UNODC and ICDDR,B partnership secures a first-ever trial of methadone therapy for injecting drug users in Bangladesh Dec 3, 2008
Another key harm reduction strategy employed in many countries for people dependent on opiate drugs is substitution therapy - using synthetically manufactured substances as a substitute for heroin and other opiates. Under medical supervision care is offered to injecting drug users based on a similar or identical substance to the drugs they normally use. (AlertNet)
Risky Acts, Family History Tied to Meth Use Nov 27, 2008
Youth who had initially been defined as low risk but later admitted to a history of using heroin or other opiates were nearly 30 times as likely to use meth. Family factors seemed to play the most important role for the high-risk youth. (MEDLINEplus)
KV Superintendent answers questions about drug testing, Part I of II Part series Nov 26, 2008
A: Alcohol, Barbiturates, LSD, Methaqualone, Propoxyphene, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Marijuana Metabolites, Opiates, Other Specific Drugs, Anabolic Steroids, Cocaine Metabolites, Methadone, Phencyclidine, and Tobacco. Those students over 18 will not be tested for tobacco; however the Athletic Code Year Round Rules will still be enforced, regardless of the student's age. (Demotte Kankakee Valley Post News, IN)
Florida Teen Broadcasted His Suicide Live, Online Nov 24, 2008
He chose to put an end to his life by taking an overdose of opiates and benzodiazepine. The pills had been prescribed for his bipolar disorder, a disease which mixes depression and mania. (eFluxMedia)
Sister appalled by online gawkers who watched brother die and did ... Nov 23, 2008
" An autopsy found Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, prescribed for bipolar disorder. "I know, logically, that you can't control what other people do," she said. "But there's always that question, maybe something could have been done, or done differently. " With News Wire Services Newsletter Signup Get the latest Updates. Editorial: Search: Services: Multimedia: Classifieds: | Latest Feeds Use of this website signifies your agreement to the and ? Copyright 2008... (New York Daily News)
Teen Commits Suicide Before Live Webcam Audience Nov 22, 2008
His system contained the depressant benzodiazepine as well as opiates. A message posted to his final MySpace blog by his mother Friday mentioned a history of mental illness. (Fox News)
Teen commits suicide in front of webcam Nov 22, 2008
Abraham Biggs, 19, died Wednesday from a toxic combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, a drug used to treat insomnia and depression, said Wendy Crane, an investigator with the Broward County medical examiner's office. At least one of the drugs was prescribed to him and it's unclear how he got the others, Ms. Crane said. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Webcam audience watches as student kills self with drugs Nov 22, 2008
An autopsy concluded Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which his family said was prescribed for his bipolar disorder. Biggs announced his plans to kill himself over a Web site for bodybuilders, authorities said. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Cyber suicide Nov 22, 2008
medical examiner's office confirmed that Mr. Biggs died from a combination of opiates and benzodiazepine, which treats insomnia. He had a prescription for some of the drugs, but not all of them. (Globe and Mail -- Technology)
Methamphetamine abuse linked to underage sex, smoking and drinking Nov 19, 2008
Youth who smoked, drank or used heroin and other opiates were more likely to try crystal meth. When it came to mental health, low-risk youth with adjustment disorder, conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity were much more likely to use crystal meth. (EurekAlert!)
