugs because of perceived trouble fitting into society, brought on by the fast and furious pace of modern life.

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Rehabilitation To Counter Drug Addiction

2006-07-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

THE ever-increasing seizure of drugs in different parts of the country, especially in Kathmandu, in the recent past, affirms that the problem of drug abuse has assumed alarming proportions in Nepal. Indeed, Nepal has been accorded the status of an efficient passage for drug traffickers. Economically weak sections Not only has Nepal been a route for drug trafficking, it has also started facing the menace of drug abuse far and wide. In the past, most of the perceptive observers of the drug abuse scenario wondered if Nepal would be affected by the problem as adversely as the affluent west. Today, it is no more a matter of speculation; it is a fact of life. The menace of drug abuse is here, and its presence is made worse by the fact that it has affected the productive age group the most. Unfortunately, it has afflicted the economically weaker sections the most.

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DRUG ABUSE IS BAD, BUT DRUG WAR IS WORSE

2006-07-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lake County is not the only jurisdiction grappling with overcrowded jails. Throughout the nation, states facing budget shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. A study conducted by the RAND Corp. found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in societal costs. There is far more at stake than tax dollars. -Northwest Indiana News Click Here For The Full Story Staff Selections - Links .

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NGOs should play role for eradicating menace of drug-addiction: S ...

2006-07-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Pakistan Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmed has urged non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to play their role for eliminating the menace of drug-addiction from Pakistan. He was addressing a seminar held in connection with World Anti-drugs Day on Wednesday. Mr Ahmed noted that over 4 million people were drug-addicts in Pakistan and there was need of launching proper drive against drug -addiction in the country. He said that as the number of drug-addicts are increasing in slum areas, government should construct hospitals for the treatment of drug-addicts. Mr Ahmed observed that Pakistan had become a big market of heroin because drugs were being imported in the country. He said that people should have soft corner for drug-addicts rather than harbouring hate for them so that they could live better life in the society.

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Seminar to focus on drug abuse

2006-07-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Eatonville -- Circuit-court judges will join recovering drug addicts to talk about the dangers of drug abuse at the Annual Drug Awareness Conference in Eatonville today. The event, hosted by Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, is free and open to the public and is designed to serve middle-school-age children through adults with age-specific break-out sessions. .

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Genetics may play role in drug abuse

2006-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND, Va., July 6 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say genetic factors may play an important role in a person's use, misuse or dependence on illicit drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. Virginia Commonwealth University researchers, in collaboration with researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Oslo in Norway, reported the results of a population-based study of twin pairs that showed that genetic factors influence the illicit drug use in Norway, a country with significantly low levels of psychoactive substance use disorder. "Prior twin studies of illicit drug use and abuse have all been conducted in Anglophonic countries, specifically the United States and Australia, with high levels of such use," said lead author Dr. Kenneth S.

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Putin on drug addiction in Russia

2006-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

RBC, 06.07.2006, Moscow 18:51:46.The number of drug addicts in Russia rose by 15 times between the late 1980s and 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his Internet conference today. According to various estimates, up to 6m people use drugs today, among them 4m long-term drug addicts. Putin also noted that around 340,000 people are registered as drug users. He added that the number of hidden drug addicts was even bigger. The President also said that a special service for fighting drug addiction had been created in the past three years, with the biggest number of employees in the world: over 40,000 people. The law enforcement system has been redirected towards drug dealers rather than drug users in the recent years. This approach increases its effectiveness, he claims.

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Stop drug abuse, don't enable it

2006-07-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a bill last week that would have allowed for the sale of hypodermic needles without a prescription, saying it could help promote heroin use and send the wrong message to young people. Romney said the bill, which proponents hope will stem the spread of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis-C, may instead have "unintended consequences." "We cannot in good conscience say that we should make needles more available to heroin addicts," Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said at a press conference. "It sends the wrong message, and it facilitates our very deadly plague of heroin abuse." The Romney administration is right on the money. It should be the goal of our elected officials to end drug use among the public, not condone it by making it easier for users to get clean needles.

