Drug News

“More than three percent of “sudden deaths” in a region of Spain — and probably across much of Europe — are related to cocaine use, according to a study released on Wednesday. Even modest amounts of the illegal drug cannot be considered safe for so-called “recreational use,” the authors warned, noting that cocaine consumption has…

“The lucrative drug trade is already having a deleterious impact on West African nations. Local authorities told Reuters they are increasingly outgunned and unable to stop the smugglers. And significantly, many experts say, the drug trafficking is bringing in huge revenues to groups that say they are part of al-Qaida.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34840622/ns/us_news-security/

“Lawton Boy, 11, Said Man Was Dealing Drugs From Home” http://www.koco.com/news/22227334/detail.html

“The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: ”Happy New Year, because this will be your last.” To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez’s face and stitched it onto a…

“A clue to explain how cocaine becomes addictive has emerged and may lead to new ways to treat the addiction.” http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/01/cocaine-research-epigenetics.html

“More than 5 million Americans currently use pain-relieving medications like Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet for nonmedical reasons, according to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The problem is particularly high widespread among adolescents. A survey performed by the National Institute on Drug…

“To the dismay of the Catholic church and the disgust of the Mexican government, a bogus saint from popular folklore has become a crucial accessory for junkies, gang members and cartel kingpins alike.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6982343.ece

“Prolonged exposure to cocaine can cause permanent changes in the way genes are switched on and off in the brain, a finding that may lead to more effective treatments for many kinds of addiction, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.” http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=9529263

“After some gains in Mexico’s drug war in 2009, Tijuana has had a bloody turn of events in the new year. More than a dozen people, four of them students, were reported slain in the last week.” http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-tijuana-violence11-2010jan11,0,5013056.story

“A federal screener at Logan International Airport admitted yesterday to illegally selling the painkiller OxyContin to a former colleague and using money from drug trafficking to help buy a luxury Lotus sports car.” http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/12/ex_tsa_screener_admits_to_selling_oxycontin/