News of substance – drugs in the worldwide news

1. The Wall Street Journal – Boost for Off-Label Drug Use. “The Food and Drug Administration wants to allow drug companies to give doctors information about unapproved uses of prescription drugs, a controversial move that is already drawing objections from Capitol Hill”.

2. reporterherald.com – Residents start coalition to educate, protect community from meth use. “In a seventh-grade health class, among handmade pinwheels and colorful posters, a group of 12- and 13-year-olds learned about the realities of methamphetamine”.

3. Phillipine Daily Inquirer – Drug use in schools not that bad — DepEd. “Less than one percent — not 10 percent as earlier reported — of the more than 8,600 public and private high school students tested positive for illegal drug use, according to the Department of Education. The random drug tests were conducted during school year 2005-2006 by the Department of Health and the Dangerous Drugs Board in coordination with the DepEd”.

4. CBS News – Obama’s Drug Use Debated. “Decades before Sen. Barack Obama was a leading candidate for the presidency, he was a lot like many University of Florida students: young, intelligent and curious. That college-aged curiosity led him to use alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, decisions that have now become points of contention in his campaign”.

5. The Age – Behind The Wire. “WHEN Karen took a job at Victoria’s largest female prison, she was stepping into the unknown. She had never even been to a jail when, in September 2005, she was appointed a senior manager at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum security prison with 260 women. Their crimes ranged from child murder to drug dealing”.

6. The Dallas Morning News – Man who hands out clean needles in San Antonio threatened with jail time. “Bill Day doesn’t fancy himself an outlaw – and with his Mr. Rogers demeanor, he definitely doesn’t look the part. But soon the 73-year-old could spend up to a year in jail for breaking a law that he considers immoral. Mr. Day hands out clean needles to drug addicts on some of the seediest streets, because he’s convinced that it reduces human suffering by slowing the spread of HIV”.

7. The Guardian – UK pharma fears for investment as govt acts tough. “Britain’s drugs industry, which has already shed hundreds of jobs in the past year, could lose more investment if the government fails to ensure a fair pricing environment, according to the head of its trade association. Richard Barker, director general of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said the Department of Health and the industry needed to agree a realistic new long-term pact as quickly as possible”.

8. ABC News (USA) – Popping Pills Latest Trend in Teen Drug Abuse. “Popping Pills Latest Trend in Teen Drug Abuse”.

9. Jamaica Gleaner – Former drug addict on a new high – Anthony Richards hooked on rescuing off-track males. “Anthony Richards’ father died when Anthony was very young; his mother migrated to England soon after. As a result, he and his siblings went to live with different relatives; he and a sister with an aunt. It was a stable Christian upbringing with a high school education. Upon graduation, he felt the need to work instead of continuing his education. He joined the police force, which he served for nine years, eventually becoming a detective”.

10. Arab Times – United effort needed to prevent drug addiction. “KUWAIT (KUNA): Psychological, social, and religious efforts must unite to achieve the prevention and treatment of drugs above, an official said Thursday. Head of the Juvenile Care Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Abdullateef Sinan told KUNA called on families not to isolate their drug-addicted children for the sake of protecting their reputations, but to take them to specialists as soon as possible to solve their problems”.