Decline In Drug Abuse Hopeful, But More Research, Education Needed

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry applauds the 23.2 percent decline in drug use by young people reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), but calls for more research and education on the impact of youth drug abuse. The Monitoring the Future Study survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders shows an illicit drug use decline by 23.2 percent over a five-year period. It also showed that youth prescription drug, and over-the-counter medicine abuse remains high. "This illustrates that education is driving prevention," says Thomas F. Anders, M.D., President of AACAP. "Continued collaboration among parents, teachers, physicians, and mental health professionals is essential to show youth the long-term consequences of using drugs." The AACAP emphasizes the need for the identification and treatment of mental illnesses that often are present in youth who use drugs and/or alcohol.

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Youths can take different routes to drug addiction

Drug policies in the United States have long been influenced by the idea of a "gateway progression" in drug use, where the use of one substance eventually leads to "harder" drugs. Marijuana is often called a "gateway drug" because many young people who use it later move on to substances such as heroin and cocaine, and the gateway progression has been considered a strong predictor for drug dependency. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh, however, suggests that teens who follow a reverse sequence -- using harder drugs without having first tried "softer" ones, such as cigarettes and alcohol -- are just as likely to develop a drug dependency. In a study of 214 boys, researchers monitored participants' use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana over a 10-year period, until they reached the age of 22.

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Report ties teen smoking to drug abuse

Young people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to use drugs and abuse alcohol than non-smoking youth, a new study says. A study of 15- to 19-year-olds by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse found a "very strong" association between tobacco use and hazardous drinking, use of marijuana, and other drugs. "What surprised me was the strength of the association," said Chris Davis, one of the researchers for the study. The study found 91% of smoking youth used marijuana some time in the year before the study, compared to 29% of non-smoking youth. Young people who smoke were more likely to binge drink and more than twice as likely to be hazardous drinkers than non-smokers. .

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Doherty treated for drug addiction

BRITISH rock star Pete Doherty, the on-off boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss, is reportedly being treated for drug addiction at a clinic in Portugal. The 27-year-old Babyshambles frontman will have the drug naltrexone, which reduces the craving for heroin, implanted in his abdomen at the clinic at Oeiras, an oceanside suburb of Lisbon, Portuguese newspaper 24Horas reports, citing clinic sources. Doherty arrived in Portugal on Monday and is being accompanied by a British doctor, the paper said. The troubled singer has repeatedly sought treatment for drug addiction before in Portugal as well as at clinics in England, France and Thailand. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing crack cocaine earlier this month after he was spotted driving his Jaguar erratically near his home in East London.

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OBNDD Selects SumTotal for Online Curriculum to Stem Drug Abuse

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) has chosen SumTotal Systems' software to build an online curriculum to stem the abuse of drugs, specifically methamphetamines. OBNDD will develop and deliver Web-based courses with SumTotal's learning and content management systems. SumTotal's TotalLMS and TotalLCMS are part of a suite of software products that deliver, analyze and track training over the Internet. .

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George Michael - Drug Addiction For Real

The former lead singer of Wham hit rock bottom with anti-drug and alcohol prevention groups with his recent comments and his behavior prior to filming the British TV program, The South Bank Show. Comments attributed to Michael included the claim this that his pot-smoking behavior has kept him "sane and happy." The singer made headlines not only with his comments but with film clips that reportedly showed him lighting up a joint before the interview on the British show. Paul Corry of the agency Rethink panned the behavior and was highly critical of the singer. Michael's "comments are stupid and naïve." said Corry. "Cannabis is not a risk-free drug. For a significant minority of people it is a trigger for developing a severe long term mental illness ..." Twice in the last nine months, Michael has been found slumped over in a car seemingly under the influence of some substances.

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Judge Hatchett: Child abuse amplified by drug abuse

Television's Judge Glenda Hatchett said the more we talk about child abuse, the better off we are. She visited Wayne State University yesterday to discuss child abuse and its effect on the community. Phyllis Ivory Vroom, Dean of the Wayne State University college of social work, called child abuse an “immense social issue," saying 30,000 Michigan children are victims of mistreatment each year, and 20,000 are in foster care. Vroom also said “children of color" are more likely to be in the child protection system and less likely than white children to be reunited with parents. Hatchett, who not “in her wildest dreams" envisioned becoming a judge, said “these are not just numbers, these are children." .

