CBC News - Health - Screen time linked to kids' psychological issues: "Children who spend more than two hours a day in front of the computer or television are more likely to experience psychological difficulties, new research from Britain suggests. The British study of more than 1,000 children aged 10 and 11 found children who spent more than two hours daily watching TV or on the computer had higher psychological difficulty scores. The link, observed even among kids who were physically active, was strong enough to prompt the authors to conclude that limiting children's screen time may be necessary. 'While low levels of screen viewing may not be problematic, we cannot rely on physical activity to compensate for long hours of screen viewing,' said lead author Angie Page, from the University of Bristol's Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences. Researchers tested children's psychological health through questionnaires that rated their emotional and behavioural well-being."
George Michael has his Freedom | The Sun |News: "He had been found slumped at the wheel of his car after it smashed into a branch of photo store Snappy Snaps in July. The singer, who had a previous conviction for the same offence, was told by District Judge John Perkins that there was no option but jail. Michael was first sent to tough Pentonville Prison in North London but was moved to the softer Category C Highpoint, where Moors murderer Myra Hindley served the last three years of her life sentence. He was seen laughing and joking with partner Kenny Goss over the weekend while on a prison visit."
George Michael has his Freedom | The Sun |News: "POP star George Michael was released from jail today. The former Wham! singer, 47, was freed from Highpoint Prison in Suffolk and returned to his home in Highgate, North London. He had been sentenced to eight weeks in prison for drug driving last month after crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis."
The Associated Press: Ohio executes man who killed lover over ATM card: "Ohio man who bludgeoned his girlfriend to death and then stole her ATM card to buy crack cocaine apologized to the woman's family before he died by lethal injection Wednesday. Michael Benge's execution is Ohio's eighth lethal injection in 2010 — the most put to death in a year since Ohio resumed capital punishment in 1999. The previous high was seven in 2004. Ohio's highest number of executions occurred in 1949, when 15 men died by electric chair. Ohio's execution total this year is second to Texas, which has put 16 people to death in 2010. Texas executed a record 40 people in 2000 — the most since the state began using lethal injection in 1982. Benge, 49, of Hamilton in southwest Ohio, was convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and gross abuse of a corpse in the 1993 death of Judith Gabbard, his live-in girlfriend, who was upset about his drug use. Gabbard's daughter, son and brother watched Benge's execution."
Heroin Addiction Hits Suburban Teens Hard | Geo Blog: "Kristen Delgado, 18, talks about overdosing on heroin, the double life of heroin addiction, and her realizations about what heroin and drug treatment may hold. Read more about her heroin addiction story at www.usnews.com"
Heroin Detox, What you Need to Know | Heroin Addicts: "Heroin Detox: One of the Toughest Drug Habits to Kick A heroin addict knows best how difficult it is to get away from this addiction. It is one of the toughest drug habits to kick. With so many resources out there today, it is easier to step away from this lifestyle and begin the recovery process. In 2009, there was a national survey performed on recovering addicts and those seeking substance abuse therapy, heroin detox and/or rehab. Statistics for 2009 show that there were at least 335,000 addicts who sought detox and/or heroin rehab for their heroin habit. Unfortunately, the numbers of folks addicted to the drug that did not seek help in 2009 was even higher than the number of people who have received or sought treatment. It is possible to recover from this drug. A large number of people who sought treatment are still in recovery today, and many more people are kicking the heroin habit now."
That's the chilling message addressed to parents in this public service announcement created by The Precinct Studios in Australia, in response to the childhood obesity epidemic.
Apparently, childhood obesity isn't just an American problem."
prostitute seeking fame on The X Factor was yesterday exposed as a cocaine user, before she was kicked out of the competition on last night’s show. Chloe Heald was secretly filmed taking the drug before reportedly charging a customer £450 for a two-hour sex session — days before her weekend TV appearance. The revelations again call in to question the judgement of producers,who were last week accused of glamorising prostitution when they refused to axe Miss Heald, 19.
Paris Hilton denied entry to Japan following cocaine conviction | Mail Online: "Paris Hilton arrived back to America today after being refused entry to Japan following her recent arrest for cocaine possession.The 29-year-old heiress was pictured disembarking a private jet at Van Nuys, California on Wednesday night.It comes after she had been detained and questioned for six hours after landing at Narita International Airport in Tokyo earlier in the week.After further questioning by immigration officials, it was decided the socialite should return to the States."
Aaron Sorkin: 'Hardest thing I do every day is not take cocaine' - USATODAY.com: "Aaron Sorkin not only talks about writing his new Facebook movie, The Social Network, in the new W magazine. He also opens up about his crack addiction in the mid-90s: 'I had what they call a 'high bottom.' My life didn't fall apart before I got into rehab. I didn't lose my job or run over a kid or injure anyone when I was high. But the hardest thing I do every day is not take cocaine. You don't get cured of addiction--you're just in remission.'"
Ricky Hatton has been stripped of his boxing licence (PA) It came after the two-time world champion was filmed by the News of the World allegedly using cocaine during a 'ten-hour drink and drugs binge'. Hatton, 31, who made his professional debut in 1997, is currently at a rehabilitation clinic and facing a police inquiry. 'The board is especially concerned to keep the sport of boxing free from drugs, whether taken for recreational or performance enhancing reasons, and to be vigilant in identifying and dealing with cases of alcohol abuse,' the organisation said in a statement.It added that Hatton is currently not an active boxer and his physical condition is such that it has decided to withdraw his licence to fight."
