“Fire officials say a methamphetamine lab explosion sparked this massive fire in Pine Grove, Schuylkill County last week.” http://www.wfmz.com/news/22307128/detail.html

“There is growing concerns that Al Qaeda in Africa and Latin American drug cartels are working together. Latin American cocaine flights go to Africa, en route to Europe. Are Al Qaeda members on the empty planes back to Latin America?” http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2010/0115/Air-Al-Qaeda-Are-Latin-America-s-drug-cartels-giving-Al-Qaeda-a-lift

“Easier access will soon become a reality in New Jersey now that former Gov. Jon Corzine signed A-804 into law days before leaving office. In fact, patients will only have to be 18 years of age to be prescribed medical marijuana, which is the age of many high school seniors. Further, recent amendments to the…

“A school bus driver shuttling 15 Pittsburgh Carrick High School students to and from a field trip was charged with driving under the influence of drugs after he nearly struck a light pole and ran a red light, a chaperone told police.” Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10020/1029495-298.stm#ixzz0dMF00pNx

“Even those on low doses of opioids are at risk… doctors who worked on the study noted, although the drugs do provide a benefit, there needs to be close medical supervision of patients receiving long-term opioid therapy, no matter how potent the patient’s dose.” http://www.myvictoriaonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3835:painkiller-overdoses-&catid=55:local&Itemid=53

“Ecstasy was responsible for the major drug scare of the 90s. Yet the death of Leah Betts did little to deter the public, with demand and supply rising throughout the next decade until pills cost just £1.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8468372.stm

“Grease” star Jeff Conaway has suffered “devastating injuries” following a staircase accident on Monday morning. His girlfriend says he suffered a brain hemorrhage after the fall. Conaway, who played John Travolta’s best friend in the 1978 classic musical, has had a public battle with drug addiction. He appeared in VH1 reality series “Celebrity Rehab with…

“Even though meth lab busts increased slightly in North Carolina in 2009, the numbers continue to plummet in McDowell, which held the top spot in the state for lab seizures three years running.” http://www2.mcdowellnews.com/content/2010/jan/13/meth-labs-decline-new-method-could-change/

“NASA says it has launched an investigation after finding cocaine in a processing hangar for a space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/space/01/15/nasa.shuttle.cocaine/index.html

“A federal jury has convicted the former manager of a W. Broad Street restaurant that prosecutors say served as a wholesale distributor of heroin.” http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/15/el_cora.ART_ART_01-15-10_B2_LTGACAR.html?sid=101