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Courtney Love Credits Gibson With Her Drug Addiction Recovery

New York, NY (AHN) - Noted actress and rock singer, Courtney Love said on Tuesday that Mel Gibson helped her on her road to recovery from drug addiction. The widow of rock legend Kurt Cobain, who has been sober for 15 months, said Gibson showed up unexpectedly at a Beverly Hills, California hotel where she was in the throws of a drug binge, and coaxed her to seek help. "Mel kept coming to the door with this cheesy grin going, `Hi!'" Love said on Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I just kept looking at him going - I can't cuss - um, `Blank off!' ... I know him and he's a nice guy. It didn't matter who it was. It could have been Jesus. I didn't care," she said. The 42-year-old former lead singer for the band Hole, said that Gibson came with addiction counselor, Warren Boyd.

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Governor says drug abuse serious concern

Drug and alcohol misuse among young people are some of the most important challenges facing the country, according to H.E the Governor Stuart Jack. He made his comments at the opening ceremony of the two-day Cayman Against Substance Abuse (CASA) youth leadership conference on Thursday 2 November. Co-ordinated by CASAs Youth to Youth section, Mr Jack, along with Youth Minister the Hon Alden McLaughlin, Health Minister the Hon Anthony Eden, CASA leaders, top-level police representatives, corporate-sector supporters, and officials from the Youth Department, National Drug Council, and the care homes all attended. Government is making great effort to make the Cayman Islands what it should be, but there are different leadership situations, from running the country, government, school, family and mentoring friends and classmates, the Governor said.

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Drug addiction costing billions of dollars

The fight against drugs comes at a huge cost, but its not even close to what the damage costs are when it comes to drug addiction. Staff Sergeant Ian Sanderson, the RCMP Drug Awareness Coordinator was in Spirit River last week to talk to Central Peace area school kids during the day before closing out the evening with a talk about drug use to parents and community members. It costs us about $3 billion a year for the damage thats caused by alcohol and tobacco in Alberta and nationally were looking at about $48 billion it costs the Canadian economy for illicit drug use, said Sanderson. Thats why he says the argument cant be made to legalize and tax drugs because the province doesnt collect $3 billion in taxes from alcohol and tobacco. It doesnt really matter what the drug is, its the addiction that is the issue, noted Sanderson.

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Drug-abuse funds coming to state

Federal drug czar John Walters today is expected to announce a five-year, $14 million grant for emergency rooms and clinics in Denver and southeastern Colorado to identify and help substance abusers before they become addicts. At least one as-yet-undetermined Denver public school- based clinic will be part of the innovative program, officials familiar with the grant said. The plan is to get young abusers treatment and counseling to prevent addiction rather than rely on intervention programs geared toward the addict. "With this major grant, we will partner with Colorado in a meaningful way to prevent the disease of addiction, particularly among our young people," Walter said in a news release detailing today's announcement, scheduled at Denver's South High School. Walters will also announce that three other states - Wisconsin, Florida and Massachusetts - are to receive similar funding, which comes from the U.S.

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Theft, drug abuse cases to be given priority: Criminal Court

The Criminal Court has said that it will place special importance on concluding theft, robbery, and drug abuse cases and they will be dealt with much more promptly that usual. Ghazee Abdulla Areef said that an average of 21 cases of these crimes would be dealt with every day to hasten the process. “The number of cases dealt with daily is low because of shorter working hours in Ramazan," said the Ghazee. “So we shall place priority on the cases of those who are under arrest. Those under police custody are those implicated in theft, robbery, and drug abuse." The Ghazee said that the conclusion of the cases was now proceeding at a satisfactory rate. .

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Drug court helps people fight addiction

Efrain Rivera is charged with possession of narcotics, essentially the same crime Bridgeport Mayor John M. Fabrizi has acknowledged committing. But he finds himself in far different circumstances. He's in Bridgeport Superior Court, a few blocks from City Hall, his wrists crossed behind his back as if someone might slap cuffs on him at any second. When seven sweaty guys in baggy jeans and leg irons shuffle in on the way to another courtroom, he looks away fast. He doesn't want to be like them. In the past, Rivera has been charged with possession of cocaine. This time it's heroin. His checkered past raises the stakes: If things go badly he might find himself among more than 700 inmates serving time in state prisons for possession of cocaine or heroin — not dealing or trafficking, just possession.