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Drug addiction great threat to humanity: Aurakzai

2006-07-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

PESHAWAR: The NWFP Governor Lt. Gen (retd) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai has said that the drug addiction is a great danger for the entire humanity and though the ongoing efforts to get rid of this problem are quite satisfactorily progressing both in the province and FATA yet we have to continue the struggle with much more vigor and enthusiasm to fully combat and control the evil in all respects. Talking during a ceremony held under the aegis of Anti-Narcotics Force at Regi in Peshawar on Thursday, the Governor described the 45% reduction of poppy production in FATA this year as compared to the past year as highly appreciable achievement and added that there is dire need to further accelerate the efforts not only to fully curb the evil but also to create awareness amongst masses about the hazards of drug addiction.

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Drug Abuse Prevention is Better Than Treatment

2006-07-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Social Development Deputy Minister Jean Benjamin has emphasised that preventing drug abuse is more effective than treating addicts. "We all know that it is much more effective to prevent people from experimenting with drugs as it is extremely difficult and costly to successfully treat a person with a drug problem," she said. Once someone becomes addicted to drugs that person will always be an addict, said Dr Benjamin. She added that there would always be a threat of a relapse even if a person could stop taking drugs. Dr Benjamin was addressing an event to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held at Umbhumbulu in KwaZulu-Natal today. This year the day is being observed under the theme "Drugs and Children" under the slogan: "Drugs are not child's play".

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County drug-abuse activists speak at conference

2006-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Two community drug-abuse prevention groups are turning heads across the state and nation because of the success of their grass-roots efforts - accomplished with hardly any funding - to tackle the issues of drug abuse in their region. Representatives from the Community Alcohol and Drug Education Team, based in Caribou, and Houlton's Link for Hope Coalition spoke about their work Thursday at the Drug Endangered Children Conference for the New England region, held in Portland. The focus of the two-day conference - coordinated by the National Alliance of Drug Endangered Children and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine in partnership with the other New England U.S. attorney's offices and state drug enforcement agencies - was on protecting children who are endangered by illicit drug-related activities.

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A drug addiction that knows no social nor monetary boundaries ...

2006-07-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, counselors, police officers, judges and store clerks already knew what the statistics would later confirm: methamphetamine, a cheap, potent drug that produces a lasting high and can be manufactured at home with off-the-shelf cold medicine, had surpassed alcohol as the most popular drug among those addicted to substances in Nevada. The number of drug users admitted to state-funded programs for addiction to meth outpaced the number of alcoholics in those programs for the first time in 2002. In fact, while the number of alcoholics had stabilized and had even declined since 1996, the total number of meth addicts had more than doubled so that by 2005, there were 75 percent more meth addicts seeking treatment in Nevada's state-funded programs than alcoholics.

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Sierra Leone: Nafado Chief Links Drug Addiction to Aids

2006-07-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

President of the National Federation of Anti drug Organization (NAFADO), Alhaji Alim Awoko Sesey Tuesday said drug addiction has been linked to HIV/AIDS. He made the disclosure during the commemoration of the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at John F Kennedy Secondary School in Freetown. Awoko said drug abuse is a global phenomenon and it affects almost every community within the global family. "The use of illicit drug among youths should now be a serious concern as most of the commonly used drugs are processed in their local domains. The most widely consumed drug is cannabis sativa which has become a serious concern to government and even parents," he said and maintained that drug related problems increase crimes, violence and susceptibility to HIV/AIDS.

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System Designed To Stem Prescription-Drug Abuse

2006-07-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A new statewide database system will begin operating Saturday in an effort to stem an increase in prescription drug abuse, officials said. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is administering the program under a $1 million federal grant. Details of the program were announced at a news conference by Gov. Brad Henry and others. Officials said there were 522 prescription drug-related deaths in Oklahoma in 2005, compared to 268 in 2000. The Comprehensive Oklahoma Narcotic Tracking and Regulation On Line project, known as CONTROL, will permit doctors and pharmacists to check whether a person has been "doctor shopping" to obtain prescriptions they can fill at multiple pharmacies. .

