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The Tao of Robert Downey Jr.: The New Issue of Rolling Stone -- RollingStone.com
Movies -- Latest News -- The Tao of Robert Downey Jr.: The New Issue of Rolling Stone -- RollingStone.com: "'And here I was needing to anesthetize like never before. The wife has moved out, the kid's gone, my life is a fucking babyshambles, and I suddenly make the neuropathic connection that there's nowhere the coke can be but the garbage, and I fucking dig in the thing and there it is, and it's so fucking pure and so clean and there I am, in my own kitchen, cooking up some rock — no Vicodin, no Valium, nothing to take the edge off, barely a trace of fucking Absolut Citron left in the fridge, and I just go, 'This is as good as it gets right now.' I just go, 'Bam!,' triumph of the spirit. And the next thing that happens, I'm in custody within two weeks for even stranger reasons, and the phone rings, and it's the phenom's son and he goes, 'Hey, dude, do you have any more of that opium?' I, of course, told him it was opium. Never call it heroin, it's very taboo. But this stuff, this Mexican sludge, just grabbed you by the fucking heartstrings and tore me apart. All those years of snorting coke, and then I accidentally get involved in heroin after smoking crack for the first time. It finally tied my shoelaces together. Smoking dope and smoking coke, you are rendered defenseless. The only way out of that hopeful state is intervention.'"Sam Sarfo Kantanka claims to have swallowed 96 of the pellets.
Acting Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, Akrasi Sarpong, has told Joy News the music producer was arrested on Tuesday evening at the Kotoka International Airport as he was going through boarding formalities for a flight to the United Kingdom.Tests conducted have also proven the substance to be cocaine, Mr Sarpong confirmed, adding that the suspect will be arraigned before a court in Accra after he has expelled everythin“What saddens me about these things is that these are guys who are role models, and when they are arrested, it [twists] the minds of people. The whole role model culture just breaks apart; it’s so sad,” Mr Sarpong said, and called on the church to pray for “holy anger” against such persons.According to him, it is important to ‘pray’ such persons out of that attitude so they don’t negatively influence society.Mr Kantanka’s arrest follows those of another music producer Isaac Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer of Goodies Music Production.He was also arrested recently at the KIA and confessed that he was “hard pressed for cash as a music producer” and decided to swallow cocaine to be delivered to someone in the United Kingdom for a fee.CEO of Modelling Company Exopa was also arrested and charged with concealing cocaine in a tuber of yam.
Natina Reed From Blaque Arrested For Cocaine Possession & Prostitution | The Urban Daily
Natina Reed From Blaque Arrested For Cocaine Possession & Prostitution | The Urban Daily: "Natina Reed, 29, formerly of the group Blaque, was arrested on April 13, 2010 in Gwinnett County, Georgia and charged with cocaine possession, disorderly conduct, and prostitution.
Natina is also known for acting (Honey, Bring It On) and her short-lived relationship with ex-fiancé and son’s father, Kurupt."
Pul-e-Charkhi prison, on the outskirts of Kabul.
Their crimes range from terrorism to drug smuggling. And many young criminals in Afghanistan would have expected to serve their sentences in the notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison, on the outskirts of Kabul. But in a sign of changing times, a new youth rehabilitation centre has been built, with money from the Italian government. Bernard Smith has been given exclusive access
The Truth About Cocaine Vaginas - Cocaine vagina - Jezebel
The Truth About Cocaine Vaginas - Cocaine vagina - Jezebel: "actress Pam Grier says she and Richard Pryor broke up in part because his cocaine use had led to a dangerous buildup of the drug in her vagina. Is that even possible"Cats star Mathew Stokes gets 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine after trafficking charge dropped | Herald Sun
Cats star Mathew Stokes gets 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine after trafficking charge dropped | Herald Sun: "GEELONG star Mathew Stokes says he is 'embarrassed' by his actions after he escaped conviction after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine today. Stokes pleaded guilty to the possession charge in the Geelong Magistrates' Court today after a deal between prosecutors and Stokes' lawyers to drop a charge of trafficking cocaine."Corrie star Denise Welch confesses: My cocaine shame - mirror.co.uk
Corrie star Denise Welch confesses: My cocaine shame - mirror.co.uk: "Shaking and sweating, Denise Welch locked herself in the Coronation Street toilets, clutching a s50 wrap of cocaine.Just a few feet away, on the set of the Rovers Return, her cast mates were filming Weatherfield stalwart Betty Drivers real life and on-screen 80th birthday celebrations.
