sensor that changes color in the presence of cocaine

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Researchers in China and Singapore have created a sensor that changes color in the presence of cocaine. The sensor is fast and portable, and even minute quantities of blow will cause the material to change from red to dark blue.The key ingredients in the chemochromic material are gold nanoparticles and DNA aptamers (artificial nucleic-acid receptors that have a high affinity for certain ligands). The aptamer–nanoparticle composite is stable and red in colour. When cocaine is present, it binds to the aptamer, liberating the aptamer from the nanoparticles. This leads to the aggregation of nanoparticles in a salt solution, turning it blue.

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Dan Butcher the Recovery Network


London, City high-flier Dan Butcher spent six hours in the same place, snorting line after line of cocaine. He was hiding his addiction from his wife and his employers and his eight-grams-a-day-habit was costing him thousands.
It was the rock-bottom moment, following years of addiction, that led 35-year-old Butcher to resolved to change the way he lived his life. Weeks later, he was in the Priory recovery centre. Then he set up The Recovery Network, a social networking website that allows addicts and their families to discuss their problems anonymously. The story of how his life spiralled out of control can be traced back to his childhood. Butcher says he had a stable upbringing, the youngest of six children in a middle-class Surrey family. He says he was a shy child, and when he took a job in the City as a trainee stockbroker in his late teens, he felt he did not fit in. "As well as working hard in a stressful environment, you were expected to go out with people in the office in the evenings and be part of a crowd," he explains. "It was the early 1990s, and in those days it was all about hanging around in flashy nightclubs and ordering champagne." At that point, the former trader says, he was opposed to drug use. But because he felt he had always been an introvert, he says, he found it hard to fit in with his more outgoing colleagues. When he heard that cocaine helps its users lose their inhibitions, he began experimenting with it. "That was the biggest mistake I ever made," he says. "When I first used it, it either made me loosen up or tricked me into believing that I was having a good time. I started using the drug on what I would describe as 'special occasions', but along the way I started using it when I had a bad day at work. It made me forget about things." He began using it weekly, then five days in a row. He would sleep in his office after a heavy session, and get no more than three hours' sleep.
It was around then that he met his wife, Helen, 32. "She was my route out," he says. "She didn't drink much and she despised drugs. She knew I'd used drugs in the past, and I stopped. Then our relationship progressed and we got married."
Then, in 1999, Butcher's father died. The former City trader coped with his grief the only way he knew – by taking cocaine. "He was my best friend. I couldn't cope with it. The first time I cried about his death was when I received news of it. The next time was when I was in the Priory in 2006. During the intervening years, I blocked it out. That was by using drink and drugs." After years of trying to fight his dependency, by 2004 Butcher's habit had reached even more extreme proportions. By this point, he had reached the height of his dependency. "I could not function without it. By the late stages of that year, my day consisted of waking up and then having coke on my way to work. I had become so paranoid that by 10 or 11 in the morning I could not bear to meet anyone else in the office. I would make any excuse not to run into people. I'd say I was playing golf, or in a meeting. But in reality I would be in my car doing coke." Butcher was hiding his habit from his wife and his employers, and would blame any erratic behaviour on alcohol. His predicament reached crisis point when he was arrested at a police checkpoint while driving through Berkshire. The officers were randomly searching vehicles. They discovered 3.5 grams of cocaine in his car, and assumed he was a drug dealer. They were forced to search his house. As he sat in a police cell, his wife was informed of Butcher's situation.
"Those eight hours inside were my first wake up-call," he says. "I realised I had a problem. And I swore I would never take drugs again. When I was released, I took an almighty bollocking from my wife – and I deserved it." But, in June 2006, he began taking cocaine again, prompted by stress at work. By this point, he was hallucinating, a result of cocaine-induced psychosis. He spent five days before he finally asked for medical help in October 2006 in a hotel room, feeling suicidal, continually using the drug. "The thought of driving into a brick wall at 100mph was not unappealing. I felt like I was the most weak and useless individual on the planet. No one else had problems. But the reason I didn't go through with it was because of my wife and kids." He telephoned Helen, and she threatened
to leave him if he did not seek help immediately. He went for an assessment at the Priory Group's rehabilitation centre in Roehampton, south-west London That was on 8 October. ."I literally begged them for help that day," he says. "I told them that I would do what it takes to make it all go away. Interestingly, I went in there with what I thought was a drug habit and I was told I was an alcoholic, too. I never thought I was an alcoholic because I didn't drink before lunchtime. But I soon realised that when I would go out I would start drinking and never stop. Every night I would down at least one bottle of vodka and copious amounts of champagne."
In the Priory, he soon realised he was with kindred spirits. "On my first day, I was introduced to the rest of the people in the addiction ward – in other words, the people I would be living with. My head told me instantly that they weren't like me. But within an hour, for the first time, I felt at home. They understood what was going on in my head. It was the first time in my life that I found people who were thinking in the same way as me. "There were lawyers there, a couple of famous pop-stars, and one of them I have stayed in touch with. There was a barrister, and a surgeon, and a guy who once owned a construction company. It was not my idea of what I always thought addicts were. Addiction affects everyone. If you walk into room of recovering addicts, by talking to these people and being honest about what is going on inside your head, it was stopping me thinking about taking drugs."
When he emerged 28 days later, he pledged to change his life for the better. And it was the strength he drew from his fellow addicts that inspired his next move. He came up with the idea for a place where people could "meet" online to discuss their addictions. Now, he runs the result – his website, the Recovery Network – full time. The site, which focuses on any kind of addiction, has education and social networking strands. The education section has information on sex, gambling and alcohol, along with drug dependency. This is joined by social networking. Here, people can "meet up" online to discuss their problems. Like Facebook, users log on and can create a profile. They can then view other people's profiles and see if they can relate to them. If they think they can, they are then able to offer up a friend request.