Support group helps girl deal with painful condition Nov 18, 2008
Her frantic family began a journey to find her help (Somerset Daily American, PA)
10 troopers may have misused gas cards Nov 12, 2008
Drug overdose deaths rise for a third year The number of Massachusetts residents who died of overdoses of heroin and other opiates rose nearly 3 percent last year, state health authorities reported yesterday. Preliminary figures showed that opiates killed 645 people in 2007, compared with 628 the year before. (Boston Globe)
Landscape Evolves for Assisted Suicide Nov 11, 2008
But in the ruling, the justices conceded that terminally ill patients were entitled to aggressive pain management, even if opiates or barbiturates had the double effect of hastening death. That seemed a footnote to the larger issue, but it arguably cracked open the door to those other feasible options, which Dr. Quill and other experts call last resorts in jurisdictions where it is a crime for physicians to assist in dying. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
BETTER LIFE: Smokers more addicted now than in '80s, '90s Nov 7, 2008
" Now, the only time I can remember ever having a drug test was more than 15 years ago when I interviewed for a job at another newspaper, so I've never paid much attention to ways to cheat on one. Turns out cheating is big business, considering that an estimated 20 million U.S. workers are screened each year for illicit drugs, according to the clinical chemistry group. In before a U.S. House panel a few years ago, Amitava Dasgupta, who will be talking at Monday's press conference, noted that... (USA Today -- Life)
An epic tale of traffic Oct 29, 2008
"The thing is, opium is not something you can depict [only] negatively. It's like fire - human civilization would be hard to conceive without it," he argues, noting opiates' contemporary uses as painkillers and anesthetics. "What happened in the 19th century is, when the British made a commodity out of it, and started pushing it really hard, that threw everything out of whack.". (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Expanding Drug Test Is for Cheats, Shy Bladders: Cindy Skrzycki Oct 29, 2008
The basic procedure is a urine sample that is tested for the presence of marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, such as heroin and morphine, and PCP, or phencyclidine. The government estimates there are 17. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
Off the Record: The case for Prop 1 Oct 28, 2008
PBigler wrote on Oct 27, 2008 12:23 AM:" I think we've been 'protected' too long from the truth about this medicinal herb, the most benign and versatile in human history. In 1936 a Polish anthropologist named Sula Benet established that cannabis--now known widely as "marijuana"--was actually kaneh-bosm, the Biblical Tree of Life, described therein as "a Healer of Nations".Relief from pain and nausea are only two of the medical benefits of marijuana. In 1974, a study in Virginia found that it... (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Drug testing at Early ISD? Oct 27, 2008
I know from my own kids going to school in Bwd that Bwd Isd school is infested with drugs. They are fooling themselves if they think these schools are drug free. (Brownwood Bulletin, TX)
Mom Whose Baby Ate Crack at Party Won't Go to Jail Oct 25, 2008
A Buffalo, N.Y., mother whose baby boy ate crack cocaine and opiates at a party was spared jail time because a judge was impressed by her efforts to turn her life around. Marceia Dixon, 23, pleaded guilty in August to attempted child endangerment for the incident involving her 8-month-old son. (Fox News)
Reaping a Sad Harvest: A "Narcotic Farm" That Tried to Grow Recovery [Slide Show] Oct 25, 2008
According to the book, the institution became a premier center for , advancing everything from the use of methadone to treat heroin withdrawal to drugs that blocked the action of opiates. Along the way, Narco was frequented by legendary jazz musicians such as Chet Baker and Sonny Rollins, as well as actor Peter Lorre and beat generation writer William S. Burroughs, who recounted his experience in his first novel, Junkie. (Scientific American)
New drug growing in popularity Oct 24, 2008
And dont forget this dangerous drug wrote on Oct 22, 2008 10:00 AM:" We need to also make chocolate illegal. Chocolate is a mind- altering drug. Like many high-sugar, high-fat foods, chocolate can cause your brain to release opiates, pleasure-inducing chemicals similar to street drugs like heroin. In addition to the opiate high, chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical stimulant which is a close cousin to caffeine. There's also phenylethylamine, an amphetamine-like brain chemical that might be... (Munster Times, IN)
Liberal and 'real Americans' Oct 22, 2008
I think they are high on Cindy s opiates ... I think they are high on Cindys opiates ... Now, she is hooked on racing and opiates. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Curbing cough syrup: Do cough and cold medicines work for children? Should we be giving them to our kids? Oct 22, 2008