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Anti drug day: drug addiction reaches huge proportions as ...

2006-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

NGOs believe that there could be as many as 240 000 drug addicts in the country, over 5 percent of the population. The government, having announced a 'zero tolerance' strategy and then retreated a little after realizing what counter-productive effects this measure might have, are still spending virtually nothing on drug treatment. It is with this dire situation in mind that a conference on the painful results of drug addiction was held by the South Caucasus Anti Drug Program (SCAD) on Monday as part of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In 1987 the UN General Assembly named June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drugs. Every year a special topic for the day is chosen and conferences and seminars are held dedicated to these issues.

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Sports Complex to Counter Rampant Drug Abuse in Western Cape

2006-06-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Western Cape government has responded to a call by youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in the province for the establishment of sports facilities to counter drug and substance abuse. Premier Ebrahim Rasool opened a sports complex in Stellenbosch today. The complex, which encompasses among others rugby and soccer fields, will be used by youth in the surrounding areas of Khayamnandi, an informal settlement outside Stellenbosch. Mr Rasool said the establishment was part of the provincial response to the many challenges faced by the youth, particularly drug abuse and alcoholism. "When we toured the province during a Youth Imbizo, young people said the reason they were engaging in destructive habits such a substance abuse was because there were no sports facilities in the communities where they lived." He said the complex and many others in the province would leave young people with no excuse for engaging in drugs and other forms of crime.

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Promising data for Celtic Pharma's drug addiction treatment

2006-06-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Celtic Pharma's novel immunotherapy vaccine for the treatment of cocaine addiction, TA-CD, has posted encouraging preliminary data in two phase II trials sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The first study was a phase IIa study of TA-CD conducted by Dr Margaret Haney, associate professor of Clinical Neuroscience at Columbia University. The study looked at the impact of vaccinating chronic cocaine-dependent volunteers who were not actively seeking to reduce or stop their cocaine use. .

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World Day against Drug Abuse today

2006-06-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

KATHMANDU, June 26: United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Kofi Annan in his message on the occasion International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has stressed the need to work for better education and greater awareness to prevent drug abuse. Many people in the world are badly informed about the potentially devastating effects of drugs, he said adding "It needed more consistent leadership from Governments, better examples from role models whose drug use damages more people than just themselves. "Our efforts must focus especially on young peoplethrough outreach, peer-to peer networks, and using opportunities such as sports to keep young people active, healthy, and confident, he said. "Our efforts must require working to reduce supplythrough law enforcement and through working with the producing countries to give farmers sustainable alternatives to growing illicit crops.

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Cops question Rahul Mahajan: Drug abuse case

2006-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Rahul Mahajan, accused in a drug abuse case, and the key aide of his late father Pramod Mahajan Sudhanshu Mittal were on Sunday questioned by the Delhi Police, the first time after Rahul was released on bail in the high profile case. Both of them were interrogated at the Tughlaq Road Police Station by a team of investigators led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Suman Nalwa. Rahul's questioning comes barely three days after he sought permission to leave for Mumbai as his late father's New Delhi residence had to be vacated by July 3. Mittal was questioned as he had rushed Rahul to Apollo Hospital after a late night party in the wee hours of June 2. He had also had handed over the two plastic packets, found at Rahul's residence, to doctors who, in turn, handed them over to police.

