The Press Association: Drink-drive fine for Louisa Lytton: "Louisa Lytton has pledged to 'move on' with her life after she was fined for drink-driving.
The 22-year-old former EastEnders 
star was fined £350 at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court for driving with excess alcohol on January 30, a court official said.
She was also ordered to pay £85 costs, and disqualified for 14 months, which will be reduced by three months if she completes the Secretary of State-approved course, he added.
Her manager said later: 'She is very remorseful about this, and will move on. She will live and learn from it.
'She will take the course and just get on with it, she wasn't hiding from it.
'She had only had one drink and was just over the limit, but she knows that the law is the law, she understands the severity of it, and that you can't drink and drive.'"
CRACK:
Lives lost to addiction | Calgary & Alberta | News | Calgary Sun: "The power of crack drives not only property crimes, it’s forged a phrenetic battleground where addicts often wind up murdered on Calgary streets.
Eric Regimbald, a crackhead also embroiled in the trade, was left gasping for breath as blood emptied his body on a Chinatown road following a backseat dispute with another dealer on Aug. 27, 2006.
Just last month, jurors found Ryan Charles Everett, a 26-year-old drug dealer, guilty of manslaughter.
The violence continued in 2007, with at least one murder and several stabbings linked to crack.
Jacqueline Clara Crazybull, 44, bled to death on a Beltline street bench, stabbed in what friends described as a row over crack turf.
Four others were attacked within an hour that same early morning of July 11 by a group identified as three to four black men in a light-coloured car.
The bloodied and partially-clothed body of Tara Landgraf, who receded from friends and family into a spiralling crack addiction, was found on a Ramsay street in August that same year.
And in the case of Clifford Charles Hamilton, found slumped in a northeast alley Sept. 21, cops believe he may have been killed over as little as $100 worth or crack cocaine, a rock no bigger than an M&M."
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Woman gave daughter fatal drug overdose in Tacoma: "A recovering heroin addict admits she gave her 12-year-old daughter a fatal dose of methadone in Tacoma.
The News Tribune reports 48-year-old Jane Elizabeth Griffith gave the drug in October to her daughter because she complained of knee pain. The girl, Jessica Griffith, who also went by Jessica Wood, died of a drug overdose.
Jane Griffith pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to controlled substance homicide and was sentenced in Pierce County Superior Court to five years in prison."
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Addiction Specialist on Lindsay Lohan: She's Too Fragile for Lawsuit - Lindsay Lohan: "Lindsay Lohan got out of rehab a hot minute ago and probably still has jail-cell smell in her hair, and is already in trouble with the law again.
She was charged with felony grand theft earlier this week and is on lock down by her camp, but addiction specialist Blake LeVine, President/Founder of Will Listen, thinks all this publicity will make her recovery impossible.
LeVine, who has not treated Lindsay, tells Hollyscoop, 'I think Lindsay Lohan is in a very fragile place and this arrest will only make her recovery near impossible.
“While she is trying to rebuild her life, she now faces both this charge and another lawsuit. Since she is famous, many companies or individuals can sue her and obtain a great amount of free publicity for their business. Even if the businesses lose, they still are written about in nearly every paper.'"
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Support pours in for Lucas in rehab journey | New York Daily News: "Former Jets quarterback Ray Lucas, who was admitted to a Florida drug rehabilitation facility last week to treat the painkiller addiction he developed during his NFL career, has been chronicling his experiences on Facebook, as the Daily News first reported. Here's Lucas' latest entry:
'Day 3 of detox was filled with a lot of anxiety. I was moved from the detox unit into the Seaside condos to start full days of various therapy sessions, group meetings & other treatment. I am nervous & feeling on edge. I met my therapist, it was a very emotional time a lot of feelings coming to the surface. I am drained. More later. Thanks everyone for the support.'
Lucas, now a broadcaster with SNY, ESPN and the Rutgers Radio Network, has received scores of supportive and heartfelt comments. Here's one:
'RAY!!! I've been through what you are going through, the first 5 days to a week are hell, but I promise each day after gets better! Before you know it you will be feeling like yourself again. The easy part is getting clean, the hard part is staying clean. Stay in therapy as long as you need and always express your thou...ghts and feelings to whoever will listen, it helps tons, believe me. Be strong!'"
Charlie Sheen ‘Bombarded With Rehab Offers’ | Showbiz Spy - celebrity news, rumors & gossip: "CHARLIE Sheen didn’t enter a rehab facility until Saturday — because he needed to decide which one to go to.
The actor’s manager, Mark Burg, says he was bombarded with offers of help to get clean — and only made his decision yesterday.
“[He] is currently in rehab,” Burk told people magazine. “He was bombarded by every rehab in the country looking for his wallet and publicity, and he has been deciding where to go. With the help of friends and family, he finally agreed to go and went into rehab on Saturday.