As the pub landlady and one of the soaps most famous faces, Denises character Natalie Barnes should have been in the hub of the scenes."
Doctor providing addicts with cocaine walks free | WorldHalt.com
Doctor providing addicts with cocaine walks free | WorldHalt.com: "drug-addicted doctor who provided drug addicts in therapy with cocaine walked free from a Vienna court yesterday (Weds).Judge Patrick Aulebauer heard how suspended doc Peter A. supplied his patients with drugs before he was banned for life from the Doctors Chamber."
Radford teachers get deferred sentences on prostitution charge | honoluluadvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser
Radford teachers get deferred sentences on prostitution charge | honoluluadvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser: "High School teachers received six-month deferred sentences Thursday after pleading no contest to soliciting prostitutes last year in downtown Honolulu.If Albert Hetrick, 37, and Jacob Sur, 26, stay out of trouble with the law for six months, the misdemeanor criminal cases against them will be dismissed"
Michael Douglas' son Cameron has no one to blame but himself | Mail Online
Michael Douglas' son Cameron has no one to blame but himself | Mail Online: "difficult week for Michael Douglas, who was in court to see his son given a five-year jail sentence for drug-dealing and his reputation as a father trashed into the gutter. Cameron Douglas, a DJ, bit-part actor, full-time heroin addict and total waste of space, was arrested last July after being found in possession of £12,000 of crystal methamphetamine in a New York hotel room. Cameron pleaded guilty, but in mitigation claimed that drug-dealing was 'simply' a way of funding his addiction and asked the judge to consider a lighter sentence."Sports Briefing - Boxing - Valero Was Drug Addict, His Mother-In-Law Says - NYTimes.com
Sports Briefing - Boxing - Valero Was Drug Addict, His Mother-In-Law Says - NYTimes.com: "Edwin Valero was addicted to cocaine and had grown increasingly violent before he was arrested in his wife’s murder and hanged himself in a Venezuelan jail, his mother-in-law, Mary Finol, said at the funeral of her daughter, Jennifer Carolina Viera. Valero, who won a record 27 straight knockouts, was arrested Sunday in the stabbing death of his 24-year-old wife. The police said he hanged himself in his cell Monday."Sports Briefing - Boxing - Valero Was Drug Addict, His Mother-In-Law Says - NYTimes.com
Sports Briefing - Boxing - Valero Was Drug Addict, His Mother-In-Law Says - NYTimes.com: "Edwin Valero was addicted to cocaine and had grown increasingly violent before he was arrested in his wife’s murder and hanged himself in a Venezuelan jail, his mother-in-law, Mary Finol, said at the funeral of her daughter, Jennifer Carolina Viera. Valero, who won a record 27 straight knockouts, was arrested Sunday in the stabbing death of his 24-year-old wife. The police said he hanged himself in his cell Monday."Story of two former Santa Cruz residents on drug addiction reality show Wednesday - San Jose Mercury News
Story of two former Santa Cruz residents on drug addiction reality show Wednesday - San Jose Mercury News: "Heroin and cocaine grabbed Annie Preece when she was 16 and waiting tables at a restaurant on Haight Street in San Francisco.Introduced by a friend, she thought using the drugs made her look glamorous.
On top of the so-called glamour, Preece said the high from shooting cocaine and heroin into her veins — a mixture known as a 'speed ball' — was 'better than any love' she ever had.