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Grant to combat drinking, drug abuse renewed

2006-06-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

11:30 a.m., June 23, 2006--The University of Delaware's Center for Counseling and Student Development and Wellspring, the student wellness program, have received a grant for the second year of a $1.2 million three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to combat underage drinking and drug abuse. The $406,636 for the 2006-07 year will provide the resources for the University to expand efforts to assist students with alcohol and other drug interventions and treatment by promoting innovative screening, brief interventions and referral to treatment of those students with a high risk of substance abuse disorders. "The University has been one of the national leaders in addressing alcohol-related issues among college students," John Bishop, UD associate vice president for counseling and student development and professor of individual and family studies, said.

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Drug abuse growing among conscripts - Defense Ministry

2006-06-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - The number of drug users among conscripts drafted in spring 2006 rose 3.5% on the conscription period in fall 2005, a Defense Ministry official said Tuesday. "The number of conscripts who say they are regular drug users has grown in number from 0.5% during the fall 2005 call-up to 4% in the current spring [April-June] conscription period," said Nikolai Reznik, in charge of educational work at the Defense Ministry. Reznik said most conscripts admitted taking soft drugs, including marijuana. He also said more men were joining the armed forces after completing a higher education this spring. The number rose 3-5% against the 2005 fall period, which lasts from October to December, he said. Low levels of education and poor health among conscripts have been major problems hindering the Defense Ministry's conscription efforts.

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Drug addiction higher in rural Punjab: Study

2006-06-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Punjab has a high incidence of drug abuse in the 16 to 35 age group with the problem more acute in the rural areas where unemployment is rampant, according to a study. The report, Drug Addiction in Punjab: A Sociological Study, released by Punjab Governor SF Rodrigues in Amritsar on Saturday, said an increasing number of youth in the villages of Punjab were taking to drugs like smack (brown sugar). The study -- which surveyed urban and rural youth, both illiterate and educated, between the ages of 16 and 35 -- said the intake of drugs was higher among rural youth primarily due to unemployment in those areas. It attributed the high levels of addiction to poverty, lack of awareness and easy availability of drugs and pointed out that government service among other factors reduced the chances of addiction.

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Agency concerned about pain-drug abuse

2006-06-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- Federal officials said Monday more people began non-medical use of narcotic pain relievers in the past year than marijuana or cocaine. The report, which was released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, analyzed data from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and found that 2.4 million people 12 or older used prescription pain drugs for non-medical reasons compared with 2.1 million who used marijuana and 1 million who used cocaine. "While overall illicit drug use continues to decline among our young people we are always paying close attention to the data to identify any potential areas of concern," said Charles Curie, SAMHSA's administrator. "The initiation rates show we must continue our efforts help the public confront and reduce all drug abuse." The report shows that the most commonly abused drugs include Vicodin, codeine, Oxycontin and morphine.

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Experts look to close gap between drug abuse, mental health units

2006-06-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Health experts say forming closer ties between drug and alcohol services and mental health units will play a major role in driving down the number of addicts across the region. The Creating Synergy conference, to be held in Wollongong today, has drawn clinicians and academics nationwide to address the issues as a prelude to Drug Action Week which starts on Monday. David Hedger from the Shoalhaven Youth Drug and Alcohol Service says the relationship between mental health and drug and alcohol abuse must be addressed. "Some clients will go to a drug and alcohol service and then be told it's a mental health issue and then they'll go back into [a] mental health service and be told, no it's a drug and alcohol issue," he said. "What we're trying to do is look at a more holistic approach where drug and alcohol services, mental health services and non-government health services do talk to each other about these issues." .

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A commitment to wipe out drug abuse

2006-06-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Muscat: Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maamary, Undersecretary at the Social Development Ministry, highlighted the importance of combatting drug abuse. Speaking during the opening of the national conference on drug abuse held as part of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Al Maamary urged the public to co-operate with concerned authorities to combat drugs and protect children from the menace. "The Sultanate's initiative to join the rest of the world in observing the International Day underlines the importance accorded to the issue," he said, adding that Islam forbids anything that affects the mental ability of humans in social development. In the inaugural address, Dr Ali Jaffer, Adviser for the Ministry of Health, highlighted the country's commitment to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking by participation in international, regional and local committees dealing with the problem.