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Ian Donohoe collapsed at home while he was watching TV

Ian Donohoe (25), Adare Green, Coolock, Dublin, collapsed at home while he was watching TV on November 1st, 2007, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
His brother John and girlfriend Gemma Howard, with whom he lived, rushed to his aid when they heard strange breathing sounds coming from the sitting room.
There they found Mr Donohoe in difficulties, his face discoloured.He was rushed to the Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. A postmortem found Mr Donohoe had an enlarged heart, most likely due to the effects of using cocaine over time, coroner Dr Brian Farrell said.Ms Howard told the court her boyfriend used cocaine regularly until she became pregnant, approximately four months before his death."His death is drug-related, but it's not a drug overdose," Dr Farrelly said. "It's a cardiac event and I believe it's as a result of using cocaine over a period of time. We know cocaine can cause enlargement of the heart."
He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.The coroner expressed his condolences to the members of Mr Donohoe's family and to his girlfriend and friends on their loss.

"He was a young man of 25 with most of his life ahead of him, but we believe the cocaine caught up with him in the end and caused his death."

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Jade Goody said she took crack in an attempt to dissuade her mother Jackiey, who was addicted.


Former Big Brother contestant said she took the drug in an attempt to dissuade her mother Jackiey, who was addicted
"I decided to show her how nasty and heartbreaking it was to see a member of your family - your own flesh and blood - killing themselves in front of your very eyes," Miss Goody said."I took some of her crack, put it in a Rizla paper to make a joint, and I smoked it. I felt dirty and disgusting. 'How does it make you feel watching me do this?' I asked."However Miss Goody said that her efforts were in vain and that her mother continued to use the drug.In her new autobiography, Miss Goody explained that her mother's boyfriend Danny was a bad influence. She said: "Danny was heavily into coke and liked to beat me up in his spare time."She also admitted that as a young child she regularly saw her father Andrew smoke and inject drugs.The admission follows news last month that Miss Goody, who became famous in 2002 when she appeared on the third series of Big Brother, is suffering from cervical cancer. Shortly after she was told of her condition, her boyfriend, Jack Tweed, was jailed for assault.

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Cocaine is used by more than 13 million people worldwide, about 0.3 percent of the global population age 15 to 64 years.