Preece, 29, an artist who moved to Santa Cruz two years ago, essentially gave her youth to the addiction and was 'on death's doorstep' when the producers of a TLC reality television show called 'Addicted' met her in December and started filming Preece's journey from rock-bottom to recovery."
Cocaine- related charges up 55%
Cocaine- related charges up 55%: "convicted drug dealer Richard Buttrose likened it to having a glass of wine, and now the latest crime statistics show that cocaine use is skyrocketing in Sydney.Cocaine-related charges laid by police in NSW rose 55 per cent in the 24 months to December and are now the highest in at least a decade.
A report by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows 753 people were charged for use or possession of the drug last year. Two-thirds of those were in inner Sydney and the eastern suburbs.
But researchers traditionally view official statistics about cocaine as less representative of the extent of its use because of a big number of ''hidden'' users."
Michael Douglas' son denied plea to be sentenced in secret | HollywoodNews.com
Michael Douglas' son denied plea to be sentenced in secret | HollywoodNews.com: "Earlier this month we reported that Michael Douglas’ son, Cameron Douglas, was being charged for selling large amounts of drugs (including methamphetamine and cocaine), in a case in which he pleaded guilty. While it was unsure as to how the case was going to go and he could face up to 10 years in prison, he has obviously the center of attention since he hails from a top Hollywood star. His dark rode to drug addiction hailed from a very young age and it’s sad to see this troubled star fall."'Girlicious' Singer Arrested: Natalie Mejia Pleads Not Guilty to Cocaine Possession - KTLA
'Girlicious' Singer Arrested: Natalie Mejia Pleads Not Guilty to Cocaine Possession - KTLA: "singer in the pop group 'Girlicious' plead not guilty Thursday to a charge of cocaine possession with intent to sell.Natalie Mejia, 21, of Diamond Bar, was arrested in Glendale on March 9th after a car she was riding in was stopped for speeding, Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.A Glendale officer said he found more than a dozen bags of cocaine inside her Gucci purse.Mejia spent the night in in jail after her arrest and was released in lieu of $30,000 bail. She appeared in Los Angeles courtroom and plead not guilty to the charge on Thursday. She says the drugs weren't hers and that she didn't know how they got there.The driver of the Mustang in which she was riding, Peter Asencio, 28, of Burbank, was charged for driving with a suspended license."
Brooke Mueller Flips Out Over Charlie... | Gather
Brooke Mueller Flips Out Over Charlie... | Gather: "Brooke Mueller flipped out when she heard about Charlie Sheen’s hookers and coke relapse. Brooke has been in separate rehab from Charlie, so when she got wind of his disguises and antics, she blew a lid! More pictures of Brooke after the test… Brooke has been quietly rehabbing and staying out of the press"Kirstie Alley Regrets Writing Cocaine-Fuelled Journal - Starpulse.com
Kirstie Alley Regrets Writing Cocaine-Fuelled Journal - Starpulse.com: "Kirstie Alley regrets writing drug-fuelled journal entries during her battle with addiction - because she once vowed to publish her ramblings while high on cocaine. The former Cheers star, who has now cleaned up her bad habit, admits she still can't believe some of the eccentric things she did while under the influence. She recalls, 'I was a druggie. Cocaine. That is a bad drug because it makes you think you're really smart and it makes you say really stupid things. I wrote a journal when I was doing coke. It was like, 'This was so profound somebody's gonna find this one day and it's going to change their life.' It was the dumbest s**t you've ever heard in your life.'"Luis Miguel Hospitalized – Cocaine Rehab?
Luis Miguel Hospitalized – Cocaine Rehab?: "Mega-popular Mexican singer, has been reported hospitalized at LA’s Cedar Sinai for several days. As you may know, this is the famous clinic where Britney was taken during her meltdown era. There have been many rumors on the Web, especially one that said he entered for cocaine rehab.Latest reports on Spanish media about the state of Luis Miguel say that the singer has been hospitalized after problems during plastic surgery. Is he deformed now?? We don’t know his state, and well, there are still rumors of cocaine rehab on the Web.
