News of substance – drugs in the worldwide news

1. Courier Post Online (USA) Flying High: American Drug Policy. “Drug abuse has been on the rise in the United States since the late 1960s. Today, an estimated five million people in the country are living with a severe drug or alcohol addiction. When left untreated, drug and alcohol addiction costs the country approximately $276 billion in lost productivity, law enforcement, healthcare, justice, welfare, and other programs and services. Drug addiction can have a devastating impact on an individual and society because addicts have little concern for anything other than their next high. As a result, existing obligations in their life are often ignored. Addicts lose their employment, homes, families, health, and even their lives.”

2. TriCities.com – Prescription Drug Addiction Has Unlikely Victims. “Lia Johnson sat shackled in a vacant, windowless room in the bowels of the Abingdon regional jail one afternoon in March. The young mother was handcuffed and zipped into an orange jumpsuit. Between her and the cool, spring breeze outside were two armed guards, a long hallway and two sets of fortified doors.”

3. Medical News Today – Benefits In Chronic Pain Outweigh Risks For Painkiller Abuse. “As controversy swirls about proper clinical use of opioids and other potent pain medications, research reported at the American Pain Society annual meeting shows that, contrary to widespread beliefs, less than 3 percent of patients with no history of drug abuse who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain will show signs of possible drug abuse or dependence.”

4. WKYC.com – Study: Marijuana use in teens could worsen depression. “Teens looking to alleviate depression with marijuana and other drugs may be making their situation worse.
According to a study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, marijuana use can not only make depression worse, but can also lead to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and anxiety.”

5. Red Orbit – When the Internet Becomes Too Much. “One of the year’s top tech trends is Internet addiction, according to J. Walter Thompson, the advertising agency powerhouse. What’s old is new again. “Internet addiction has been a concern since the dawn of the Web,” acknowledges Ann Mack, the agency’s “director of trend spotting.” It may not be a new trend, but it remains an important one. Mack points to online discussions, Internet gambling, online porn, and interactive role-playing games. But, just about everything about the Internet can snag you in one way or another.”

6. Science Centric – Homeless youth need more than treatment for substance abuse, study says. “A new study of homeless youth suggests that treating substance abuse and mental health problems may not be enough to help get teens off the streets. Instead, researchers found that creating more opportunities for work, education and medical care were the most important factors in reducing homelessness.”