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Cocaine is used by more than 13 million people worldwide, about 0.3 percent of the global population age 15 to 64 years. Use and abuse are most prevalent in North America (6.3 million people, 2 percent of population older than 14 years) and South America (2.7 million people, 0.94 percent) and in Western Europe (3.4 million people, 1 percent). Current use in the United Kingdom and Spain has reached the levels of the US. There is relatively little cocaine use in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Oceania. This pattern may be due to supply rather than demand factors, because of the difficulty in obtaining cocaine from its only source in South America and the ready availability of alternative synthetic stimulants such as amphetamines.
Most cocaine use is by urban men age 15 to 35 years. About 126,000 (6.2 percent) current users in the US are adolescents 12 to 17 years old. Cocaine use has declined somewhat among this age group in the last few years, but has remained steady in older groups. More than one-quarter of past year cocaine users (more than 1.5 million) meet psychiatric diagnostic criteria for cocaine abuse or dependence. Yet in 2004, only 884,000 cocaine users received substance use treatment.
Cocaine is the illegal drug most often associated with visits to US hospital emergency departments. In 2005, it was involved in an estimated 31 percent of drug-related emergency department visits (about 450,000 visits), versus about 17 percent (240,000 visits) for marijuana and about 11 percent (165,000 visits) for heroin. Almost one-fifth of cocaine-related visits were by patients seeking detoxification; 3.2 percent were for suicide attempts.
Patterns of use — Cocaine is used in a variety of patterns. The typical “binge” involves short periods of heavy use (eg, payday or weekends) separated by longer periods of little or no use. Others may use for an extended period until their finances are exhausted or access to cocaine is interrupted. A small number of users who are self-medicating an underlying neuropsychiatric disorder, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, may use low doses daily without dose escalation over time. Most cocaine users living in the community do not use very frequently. Half (49.1 percent) of past year users used less than 12 times in the year; only 2.5 percent used at least 300 times.
Risk factors for use and abuse — While cocaine use occurs in all sociodemographic groups, it is not equally distributed among the US population. The highest prevalence of use is among unemployed men in their 20s with no more than a high school education who live in urban areas. Cocaine use is highly associated with use of other legal and illegal substances and with psychiatric disorders. Cigarette smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers are 10 times more likely than others to be cocaine users. Among current (past month) cocaine users, 92 percent use alcohol and 79 percent smoke cigarettes (73 percent use both). Almost half are heavy drinkers (five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least five days in the past 30 days). Concurrent use of cocaine and alcohol produces a new compound, cocaethylene, which is pharmacologically active. Many cocaine users use other substances either to enhance the “high” (eg, simultaneous use of opiates ["speedballing"]) or to ameliorate adverse effects of intoxication or withdrawal (eg, use of alcohol, cannabis, or benzodiazepines). Current cocaine users are twice as likely as non-users to have symptoms of depressive or anxiety disorders. Among past year cocaine users, almost one-quarter reported serious psychological distress during that year.
Cocaine users are at high risk for abuse or dependence. Community-based interview surveys suggest that up to one in six persons who use cocaine will become dependent. Heavier users and users who take the drug intravenously or by smoking are more likely to become dependent than lighter users or intranasal and oral users. The greater abuse potential of intravenous or smoked cocaine is attributed to the faster rate of drug delivery to the brain (within 10 seconds), and faster onset of psychological effects. This faster onset is associated with a more intense pleasurable response (the so-called “rate hypothesis” of psychoactive drug action).
The environment (including family, religious, and social factors) has the strongest influence on initial cocaine use. Studies of drug use by pairs of fraternal (dizygotic) and identical (monozygotic) twins suggest a significant genetic influence on the risk of developing cocaine abuse or dependence after use has begun. Several promising candidate genes have been identified, including those for dopamine receptors and the dopamine transporter, but no specific gene has been clearly linked with cocaine addiction. Cocaine enhances monoamine neurotransmitter (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin) activity in the central and peripheral nervous systems by blocking the presynaptic reuptake pumps (transporters) for these neurotransmitters. Cocaine’s positive psychological effects and abuse liability are considered to be due to its enhancement of brain dopamine activity, especially in the so-called corticomesolimbic dopamine reward circuit. Thus, cocaine addiction has been termed a disease of the brain’s dopamine reward system.
Cocaine is unique among stimulant drugs in having a second action of blocking voltage-gated membrane sodium ion channels. This action accounts for its local anesthetic effect, and may contribute to cardiac arrhythmias.

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George Michael has fled the country following his arrest for possessing crack cocaine and marijuana in a public toilet.

George Michael has fled the country following his arrest for possessing crack cocaine and marijuana in a public toilet. The pop star, 45, left his £5million London mansion with partner Kenny Goss and six large suitcases and holdalls last night. He has been in hiding since his arrest on Friday for possession of Class A and C drugs, which followed a tip-off from a lavatory attendant near Hampstead Heath. Police decided to take no further action after he 'showed remorse' and said it would ruin his career and stop him touring in the US. Michael played the final date of a two-year tour at Earls Court last month and is not due to play again until an Aids benefit with Dita Von Teese in Texas next month. Now he has decided to take time out after 'screwing up again' and promised to 'sort myself out', leaving last night without speaking to waiting media outside. Michael's publicist said: 'We don't know where he's going.' An onlooker said: 'They looked like they were going away for some time with the amount of luggage they had. They checked all the locks and made sure the lights were switched off too, all the things you do before you go abroad.'

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high doses, get you into trouble. It could be lethal to your heart or brain

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Popping pills to lose weight is not a new practice. But the newest pill of choice, Adderall, is a prescription drug, that when abused, has effects similar to cocaine.
Adderall speeds up the metabolism and releases more dopamine to the brain, creating a sense of euphoria and decreasing appetite. Doctors use Adderall to treat hyperactivity and narcolepsy. While it is a stimulant, it has a calming affect on patients. But. if abused, it can raise blood pressure and heart rate-which can be fatal.Dr. Mary Tantillo, director of the Eating Disorder Center at the University of Rochester, said, "You get really speeded up; it's dangerous. If you take it in high doses, get you into trouble. It could be lethal to your heart or brain."As Tantillo treats patients with eating disorders, she has seen abuse of this drug in people of all ages. She said some women are risking their lives to meet a standard of thinness that isn't real.She said the abuse of the drug is worse on college campuses.
"People have had medication stolen, or shared it, which is a crime; this is a controlled substance," she said.Doctors are careful not to prescribe this drug to people with eating disorders, Tantillo said. And when given in the proper dosage, side effects are limited.

