World

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Revelers seeking entry into nightclubs in Scotland had better keep their noses clean – as police and club bouncers are now equipped with special flashlights that illuminate cocaine residue on nose hairs.

• Cocaine: Cocaine Use up 500% in UK
• Baby Boomers Still Using Drugs as They Stumble Towards Older Age
• Aging Baby Boomers Are Still Getting High; Reports SAMHSA

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Russian official accuses brewers of making ‘chemical weapons’ by adding alcohol to beer during the fermentation stage.

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Human rights groups in Cambodia say health authorities are forcing drug addicts to participate in trials for an experimental Vietnamese detox drug.

© Photo Credit: StreetFly JZ

Human rights groups in Cambodia say health authorities are forcing drug addicts to participate in trials for an experimental Vietnamese detox drug.

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Lady Stern, who will release a government commissioned report in February on the way police handle rape allegations, has said that drunk men who force sex on their partners are rapists – and they should be treated that way.

• Domestic Violence: World Cup Increases Risks of Domestic Violence
• Poll: Did you suffer abuse as a child?

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You can buy the legal drug mephedrone for a few pounds over the internet and get a stimulant that produces an ecstasy-like high shipped to your door. It’s caused at least 2 deaths and police in the UK are worried about an increase in use.

• Adolescent Depression: MDMA and Amphetamines up Teen Depression Odds
• Club Drug Addiction: Club Drug Rehab Opens in UK
• Ecstasy: Ecstasy Linked to Brain Changes

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About half of Australians think that it’s OK for 15-17 year olds to drink at home, so long as they are supervised by parents – an attitude that’s causing frustration to health workers who are striving to spread the word about the dangers of early exposure to alcohol.

• Parenting: Spankings Increase Risk of Future Mental Illness
• Teen Substance Abuse: Parents on Drugs: “My Kids Don’t, Yours Probably Do”
• Alcohol Harm Reduction: Teen Drinking at Home Leads to Problems

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Thai police find easy prey by raiding treatment center and allegedly planting drugs on injection drug users.

• Government Employees In OxyContin Scam
• Toronto Police Arrest 2 Dirty Cops in Marijuana Grow-Op Bust
• Sending Grandma to Rehab? A Huge Growth in Senior Drug Addiction Prompts Age Specific Treatments at Rehabs

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The alcohol fueled festive season has traditionally meant an increase in rape cases. Senior police officers in the UK have launched a public awareness campaign to teach women how to stay safe.

• Of the $468 Billion American Governments Spend on Substance Abuse, Only 2% Goes to Prevention
• California Gay Men The Target of New Anti-Meth Campaign

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Brits are making up for binge drinking with gym visits the next day – a practice the government says may help to burn those extra calories, but that won’t protect from cancers or organ damage.

• Binge Drinking: July 4th - Spike in ER Visits for Teen Boys
• Alcohol and Heart Health: Binge Drinking Doubles Risk of Heart Attack
• Binge Drinking: No Decline in Binge Drinking Over last 15 Years

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Robert Enke, 32, the man who was to defend Germany’s chances in net at next year’s World Cup, committed suicide last night; stepping in front of a speeding train to end a life plagued by severe depression.

• Social Contagion: Study: Depression Risk Is Contagious
• Stress and Mental Illness: Teen Stress Ups Adult Mental Illness Risk
• Depression Research: Diet Soda Drinkers More Prone to Depression

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During August a 15 year old was beaten to death and a 14 year old was hospitalized after a beating, in 2 separate incidents at Chinese internet addiction treatment facilities.

• Tobacco in Addiction Treatment: Study: Quit Smoking while You Quit Drugs?
• Harm Reduction: Half of Addiction Therapists OK Moderate Drinking
• Costs of Addiction Treatment: Study: Alcoholism Treatment Saves Money

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Obesity soon to cause more liver cirrhosis than alcohol abuse in the UK

• Weight Loss: Women Who Read Food Labels Weigh Less
• Self-Control: Weight Control: Forget Willpower!
• Obesity: Weight Control: Tiny Pieces of Food Fill You Up Faster

© Photo Cresit: A.drian

In San Juan, those in need of clean needles, condoms or cookers in the middle of the night can visit a local vending machine to get what they need.

• HIV: Needle Exchanges Reduce HIV Rates
• Crack Smokers Face Hugely Increased Risk of HIV

© Photo Credit: Smoking Permitted

To reduce drunken driving, China’s Ministry of Public Security has proposed new tougher DUI regulations, including fining the passengers of intoxicated drivers for having failed to stop the criminal act.

• DUI: Intoxicated Dad Puts 8 Year Old Son behind the Wheel
• DUI: Man has One More Drink before Taking DUI Test
• Drunk Driving: Prom Night Still a Night of Drunken Driving