News of substance – drugs in the worldwide news

1. Stuff.co.nz – Drugs ruined my relationships, Downey says. “Robert Downey Jr admits his drug addiction ruined his relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker. The actor started dating the Sex and the City star in 1984 after meeting on the set of movie Firstborn but split in 1991 because of Downey’s self-centred, wild lifestyle.”

2. The Times (South Africa) – The big problem – drugs and alcohol. “I started needing alcohol in the morning to function. Generally, people don’t have a clear concept of what the treatment for drug addiction is … they come either with no expectations or with various expectations,” said Dan Wolf, psychologist and managing director of The Gap and First Step, two drug rehabilitation centres in Johannesburg.
“People stumble into the culture of recovery as an opportunity to address the chaos in their lives.”

3. The Daily Star (Lebanon) – Doctors, lawyers join forces to fight drug addiction. “In an attempt to change the treatment and perception of people who are addicted to drugs in Lebanon, the Lebanese Addiction Center “Skoun” and the Tripoli Bar Association on Tuesday launched a project for the “Greater Respect for Drug Addicts’ Rights.” The initiative aims to promote dialogue and cooperation among judges, police, investigators, and medical workers when dealing with drug addicts.”

4. Etalaat (India) – `Broken social ties, media hoax lead to drug addiction’. “Dwindling social ties, decrease in community based activities and lack of proper knowledge is pushing valley youth into drug addiction, says a de-addiction expert, Dr Majid.
Dr Majid who has an experience of several years in de-addiction said: ” During these years of dealing with drug and chemical addicts, I have found that peer group pressure and foolish curiosity are main causes of youth falling into the drug trap.”

5. The Times of India – Drug abuse lands cops in deadly mess. “Rampant drug abuse and unsafe sex is pricking hard the Punjab Police, jeopardizing the lives of as many as 178 police personnel in the district of Tarn Taran alone. What has only compounded their case is the indifferent attitude of government, which is yet to wake up to the ticking bomb within its ranks.”

6. Goal.com (Switzerland) – Pele: Drug-Cheat Maradona Should Have Medals Stripped. “A favourite debate among football fans has always been who was greater out of Pele and Maradona. This topic has had extra spice due to the fact that the pair do not get on, and indeed have been at loggerheads for many years. Both have attacked each other in the press in the past, with Pele often criticising Maradona on moral grounds, while the Argentine has hit out at the Brazilian for being part of FIFA’s “political” family.”

7. IPP Media (Tanzania) – Drug abuse: Parents should closely follow up children`s movements. “Last week I was at a bus stop waiting for a commuter bus to take me to work when I noticed a 23-year-old youth behaving rather strangely. He was walking forward and back as if he was in a parade. He was untidy and carried all features of a mental case. I didn`t notice his problem until he went to a nearby garbage heap, picked a piece of an orange refuse and started eating it.”

8. The Retriever Weekly (USA) – The latest marijuana propaganda campaign. “Flipping through the channels, a man in a pith helmet and a white mustache flashes onto the screen, asking you to join him in his hunt for the “mature stoner.” It is yet another anti-drug commercial in the government-sponsored ad campaign “Above the Influence.” Filled with propaganda and falsified information, the series of four commercials chronicles the adventures of “Dr. Puck” and his assistant, Baldric. They watch “stoners” in their natural habitat: relaxing, going to school, and even driving. This series of ads perpetuates many of the myths associated with marijuana use.”

9. Minneapolis Star Tribune (USA) – ocaine in Spain: Party perennial and rehab regular. “Around dawn on a Sunday, packs of young people are huddled at stoplights or ambling down Paseo del Prado. Despite the hour, the day isn’t just beginning for them. Like thousands of young Spaniards, they are ending a long night of hard-core partying that probably included the unbridled snorting of cocaine.”