Luis Miguel is now in a delicate state. Friends such as Sofia Vergara and Daisy Fuentes have gone to visit him, but they weren’t allowed due to the severity of his state. He can only be now visited by his rep Alejandro Asensi, his daughter Michelle Salas, and his brother Alejandro Basteri.
We hope Luis Miguel recovers quickly!"
Gazette Live - News - Local News - Cleveland Police launch mephedrone drug raids
Gazette Live - News - Local News - Cleveland Police launch mephedrone drug raids: "door was smashed in at 8.50am and a man, two females and a child were found inside. Detective Sergeant Nigel McCartney confirmed a quantity of brown crystalline mephedrone was found. He said: “Arrests will be made - we are continuing our investigations.”The dangers of taking the synthetic drug, also known as meow meow, MCAT or bubbles, have been highlighted by suspected linked deaths of a growing number of young people in the UK and abroad.
Its potentially lethal effects - it can cause heart problems and seizures - increase if combined with alcohol or other drugs."
Cocaine ring arrests in northwest suburbs - chicagotribune.com
Cocaine ring arrests in northwest suburbs - chicagotribune.com: "'Dial-a-Rock' by police, the ring operated out of a 'stash house' in Schaumburg, where kilos of cocaine, purchased for $28,000 apiece, were brought in to be cooked into crack or packaged as powder cocaine, authorities said in court Thursday.Operators would receive orders by phone — as many as hundreds each day — and runners, many recruited from Jalisco, Mexico, would deliver to customers, sometimes in quantities totaling a kilo per week, officials said.
The man alleged to be the kingpin of the ring, Ector Cortez, 40, of the 2800 block of Algonquin Road in Rolling Meadows, was ordered held in lieu of $1 million cash bail Thursday on charges of unlawful criminal drug conspiracy and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, authorities said."
Anxiety during Withdrawal from Cocaine | Drug Addiction Treatment
Anxiety during Withdrawal from Cocaine | Drug Addiction Treatment: "Relapse is common among those struggling to overcome an addiction to cocaine. Besides the physical ailments associated with discontinuing use of a drug, often psychological factors cause the drug user to be susceptible to a relapse.It is important to understand the symptoms of a withdrawal, so that treatment centers may be able to better assist individuals with avoiding a relapse. The symptoms of withdrawal are often combated with other medications to ease their potency, making withdrawal more successful.
Santucci and Rosario (2010) recently examined the consequences of withdrawal in an animal model study, looking at how symptoms of anxiety develop during withdrawal from cocaine. The objective of the study was to examine the ways that anxiety levels are influenced by withdrawal, in anticipation that when applied to human beings, relapse risk might be reduced.
The researchers randomly assigned 26 male adolescent Long-Evans hooded rats to one of three groups. The first received daily injections of saline, the second received daily injections of 10 mg/kg of cocaine hydrochloride, and the third received daily injections of 20 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride."
Richfield man charged in heroin overdose death - JSOnline
Richfield man charged in heroin overdose death - JSOnline: "Michael A. Cacchione, 24, is charged with party to the crime of first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Courtney M. Broeckel, according to a criminal complaint filed in Washington County Circuit Court.Broeckel, 28, died March 11 in her home from what the Washington County Medical Examiner's office ruled acute heroin intoxication, according to the complaint.
Cacchoine told investigators that he gave Broeckel a line of heroin so she could feel better because she was 'dope sick.'
He also admitted being a heroin user and said he 'believes his source is the source of the bad heroin that is hurting people in the Washington County area,' according to the complaint.
The charge came a day after two men were bound over for trial in connection with the heroin overdose death of another Washington County woman.