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Andre Thomas died about an hour after he was subdued by police in the Pittsburgh suburb of Swissvale

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Andre Thomas died about an hour after he was subdued by police in the Pittsburgh suburb of Swissvale just before midnight Aug. 4. Thomas' family contends excessive police force, including the Taser, caused or contributed to the 37-year-old man's death. Pittsburgh-area man who died shortly after being zapped with a police Taser died from cocaine intoxication that stopped his heart, and there is no evidence the electric shock contributed to his death, a medical examiner said.Allegheny County Medical Examiner Dr. Karl Williams announced Wednesday that he concluded Thomas "died of a direct consequence of the consumption of cocaine." Thomas' blood-pressure medicine could have contributed to the cocaine-fueled "acute delirium" that caused cardiac arrest, Williams said, but the medical examiner stopped short of listing it on the death certificate.While technically an "overdose" because the drugs caused Thomas' death, Williams said the cocaine level in Thomas' blood was typical of "recreational" use and was not considered a lethal dose. Williams, with the help of an 11-slide computer presentation, discussed the case at a news conference Wednesday.Thomas' death, and another August case involving a drug overdose victim who had to be hospitalized after police used a Taser on him, has prompted District Attorney Stephen Zappala to name a panel headed by former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Ralph Cappy to study police use of the devices. The Pittsburgh Police Citizens' Review Board also wants officers to be certified to use the stun devices even though city officers weren't involved in Thomas' death.Howard Messer, the Pittsburgh attorney representing Thomas' family, said he doesn't believe Thomas died of a cocaine overdose, despite what Williams said."A diagnosis that portends to link cocaine ingestion with heart failure based on the facts of this case is simply an untenable position," Messer said.Thomas' cousin, Lee Davis, attended Williams' news conference and said: "I think at the end of the day we heard a lot of big talk and didn't get any answers."
Davis said he doubts Thomas would have died "on his own" had police not intervened.
Williams was asked if Thomas would have died from the cocaine in his system had he not also encountered the police."I don't think there's any way of predicting that," he responded.Messer has said Thomas attended a barbecue with friends and drank some wine before driving with a friend to Swissvale, where Thomas "became excited" and got out of the car. Williams said blood samples show he also used cocaine an hour or two before he was confronted by police.Police said Thomas had been trying to enter people's homes and they used the Taser after Thomas made "furtive movements" toward officers.Some witnesses said Thomas was not necessarily trying to break into the homes, but may have been seeking help for fear , real or imagined , that someone was trying to kill him. Williams said paranoia is one symptom of acute delirium.Messer said Thomas wasn't engaged in a crime or a threat to the police when they used the Taser. He said Thomas had 17 cuts or bruises, mostly on his face or arms, that prove police responded violently.Williams said those injuries were largely "superficial" and most were consistent with being handcuffed or scraping the concrete as he struggled with police.
More importantly, Williams said, there was no evidence that Thomas' chest was compressed by police force and no internal trauma that would indicate that an injury contributed to his death.
Messer said Thomas' family may file a wrongful death suit, but can't decide that until the forensic pathologist they hired completes his autopsy. That pathologist, Dr. Cyril Wecht, was Williams' predecessor and is well known for investigating famous deaths including JonBenet Ramsey's, Elvis Presley's and Vince Foster's.
Williams said after the news conference that he doubts Wecht's findings will conflict with his. But Messer said he's not sure how Williams can make that claim, since the attorney said he had to go to court to get blood, tissue and body fluid samples from Williams' office that Wecht needs to finish his autopsy.
"Any representations Dr. Williams made that Dr. Wecht has what he needs to make that determination is altogether inaccurate," Messer said.

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Lindsay Lohan She quit going to Alcoholics Anonymous and has absolutely never taken recovery seriously. She's gotten progressively worse

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Lindsay Lohan has fallen off the wagon -- and is causing "all-round mayhem", according to reports."Lindsay's been drinking, doing cocaine and causing all-around mayhem for the past few months," an insider tells America's Star magazine in its latest issue. "She quit going to Alcoholics Anonymous and has absolutely never taken recovery seriously. She's gotten progressively worse, and everyone in her life is really scared."Lindsay, 22, has already rubbished the magazine's allegations.
On her MySpace blog Saturday (Sept. 10), she wrote, "My publicist emailed me today saying that Star magazine is going to publish another ridiculous story about me -- then again it's not like their track record is up there with the New York Times. "If anything they printed was true I'd be married, pregnant with Mark Ronson's child and hanging with my sister and her 'fake' boobs all this while being dead due to an overdose.... wow! according to them I am one busy girl, even more so I am one busy dead girl!!!!"Those close to Lindsay -- who has a recurring guest-star role on the ABC hit Ugly Betty and was recently a guest judge at the taping of the 2009 season premiere of Lifetime's Project Runway -- are also said to be concerned that the pressure of resurrecting her career could be fueling her tailspin.

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What many people don’t realize that abusing cocaine with alcohol produces other chemicals in the body that can be deadly.

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What many people don’t realize that abusing cocaine with alcohol produces other chemicals in the body that can be deadly.Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug.“Cocaine use by itself has been linked to an increase in the chances of heart attacks or strokes,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab GA. “This is deadly enough, but few people realize that mixing this with alcohol produces a chemical called cocaethylene. Cocaethylene is associated with a greater risk of sudden death than cocaine alone.