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Teens arrested in Wash. state school fire

2006-06-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Buster said the teens ran off and didn't realize the extent of the damage until they saw TV news reports the next day. The two were arrested Wednesday. Classes for 450 students at the school were canceled. District officials said they hope to put some students in the undamaged half of the school on Monday. The rest will be squeezed into another school for the final two weeks of the year. .

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Campaign against drug abuse begins

2006-05-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Narcotics Control in collaboration with Community Support Programme (CSP), a non-governmental organisation, have launched Drug Abuse Awareness Project, a ministry official said on Monday. The ministry has approved Rs 1.2 million to implement the project in seven districts including Vehari, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Abbotabad, Sanghar, Sukkur, Muzzafarabad and Islamabad. The CSP would raise awareness among children, youth and various segments of society about the social, economic and health related problems caused by drugs. A painting competition in 300 public and private sector educational institutions would be organised to educate students about drug abuse. Seminars in connection with the International Day against Drug Abuse would be organised on June 26.

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America's elderly face growing drug addiction problem

2006-05-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

BOSTON (Reuters) - When Patrick Gallagher first began nodding off at dinner, his family thought it was a symptom of old age. Their fears grew as it worsened. Withdrawing from the world at age 64, Gallagher was addicted to a cocktail of alcohol and prescription painkillers. "My whole life was centered around making sure I had an adequate supply of drugs and alcohol," said the former instructor at the University of Miami. Gallagher, of Jensen Beach, Florida, is an elderly substance abuser, a fast-growing group in the United States as baby boomers age. A government survey estimates that the number of adults aged 50 or older with substance abuse problems will double to 5 million in 2020 from 2.5 million in 1999, in large part due to their comfort with prescription drugs.

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US face of drug abuse grows older

2006-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

BOSTON - When Patrick Gallagher first began nodding off at dinner, his family thought it was a symptom of old age. Their fears grew as it worsened. Withdrawing from the world at age 64, Gallagher was addicted to a cocktail of alcohol and prescription painkillers. "My whole life was centered around making sure I had an adequate supply of drugs and alcohol," said the former instructor at the University of Miami. Gallagher, of Jensen Beach, Fla., is an elderly substance abuser, a fast-growing group in the United States as baby boomers age. A government survey estimates that the number of adults aged 50 or older with substance abuse problems will double to 5 million in 2020 from 2.5 million in 1999, in large part due to their comfort with prescription drugs.

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GEORGIA GRAPPLES WITH BREWING DRUG ADDICTION CRISIS

2006-05-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

With the number of Georgias recently registered drug users exceeding those in Armenia and Azerbaijan combined, the demand for narcotic treatment programs is rapidly rising in the Caucasus nation. The latest data provided by the South Caucasus Anti-Drug program (SCAD), reveals that in 2004, 2,016 new cases of drug abuse were reported in Georgia, while 1,275 cases were noted in Azerbaijan and 538 in Armenia. The Georgian Research Institute on Addiction (GRIA) says there are 24,000 registered drug users currently in Georgia; 14,400 of whom are intravenous users (IDU). Some estimates, however, claim that up to 240,000 individuals, or roughly 5 percent of the countrys population, are addicted to narcotics. An explosion in the use of the designer drug subutex has driven the rapid rise in Georgias addiction rate.

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America's elderly face growing drug addiction problem

2006-05-23T01:32:00.002-07:00

Coalition Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse

2006-05-23T01:32:00.001-07:00

Officials and professionals in Delta County are tired of watching prescription drug abuse take hold of their community, and they're doing something about it. The Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse gave its first presentation Thursday at the Escanaba High School. The group, made of legal and medical professionals, as well as law enforcement officers, is the first of its kind in the U.P. They're working with students to get a grip on the region's most prevalent drug problem. "What we really want to do is raise public awareness of this issue, but we also want to deter kids who may be thinking this is something they want to try and hopefully stop those who are in the midst of recreational use," explained Delta County Prosecutor Steve Parks.

