By Emily P. Walker, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today An FDA advisory panel voted to recommend approval of a new formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride (OxyContin) that is more difficult to crush or dissolve, and which may deter drug abuse. By a 14-4 margin, with one abstention, the panel recommended that the FDA approve Purdue Pharma’s application … Read more
By Jane Velez-Mitchell Addiction in America has a new face: prescription drugs. Last year, prescription drugs replaced heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of deadly overdoses. And celebrities are showing us that mixing prescription pills — the pills you may have in your home right now — could be just as deadly as shooting … Read more
International drug trade drives illicit safrole-oil factories deep in the Cardamom mountains. By Sam Campbell — Special to GlobalPost “Clandestine factories deep in the Cardamom Mountains of western Cambodia are producing safrole oil — also known as sassafras oil — the main ingredient in the party drug Ecstasy. The recreational drug produces a euphoria its … Read more
“A Cumberland County nursing home worker is accused of stealing liquid morphine from patients and replacing the pain-relieving drug with water. Link worked at The Bridges at Bent Creek Assisted Living facility in Silver Springs Township. While there, police said Lint stole the morphine and other prescription drugs to feed her own habit.” https://www.wgal.com/cnn-news/20687523/detail.html
Border Crackdown Makes Farming in U.S. Forests Attractive; Cartel Links Suspected By STEPHANIE SIMON “Marijuana growers, many believed to be affiliated with Mexican drug cartels, are aggressively expanding their illegal farming operations in the U.S., clearing land to plant pot in dozens of national forests from coast to coast. Authorities have discovered pot farms in … Read more
By Andrew Clevenger “CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A retired Mingo County school bus driver who admitted she dealt large amounts of cocaine was sentenced in federal court Thursday to more than 13 years in prison.” https://wvgazette.com/News/200908270781
Federal studies find an increase in illegal drug use here By ROBERT GAVIN, Staff writer “ALBANY — America might be in the midst of a recession, but the Capital Region is experiencing a boom in the use and abuse of heroin, cocaine, illegal prescription drugs and high-potency marijuana, federal data shows.” https://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=836654&TextPage=1
“Before condos in Williamsburg started selling at a loss and weekend flights to L.A. dropped to under $200, New York’s cocaine dealers were supplying good times to people who indulged like the party wouldn’t end.” https://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/08/hit_by_recession_cocaine_deale.html
ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB MCKENNA – THE BELLINGHAM HERALD “In Washington state, there are more deaths annually from prescription drug abuse than from meth, cocaine, and heroin combined. Due to the abundance of prescription medications, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in our state. That means you or a loved one are … Read more