“Charlie knows he has work to do and he is looking forward to regaining his sobriety.
“Charlie hopes to be back at work in the near future but there is no time frame. Regaining his sobriety is what is most important.”"
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Sheen gives $30,000 cheque to porn star: "Actor Charlie Sheen 
reportedly wrote a $30,000 cheque to a porn star in the middle of his 36-hour party following which he was admitted to the hospital.
According to the sources, Sheen took out his cheque book during a conversation with a porn star in which he asked her to join the 'porn family' he wants to create, reports tmz.com.
It has previously been reported that Sheen was throwing money around like crazy during the binge - offering to spend $1 million to rent out a neighbour's mansion for four months."
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Golden Voice Ted Williams checks out of rehab - before completing treatment for addiction | Mail Online: "homeless addict given a second chance at a career as a voiceover artist has checked out of a drug rehabilitation centre after just two weeks.
But there are now fears that Ted Williams could be attempting to kick-start his high-profile, high pressure career before he has kicked his addictions.
Mr Williams - nicknamed Golden Voice because of his silky delivery -"
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Allen Stanford Deemed 'Unfit' for Trial - TheStreet: "The court finds Stanford is incompetent to stand trial at this time based on his apparent impaired ability to rationally assist his attorneys in preparing his defense,' U.S. District Judge David Hittner said in his ruling in Houston. 'The court's finding that Stanford is incompetent, however, does not alter the court's finding that Stanford is a flight risk.'
Stanford's trial, which was originally scheduled to begin this week, has been postponed per Hittner's orders that Stanford, 60, be released to a private hospital, run by the U.S. prison system, to receive treatment for his addiction to anti-anxiety medication.
Hittner also ordered that Stanford be evaluated after suffering a number of injuries in a 2009 jailhouse assault. Hittner has recommended that Stanford be sent to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons medical facility for the evaluation and a competency exam."
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Middle class women twice as likely to be heavy drinkers | Mail Online: "Middle-class women are more than twice as likely to drink heavily as those on lower incomes, official figures show.
Some 43 per cent of women whose household income exceeds more than £1,000 a week drink excessively at least one night a week, compared with just 17 per cent of those whose average income is £200.
It is an even starker contrast than the overall figures for both sexes, which show that 45 per cent of high-earners drink more than the recommended daily allowance at least once a week, compared with 22 per cent of lower-earners"
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Experts say the new minimum prices on alcohol sales are not enough - Wales News - News - WalesOnline: "ALCOHOL
price measures will not break a binge-drinking culture that fuels violence and health problems, experts have said.
They have warned that Government plans to ban retailers from selling booze below the rate of the tax they pay on it will do little to curb the problems that plague Cardiff city centre at night.
One alcohol campaigner claimed supermarkets and off-licences will still be able to offer alcohol below cost price.
But crime prevention minister James Brokenshire said the shake-up would tackle the worst cases of discounting and reduce violent crime."
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Smugglers hid cigarettes from Eastern Europe to avoid £10m tax duty jailed | Mail Online: "The court heard that Peter Vyse worked alongside three members of a Southern Italian organised crime syndicate called Albino, Maurizio and Angelo Prudentino.
The Prudentinos were described as being 'at the top of the pyramid', of the smuggling network, with Vyse heading its UK arm.
Vyse travelled regularly to Greece and Romania to co-ordinate with suppliers and producers of contraband tobacco.
The cigarettes, branded with famous names such as Royal, were traced back to factories in Moldova and Ukraine, both of which border Romania.
From her base in Athens, Thurston set up three fake food importation companies, which were used to provide a cover for the shipments.
Once they had arrived in Britain, huge quantities of cigarettes were sent to a warehouse in the village of Denaby Main, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and distributed from there.
But the smuggling organisation was smashed in a series of coordinated arrests on June 17 2008, following a secret surveillance operation by customs officials.
Mr Jory told the court the gang avoided paying £2m in duty on the five consignments seized, but said the true figure was closer to £10m because there had been at least 10 previous shipments."
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Investigation reveals true dangers of counterfeit tobacco | Glasgow and West | STV News: "Counterfeit tobacco
sold in a Scottish market has been found to contain more than 30 times the lead levels of genuine tobacco, an investigation has discovered.
High levels of toxins, including arsenic and cadmium, were also found in the products being sold by tobacco gangs.
More than half of all hand-rolled tobacco smoked in the UK is either fake or smuggled with no tax being paid, according to the makers of documentary BBC Scotland Investigates: Smoking and the Bandits.
Organised crime gangs cost British taxpayers £4bn in lost revenue a year through the illegal tobacco trade, it reports.
The programme charts how counterfeit tobacco from China is ending up in the UK, where it is sold in places such as markets and shops.