Ricky Hatton has been stripped of his boxing licence It came after the two-time world champion was filmed by the News of the World allegedly using cocaine during a 'ten-hour drink and drugs binge'. Hatton, 31, who made his professional debut in 1997, is currently at a rehabilitation clinic and facing a police inquiry. 'The board is especially concerned to keep the sport of boxing free from drugs, whether taken for recreational or performance enhancing reasons, and to be vigilant in identifying and dealing with cases of alcohol abuse,' the organisation said in a statement.It added that Hatton is currently not an active boxer and his physical condition is such that it has decided to withdraw his licence to fight."
Lindsay Lohan could face only 1 day in jail for cocaine -- again - Canada Canada Celebrity Headlines | Examiner.com: "Lindsay Lohan, caught with cocaine in her system earlier this month, could be facing only 1 day in jail despite earlier convictions. TMZ reports that that the Herbie: Fully Loaded actress will not be charged for the amphetamines found in her system via mandatory drug testing -- due to an improperly prepared court report that the Probation Office considers to be 'too vague.' The court will still consider a sentence against the 24-year old performer for cocaine discovered during the testing -- though overcrowding is expected to play a huge factor in giving the actress another early release."
Ricky Hatton says sorry to fans over drugs - mirror.co.uk: "Ex-WORLD boxing champion Ricky Hatton has apologised to fans for his descent into drink and drugs hell. Hatton admitted to 'dabbling' in class A drugs after being secretly filmed in a hotel. But the dad-of-one insisted he never took cocaine until after he retired from boxing and his life went down hill."
The 7.30 Report - ABC: "Australia's surge in cocaine use is being fuelled by highly sophisticated importations by one of the most brutal and powerful syndicates involved in Mexico's drug war - the Sinaloa Cartel.
Intelligence sources have told the ABC's 7.30 Report that around half the cocaine now entering these shores is coming from Mexico, and that the cartel driven by Mexico's most wanted man, 'El Chapo' Guzman, has established a franchise here."
The Associated Press: Police to speak to Hatton over cocaine allegations: "Greater Manchester Police say they will speak to former boxing champion Ricky Hatton about newspaper allegations he snorted cocaine in a hotel room. A photograph on the front page of a British tabloid on Sunday appeared to show Hatton snorting the drug during a night out. The former four-time world champion in two weight divisions has since been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic. Police say they are aware of the allegations and 'once his rehabilitation has been completed, officers will be speaking to Mr. Hatton.' Hatton, who has been diagnosed with depression and a drinking problem by a specialist, has not fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in May 2009 but hasn't officially retired"
Alarming Statistics on Cocaine Use | Vistabay: "following statistics on Cocaine show just how dangerous and prevalent the drug is in our society. 1 of 4 surveyed Americans of the age range 26-34 has already taken drugs. Minnesota Institute for Public Health and drug prevention resource center informs that 5,000 grown-ups in America take cocaine for the first time daily. (1985) The statistics shows that 22-25 million people have already taken cocaine at least one time. Different interrogation data tell that there are more than two million cocaine-takers in America nowadays. Cocaine is the reason of over the half of visits for emergency rooms where drug taking is concerned. Every year the number of cocaine addicts has been gradually growing for the recent time. For 1975 this number was 30,000. In 1986 it has grown to 300,000 and to 361,000 in 2000. The per cent of drug-users among the students over the recent 5 years has increased from 2% in 1994 to 4,8% in 2000. 8,2% of high school pupils surveyed in 2001 told they have already taken cocaine. In the period between 1997 to 2000 the deals relating with cocaine were the most popular in emergency rooms. Men take cocaine twice as much as women take it. Special informal agencies for the office of National Drug Control Policy tell that the amount of constant cocaine addicts is over 3,6 million people. Juveniles from 18 to 25 is the group with which the using of cocaine is the most popular. The amount of people, who have taken marijuana before using cocaine is 90%. About 300,000 babies were born in 1988 spoiled with cocaine."
Possible Cocaine Addiction Trigger Uncovered: Protein Linked to Mental Retardation May Be Controlling Factor in Drug’s Effect in the Brain | Science Magazine News: "new study, the scientists first looked at the expression of MeCP2 in the brain after exposure to cocaine. They found that expression was increased in those animals given extended access to the drug. 'At that point,' Kenny said, 'we wanted to know if this increase was behaviorally significant -- did it influence the motivation to take the drug?' Using a virus to disrupt expression of MeCP2, the scientists found that rats consumed less and less cocaine. Intriguingly, levels of miR-212 were also far higher in those animals. Because increases in miR-212 suppress attraction to cocaine, the disruption of MeCP2, in essence, put miR-212 in charge and reduced vulnerability to the drug. 'We concluded that MeCP2 may play an important role in addiction by regulating the magnitude by which miR-212 expression is increased in response to cocaine,' said Kenny. 'In other words, MeCP2 seems to control just how much you can protect yourself against the addictive properties of cocaine.' Intriguingly, that was not the end of the story. In addition to MeCP2 blunting miR-212 expression, the scientists also found that the opposite was also true -- that miR-212 could in turn decrease levels of MeCP2. This suggests that both are locked together in a regulatory loop. Importantly, the two had opposite effects on the expression of a particular growth factor in the brain -- called BDNF -- that regulates just how rewarding cocaine is. While the new study fills in an important piece of the puzzle, the Kenny lab is hard at work to further increase our understanding of addiction."
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