They include antihistamines, which dry the moist membranes of the nose and mouth, and cause sedation in the brain; compounds with mild amphetamine-like effects, which decongest nasal passages; dextromethorphan, a relative of opiates that suppresses coughing; and guaifenesin, which thins mucus. The hazard from use of the drugs is uncertain, but it appears to be very small. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Doctor fined S$5000, suspended 3 months for inadequate care Oct 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008. " onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Prescription opiates: One pill can kill Oct 21, 2008
Prescription opiates and kids: One pill can kill - Health care- msnbc ... Prescription opiates and kids: One pill can kill. (MSNBC -- Health)
Lab says Hawaii workplace drug use stable Oct 21, 2008
Opiates or prescription drugs: 0. 4 percent, or 40 employees, tested positive. (Pacific Business News, HI)
Stone Age man 'took drugs to get high' Oct 20, 2008
Opiates can be obtained from species such as poppies, though fungi, which a widespread source of drugs, may also have been used. Archeologists have suggested that humans were extracting mind-expanding drugs from mescal beans and peyote cacti as far back as 5,000 years ago, but have not found direct evidence that this is true. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Watertown Crime Watch: Thieves break into nine cars to use jacks Oct 17, 2008
The state classifies drugs under five categories: A. Heroin and other opiates such as morphine; some designer drugs such as GHB and ketamine (special K). B. Cocaine; prescription opiates such as OxyContin/Oxycodone; LSD; ecstasy; amphetamine; and methamphetamine. (Watertown TAB & Press, MA)
Obesity, Abnormal Brain Reward Circuitry Linked Oct 17, 2008
19, 2008) New research indicates that the effects of nicotine and opiates on the brain's reward system are equally strong in a key pleasure-sensing areas of the brain -- the nucleus. (Oct. (Science Daily)
At Anaconda High: Drug testing launched Oct 16, 2008
The tests screen for alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, Ecstasy, marijuana, methamphetamine, morphine, opiates, Oxycodone and other drugs. Students have 72 hours prior to testing to submit verification of prescription drug use. (Montana Standard, MT)
Policy forum sees support Oct 10, 2008
Police Chief Dan Rosa was present and he stated the dogs could pick up marijuana, heroin, opiates, cocaine and Oxycontin. Other residents raised questions about cost and worried about the location of the dogs in the high school in respect to Project Support, the preschool housed at BMHS. Chief Rosa stated there was no cost and Serio added there was no part of the high school which would not be searched. (Billerica Minuteman, MA)
Driver headed to trial in crash that killed 3 Oct 10, 2008
Blood tests taken from Ms. Strouse tested positive for opiates. First published on October 10, 2008 at 12:51 pm. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Hospital Fixes Cut Opiate Errors in Kids Oct 8, 2008
MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Simple changes to hospital procedures can significantly reduce the side effects children suffer while on opiates to relieve pain, a new study reveals ... The side effects of opiates in the morphine family -- which are widely used to relieve serious pain in children -- range from minor, such as constipation and itching, to rare instances of serious harm, such as a decreased urge to breathe. (MEDLINEplus)
Major study of opiate use in children's hospitals provides simple steps to alleviate harm Oct 6, 2008
Hospitalized kids with painful ailments from broken bones to cancer are often dosed with strong, painkilling drugs known as opiates ... It shows how simple changes to hospital procedures can sharply reduce the harm children suffer from opiates ... The researchers focused on opiates pain-relieving drugs in the morphine family because they're widely used and harm young patients more often than other drugs. (EurekAlert!)
State sets limit on 60-day medical marijuana supply Oct 3, 2008
beazelbud wrote on Oct 2, 2008 9:17 PM:" To biasmedia, You need to check your spelling and how you put your words together so you can be understood better. There are hundreds of opiates and synthetic opioids being prescibed in the u.s. for pain and many other medical reasons. Methadone is what is prescibed to help kick heroin. Vicodine to oxycontin with hundreds in between for pain and other illnesses. All have killed and hooked there users. Not good old mary jane. TRUELY THE SAFEST MEDICINE ON... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Inmate study pinpoints drug abuse in jails Sep 25, 2008
Study of inmates pinpoints drug abuse in county jails. Study of inmates pinpoints drug abuse in county jails. (AZCentral)
District to Use More Stringent Drug Testing for Students Sep 25, 2008
The school board voted Wednesday to use a 10-panel drug screening test for those wishing to enter the district's out-of-school suspension program. Students have a choice of submitting to the blood and urine test at the discretion of their school's administration to cut their terms in half or serve the full length, Superintendent Dr. VeAnn Tilson said. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Starbucks employees help woman held captive in Saugus hotel Sep 25, 2008
Class B drugs can include cocaine, prescription opiates, such as Oxycontin, LSD, ecstasy, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Starbucks representatives declined to name the employees who helped the woman. (Saugus Advertiser, MA)