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Study Compares Overeating To Drug Addiction

New York, NY (AHN) - A recent study conducted by a team of Brookhaven National Laboratory researchers says overeating is like drug addiction for obese people. The team performed scans on seven overweight people, and the results showed that the areas controlled by satiety were similar to those in drug addicts abusing substances. The researchers analyzed brain impulses in seven overweight individuals. All of them had been fitted with a weight-reduction device called an implantable gastric stimulator (IGS). The device transmits signals that eventually relay satiety messages to the brain so as to reduce one's desire for food. Dr Gene-Jack Wang, at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, says, "As soon as we saw these scans, immediately it reminded me of what we had studied in drug abuse when people were under a craving situation - the same areas in the brain lit up." The experts believe the findings of their study could pave the way for the discovery of new therapies for obesity.

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South Africa: Crackdown On Teen Drug Abuse

THE Tshwane council is drafting drastic bylaws to give Metro cops the power to conduct drug tests at schools, concerts, stadiums, movie theatres and in other public places. This follows last week's announcement by Tshwane Executive Mayor Gwen Ramokgopa that she wanted to implement radical bylaws to combat drug abuse in the city. The initiative will see Tshwane becoming the first city in the country to introduce the bylaws. Mel Vosloo, the Tshwane Metro Police spokesman, said the proposal already enjoyed the support of all political parties. "The levels of drug abuse are far too high. This problem needs to be combated on every level of society." He said the council had established that cinemas, schools, concerts and stadiums were places where drug-use was more prevalent.

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Drug addiction is disease, not a social stigma, say experts

AMRITSAR: The experts and social scientists who participated in the one-day seminar on "Drug Addiction and Youth in Punjab" were of the unanimous view that drug evil could only be eradicated from the society with the active participation of general masses. Experts said that drug addiction is a disease and drug-addicts may not be considered as social stigma. Today, proper counselling and rehabilitation of addicted patients by the experts is the need of the hour. This seminar on "Drug Addiction and Youth in Punjab" was organized by the students of Guru Nanak Dev University under the aegis of Drug De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre of the University, here today. Dr. Jai Rup Singh, Vice-Chancellor inaugurated the seminar while Mr. S. Shrivastva, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar, Dr.

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ANNA NICOLE SMITH LAWSUIT ALLEGES DRUG ABUSE

LATEST: The photojournalist claiming to be the father of ANNA NICOLE SMITH's baby daughter alleges in court documents that Smith was taking methadone and is hiding out in the Bahamas to keep her baby from being tested for drugs. LARRY BIRKHEAD filed court papers in Los Angeles on Monday (02OCT06), attempting to establish paternity and obtain legal custody of the child. Birkhead began legal proceedings after learning that Smith's close friend and attorney HOWARD K STERN, who she wed in a commitment ceremony last Thursday (28SEP06), is also claiming to be the father. The lawsuit alleges Smith was taking methadone, which is normally used to treat heroin addiction, and that Stern has been facilitating her habit. Birkhead also claims Smith is hiding out in the Bahamas to keep her baby from being tested for drugs.

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Iran: Brothers Change The Face Of HIV, Drug-Addiction Treatment

Two Iranian siblings have revolutionized the way drug addicts and HIV/AIDS-infected people are treated in their country. Doctors Arash and Kamiar Alaei were raised in a wealthy family but now devote their lives to helping the less fortunate on the streets, treating them, and counseling them on how to rejoin society and even find a spouse. .

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Drug abuse is target of hot line

HAMILTON - The Butler County prosecutor hopes a new hot line will help cut down on prescription-drug abuse and crimes related to it. Prosecutor Robin Piper has set up the hot line, 1-888-662-3673 (1-888-NO2-DOPE). "Many people addicted to drugs just need help; your call could save lives," placards advertising the hot line say. .