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America's elderly face growing drug addiction problem

2006-05-23T01:32:00.000-07:00

America's elderly face growing drug addiction problem

2006-05-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

Drug Addiction Lucrative For Neolib Banksters, CIA

2006-05-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

'Making sure heroin addiction continues unabated is such a lucrative business for the CIA and Wall Street investors, Bush decided "not to destroy the opium crop in Afghanistan. President Bush, who previously linked the Afghan drug trade directly to terrorism, has now decided not to destroy the Afghan opium crop," Charles R. Smith reported for NewsMax on March 28, 2002, as Bush's illegal invasion of the country was well underway. Several sources inside Capitol Hill noted that the CIA opposes the destruction of the Afghan opium supply because to do so might destabilize the Pakistani government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The threat to overthrow Musharraf is motivated in part by Islamic radical groups linked to the Pakistani intelligence service, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The radical groups reportedly obtain their primary funding through opium production and trade." In fact, destroying the opium crop would have put a terrible financial squeeze on the agency and angered financiers who routinely trade in misery and death.

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Kelly Preston Speaks Out Against Drug Abuse

2006-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

WAIANAE (KHNL) A local girl who made it big in Hollywood returned to Hawaii today to help parents keep their children away from drugs. Actress Kelly Preston met with students from Waianae Charter School. She helped produce a multi-media kit to help parents educate their children about the dangers of using drugs. Preston says she herself once used drugs but was able to get the support she needed. She says she decided to help others when she saw a documentary about Hawaii's drug problem. "About a year and a half ago I watched Edgy Lee's documentary on ice and it had a profound effect on me. I thought, you know what, I can't let this happen to Hawaii, i can't let it happen to my home. And I really believe if we all get together, we can make a difference." Preston will be helping Narcanon Hawaii distribute twenty-five hundred copies of the multi-media kit.

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Woman honoured for beating drug addiction

2006-05-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

A Smiths Falls teen who shares her story about battling addiction to try to prevent others from following in her path has been given an award in recognition of her accomplishments. Jessica Weihrich, 18, was one of seven recipients of the Courage to Come Back Award presented by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation. Weihrich is the embodiment of what the award stands for. She has been to the bottom of addiction -- morphine, heroin and crack -- all before the age of 16 and clawed her way back up. She was in and out of rehab. There were times her mom didn't know if her daughter was alive or dead. But with her mother's help, Weihrich battled back by enrolling in a methadone program and attending Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. laura.czekaj@ott.sunpub.com .

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Drug addiction drove them to a life of crime

2006-05-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ludhiana, May 9 In two separate cases, CIA police have arrested six youths who took to the world of crime after getting hooked to drugs. Addressing mediapersons today evening, SP (Detective) Gurpreet Singh Toor said that CIA police have arrested a youth Gurvinder Singh alias Vicky, a resident of Dugri, and have seized 30 gms of smack from him. When the police arrested him from Mehmoodpur village on Dhandhra road, Vicky was travelling in his Ford Icon car. His car has also been impounded by the police. .

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RI 1: Kennedy Seeking Help for Prescription Drug Addiction

2006-05-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

A day after crashing his car into a police barrier near the Capitol, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy said he has no recollection of the incident and will immediately enter a drug rehabilitation program to help him cope with his addiction to prescription pain medication. “I have been fighting this chronic disease since I was a young man," Kennedy, D-R.I., told reporters Friday. “I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans." The congressman, son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he will not resign. “I'm going to stay in the fight," he said. .

