Drug News

Illicit drug use cost the U.S. economy an estimated $193 billion in 2007 — a figure that comes close to the annual costs related to diabetes and other chronic diseases, according to a government study released Thursday by the National Drug Intelligence Center. The report looked at the most recent year in which data was…

In FINS’ informal Sign or Decline question forum, 31% of 573 respondents said they’d sign for their dream job if there was peer pressure at the firm to do drugs, while 69% said they’d turn down the offer. Those who would be willing to work in a drug-infested office are “naive about what it is…

Dedham Police arrested 42-year-old Theresa Foley, of Stoughton, Friday afternoon for allegedly selling drugs in the parking lot of Dedham Medical, where she worked. Foley was seen by drug enforcement officers selling drugs to as many as six people during her lunch hour, Walsh said. http://stoughton.patch.com/articles/dedham-police-stoughton-woman-sold-drugs-at-work

Sheriffs statewide have been scrambling to pay for meth lab cleanups since federal funding evaporated, shifting the burden to county taxpayers, even as a new method of making the drug fuels a boom in the number of labs authorities are finding. Meth labs leave behind hazardous waste that costs thousands of dollars to clean up.…

Access to rogue online pharmacies may be driving a rapid increase in the abuse of prescription drugs like powerful painkillers Percocet and Oxycontin, a new study shows. “Our findings suggest that Internet growth may partly explain the increase in prescription drug abuse, since it is well known that these drugs are easily available online,” said…

Psychemedics Corporation (NASDAQ:PMD) announced first quarter financial results for the period ended March 31, 2011. Raymond C. Kubacki, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are very pleased to report significant growth in revenues and profits in the first quarter over last year’s first quarter results. The revenue was the highest of any first quarter…

Several states have started reassessing their medical marijuana laws after stern warnings from the federal government that everyone from licensed growers to regulators could be subjected to prosecution. The ominous-sounding letters from U.S. attorneys in recent weeks have directly injected the federal government back into a debate that has for years been progressing at the…

New Jersey store owners who have been peddling a designer hallucinogenic drug labeled as bath salts and plant food have 10 days to voluntarily surrender them or face criminal consequences, according to New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow. On Thursday, Ms. Dow set a May 18 deadline for storeowners who have been selling the drugs…

Abuse of painkillers, other prescription drugs on the rise, police say. Prescription drugs have become the drug of choice to abuse in Harford County, over both cocaine and heroin, police and others who work in the drug abuse field say. The abuse is at epidemic levels in Harford County and police say the illegal sale…

Seven students from Park Middle School have been caught possessing and buying marijuana from an adult who lives within 1,000 feet of their Kennewick school, police reported Thursday. A police investigation began just before 10 a.m. Wednesday at the school after students were caught with marijuana, said Kennewick officer Tony Valdez. A joint investigation with…