Jason R. Bennett, 23, and Paul J. Lehmann Jr., 30, are each charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Jamie L. McKeever, 25.
McKeever, of Kewaskum, died of a heroin overdose early in the morning of Nov. 5."
Lady Gaga – the new street name for heroin? « EarSucker
Lady Gaga – the new street name for heroin? « EarSucker: "Among the many names for heroin, you wouldn’t think that Lady Gaga’s name would be a part of it. Not in the traditional sense, that we’re aware of. There’s a new heroin on the street and it’s called Lady Gaga. Sound crazy?A man in Syracuse, New York, was popped by cops on Tuesday after a tipster ratted him out. He was delivering 400 glassine bags of heroin, in his pants. Each bag was stamped in red ink, “Lady Gaga”.
Altogether, police found 15.6 grams of the stuff, which equates to $6,000."
30000 Russians die from heroin this year , Clusters - ecPulse.com
30000 Russians die from heroin this year , Clusters - ecPulse.com: "30000 Russians die of young men and there are more of mothers cried over losing their sons, and the reason behind this die is heroin, where the heroin has increased between young men. In Russia there are now around 2.5 million heroin addicts due to the depression is a big problem, while in U.S there are around 800000 heroin addicts. The most factor affects on heroin increased in Russia is the geography factor, which nears from Afghanistan, where afghan heroin rose on the streets Russia."Heroin Addicts: UN Office Of Drugs And Crime Launches New Report – Talk Radio News Service
Heroin Addicts: UN Office Of Drugs And Crime Launches New Report – Talk Radio News Service: "widespread drug abuse in Russia, Iran and Western Europe–main buyers of opium from Afghanistan. Some 30,000 Russians now die from heroin addiction each year. There are two and a half million people (mostly youth) addicted to heroin throughout Russia. The underlying reasons seem to be linked to unemployment, social frustration and general youth disenfranchisement on domestic issues.Iran has one of the highest proportion of hard drug users in the world as cheap opium and refined heroin easily flow over from the Afghan border. Some estimates put the number of heroin users as high as three million – one in 20 of the population.
“The whole issue is a problem of shared responsibility,” said Walter Kemp, Spokesperson for the UNODC in a phone interview from Vienna. “The question is how to reduce demand and at the same time improve health, justice and security. Afghanistan seizes only 4-5 percent of its drug production while it produces 90 percent of the world’s opium.”
UNODC’s largest criminal justice reform program is in Afghanistan, where the organization strives to rebuild human and infrastructural capacity, and develop national policies in areas of justice and counter-narcotics.
In the United States, the UNODC estimates around 800,000 heroin addicts"
Whitney Houston has canceled more shows in Europe and her “people” are saying it is due to an upper respiratory infection.
Whitney Houston has canceled more shows in Europe and her “people” are saying it is due to an upper respiratory infection.Just as reports of Houston’s illness surface, a witness, Marlon David, has come forward to In Touch magazine claiming he saw Whitney (who was hanging out with ex-husbad Bobby Brown) do cocaine at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in LA on March 10th. Marlon says that Houston looked terrible, a disheveled mess. She reportedly came into the bar screaming, “I want a f***ing drink!” followed by more lovely language. Marlon says she seemed completely oblivious as to who was watching. He claims he later saw her do a line of coke while in the establishment.“I saw her pull a plastic bag out, put a folded bill to her nose and discreetly snort a line from it of what to me certainly looked like cocaine. She’s extremely thin and looks like a disaster. She’s a hot mess,” eyewitness Marlon David exclusively tells In Touch.