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Edward Grijalva Instead of blaming others for his addiction and imprisonment, he hoisted the responsibility on himself and took on his demons.

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Instead of blaming others for his addiction and imprisonment, he hoisted the responsibility on himself and took on his demons. In prison, Grijalva began to read the Bible and embraced spirituality. He taught inmates to read and write. And, using himself as an example, Grijalva counseled fellow prisoners on how to recover from drug addiction. "My time in prison was well spent," said Grijalva, who spent more than two years in prison. That was 12 years ago, and for the past nine years, Grijalva has been working as a drug and alcohol recovery specialist. He is free of his addiction, reunited with his wife and children, and firm in his faith that people can recover. "It really is about talking to people, respecting people," said Grijalva, a recovery specialist for Compass Behavioral Health Care.
Saturday, two days before he turns 60, Grijalva and his wife will be in New York City, joining people like him and his family. He will be Arizona's "recovery delegate" at a Recovery Rally to bring awareness to treatment and recovery programs.
The 51 delegates will be joined by family members and people involved in drug- and alcohol-treatment programs. They will form a human chain across Brooklyn Bridge and march to New York City Hall to make the very human point that addiction is a disease and is treatable, and recovery is real.
"The honor of one is the honor of all," Grijalva wrote in his nomination essay.
Grijalva has a gentle voice. He exudes patience. His black hair is peppered with white and is neatly twisted into a long, single braid. It's his mark of his Tohono O'odham and Mayan indigenous roots. He began abusing drugs as a high-school dropout and took up heroin while fighting in the Vietnam War. Ten years of continued heroin use, arrests, jail time and divorce from his first wife followed.
While incarcerated he took up an offer of residential treatment. He was put on probation and started a drug-free life with a new wife and two children.
His past seemed to be fading when Grijalva relapsed. He started using again and attempted suicide several times. A drug conviction sent him to prison, where he had his reawakening. Grijalva's vivid story goes a long way to help others recover. His cultural understanding and bilingual skills also serve as powerful tools in his work. He directs cultural services for Compass, creating diverse recovery programs. And he works closely with the Tohono O'odham Nation to provide culturally sensitive recovery services. He incorporates sweat lodges, talking and drum circles into contemporary 12-step programs. "When you incorporate cultural perspectives and approaches, the successful outcomes increase," Grijalva said.
Grijalva's work has become a model among other American Indian tribes across the country. "What he has done in our community is incredible," said Neal J. Cash, president and chief executive officer of the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, which coordinates mental health and recovery services in Pima County and Southeast Arizona. Grijalva said it's not just his successful story that proves the need for more recovery facilities and resources. He said the hundreds of individuals who have been treated for drug and alcohol abuse are proof that people can be cured of their disease. But successful recovery starts with giving people a second chance, withholding judgment and offering compassion. "It's about honoring people," he said.

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hillbilly heroin woman arrested in Young yesterday was illegally pedalling thousands of powerful pain relieving drugs for up to $50 a hit.

Woman arrested in Young yesterday was illegally pedalling thousands of powerful pain relieving drugs for up to $50 a hit.
The prescription-only drug, Oxycodone, is known on the street as hillbilly heroin because it has a similar effect to morphine and is highly addictive.It is alleged the 47-year-old woman had legitimate access to more than 10,400 tablets including 2500 Oxycodone pills which she bought for $1.50 each and then sold on the black market for as much as $50 each.Potentially, the sale of 2500 pills at $50 per pill would have netted the accused $125,000.“It is believed to be the first time a person in NSW will be charged with the significant supply of a prescription medication for financial reward,” Cootamundra Superintendent Shane White said.“Police will allege the accused person has been at the highest level of the supply chain within the Young area for quite some time.”The woman is not employed in the health sector and is known to have a medical condition which has not been disclosed.Police assembled Strike Force Craigland last year to investigate an increase in the illegal sale of prescription medicines in the Riverina.Yesterday’s arrest was the third under Craigland with two women already charged and convicted by the courts for stolen and forged scripts.Last night police said they expected to charge the woman with four counts of supply prescription drugs and the ongoing supply for a prohibited drug.

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pop legend George Michael was arrested in a suburban London restroom for possession of crack cocaine and marijuana

