A new White House study found a 400 percent jump in prescription drug abuse between 1998 and 2008. Experts blame a lack of monitoring programs as well as Americans’ increasing unwillingness to bear even small pains. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0715/Prescription-drug-abuse-surged-400-percent-in-past-decade

A couple of Canadian biotech companies believe their drug-reformulation techniques can combat the misuse and abuse of long-acting opioid drugs, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called a “widespread and serious public-health crisis.” http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100715-709055.html

Emergency room physicians in recent weeks have called for a ban on raves at the two venues, saying that use of the illegal drug Ecstasy is widespread at raves and that those who overdose flood nearby hospitals, putting them at risk for critical illness and death. http://www.latimes.com/news/health/la-me-0716-rave-coliseum-20100716,0,2922663.story

More than 40,000 Ecstasy pills are sold every day on the Spanish island of Ibiza during holiday season, according to police who have warned that they are losing the battle against drug traffickers. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/7894526/Drug-dealers-sell-40000-Ecstasy-pills-on-Ibiza-every-day.html

Children in Afghanistan are often fed opium to stop their crying, and many are born to addicts. A few clinics offer drug rehab for youths, but they are scarce and socially taboo. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0714/In-Afghanistan-drug-rehab-for-children

Home Secretary Theresa May has described legal highs as the “next battle” in the fight against drugs. Mrs May called for the introduction of temporary bans on potentially dangerous new drugs, to give scientists time to consider the evidence.She said the Government is acting on the latest legal high, naphyrone, which is marketed as NRG1,…

Northern Territory police raided a series of Darwin homes today following the hospitalisation of six revellers last night who took capsules from a batch of bad drugs. The victims, who took a mystery drug in Darwin’s nightclub district last night, were rushed to hospital, including one man who needed to be held down by six…

DRUGS are detected in one out of every 61 drivers tested on Victorian roads, and more than three-quarters of those caught were using speed. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-in-61-tested-drivers-on-drugs-20100715-10cps.html

Prescription drug overdoses have replaced car accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death for 35- 54-year-olds in Washington, according to a report from the state Department of Health. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/423387_death14.html