Police found his body Thursday inside his apartment on Ransom Road. Investigators believe he died of a drug overdose that may be linked to a dangerous form of heroin that appears to be making its way through the area.
Capt. Gregory Savage of the Erie County Sheriff's office said, "Some of the unused heroin that we covered from the scene is going to be tested at the central police services laboratory. They may be able to make a determination as to why this is happening, whether it's because the heroin itself isn't cut enough, it's too strong, or whether there is some cutting agent involved that may be poisoning these people."
Police are investigating at least two other deaths in the area linked to a dangerous form of heroin.
Two people have been charged with drug offences after a £100,000 cannabis farm was discovered on Teesside. [22 March 2011]
When police raided Beverley Road house, they found over 450 suspected cannabis plants with an estimated minimum street value of £100,000.
A 49 year old woman and a 41 year old man were arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis.
NEDL were also contacted due to concerns over the electricity supply which appeared to have been tampered with.
Drugs Unit Sergeant Nigel McCartney said: “I would urge the community to be aware of residential cultivation of cannabis – it is certainly becoming more common. Anyone who sees what they believe to be suspicious activity should report it to police or to the charity Crimestoppers and we will act upon that information.”
Cops raided Charlie Sheen's home on Thursday night (10Mar11) after they received a call claiming the star had violated a court order by allegedly keeping a gun in the house.
Los Angeles Police Department (Lapd) officers showed up at the troubled actor's Los Angeles property with a search warrant in an attempt to locate any firearms or ammunition, according to Tmz.com.
Police have been probing reports of possible criminal activity linked to drugs or weapons, as the restraining order granted to Sheen's estranged wife Brooke Mueller earlier this month (Mar11) prevents him from possessing weapons.
Officers discovered an antique rifle from the 1800s and "a few bullets", according to Sheen's lawyer Mark Gross - but no other weapons were found. Gross also confirmed cops were reacting to a complaint from an unknown person who had made a statement about a gun.
The former Two And A Half Men actor was not arrested following the raid and was reportedly co-operative with officials.
As reports of the bust emerged online and on U.S. news channels, Sheen took to his Twitter.com page to play down the drama, writing, "All good here on homefront. All reports are false. I'll explain more very soon..."
He later added, "The Lapd were Awesome. Absolute pros! They can protect and serve this Warlock anytime!"
MUSIC legend Eric Clapton has raised £1.3million for his rehab clinic by selling off part of his guitar collection.
He auctioned more than 130 lots – which included amps and stage suits – with a 1948 Gibson going for £51,000 and a mahogany Zemaitis for £47,000.
The money will be go to the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which Clapton founded in 1998 and for which he has held two other auctions.
A spokesman for Bonhams of New York said yesterday: “It has been a privilege to hold this remarkable auction.”
The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans, as the loss of anyone who publicly struggled with drugs or alcohol often does. Why wasn't his treatment, documented on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House," a success? Why can't someone like Starr just stop using drugs?
"[The addiction] literally hijacks the person's brain and takes over," Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, told MTV News on Wednesday (March 9). "For somebody who has become physically and emotionally addicted, stopping and staying stopped is the hardest thing in the world to do.
"The first thing to understand about alcoholism and addiction is that it's similar to other chronic illnesses, like heart disease or diabetes. It's chronic, it's progressive and it's fatal if it's untreated," he added. "Some people, despite the best efforts on their part and others, will die from their addiction. It's our hope that Mike's death will serve for many as the opportunity for them to either seek help for themselves, a friend or family member."
The NCADD estimates that there are more than 23 million people in the United States who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. "That's almost 10 percent of the population," Lindsey pointed out. And while Starr's death made headlines, as the seemingly endless relapses of other celebrities do as well, he's quick to illustrate the growing picture of treatment. "It's equally important to highlight the fact that we estimate that maybe 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery today."
The history of Alice in Chains is unfortunately tied to drugs, specifically heroin, in many ways. The group wrote several songs about it and regularly disappeared from the limelight while singer Layne Staley battled his demons. He eventually died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine in 2002 while living as a virtual recluse. Starr had been gone from the group for nearly two decades already, reportedly fired for his inability to manage his own drug habits.
In more recent years, he seemed to be doing well on "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House." He was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and reportedly making music with Days of the New when he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession during a traffic stop last month. TMZ reported on Wednesday that Starr had been mixing methadone and anxiety medication just hours before his death, according to his roommate. The report maintains that Starr was using the drugs as part of his effort to stay clean and had been "doing a pretty good job."
true scale of the challenge to stop children smoking emerged today as it was revealed nine-year-olds are becoming addicted to tobacco.
Nurses in Merthyr Tydfil spoke of how the average age for children to pick up the habit is now nine in the deprived borough.
But health promotion experts told the Western Mail, Merthyr is by no means unique in Wales.
ASH Wales today described smoking as an addiction of childhood, as the Assembly Government said it was committed to adopting tough new measures on tobacco displays in shops.
Tracey Bowen, clinical nurse specialist at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr, said: “The average of all the ages [of people starting to smoke] came out as nine. Unfortunately it is realistic.
“We have lots of good campaigns going on in schools, educational campaigns, but it does not seem to be stopping children trying smoking or starting to smoke.
“I had a patient who did start when he was between two and three – his grandparents gave him cigarettes because they thought it was funny and amusing.”
Carol Owen, principal health promotion specialist and manager of the anti- smoking programme Assist, which works with year eight pupils, said: “There will be nine-year-olds smoking in Merthyr as there will be across the country.
“There are always some children who will start smoking younger than others.”
A survey of child smokers by ASH Wales in 2008 found the average age they started was 11.2 years, although some children said they began to smoke at just seven.
The average number of cigarettes smoked a week was 45, although some children told the charity they smoked up to 200 – almost 30 a day.
A more recent survey among teenage girls, also by ASH Wales, put the average age they started smoking at 12.
One in five said they spent up to £20 a week on cigarettes and almost half said staying slim was important to them.
Tanya Buchanan, chief executive of ASH Wales, said: “We know the vast majority of smokers take up smoking as adolescents and often become life-long addicts of a truly deadly product.
“That is why smoking is an addiction of childhood, not an adult choice.
“While the latest statistics show a decline in smoking prevalence rates among 15 years – 9% of boys, 14% of girls – these rates are still too high.
“We know that the younger people start to smoke the greater their risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases.
“That’s why it is so important that we put tobacco products out of sight of children and ban the sale of tobacco from vending machines.
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Worth More as a Trainwreck Than a TV Star? - E! Online: "Alas, Charlie Sheen may have tiger-channeling blood and fire-breathing fists. But unless he also has a bunghole that can press gold bars, Sheen will have to work very hard to even approach the kind of paychecks he got via Men.
waved a machete from a rooftop while swigging from a bottle labelled 'Tiger Blood' after being sacked from his hit show yesterday.
launch ever more factories.
and the British Liver Trust, as well as senior doctors working on alcohol-related health problems – was billed, when launched last summer, as a fresh, collaborative approach to a serious public health problem.
Elton John Wants Billy Joel To Clean Himself Up - Phoenix Music - Up on the Sun: "Although they've been good friends for many years, Elton John has finally revealed that he's sick of Billy Joel's light stints in rehab, according to People.
and sentenced to 5-8 years in prison. However, Japan allowed him to serve most of his sentence in Israel, which he began doing ten months ago. He was known by the masses around the world who prayed for him as Yosef ben [son of] Ita Rivka.
The Jakarta Globe: "Besides Australia, three other countries have approached Indonesia for prisoner-transfer arrangements, Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said on Monday.
