| Prescription Drug Abuse Grows Among Teens
Most teens know the danger of illegal street drugs. Now more are turning to prescription drugs because they think they are a safe alternative. Vicadin, Xanax and Oxycotin are all prescription drugs with valid medical purposes but now their names are maybe known more for illegal activity and addiction especially among teenagers. "Prescription drugs are the number one cause of the problems we have with drugs on our streets," District Attorney for the 4th Judicial District Jerry Jones said. Prescription drugs rank second to marijuana for teen drug abuse. According to a study ordered by the office of President George W. Bush, one in five teenagers report abusing prescription drugs. 47 percent say they get the drugs from relatives or friends. 39 percent say its easy to get the drugs online. "The biggest drug dealer in Ouachita Parish is this computer sitting next to me," Jones said.
Celebs aside, rehab can work
Lindsay Lohan is back in rehab. It's not surprising, really. How serious can one be about overcoming addiction when one jumps back into the Los Angeles party circuit wearing an ankle bracelet designed to measure one's blood-alcohol content days after checking out of a chic substance-abuse treatment center? Lohan faces new charges of misdemeanor drunken driving, felony cocaine possession and driving on a suspended license following an incident early Tuesday morning. She had been out of rehab less than two weeks. It is not unusual to relapse in substance abuse recovery, celebrity or no. Actor Daniel Baldwin, who allowed ABC News' "Primetime" to tape various stages of his three-month drug-treatment program in Malibu, Calif., reportedly tried nine other treatment centers in his battle with addiction.
Danger drug discovered in Scotland for the first time
A DRUG said to be the world's most addictive substance, which has torn apart communities in the United States, has been found by police in Scotland for the first time. A small amount of crystal meth, a substance known to cause psychosis and which brings huge social costs, has been recovered by the Northern Constabulary. .
Independent streak couldn't overcome pain
It wasn't so much a weak spirit but a strong will, relatives say, that drove 28-year-old Nicole Guagliardo to a Shrewsbury back street on what would become a fatal search to score drugs. Guagliardo's unwavering confidence, after all, had helped her walk again after she almost lost her right leg six years earlier in a horrific traffic wreck, they said. Later, her determination fueled her attempt to kick her debilitating addiction to methadone that relatives said was prescribed to control her chronic pain. It was that same willfulness, they say, that led her to try crack cocaine as a euphoric alternative when the methadone withdrawal became too much for her to bear. Despite protests from her sister, Guagliardo was adamant that crack was her only choice. "There was no talking her out of it," said Guagliardo's sister, Alicia Gonzales, 23.
LiLo puts dad on L.I. visit agenda
Celebrity train wreck Lindsay Lohan is back home on Long Island and planning a reunion with her estranged dad, insiders said yesterday. LiLo could hook up with her father, Michael, as early as Wednesday after he agreed to drop his divorce war demand that her mom undergo drug testing. "Lindsay has never stopped loving her dad," a source close to the actress said. "She has never said that." The troubled starlet's main beef with her ex-con dad is that he milked her celebrity status for his projects, including a teen addiction program and a book deal. "She's saddened he's used all the press to promote his own agenda," the insider said. Lindsay Lohan secretly flew to New York from Los Angeles, where she had been charged with drunken driving and drug possession after an outrageous car chase on July 24.
Sloshed stars make mockery of rehab
Celebrities like actress Lindsay Lohan and pop star Britney Spears are making a mockery of rehabilitation programs by appearing not to take treatment seriously, U.S. addiction experts warned. Lohan was arrested on Tuesday on a second drunken-driving charge just days after leaving her second stint in rehab flaunting an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet at nightclubs. Spears twice spent less than a day in rehab before entering a third time for a month after behaving erratically. .
Notebook:24 hours to save a series and a planet
The makers of the now flagging television show, “24", have announced that the next series will see the murder and mayhem infused with environmental messages. The FT has obtained some draft plot synopses. Episode 1: Jack Bauer is sitting in his Prius, chewing alfalfa sprouts, when he hears that a gang of Bosnians are littering the downtown area. He runs to the spot, where he sees Dennis Hopper throwing an empty Coke can on the ground before speeding off in a Hummer. Bauer flags down an electric car and gives chase to the airport, where Hopper boards a plane for France. Bauer tries to follow but does not have enough carbon credits for the flight and must watch helplessly as Hopper escapes. .
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