And believe it or not, Marlon says that Bobby was the sane one, looking embarrassed for Whitney and trying to get her out of the bar.“He had so much trouble trying to control her. He tried to make her leave, but she wouldn’t. She started yelling his name loudly and calling him a stupid son of a b****, and he told her to shut the f*** up.”So basically nothing has changed. I don’t doubt this story for a minute. I think Whitney Houston is simply a vessel for the record companies to make money. Who cares how she performs – or if she is on death’s door – they are trying to squeeze every last dollar out of her, before she kills herself. They threw her out onstage last year before she was ready.I think she probably got clean for a short while, but then being out on the road again she was in the same circumstances that led to her addiction in the first place. She wasn’t strong enough to stay sober. I worried this was going to happen from the very beginning, and it looks like it may have. Sadly, Whitney Houston is washed up, kaput, done with, ruined. She will never, ever be that gorgeous girl with the voice of an angel and a sparkle in her eye. I just don’t see it happening.
Cab driver Lascell Malcolm, 63, died of a heart attack after swigging from a bottle of rum given to him as payment for a fare
Cab driver Lascell Malcolm, 63, died of a heart attack after swigging from a bottle of rum given to him as payment for a fare - unaware that it contained liquid cocaine, The Sun reported.Police said it was one of five Bounty rum bottles - containing more than 250g of cocaine - given to unsuspecting people flying from St Lucia to the UK last May by drug baron Martin Newman, 49.asked Martin Lawrence to carry two, saying he was over his baggage limit. He agreed to give them back in arrivals in Britain.After landing, Newman was delayed by a baggage search.Customs officers found he had £4,000 in cash but let him go. Meanwhile Mr Lawrence couldn't wait as he had to catch a flight to his Swiss home. He gave a bottle to friend, Antoinette Corlis.She was picked up at the airport by her friend, Mr Malcolm. The minicab driver refused payment so she gave him the "rum". The father-of-two died the next day.His nephew and a friend visited his house in Haringey, North London, to pay their respects and had a drink of rum as a toast. They noticed it tasted bad and were rushed to hospital. Both survived.Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow told South London's Croydon Crown Court: "A spoonful could kill anyone."Police traced the other bottles in the £100,000 (US$152,710) haul.Newman has denied charges of manslaughter and importing drugs. The case continues.
Tiger Woods last night revealed he is part of a police probe into drug abuse in American sport.
After admitting to a string of affairs, the world No.1 is now under investigation for his relationship with a doctor who has been arrested for smuggling human growth hormone. Dr Tony Galea flew to Woods' home in Florida last year to perform a controversial injection therapy called "blood spinning" to speed his recovery from knee surgery.Since Canadian Galea's arrest last October, the FBI have questioned his clients including baseball and gridiron players. And now Woods is a potential witness."They (federal investigators ) actually contacted Steiny (Mark Steinburg, Woods' agent) and they can havefull co-operation, whenever they need me," said the 34-year-old in his first press conference since the scandal over his personal life.Woods used Galea, who is unregistered in the United States, to help recovery after tearing his Achilles following his fourth knee operation."He did come to my home," Woods added. "The injections help you heal faster and I did everything I possibly could so I could get back on the golf course. He never gave me HGH or any PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs). I've never taken that my entire life."Woods has not played in a tournament since November.But he said ahead of his 16th Masters: "Nothing has changed. I am going out there to try and win this thing."Woods added
Russia's heroin problem a "tsunami" sweeping over the country.
Russia wants Britain and the United States to do more to eradicate opium poppy production in Afghanistan.Russian officials accuse Nato troops of refusing to destroy poppy fields in Afghanistan, which account for around 90% of the world's heroin supply.The head of Russia's drug control agency described Russia's heroin problem as a "tsunami" sweeping over the country.
arrested Tara L. Reynolds, 26, 716 1/2 W. Main St.
arrested Tara L. Reynolds, 26, 716 1/2 W. Main St., Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of disorderly conduct. She was taken to the jail and placed in a cell with another inmate.Jail staff reported they found heroin in the cell, suspecting it belonged to Reynolds. The sheriff's office called in Tri-County Drug Enforcement and Narcotics Team agents who questioned Reynolds. Agents said Reynolds said she had the heroin concealed on her body when she was brought to the jail the day before and could have destroyed it since, but did not do so.Reynolds was charged with bringing contraband into a penal institution and possession of heroin, both of which can be punished with probation or prison.Reynolds was formerly known as Tara L. Garrow. Under that name, she was convicted April 5, 2004, in Cook County of possession of heroin. She also been arrested in connection with retail theft and driving under the influence.Ian Bullen and Andrew Parker were back at the higher echelons of drug trading within a year of release from long prison sentences for dealing.