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Ten years ago, he was caught by Los Angeles police in a compromising position with another man inside a public toilet and then, only days ago, the pop star was arrested in a suburban London restroom for possession of crack cocaine and marijuana.
"I want to apologize to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out," said the singer, who had recently completed a sold-out U.S. tour, in a statement released on Sunday. "And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them."This latest arrest for George comes two years after he was found unconscious and under the influence of drugs behind the wheel of his car in London. As part of his punishment for the infraction, he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and banned from driving for two years.Controversial pop star George Michael has promised to “sort himself out” after being found in a public toilet in possession of crack cocaine and cannabis.The singer, who has been involved in similar incidents in the past, made a light hearted quip referring to the repetitive nature of his embarrassing debacles."I want to apologize to my fans for screwing up again, and to promise them I'll sort myself out," Michael said in a statement. "And to say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them."In 2006, Michael was found asleep at the wheel of his car in London under the influence of drugs – he was banned from driving for two years and was made to perform 100 hours of community service.Michael, 45, has mentioned to BBC radio that he was aware of his problems with drugs and was trying to reduce his intake."In a strange way I've spent the last 15 to 20 years trying to derail my own career, but it never seems to suffer," he said."I suffer like crazy. I've suffered bereavements and public humiliations, but my career always seems to right itself like a plastic duck in the bath."The singer recently performed his last ever shows to large crowds in the UK, Europe and the US, but has not written off his music career entirely – still continuing to record.
Michael began his performing career in 1981 with pop group Wham! which shot the singer to international fame. He branched out into performing solo in 1987 - with his album Faith becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

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Ryan O'Neal and his son were arrested after authorities said they found drugs at the actor's Malibu home during a routine probation

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Ryan O’Neal, 67, and son Redmond, 24, were arrested and booked this morning on suspicion of narcotics possession after a probationary police search of their home turned up methamphetamine.Redmond, son of Farrah Fawcett, was in possession of the drug and a vial was also found in Ryan’s bedroom.They are being held on $10,000 bail.
The O’Neal family have had numerous drug problems in recent years. Ryan’s daughter, Tatum O’Neal was arrested in NY last June after attempting to buy crack cocaine. In early 2007 Ryan and son Griffin were involved in a physical fight with a fireplace poker being used as a weapon. Griffin reportedly chained up his brother, Redmond, so he would not buy drugs.
.Ryan O'Neal and his son were arrested Wednesday morning after authorities said they found drugs at the actor's Malibu home during a routine probation

check.Investigators suspect both men had methamphetamine, but the substances still need to be tested, Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies and probation officers went to O'Neal's home for a routine check of his son Redmond, who is serving three years of probation after pleading guilty in June to drug possession charges.Whitmore said in addition to drugs that deputies suspect belong to Redmond O'Neal, deputies also found narcotics in Ryan O'Neal's living area. Both men remain in custody on $10,000 bail and could be charged with felony possession of narcotics.Ryan O'Neal, 67, was nominated for a best actor Oscar for "Love Story." Redmond, 23, is his son from a relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett.O'Neal had two children with his first wife, Joanna Moore: actor Griffin O'Neal and actress Tatum O'Neal, his co-star in the 1973 movie "Paper Moon," for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress.Tatum O'Neal, the youngest actress to win an Oscar and who now has a recurring role on FX's series "Rescue Me," pleaded guilty in July to disorderly conduct in connection with an arrest on suspicion of cocaine possession in New York.Ryan O'Neal was arrested last February on suspicion of assaulting his son, Griffin, but charges were never filed.A call to Ryan O'Neal's agent, David Shapira, was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

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National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has reported an increase in the number of enquiries relating to cocaine abuse among young people.

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National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has reported an increase in the number of enquiries relating to cocaine abuse among young people.These enquiries have come from health care professionals involved in dealing with the clinical management of young drug users. The latest annual report from the NPIS, which is commissioned by the Health Protection Agency, also reveals increases in the number of enquiries related to ketamine, methamphetamine and benzylpiperazine, although these drugs are much less commonly used.In 2007/08, NPIS received more than 525,000 poisons-related enquiries from health care professionals in the UK. There was increased use of the NPIS online poisons information database, TOXBASE, which received 470,000 enquiries. NPIS has encouraged the use of TOXBASE as a first point of call for information, with its telephone enquiry service being devoted to the more complex cases. Around 67 per cent of TOXBASE enquiries were from hospitals.More than 52,000 telephone enquiries were answered in 2007/08. About a third (17,000) of these involved children under 10 years, illustrating the continuing frequency of accidental poisoning in this age group. A further 12 per cent (around 6,000) of enquiries involved the 10-19 age group. Overall, 37% of the telephone enquiries were from hospitals.Dr Roger Cox, Director of the Agency’s Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and the Environment said: “With poisoning accounting for over 100,000 NHS hospital admissions each year, the work of NPIS is vital in supporting the health care for this large patient group. It encourages optimal care for those with serious poisoning who need hospitalisation whilst at the same time it plays a crucial role in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.Professor Simon Thomas, Director of NPIS (Newcastle) said: “Exposure to potentially poisonous substances continues to be a very important public health issue in the UK, as evidenced by the large numbers of enquiries made to the National Poisons Information Service. Children are involved in a large proportion of these enquiries and it is important that those caring for children should take the necessary steps to minimise the risk of exposure to potentially harmful substances. The increases in the proportion of our workload relating to some drugs of misuse, especially cocaine, are of concern and needs addressing by the wider health community”.

