Teen Girls Increasingly Vulnerable to Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Jun 29, 2010
According to the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to perceive potential benefits from drug use and drinking, making teen girls more vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse.
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In Georgia, Cobb and Neighboring Cities Try to Ban Pill Mills
Jun 28, 2010
A move to create a prescription drug monitoring program in Georgia stalled in the Legislature this year, leaving local governments to combat the problem on their own. The failed legislation would have discouraged "pill mills" by tracking the dispensation of prescriptions via an electronic database.
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Heroin, Cocaine Lead List of Most-used Illicit Drugs in Connecticut
Jun 19, 2010
Heroin and crack and powdered cocaine lead the list of most-used illicit drugs in Connecticut, research shows.
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Concern Over "Pill Mills" Is Growing in Ohio
Jun 10, 2010
DEA recently placed Ohio’s Scioto County on a watch list of the 10 most-significant places in the United States for trafficking of medications.
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1 in 5 U.S. High School Students Have Abused Prescription Drugs, CDC Survey Finds
Jun 03, 2010
One in five U.S. high school students say they have ever taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription, according to the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Stronger Heroin Killing More
May 25, 2010
Mexican drug smugglers are increasingly selling a form of highly potent heroin. It costs as little as $10 per bag and is so pure it can kill unsuspecting users instantly. Black tar heroin—named for its dark, gooey consistency—and other forms of the drug are attracting a new generation of users who are caught off guard by its potency. Authorities are concerned that the potency and price of the heroin could widen the drug’s appeal, just as crack did for cocaine decades ago. The heroin comes in the form of black tar or brown powder, and has proved especially popular in rural and suburban areas. The greater potency allows more heroin users to snort the drug or smoke it and still achieve a sustained high—an attractive alternative for teenagers and suburbanites who do not want the HIV risk or the track marks on their arms that come with repeated injections. “That has opened up heroin to a whole different group of users,” said Harry Sommers, the agent in charge of the DEA office in St. Louis.
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AAPCC Members Warn of Danger of Contaminated Cocaine
May 25, 2010
Toxicologists across the country are sounding the alarm about levamisole, a contaminant increasingly found in cocaine. DEA estimates some 70% of cocaine currently coming into the country is contaminated with levamisole—a veterinary drug used to de-worm animals. The addition of levamisole is impairing cocaine users’ immune systems, subjecting them to various infections and, in some cases, causing death. Dr. Steven Seifert, a board member for the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), co-authored a report on the current status of levamisole-contaminated cocaine. Seifert said the public health threat presented by this contamination is underappreciated and is being under-reported because of a lack of awareness in the medical community. Physicians should suspect levamisole-contaminated cocaine in patients with immune suppression, and should contact their county or state health departments for assistance with testing and epidemiologic investigation. Physicians with questions about the impact of levamisole should call their poison center. Doctors should also warn patients known to use cocaine of the presence of a potentially lethal contaminant in cocaine supplies.
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Teens Use Household Items to Conceal Drugs
May 21, 2010
Teens are using common household items to hide drugs, transport them to school, and in some cases, buy and sell prescription medications. Among the items being used to conceal drugs are soda cans, potato chip containers, lipstick, and even books. The alarming trend is causing great concern among parents and law enforcement. Ava Cooper-Davis, the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of DEA, demonstrated how common objects can be transformed into drug carriers. DEA is especially concerned about the growing threat of prescription drugs. In most households, prescriptions are stored in unlocked, easily accessible medicine cabinets. That has given way to “pharm” parties, where teens dump random pills in a bowl at the door, to be shared later on. "Everyone takes a pill," said Cooper-Davis. "Now you have no idea what pill you're taking. On top of it, alcohol is being taken in combination with that and kids are going to bed and never waking up." Just as alarming: two in five teens believe there is nothing wrong with taking prescription drugs, because they are prescribed by a doctor, even if they are intended for someone else.
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Risky Prescription Drugs Are Easy for Kids to Obtain
May 21, 2010
Prescription drug abuse is on the rise, say law enforcement officials, anti-drug advocates, and substance abuse counselors. The problem has become so widespread that the White House made curbing it a goal of the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy. It recognized prescription drug abuse as the "fastest-growing drug problem in the United States." Prescription drugs are now the gateway drugs in the same way alcohol and marijuana once were, said Brian Gamarello, managing director of Daytop New Jersey's Mendham center, which treats youths 13 to 18 years old who have substance abuse problems. Douglas Collier, an agent with the New Jersey division of DEA, described prescription drug abuse as an "insidious" problem. "It's now in your home," he told a group of parents in a presentation that was part of a program titled “Pharming in the Garden State: What Parents Need to Know About Prescription Drug Abuse.” Availability is a big part of the problem, Collier said. Teenagers and young adults have to look no further than their parents' or their friends' parents' medicine cabinets. Parents should remain alert and engaged, Gamarello said. "The really important thing is for them just to be involved and not ignore signs.”