Parker, 36, was jailed for 10 years as the principal player in the "sophisticated" drugs conspiracy. Bullen, 45, was jailed for eight years at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. They used the home of alcoholic Keith Coxford to store more than half a kilo Thousand (10 to the 3rd power). Abbreviated "K." For technical specifications, it refers to the precise value 1,024 since computer specifications are based on binary numbers. For example, 64K means 65,536 bytes when referring to memory or storage (64x1024), but a 64K salary means $64,000. of heroin worth about pounds 50,000.Beijing will execute as early as Monday a Japanese man convicted last year of drug trafficking
Beijing will execute as early as Monday a Japanese man convicted last year of drug trafficking, it was learned Tuesday. If the execution is carried out, it would be the first time a Japanese is put to death in China after the diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored in 1972. In September 2006, Mitsunobu Akano was arrested at Dalian Airport in Liaoning Province for attempting with another Japanese to smuggle about 2.5 kilograms of stimulant drugs to Japan. The accomplice was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In June 2008, the Dalian Intermediate People's Court handed down a death sentence on the man. He appealed, but the sentence was finalized after the Liaoning Province High People's Court upheld it. China's intermediate courts and high courts are equivalent to Japan's district courts and high courts, respectively. Four Japanese, including the man, have been given death sentences for drug trafficking. The Chinese government has shown little leniency over the smuggling of stimulant drugs and other narcotics. The Chinese criminal code stipulates that people caught smuggling 50 grams of stimulant drugs or more will be subject to imprisonment of 15 years, life imprisonment or death. However, drug smuggling attempts by Japanese have shown no significant signs of decline in China. In March, a 28-year-old Japanese from Tokyo was arrested at an airport in Shenyang by the public security authority for attempting to smuggle about 1 kilogram of stimulants to Japan. In July 2009, three Japanese men were arrested at Dalian Airport for drug trafficking.Jose Antonio Medina was captured by Mexican police in the western state of Michoacan,
Jose Antonio Medina was captured by Mexican police in the western state of Michoacan, where he allegedly operated a trafficking network that smuggled 440 pounds of heroin a month across the border into Southern California, federal police said.Medina, 36, was sought on a warrant issued last year for extradition to the U.S. on charges of drug trafficking and sales north of the border. Mexican officials said his smugglers hid small loads of heroin in secret compartments of vehicles that were sent across the border at Tijuana and then to Los Angeles.Mexican police said that since 2007, the Medina group has sold about $12 million worth of heroin a month.
Teens with a history of crack or cocaine are at an increased risk for HIV than youth who have never used these drugs, claims a new study.
Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center boffins report that teens in psychiatric care who used crack and/or cocaine at least once were six times more likely to use condoms inconsistently, which was defined as "sometimes," "never" or "rarely." The findings suggest that crack cocaine appears to have more of an influence on risky teen behaviors than other factors, like alcohol and marijuana use, which are more routinely incorporated into adolescent HIV prevention interventions."Unprotected sex is the most common way that HIV is transmitted among teens, so if we can develop a clearer picture of why some kids engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, we will be better prepared to educate them about safe sex," says lead author Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD, of the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center. "Our findings suggest that future HIV prevention interventions should include content specific to crack and cocaine use, just as they do with drugs that are more commonly used by teens, like alcohol and marijuana."Overall, nearly 280 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 from therapeutic psychiatric day programs took part in the study.
