NatWest had been told that Hannah Mayne was a drug addict on benefits. So why did it give her UKP850, which she blew on drugs? In October last year Hannah Mayne walked into the local branch of NatWest Bank and asked for an overdraft of UKP50. Although she was an unemployed teenager whose only income was from benefits, the man behind the counter said that would be no problem. In fact, she could have UKP1,200 if she wanted. Ten minutes later Hannah walked out with UKP850 in cash in her pocket and the facility to access UKP350 more. Three weeks after that she took a heroin overdose. She had spent every penny of NatWest's money on drugs. [continues 3593 words]
DALLAS -- The number of Dallas students getting hooked on a new drug called "cheese" is skyrocketing, with arrests for the heroin mix up 82 percent this school year. Dallas Independent School District police made 122 arrests through February for students either possessing or dealing the drug. At that time last school year, 67 cheese-related arrests had been made. The total reached 90 by summer. School district officials have said they were slow to see cheese as a threat when it was detected in fall 2005 because they didn't know what it was. They say arrests increased because they now know what they're looking for. [continues 607 words]
STAMFORD - City police are investigating two suspicious drug overdose deaths in the last 10 days, and New York City police have arrested a man who was with a Stamford teen when she fatally overdosed in Manhattan last month, authorities said. Stamford police are awaiting toxicology reports to determine what killed two city men in their 30s, one on April 7 and the other on Thursday, said Capt. Richard Conklin, head of the detective bureau. New York City-area police are investigating the possibility that a batch of heroin laced with a potent painkiller entered the local market in the last month, he said. [continues 425 words]
Methamphetamine is a powerful synthetic drug that affects the body's central nervous system. The drug is illegally manufactured using ephedrine or pseudoephedrine with a combination of other explosive and toxic chemicals that are available over the counter. Meth is often produced in home labs that are extremely volatile, according to the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The organization also provided the following information: The high from meth is caused by the brain firing more dopamine -- the feel-good chemical that is critical to normal brain function. With repeated use, meth kills dopamine cells, leading to a chemical change in the brain. This lack of dopamine creates a cranky, violent person even months after drug use stops. [continues 375 words]
The media attention given to the drug Ecstasy is nothing new to Gainesville. When one of us transferred to UF in 1999 from Miami, the controversy over Ecstasy - more specifically, MDMA - was in full swing in this college town. The rave scene that had sprung up in the mid to late '90s, centering around a notorious club named Simon's, brought night-crawling raver youths to Gainesville in droves. But this scene dissolved due to new legislation that shifted bar and club closing times to 2 a.m. [continues 413 words]
Canada should legalize and tax marijuana according to Senator Larry Campbell, who blamed the U.S. for pressuring Ottawa to follow its war on drugs approach. Marijuana smoke hung thick in the air outside the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour St.), and joints were being rolled openly on the counter just inside the entrance. Campbell, a former Vancouver drug cop and mayor, said science has proven that the substance is relatively harmless. "Nobody's ever died from marijuana, so what's the big deal?" said Campbell, who is featured in the documentary. America found allies in Ottawa with last year's election of a Conservative government, he added. He said the Tories wanted to shut down Vancouver's safe heroin injection site despite numerous scientific studies proving its effectiveness. Campbell said drugs like heroin and cocaine should be controlled, but their use should not be treated as a criminal offence. [end]
THE Liberal and Labor parties have been told it would be absurd for them to direct preferences to the Greens in the federal election because it would be sending children the message it was acceptable to use drugs. In an attempt to gain crucial support for his party at the next election, expected in October or November, Family First's only federal representative, Steve Fielding, has warned the major parties against any association with the Greens. In response to Greens leader Bob Brown's call for Labor preferences, Senator Fielding said the Greens were pushing dangerous views on drugs and had no sensible policies on families or small business. [continues 342 words]