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Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show that her 173 minutes in jail for violating probation on a DUI charge

Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show that her 173 minutes in jail for violating probation on a DUI charge were “terrifying.” Kardashian reportedly told Seacrest that she was forced to watch a videotape about “How to be a Good Inmate” (horrors!) and was put into solitary confinement because her presence was upsetting the other inmates. Kardashian was sentenced to 30 days in jail but spent less than three hours because of overcrowding conditions. “I’m very happy to have all this behind me,” she reportedly said.

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"The Office" star Craig Robinson has been sentenced to a drug counseling program after his recent drug arrest in Culver City

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"The Office" star Craig Robinson has been sentenced to a drug counseling program after his recent drug arrest in Culver City, California. Robinson was already on probation for a 2006 DUI and could have faced jail time. In exchange for pleading guilty to felony possession of ecstasy, two other drug charges against him were dropped. If Robinson can complete a drug counseling program within three years and stays clean, the guilty plea will also be removed from his record. Robinson is due in court on September 25 for a status hearing.

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DANIEL DAE KIM, who plays Jin-Soo Kwon in the hit series - was detained in Honolulu, Hawaii

The actor DANIEL DAE KIM, who plays Jin-Soo Kwon in the hit series - was detained in Honolulu, Hawaii in October (07) after police spotted him driving erratically. LOST star DANIEL DAE KIM has escaped jail after a judge sentenced him to community service following his drink-driving arrest last year (07).Kim pleaded no contest to driving under the influence (DUI) charges at a Hawaii court on Friday (12Sep08). He has been ordered to serve 72 hours of community service and pay a £270 fine as well as £115 in court costs. Kim's driver's license has also been suspended for six months. After the hearing Kim, 40, insisted he had learnt his lesson, telling reporters, "I'm just grateful and relieved that this matter has been resolved. It's been a pretty difficult time for my family and me. But I'm glad I had a chance to take responsibility for my mistake." DUI incidents have plagued the Lost cast in Hawaii - castmates Cynthia Watros and Michelle Rodriguez both pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in January 2006 and April 2007 respectively.

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Long-term treatment with antipsychotic medications alters the regional density of several of the neurotransmitter receptors that mediate cocaine toxic

Long-term treatment with antipsychotic medications alters the regional density of several of the neurotransmitter receptors that mediate cocaine toxicity. However, the effect of either up- or down-regulation of the neurotransmitter receptors on cocaine toxicity is unknown. In this study, we determined if subacute administration of the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone altered the toxic effects of cocaine in mice. Ziprasidone (4 mg/kg) or placebo was administered to the first two groups of CF-1 mice for 10 days and, then on day 10, an estimated LD50 dose of cocaine (102 mg/kg) was given to these mice. In a third group, in order to produce a ziprasidone withdrawal state, we administered ziprasidone for 10 days, followed by no treatment for 2 days before cocaine administration. There was no significant difference among the three groups in overall survival: 63% in the treatment group, 60% in the withdrawal group, and 80% in the placebo group. Survival time was significantly shorter for the withdrawal group than for the control group. Our study may have been limited by lower than expected serum ziprasidone concentrations and lower than expected lethality from cocaine. However, our findings suggest that administration of an atypical antipsychotic for 10 days may increase the toxic effects of cocaine.

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Cocaine and methamphetamine use among young adults in the United States fell significantly in 2007

Cocaine and methamphetamine use among young adults in the United States fell significantly in 2007, while abuse of prescription drugs increased fairly dramatically, according to a new U.S. survey.From 2006 to 2007, cocaine use among adults ages 18-25 decreased 23 percent to 1.7 percent, the annual report found, and methamphetamine use fell by a third to 0.4 percent.However, the abuse of prescription pain relievers by young adults rose 12 percent to 4.6 percent, according to the survey.The poll also found a significant decline in overall past-month illicit drug use among youth ages 12-17 -- dropping from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.5 percent in 2007. There were reductions in the use of almost every type of illicit drug, including marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, LSD, Ecstasy and methamphetamine, and in the abuse of such prescription drugs as pain relievers.
Alcohol use in this age group decreased from 17.6 percent in 2002 to 15.9 percent in 2007 and cigarette use declined from 13.0 percent in 2002 to 9.8 percent in 2007, according to the report, released at the start of the 19th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.The reductions in cocaine and methamphetamine use among adults ages 18-25 coincide with reductions in their use among American workers.
Since 2005, there has been a 50 percent reduction in the level of workplace positive drug tests for methamphetamine. Pricing and quality for "meth" also underwent changes: according to the report, in 2007 there was an 84 percent increase in average price per pure gram and a 26 percent decrease in methamphetamine purity.
In 2007, the number of workplace positive drug tests for cocaine decreased 19 percent to the lowest levels in the history of the workplace testing system. Also in 2007, there was a 10 percent decrease in cocaine purity and a 21 percent increase in the average price per gram of the drug, the survey found.
The report did find that illicit drug use among older adults -- those aged 55 to 59 -- more than doubled, to 4.1 percent, in 2007. The finding seems to confirm that baby boomers have continued their higher levels of substance abuse as they age.
"Our efforts against methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illegal drugs are working," John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a SAMHSA news release. "The markets for these poisons are shrinking, and the deadly grip they hold on the lives of individuals, families, and communities is being countered."
But, he added, "when it comes to prescription drugs, we cannot afford to re-live the painful experiences we've had with illegal drugs. We must act quickly to increase awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse, decrease the illegal diversion of these products, and shore up safer practices for their prescription and distribution."The survey also examined mental health issues and found that 24.3 million Americans aged 18 or older experienced serious psychological distress and 16.5 million Americans suffered at least one episode of major depression in 2007.
There's a strong association between substance abuse and mental health, the report noted. For example, adults 18 and older who had a major bout of depression in 2007 were more than twice as likely as other adults to have used illicit drugs -- 27.4 percent vs. 12.8 percent.