Roy Ramm, former commander of Scotland Yard, said: 'This is as international as organised crime gets. You know, the links around the world are exactly the same for this as they are for drugs trafficking, arms trafficking, people trafficking."
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BBC News - RBS sells Priory rehabilitation centres for £925m: "Royal Bank of Scotland is to sell care homes operator Priory Group, which has treated many celebrities including Lily Allen and Robbie Williams.
It is to sell the mental health and rehabilitation services group to private equity firm Advent in a deal valued at £925m ($1.48bn).
Advent had expressed an interest in purchasing the Priory last September.
RBS acquired the Priory Group when it bought ABN Amro in 2007, but it has been considered a non-core asset."
British nuclear physicist's daughter Shivaun Orton faces death for heroin haul in Malaysia | Mail Online: "Dressed in orange prison robes and handcuffed to a fellow suspect, this is the daughter of a British nuclear scientist facing the death penalty in Malaysia for drugs trafficking.
Shivaun Orton, 41, and her husband were arrested after police found £16,000 of cannabis, amphetamine, ecstasy and heroin during a raid on their home.
If found guilty, she could become the first British woman to be hanged since Ruth Ellis in 1955. But yesterday she insisted she was innocent. She said that while her Malaysian husband Abdul Harris Badileh was a womanising drug user, she had been kept as a virtual prisoner at their home 12 miles from a beach resort they own."
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Number of Scots jailed for drugs soars in ten years - The Daily Record: "umber of prisoners jailed for drug offences has soared by 74 per cent in the last decade.
A report by Scotland's Chief Statistician found 1463 crooks were sent to jail for committing a drug related crime in 2009-10.
But in 2000-01, the equivalent figure was 839.
The increase in the last 12 months alone was 10 per cent. It comes after justice minister Kenny MacAskill brought in legislation to limit jail terms of three months or less.
Although the numbers jailed for drug related crime increased, the number jailed for handling offensive weapons, crimes of dishonesty, common assault and motor vehicle offences all decreased.
The Prison Statistics Scotland 2009/10 report found Scotland's imprisonment rate per 100,000 population was 158. That is higher than the rest of the UK, as well as Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Holland and Belgium.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'These statistics continue the trend of recent years that, despite the fact recorded crime is at a 32-year low, more people than ever before are being locked up in Scotland."
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Fighting drugs, addiction -with classical music: "In one of the world's deadliest cities, where drug gangs murder a dozen people a day, a former heroin addict is changing lives with violins and trumpets rather than assault rifles.
Alma Rosa Gonzalez is helping poor children learn classical music and give them an outlet that might stop them falling prey to the gangsters who are terrorizing this city of about 1.5 million on the Texas border.
'Just to see a gang member bringing his child to school carrying an instrument means the kid's life has changed, he won't be the same as his father,' said Gonzalez, a social worker who started the youth orchestra program in 2005."
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"Veronica Treviño stares straight at the camera as she answers questions from an unseen interrogator. She speaks loudly, without hesitation, and with little expression.
Who does she work for? 'The Zetas [a drugs cartel]' What is her group doing in the north-eastern city of Tampico? 'Heating up the turf of the Gulf cartel [a rival trafficking gang].' What actions does that include? 'Killing taxi drivers, police officers, innocent people and children.'
The video of Treviño's confession, presumably under pressure from the Gulf cartel, was posted on the internet at the end of November.
It was followed a couple of days later by uploaded photographs of her severed head in an icebox.
Organised crime in Mexico has traditionally been an almost exclusively male world, but there is growing evidence of a rapid increase in the number of women involved with the cartels and the violence surrounding them."
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Report shows cartel arrests didn't slow drug trade :: Lifestyles :: Post-Tribune: "On a sleepy boulevard of motels and fast-food joints near the Mexican border, police stopped a car with a broken tail light. In the trunk, an officer found a trash bag containing 48 pounds of narcotics, and in the driver's pocket, scraps of paper scrawled with phone numbers.
Almost four years later, a grave Eric Holder called his first news conference as attorney general and announced where those phone numbers had led — to a sweeping investigation called Operation Xcellerator, which produced the largest-ever federal crackdown on Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, with 761 people arrested and 23 tons of narcotics seized."
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The Associated Press: Gunmen kill 4 in attack on 2 Mexico rehab centers: "Mexican police say armed commandos attacked two drug rehabilitation centers in this border city across from El Paso, Texas, killing four people and wounding five.
Municipal police spokesman Adrian Sanchez says the attacks occurred Sunday afternoon. Three were killed in one center and one was killed in another.
Gangs have killed dozens in drug rehabilitation centers in the last two years across Mexico, including nine last summer in Durango in the north and 19 in Chihuahua city, capital of the border state Ciudad Juarez is located.
Cartels run the centers in some cases to recruit addicts, leaving them open to attacks from rivals.
Warring drug cartels have turned Ciudad Juarez into on of the world's most violent cities."
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