Participants exhibited a range of psychiatric diagnoses, including mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and disruptive behavior disorders. More than half of all adolescents were male, and more than three-quarters were Caucasian. Approximately 13% of teens in the study reported trying crack or cocaine at least once.After controlling for known adolescent HIV risk factors, such as gender, race, age and psychiatric status, researchers found that only 47% of teens with a history of crack and/or cocaine use said they used condoms "always or almost always." In addition, 15% of these adolescents have a history of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), nearly three-quarters reported using alcohol at least once and more than half indicated prior marijuana use.In comparison, 71% of teens who never used crack or cocaine reported using condoms consistently.
dode or doda, an opium-derived drug popular in Canada’s South-Asian community, is easily available and can be bought cheaply by anyone
dode or doda, an opium-derived drug popular in Canada’s South-Asian community, is easily available and can be bought cheaply by anyone—including minors—in many retail stores. “Anybody could walk in any day of the week and purchase it no matter how old they are, and then they take it just like any other type of drug,” he said. “It's been a very big problem and it's a growing problem.”The drug, also known as “poor man’s heroin,” is popular among taxi drivers, construction workers, and truck drivers who say it gives them energy and helps them stay awake for long stretches.But it can also impair one’s ability, and Bains believes it could be the cause of any number of work-related accidents.“They drive taxis, they drive trucks, they go on construction sites or whatever else they're doing. They put themselves and the people around them in quite an unsafe situation.”Although doda produces a quick high followed by feelings of relaxation and calm, it can also cause loss of concentration, slurred speech, drowsiness, impotence, constipation, and mood swings, according to police. And as with other derivatives of the poppy plant, it is addictive.
“It is no different than opium—it is highly addictive,” says Bains. “Because it has lower concentrations of [opium] it takes more time to get hooked, but once you're on you're on it.” Imported from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India where it has been used for decades, doda appeared in Canada only within the last 10 or 15 years, largely in Indo-Canadian communities.“It started out originally in back east in the Toronto area and started to spread quickly to the west,” Bains said.Made from ground poppy pods, doda comes in the form of a greyish powder and is usually prepared as a tea. The drug can also be used as a kind of meat seasoning, and doda users most commonly obtain the powder from South Asian meat shops.
Dr. David Mowat, Medical Officer of Health for Ontario’s Peel region, said he has been hearing of increasingly more cases of doda addiction from physicians who specialize in addiction. “They say they're seeing a lot of people who are having problems with this drug—problems with work, sleeping, withdrawal symptoms, and family problems," he told CTV News.“There's a concern that people don't really know what they are consuming. People don't know that this is a morphine derivative.” Doda is illegal in Canada and anyone found selling or using it can be charged, with penalties ranging from fines to jail. However, because it can contain very small amounts of opium, the legality in some cases remains unclear.A letter Bains received from the office of B.C.’s solicitor-general said that some samples of doda seized in the Toronto area “did not contain enough opium to rate a positive test. Consequently, some of the seized product did not merit the laying of charges on the seller.”On March 15, Peel Regional Police raided three addresses in Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto, seizing more than 1,200 kilos of doda worth about $2.5 million.Doda seizures have also taken place in Calgary and Edmonton. The first large-scale seizure of the drug in B.C. occurred in Surrey last November when Surrey RCMP confiscated hundreds of kilos of poppy pods and finished product along with crushing and grinding equipment.The seized product has been forwarded to a Health Canada lab to confirm the presence of drugs that are prohibited under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
“I think police all across Canada are much more aware of this, the communities are much more aware of this, and they're starting to treat this issue seriously and they're starting to pay attention that this is no different than any other drug,” says Bains.NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton, Bains has been working to raise awareness of the prevalence of the drug in response to concerns raised by his constituents. A big part of his motivation, he says, is the fear doda will end up finding its way into schools.“I think what they need to do is treat this substance just like any other illegal drug and act accordingly for the sale, for the possession, and the importation of this. That's how you can nip it in the bud—no pun intended.”
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