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Santa Cruz Drug Users Hooked on Mexican-produced Black Tar Heroin
May 21, 2010
Although heroin use has waned in other parts of the state and country, the opium-based drug remains the drug of choice for many users in California’s Santa Cruz County. Drug users—from high school- and college-age kids to people in their 50s—get their heroin fix at small camps tucked behind trees along the railroad tracks in Santa Cruz's Harvey West neighborhood or from drug houses scattered across the county. Most heroin used on California’s Central Coast can be traced to poppy fields in rural Mexico. Farmers sell their raw product to cartels, or the drug organizations grow the flowers themselves. Opium is extracted from the unripened seed pods of poppy plants. The opium is purified, then mixed with other substances, like coffee grounds or brown sugar, to dilute it and increase the weight of the drug. Black tar heroin grown travels north, crosses borders, and finds its way to Santa Cruz County, where it is sold for $10 a hit. Mexican and Salvadoran gangs control some of the drug trade, but dealers also are tight-knit Mexican families. The familial connections make it difficult for law enforcement officers to infiltrate the groups.
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Hooked on Heroin: Public "Blissfully Unaware" of Illegal Drug Trade in Pogonip
May 21, 2010
In Santa Cruz, the tourist industry has a dark underbelly: black-tar heroin. People come to Santa Cruz from miles away to buy $10 hits of the highly addictive opiate, especially to Pogonip, a large city-owned park.
Local residents are among the users who hike into the woods to buy the drug. While heroin's popularity has waned in much of the rest of the state, heroin represents about 20% of the narcotics cases handled by the county's narcotics task force. More heroin addicts seek treatment in the county than any other type of drug user. Some blame the heroin problem on a lax attitude toward drugs in Santa Cruz, or the area's identity as a free-spirited piece of paradise where anything goes. Others say it is simply business: supply and demand. The heroin problem has gotten so bad that, earlier this month, Santa Cruz police teamed with DEA to target drug dealing and the gangs that sell heroin in the area. Heroin's pervasiveness in the community has also generated action from concerned residents, such as the group Take Back Santa Cruz, whose members have done cleanups at drug-infested locations.
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Search for Answers in Fentanyl Death Raises More Questions
May 18, 2010
When 24-year-old Amanda Bussard died last October, her mother Robin Bussard was left searching for answers. It was only months later that the toxicology report revealed that fentanyl, combined with alcohol, had stopped Amanda’s breathing. That discovery only lead to more questions, including: Who gave Amanda the fentanyl? Fentanyl is not as heavily abused as other drugs, in part because of its price—as much as $100 for a patch. Used to treat severe pain, fentanyl comes in several forms: pill, patch, injection, and lollipop. When used as prescribed, the powerful narcotic alleviates pain more effectively than morphine or other drugs without side effects like vomiting. But when abused, fentanyl can quickly become fatal. Amanda’s death was one of four linked to fentanyl in Hampton Roads last year, according to the medical examiner's office. Statewide, at least 37 deaths in Virginia were related to the use of the drug. Overdose cases like Amanda’s can be tough to solve due to a lack of evidence. Robin Bussard said she is not ready to give up on her daughter's case yet. In situations where users have died, illegal fentanyl providers have faced charges including reckless endangerment, manslaughter, and murder.
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OTC High: Cough Medicine Abuse on Rise Among Kids
May 05, 2010
School nurses across the country have launched an initiative called "Home to Homeroom" to educate parents and teachers about the danger of dextromethorphan, or DXM for short. DXM is the active cough-suppressant ingredient in cough medicine. In large doses, it can produce a hallucinogenic high. According to studies cited by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), 6% of high school teens admit to having abused cough medicine in the past year, and 33% of high school teens say they know someone who has. While parents have become increasingly aware of prescription drug abuse, they may not be aware that over-the-counter products also can be abused. "Our main purpose is to get word out that this is happening. Some parents just aren't aware of it, and this gives us another tool to create awareness," said school nurse Cameron Traut. "We want parents to know about this problem," said NASN Executive Director Amy Garcia. "We want people to be willing to learn about it, and talk to their kids about it." According to NASN, kids who have ongoing conversations with their parents about medicine abuse are 50% less likely to abuse.
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Georgia Ranks 3rd in Nation for Teen Meth Use
May 04, 2010
A survey by the Georgia Meth Project shows 35% of teenagers think there’s little or no risk in trying the drug, and that’s a trend experts say needs to stop. Since January, the Effingham County sheriff’s office has arrested 20 people on meth-related charges and shut down eight meth labs. "Georgia ranks third in the country in the number of teenage users," said Jim Langford, Executive Director of the Georgia Meth Project. A forum at Effingham County Middle School was designed to get the community involved in prevention. “More people that know about it, more people can help us look for it. The more people you’ve got looking, the better chance we have of being able to do something about it,“ said Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie. The Georgia Meth Project wants more parents involved to prevent more kids from trying the drug and getting hooked. "Get these communities motivated. Let them understand the dangers of meth," said Langford. "Most of the people in these communities understand the problems, but let’s get them organized."
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Losing the Battle: Meth Addicts Struggle to Recover
May 04, 2010
Sheriff Wally George has watched meth use swell in Missouri’s Saline County over his 31-year tenure. For George, the toll of methamphetamine is personal—he arrested his own son, who had a meth lab in his house. Meth is a mistake people cannot afford to make, George said. "You take a bite of that meth one time, it’s going to bite back and never let go," he said. According to a 2006 report by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, 50% of meth users relapse, 36% of those within the first six months of treatment. Unlike medicinal treatment for heroin, treatments for meth addiction are extremely limited, and only behavioral therapies have shown to be effective, according to a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Education, education, education," George said. "That's the only way we're going to win this problem over." The Marshall School District provides prevention programs from kindergarten through 12th grade. Through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, courses in health, social studies, and science explain the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco on the body. The schools also mark a "Red Ribbon Week" that highlights drug prevention.
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