Archive for August, 2009
- Drug Rehab: Breaking Free From the Addiction Life Cycle
By Suzanne Kane
- Substance Abuse Rising among Canada’s Oil Workers
Canada’s oilpatch workers and their families are increasingly seeking help from employee assistance programs for substance abuse. Between 2006 and 2008, there was a 481$ increase in access to employee assistance programs (EAP), according to a new report prepared by Shepell-fgi Research Group.
- Colorado Meth Ring Used Collectible Comic Books to Launder Money
Investigators in Colorado say they have broken up a massive methamphetamine ring in the Denver area that distributed pounds of the highly addictive drug every week and laundered the profits using collectible comic books.
- More East Texans Abusing Xanax and OxyContin
Although alcohol remains the substance of choice for many East Texans, an increasing amount of people in the area have started abusing prescription medication. Maureen Walston, the director of intervention services for the East Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ETCADA), said the council does not track to number of people who use specific drugs, but that she has seen a large increase in the number of people abusing medication in the past several years.
- Volunteers Drive Drunk to Educate Others about Drunk Driving
Most days, Liz Augner coordinates a program that teaches Nassau County high school students about the dangers of driving drunk. But Wednesday, she was one of five volunteers who spent the morning drinking and the afternoon taking sobriety tests and driving a controlled road course.
- Michael Jackson Reportedly Hurt Himself to Get Pain Medication
Detectives believe that Michael Jackson deliberately hurt himself in the weeks before his death in an attempt to convince his doctor that he needed pain medication, including Demerol.
- Parkinson’s Patients Offer Insights on Drug Addiction
Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute have gained new insight into the brain chemistry behind addiction by studying the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, who are typically polar opposites of drug addicts.
- Drug Abuse, Needle Sharing, and Unprotected Sex Rampant in Thailand Jails
Experts at an international conference in Bali have raised concern about the spread of HIV/AIDS in Thai prisons due to shared needles and unprotected sex among prisoners. Dr. Sutayut Osornprasop, a human development specialist at the World Bank’s office in Thailand, said sex and drug abuse is rampant in Thailand despite strict bans imposed by authorities.
- Alcoholism, Violence, and Drug Addiction Will Result from Recession
A new report warns that alcoholism, domestic violence, and drug addiction will soar with the arrival of a “second wave” of recession. The UK’s Audit Commission says that crime, mental health problems, and divorce will also rise as people struggle to cope with losing their jobs and homes.
- Texas Law Meant to Track Illegal Use of Soma Actually Made Abuse Easier
A Texas law that was meant to help law enforcement officials more easily track the sale and use of Soma, a widely abused muscle relaxant, inadvertently made it easier for people to abuse it.