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Valium drug addicts are taking it illegally alongside alcohol to ease withdrawal from other drugs

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Valium, was previously known for ‘ anaesthetising a generation of British housewives’ in the 1960s and 70s. Now young people and drug addicts are taking it illegally alongside alcohol to ease withdrawal from other drugs. DrugScope, which said usage was rising in 15 out of 20 towns it surveyed, added it may also be used as a cheap alternative to heroin. Diazepam, nicknamed ‘blues’ or ‘vallies’, is available for as little as £1 a pill. In Valium’s heyday in the 1960s and 70s, it was prescribed in vast quantities by GPs. It is still prescribed in far smaller numbers for anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms or muscle spasms. But the illegal drugs are being brought in from other European countries where it is readily available. Many of the smugglers are holidaymakers returning from France, Spain and Portugal. Police and Customs seizures of diazepam have rocketed from 300,000 pills in the three years to June 2006 to two million in the two years since, DrugScope said. Long-term use is associated with mental health problems including forgetfulness, depression and agoraphobia. DrugScope’s chief executive Martin Barnes said: ‘The rise in the use of illicitly imported diazepam is concerning, particularly as drug users face a high risk of overdose when using the drug in combination with other drugs such as methadone and alcohol.’ Drugscope’s annual survey of substance use also found that the veterinary tranquilliser ketamine, which has been growing in popularity on the drug scene for several years, is now £20 a gram compared with £28 two years ago.

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Hollywood actress Mischa Barton has revealed that she secretly checked into rehab after pleading guilty for drunken driving in 2007.

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Hollywood actress Mischa Barton has revealed that she secretly checked into rehab after pleading guilty for drunken driving in 2007.The former ‘O. C.’ actress said that she punished herself by locking herself at an unnamed rehab after being arrested on suspicion of DUI in December.She was sentenced to 36 months on probation, alcohol education classes and a fine after pleading guilty to charges earlier this year."I wanted to prove to the court that I would take it completely seriously, so I went to rehab to prove I was sober,” Contactmusic quoted Barton, as saying."It really helped in getting the more serious aspects of my case dropped because, you know, that''s what they want to hear; you''re not an alcoholic and you don''t have a problem.“So I did it in the most low-key way possible - I didn''t make a fuss about it and I didn''t tell a lot of my friends, I just did the program and got through it," she said.She added: “The actress stated that she was disappointed in herself for her wrong doing and putting life in danger due to her reckless driving."The thing is, I hate drunk drivers, living in L. A., I can''t stand them, and that''s why I was so disappointed in myself, it’s so not worth it when you put other lives at risk," she said. (ANI)

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Young men who die suddenly after being arrested by the police may be victims of a new syndrome similar to one that kills some wild animals

Young men who die suddenly after being arrested by the police may be victims of a new syndrome similar to one that kills some wild animals when they are captured, Spanish researchers said on Tuesday.Manuel Martinez Selles of Madrid's Hospital Gregorio Maranon reached the conclusion after investigating 60 cases of sudden unexplained deaths in Spain following police detention.
In one third of the cases, death occurred at the point of arrest, while in the remainder death was within 24 hours, Selles told the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.All but one of the casualties were male and their average age was just 33 years, with no previous history of cardiovascular disease.
"Something unusual is going on," Sells said.
Just why they died remains a mystery but he believes young men, in particular, may experience surges in blood levels of chemicals known as catecholamines when under severe stress.Adrenaline is one of the most abundant catecholamines.
"We know that when a wild animal is captured, sometimes the animal dies suddenly," he said."Probably when these young males are captured it is very stressful and their level of catecholamines goes very high and that can finish their life by ventricular fibrillation (cardiac arrest)."Selles compiled his study -- the first of its kind in any country -- by scouring Spanish newspapers for cases of unexplained death after police detention over the past 10 years.Only sudden deaths with no clear causes were included and autopsy reports were checked to exclude the possibility of mistreatment or past serious medical conditions.Twelve of the victims were drug users but Selles said this was not thought to have contributed to their deaths.
Jonathan Halperin of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the research, said the concept of a heart stress syndrome triggered by a flood of adrenaline or other chemicals was "a reasonable hypothesis."
"We all know stress is bad for you and this may be stress in the extreme," he said.

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