TEMECULA: Medicinal marijuana user arrested, pot seized Sep 24, 2008
While your on that path, pay attention to the individual who won't be with us much longer, under the influence of opiates and similar drugs. Then I hope you get to observe the same person while using or smoking medical cannibis. (North County Times)
Killer's jail death ruled suicide Medical examiner rules jail death of convicted killer James Henry Long Jr. a suicide by drug overdose Sep 20, 2008
No alcohol or opiates were found, and other prescribed drugs found were within therapeutic limits, Field reported. "We believe he'd been hoarding drugs," said Orange County Commonwealth's Attorney Diana Wheeler. (Fredericksburg.com, VA)
Carrie Fisher Center Stage Sep 18, 2008
"The title isn't completely accurate. I was not a big drinker. I took drugs alcholically, specially opiates," she explains. "Wishful Drinking" is playing to sold out crowds and recounts Carrie's life in Hollywood and her struggle with addiction and mental illness. (W-USA News, DC)
Peddling Palin mythology Sep 13, 2008
She had a stroke, loves opiates and racing. By AJC/DNC Management. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Kalamazoo-area resources can help teens overcome substance abuse Sep 10, 2008
A recent Kalamazoo Gazette investigation found that the deaths of 16 teens and young adults in Kalamazoo County since 2003 were linked to heroin or other opiates. Eleven of those deaths occurred during a 16-month period that ended in June. (Kalamazoo Gazette, MI)
NISD students and parents briefed Sep 10, 2008
Specific categories of drugs the tests will focus on include opiates and narcotics, depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. The test battery does not include steroids. (Navasota Examiner, TX)
Woman, 19, charged in crash that killed three Sep 5, 2008
Blood tests taken from Ms. Strouse tested positive for opiates, and she told police she was a "recovering heroin addict and had recently relapsed into the use of heroin," the affidavit said. She also told a nurse she used heroin earlier in the day and "believed it to be laced with something else," and "admitted to consuming a few pills of an unknown substance" earlier that day, the complaint said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Hospitals, insurers fill detox center budget gap Sep 4, 2008
More than 12,500 times each year, the sobering station helps people intoxicated on alcohol or drugs, mostly opiates. Workers offer basic medical care, food and water, and a safe place to sleep until patients sober up. (OregonLive, OR -- News)
A subtle shift of a dilemma Aug 31, 2008
The pills hadn't helped, and now there were opiates in his system ... To be honest, he said, the crux of the matter was this: He was unsure how long these opiates stayed in the bloodstream (we were not about to tell him). (Boston Globe)
Missoula gathering to address pain management, addiction Aug 31, 2008
Pharmacists and physicians will converge on Missoula for a two-day conference this week to discuss ways to treat pain patients with narcotic painkillers while keeping opiates away from those who misuse them ... At the same time, Sechrest and his colleagues are aware of the growing addiction problems associated with opiates, and frequently see their own patients' pain-treatment therapies spiral into misuse or abuse. (Missoulian, MT)
Weymouth residents indicted for drug trafficking Aug 30, 2008
OxyContin (or Oxycodone) is forcefully addictive and is clearly a gateway drug to heroin and other opiates, said Keating. It has become a plague in our region and the illicit sale of these drugs is killing four times more people in Massachusetts than homicide, and killing a third more than all car crashes combined. (Weymouth News, MA)
Drug testing policy in effect Aug 29, 2008
Tests will screen for alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, methamphetamine, morphine, opiates, oxycodone and other drugs. Students will have 72 hours prior to testing to submit verification of any prescription drug use. (Montana Standard, MT)
More of this story Aug 28, 2008
The meth problem has just skyrocketed, and at this point we see a major rise in opiates: Sedatives and painkillers. Estimates are that 11 percent of White Countians have substance abuse problems, which comes to about 8,000 people. (Searcy Daily Citizen, AR)
Keeping The Internet Drug-Free Aug 27, 2008
As every Web surfer knows, rogue Web sites are proliferating, along with their offerings of opiates, stimulants, downers, uppers and performance enhancers carefully crafted to appeal to the youngest and most vulnerable ... If you didn't get an e-mail, a Google search for "opiates but no prescription" produces over a million hits for sites, many of them offshore, offering controlled substances delivered to your door in a plain wrapper. (Forbes -- Technology)
No Prescription? Have Some of Mine Aug 26, 2008
The best outcomes I ve seen with these meds is in a tight collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team, such as having a special pain clinic prescribe opiates with an anesthesiologist, therapist, nurse and pharmacist all working together in one place with both the patient and any family they may have. While some people may object that this takes away their freedom, I would argue from experience that drug addiction takes away their freedom more then they could ever imagine. (New York Times)
