Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction (1) started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18, according to a national study released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University. Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem reveals that adolescence is…

Eighty-two percent of seized cocaine contains levamisole, according to an April 2011 report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Why dealers would stretch their stash with levamisole instead of the more traditional fillers, like baking soda, is unclear, although studies in rats suggest the drug acts on the same brain receptors as cocaine. So it…

The 2010 report reveals that in the 10 participating cities/counties, more than half of adult males arrested for crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies tested positive for at least one drug. Positive test results ranged from 52 percent in Washington, DC, to 83 percent in Chicago, Illinois, illustrating the link between drug use and crime…

Florida’s ‘pill mill’ problem grew out of years of weak regulations, a lack of laws and the absence of a database to monitor prescription drugs, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel. “We failed to enact proper controls and procedures that would keep this from getting out of hand,” Bruce Grant, the state’s former…

Psychemedics is proud to partner with Lansing Catholic School and happy to join forces with them to create a drug free environment for the students! Close to 100 parents of Lansing Catholic students packed into the school’s gym to find out more about the mandatory drug testing policy, which means all students, teachers and staffers…

You’ve probably heard the under-world of drug abuse has taken on a new face over the past decade, with the rise of prescription pill addicts. The story is more nuanced than that. But before looking at the nuance, here are a few surprising facts and a disturbing trend. •Overdose deaths in King County dropped last…

Psychemedics – Pharmacies Under Siege CNN The assailants, often addicted to the powerful painkillers they are seeking, employ guns, knives and even bomb threats to rob the pharmacies. The state of Washington is one of several hot spots around the country for pharmacy crime. In the last three years in the state, there have been…

Psychemedics is proud to partner with Lansing Catholic School to help them create a drug free environment. LANSING — Lansing Catholic High School staff and students will begin mandatory drug testing this fall. “The whole idea is to prevent students from using drugs, and if they are, to get them to stop and get them…

A survey shows 30 to 50% of all local applicants are doing too many drugs and can’t pass mandatory drug tests. CSS Workforce New York said the growing trend is hurting local businesses. “The truth is that the majority of companies with good jobs have drug testing. And if you can’t pass that initial employment…

Definitive proof of an adverse effect of chronic marijuana use revealed at SNM’s 58th Annual Meeting could lead to potential drug treatments and aid other research involved in cannabinoid receptors, a neurotransmission system receiving a lot of attention. Scientists used molecular imaging to visualize changes in the brains of heavy marijuana smokers versus non-smokers and…