Drug News

The National Institute on Drug Abuse released its new survey of teen drug use today, with a remarkable finding: More high school seniors were smoking pot in 2010 than cigarettes. For 12th-graders, declines in cigarette use accompanied by recent increases in marijuana use have put marijuana ahead of cigarette smoking by some measures. In 2010,…

From billboards to PSAs to TV commercials, it seems like awareness surrounding the risks of drunk and drugged driving is everywhere. So it may come as a surprise to learn that 30 million Americans are driving drunk each year, while another 10 million are getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. According…

DRMC has experienced a notable spike in the number of patients treated for heroin overdoses with 57 reported from 2005 to October of 2010. In contrast the hospital treated only three patients for overdoses from 2000 to 2004. Christiansen said overdose patients typically experience respiratory depression.“It just makes them so sedated that their body forgets…

Some Corpus deaths appeared to be linked to a growing popularity of partying with prescription pills, including cocktails of drugs like Vicodin (hydrocodone) and Xanax (alprazolam), said Stefanie Wiser, who compiles statistics for the office. “I know there’s a huge increase,” she said. “There are some cases where they buy them as recreational drugs, and…

A former U.S. Postal Service worker from Redding has been sentenced to six months in prison for stealing prescription drugs from the mail. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16803663?nclick_check=1

Five Columbia University students have been snared in an undercover drug sting dubbed “Operation Ivy League.” They stand accused of selling a menu of narcotics out of fraternity houses and on-campus residences, authorities said Tuesday. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703296604576005773446956228.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth

A bumbling drug dealer in Wisconsin was busted in an impromptu sting on Sunday night after he accidentally sent a text message offering to sell drugs to the 10-year-old grandson of a state trooper. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/12/07/2010-12-07_drug_dealer_busted_after_sending_text_message_offering_hash_to_10yearold_grandso.html#ixzz17XRlpzIa

The negative effects of marijuana on teenagers’ brain development have come into sharper focus lately; now, a study in the European Journal of Immunology shows how cannabis can adversely affect the immune system. Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti of the University of South Carolina led a team of immunologists who found that marijuana consumption can leave the…

A new report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that there has been an increasing presence of drugs in fatal accidents since 2005. The report, presented at a news conference Tuesday, looked at state data involving 21,798 drivers killed in auto accidents in 2009, 63 percent of whom (13,801) were tested for drugs…

NOV 24 — WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is using its emergency scheduling authority to temporarily control five chemicals (JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol) used to make “fake pot” products. Except as authorized by law, this action will make possessing and selling these chemicals or the products that contain…