Investigation reveals troubled Wyo. soldier Aug 21, 2008
The CID report states that, based on toxicology test results included in an autopsy report, Lopez tested positive for opiates and another drug commonly prescribed for conditions ranging from insomnia to anxiety. An autopsy report by Dr. Thomas Bennett of Billings dated Nov. 8 lists alcohol ingestion as a "significant condition" for Lopez at the time of death. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Methadone Clinic Helps Addicts Get Lives Back Aug 17, 2008
All are addicted to opiates ... She has suffered setbacks with drugs other than opiates, specifically marijuana, which she said she has also been addicted to. (The Pilot Newspaper)
Parents explain truancy Aug 16, 2008
Tests turned up marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and opiates in many of the parents, nearly all of whom are raising children in elementary school. Pleading guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor - the formal criminal charge levied against the parents for truancy - usually drew a 30-day jail sentence from Naman, which he suspended but said he would carry out if the truancy problem persisted. (AL.com)
Gold medal for exercise: Key to long, healthy life Aug 15, 2008
That concept, heretical during an era that still regarded "body" and "mind" as distinct, was transformed to conventional wisdom after medical researchers discovered endorphins -- natural pain-killers closely akin to opiates that the body makes during exertion. Since then, we've heard that exercise can reduce certain types of cancer, prevent disabilities, ease depression, control weight, boost the immune system, fight osteoporosis, even help with multiple sclerosis. (Why Files)
DIY drug test kits help identify problems Aug 15, 2008
The urine test provides preliminary screening for five drugs: amphetamine, methamphetamine, opiates, cocaine and marijuana ... The test, which is similar to those being sold by law enforcement, tests for marijuana, cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine and phencyclidine, or PCP. It does not require a doctor's referral and, like the kits offered by police agencies, the results are available quickly ... The four-drug test, which costs about 20, detects marijuana, opiates, methamphetamine and cocaine. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Parents failing to safeguard teens from drugs, alcohol, survey finds Aug 15, 2008
Health experts not involved in the survey agree that teenagers raiding the family medicine cabinet are a growing problem - many youths quickly become hooked on such powerful opiates as Vicodin and OxyContin. Studies show that opiates trail only marijuana as the most commonly abused class of illegal drugs among adolescents ... "More and more, they are coming in strung out on prescription pill opiates," said Kornfeld, an assistant clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine who for 20 years... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Nature Or Nurture: Are You Who Your Brain Chemistry Says You Are? Aug 14, 2008
In a study to identify biochemical correlates of personality traits in healthy humans, researchers focused their investigation for the first time on the role of the brain s opioidergic (or endorphine) system specifically, the connection between an individual s level of reward expectancy and the brain s ability to transmit naturally occurring opiates ... The participants who skewed toward a high need to feel rewarded by approval were also those with the highest uptake of opiates, or endorphins,... (Science Daily)
* Turning poppies into pomegranates Aug 12, 2008
A UN survey found that Afghanistan cultivated 193,000 hectares of opium last year and now supplies 93 percent of the worlds opiates. The illegal trade is worth around US$2. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Converting drug money to terror ... Helpful countries ... More Aug 9, 2008
Over the past five months alone, the British navy has seized 30 tons of cocaine, opiates and other drugs as they were being transported in the Persian Gulf. The suspicion is the shipments were tied to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. (Scripps Howard News Wire)
Medicinal Marijuana Effective For Neuropathic Pain In HIV, Study Finds Aug 8, 2008
D., associate professor of neurosciences at UCSD School of Medicine, the study looked at 28 HIV patients with neuropathic pain not adequately controlled by other pain-relievers, including opiates. They took part in the controlled study as outpatients at the UCSD Medical Center. (Science Daily)
Judge does not accept ex-hedge fund manager's plea Aug 7, 2008
In the latest twist in a sensational case involving a $450 million investor scam, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas said he was concerned that the methadone treatment Israel was taking to be weaned off opiates could be clouding his judgment ... He said he has been taking the methadone while in custody to wean him off opiates he administered to reduce pain from a series of spinal surgeries. (USA Today -- Money)
Nurses' Notes - Relieve pain by closing gates to brain Aug 6, 2008
We also produce natural opiates that decrease pain signals. These opiates increase when we re doing something we enjoy and with regular exercise. (Missoulian, MT)