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Drug addiction behind insurgency in S. Thailand

2006-05-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Hidden factors, especially drug addiction, were a major cause of the ongoing violence in Thailand's deep South, Thai acting Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said Saturday. The acting prime minister, who is also caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, was quoted by the official Thai News Agecny as saying that Thai government officials are working closely with Muslim religious leaders in the region to prevent drug addicts from becoming prey of militants. He said reports gathered on this issue by Thai intelligence officials were similar with those received by Malaysian authorities. "Segregation and drugs have been long standing problems in the region," Chidchai told journalists, referring to Thailand's southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

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Childhood selfesteem predicts adult drug abuse

2006-05-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Every parent worries that his or her child may turn to drugs, or worse, become dependent on them, and a new Florida State University study indicates that parents of boys who have very low self-esteem and have friends who approve of drug and alcohol use may have good cause to worry. FSU sociology professors John Taylor and Donald Lloyd, along with University of Miami professor emeritus George Warheit, found that low self-esteem and peer approval of drug use at age 11 predicted drug dependency at age 20. The researchers came to that conclusion after analyzing data from a multiethnic sample of 872 boys collected over a period of nine years. The study was published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. "Low self-esteem is kind of the spark plug for self-destructive behaviors, and drug use is one of these," Taylor said.

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Arab World Wakes Up To Drug Addiction

2006-05-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

Slowly, but surely, the Arab world is awakening to the growing menace of the drug problem, reports The New York Times. This is especially true in Dubai. In order to effectively deal with the problem, police and public health officials in Dubai are addressing this problem openly and stressing on the adverse effects of drugs like heroin and ecstasy. The report said that more and more officials and religious leaders were stressing on the need to kick the habit through speeches and religious sermons. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says that there are about 500,000 drug abusers in the region. "It's no longer quiet, and no longer hidden," Dr. Farida Allaghi, general coordinator of Mentor Arabia was quoted as telling the Times. "The taboo around drug addiction is fading because the problem is becoming too scary." Medindia on Substance abuse Adolescence is the time when young people experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

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BETTANY: 'MY DRUG ADDICTION HELL'

2006-05-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Actor PAUL BETTANY became addicted to cocaine as he struggled to cope with his younger brother's death and his parents' divorce. The A BEAUTIFUL MIND star's eight-year-old brother MICHAEL died after falling out of a tree onto concrete when Bettany was 16. His parents separated several years later. Bettany, now 34, admits his lifestyle veered out of control before therapy finally got him back on track. He says, "I was just so shattered by what happened. I reckon it took me something like 10 years to get over it. I felt this guilt about still being alive after Matthew died. "But, through therapy, I stopped doing all the bad stuff. It was slowly destroying me. I had this need to punish myself. "I stopped doing drugs when I realised I couldn't function without them. And coincidentally that's when I started working." (GES/WNTSU/SC) .

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Zambia: Tackle Drug Abuse

2006-05-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

DRUG abuse is undoubtedly becoming an endemic problem. What is more worrying is that despite the concerted efforts the world has made to fight the scourge, more new cases keep emerging. Therefore, there is urgent need to revise means of combating this despicable cancer. In Zambia, like the rest of the world, the abuse is more prevalent among the youth. Some of the reasons that have contributed to indulgence are inactivity among users. It so appears that by perhaps arresting alleged traffickers, growers and sometimes users, the world has been concentrating more on the symptoms than causes. Admittedly, there is considerable amount of time spent on education and awareness, but then the emphasis may also be on the after-effects. Maybe it is time that the world extended the fight to the causes of drug abuse.

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Prescription Drug Abuse Remains Problem For Teens

2006-05-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- While teen smoking and drinking continues to drop, a survey released Tuesday indicates that teenage abuse of prescription drugs has become "an entrenched behavior" that many parents fail to recognize. For a third straight year, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America study showed that about one in five teens have tried prescription drug painkillers like Vicodin or OxyContin to get high -- about 4.5 million teens. It also indicated that many teens feel experimenting with prescription drugs is safer than illegal highs. Forty percent said prescription medicines were "much safer" than illegal drugs, while 31 percent said there was "nothing wrong" with using prescription drugs "once in a while." The study further found that 29 percent of teens believe prescription pain relievers are non-addictive.

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