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Marking National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Imagine a nation in which a deadly but treatable disease is taking its toll on more than 5 percent of the population. One that is wreaking havoc with the lives of millions of men, women, and children, but only 20 percent of the people who need treatment are receiving it. Would we help?These are the statistics that prevail in the U.S. today. The disease is alcohol and drug addiction.Alcohol and drug abuse disrupts families, threatens the safety of our neighborhoods and ruins the lives of countless men, women and youths. During September, National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, we recognize the damaging effects of substance abuse and renew our support for individuals battling to overcome addiction.The theme for the 2006 Recovery Month campaign is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Build a Stronger, Healthier Community." It is always our hope that the campaign will urge all Americans to help prevent alcohol and drug abuse and to promote treatment and recovery options.Recovery Month is a national public education campaign developed by the U.S.

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Drug Trafficking and Addiction: Still on the rise

UNICEF recently made a survey of the state of drug addiction and drug trafficking in the Maldives, revealing that as much as half of the youth population was addicted to drugs in the islands. The survey has shown a great increase in the number of drugs over the past few years. Over 50 percent of the youth abuse drugs in some islands, said the UNICEF report. The most common substance abused is heroin. The average age when the habit forms is 12, the report said, although there were cases as young as 9 years old. A joint investigation into the extent of drug abuse in the Maldives is being conducted by the National Narcotics Control Board (NNCB) and UNICEF. The investigation will touch upon key issues such as the specifics of trafficking, and the number of new addicts. The survey will be conducted throughout all the regions of the Maldives and on all the islands where the abuse of drugs is present.

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Video statements in Lakin case detail sex, drug abuse allegations

One is a shaggy-haired boy, now 16. Another, a distressed elder brother. Then there's the bewildered woman, just barely 18. And two older women who say they were overwhelmed with drugs and sex. Their video statements, recorded in April for East Alton attorney Ed Unsell and made available to the Post-Dispatch, present a clearer and more emotional picture of the child sex and drug abuse allegations against former attorney and Metro East power broker Tom Lakin. The accusations paint Lakin - publicly an accomplished lawyer and political boss - as a free-wheeling man of sexual avarice. Tom Lakin's exact whereabouts are unknown, but Brad Lakin, who heads the firm his father founded, has strenuously denied the allegations that also accuse him and another brother of trying to cover up the sordid affair.

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'Drug-addiction patients becoming younger '

The profile of patients attending the Aurora Alcohol and Drug rehabilitation centre in Bloemfontein has become younger over the years, the centre's director said on Wednesday. "(Previously) you mainly worked with alcoholism at centres like this, the other stuff (drugs) were a side issue," said Gert Kruger. "Today the majority of your patients are under 35 years of age." .

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Gathering focuses on drug abuse

GREENSBORO — A conference on substance abuse in Guilford County will bring together voices for recovery at the end of the month.The Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition, a group of more than 40 public and private organizations and agencies, will hold its fourth annual Substance Abuse Symposium on Sept. 29 and 30 at Centenary United Methodist Church.The conference will provide people with information on substance abuse issues and the network of community resources available. About 100 people attended last year 's event and the coalition hopes to draw 150 people this year, said George Coates, executive director of the coalition.A 2002- 03 survey estimated that in Guilford County more than 28,000 people are using illegal drugs and more than 70,000 are abusing alcohol. Flo Stein, a state health official who served as chairwoman of the Mental Health Reform Project, will open the symposium with a presentation and discussion on the mental health reforms and their impact on substance abuse and the community.The symposium will also include training sessions on adolescent substance abuse, treating older adults, family perspectives, gangs and treatment.

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Peas' Fergie reveals drug addiction

Fergie, singer with the Black Eyed Peas, has admitted she was once a drug addict and that ending her dependency on crystal meth was like a difficult relationship break-up. Speaking to Time magazine while promoting her first solo album, 'The Dutchess', Stacy Ferguson called the drug "the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with". "I dug deep as to why I got there," she added. "It's the drug that's addicting. But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. "A lot of it was being a child actor, I learned to suppress feelings." Before she found fame with the band best known for their song 'Where Is The Love?', Ferguson starred in 1980s sitcoms like 'Married With Children' and 'Mr Belvedere'. She also featured in 'Monster in the Closet', a horror spoof.

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Fergie had to dig deep to beat drug addiction

New York - Fergie, the female voice of the Black Eyed Peas, says she had to dig deep within herself to kick her crystal meth addiction. "It was the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with," Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson told Time magazine in an interview for the issue that hits newsstands on Monday. "It's the drug that's addictive," said Fergie, who has released her first solo album, The Dutchess. "But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. A lot of it was being a child actor; I learned to suppress feelings." .

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