The Partnership for a Drug-Free Texas » News

Urban Outfitters Prescription Drink Line Stirs Controversy

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:26:20 +0000

Urban Outfitters, a popular clothing store for the young and hip is coming under fire for its line of drinkware including flasks and shot glasses made to look like prescription pill bottles. The Partnership at Drugfree.org has started a campaign to have the line removed, even asking supporters to sign a petition. “We just feel that that message is just irresponsible”, said Andrea Salazar, of the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

View the WOAI San Antonio news video: http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=4046708

Full article: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Urban-Outfitters-prescription-drink-line-stirs/KxbQ3jB_N0277t9DRAEx9Q.cspx

Mother Shares Tragic Story of Her Son’s Death by Prescription Drugs

Fri, 03 May 2013 21:53:42 +0000

Liz Wiggins is a mother of three.

She and her husband recently moved to Leander from the Woodlands area not long after the death of her youngest son David. Wiggins says David was a great kid.

But when Wiggins and David’s dad split when he was just 13, she noticed a change.

He started running with the wrong crowd, committing crimes and smoking marijuana.

“We were talking to him about it being a gateway drug. And he was like ‘No mom, don’t worry. I’m not gonna do anything to hurt me.’ He admitted he was smoking pot and he liked it,” Wiggins said.

But with his high school graduation approaching, David did end up doing something very harmful…something that ended his life.

Becky Vance with The Partnership says new statistics show prescription drug abuse and misuse has increased 33 percent over the past five years.

Teen Allegedly Killed by New Chemical Drug

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:58:50 +0000

Teens from Fredericksburg High School and a local church gathered to pray for one of their own Monday night. Samuel Herrera, 16, died Saturday after taking what police are calling a legal drug, 25c-NBOMe. “They found it on the internet, bought it off the internet,” Fredericksburg Police Chief Steven Wetz... continue reading »

Zap a Cocaine Addiction with Lasers?

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:44:10 +0000

Scientists showed they could erase a rat’s cocaine habit by shining a laser light on its brain. The achievement could give rise to a new therapy for people crippled by an addiction to the drug, researchers say.

FDA Allowing Makers of Nicotine Gum, Patches to Say Smokers Can Safely Use Them for Longer

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:06:57 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration says smokers who are trying to quit can safely use over-the counter nicotine gum, patches and lozenges for longer than previously recommended in a move to help millions of Americans kick the habit. Current labels suggest consumers stop smoking or using other products containing nicotine when they begin using the products to help them quit and that they should stop using nicotine replacement products after 12 weeks at most.

CDC Unveils Latest Graphic Anti-smoking Ads in 2013 “Tips From Former Smokers” Campaign

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:55:21 +0000

A new set of graphic public service announcements on smoking’s dangers was released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new ads are a follow-up to last year’s “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign. The new ads will run 12 weeks beginning April 1 in all media formats, and are funded by the Affordable Care Act. Federal health officials wanted to capitalize on the success of last year’s campaign, which the CDC said led to a doubling in calls to the government phone number, 1-800-QUIT-NOW and a five-fold increase to the website, smokefree.gov.

Energy Drinks Linked to Adverse Health Effects

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:46:06 +0000

Shares of Monster Beverage fell after new research indicated that energy drinks may increase blood pressure and disturb the heart’s rhythm. The company has come under mounting pressure from critics regarding potential health risks of Monster Energy, the top-selling U.S. energy drink. The research, which analyzed seven previously published studies and was presented at an American Heart Association meeting, found an increase of 3.5 points in systolic blood pressure for those consuming energy drinks.

Government Quits Legal Battle Over Graphic Cigarette Warnings

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:29:42 +0000

The federal government, facing a court-imposed deadline and fierce opposition from the tobacco industry, has decided to abandon its legal fight to require cigarette makers to place large, graphic labels on their products warning of the dangers of smoking.

Spring Breakers Treated for Seizures

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:15:42 +0000

State health officials were looking into reports Tuesday of what could be an unusual number of people having drug-related seizures and hospitalizations during Spring Break last week, including four people who had to be put on ventilation. South Texas Poison Control Center Director Dr. Miguel Fernández confirmed that hospitals reported more than 100 people transported for treatment. At one hospital, about 90 percent of the 43 patients treated had seizures believed to be caused by stimulant drugs, possibly mixed with alcohol.

In a New Aisle, Energy Drinks Sidestep Some Rules

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:27:58 +0000

Fans of Monster Energy, the popular high-caffeine energy drink, may not notice the change: its ingredients will be the same and its familiar label bearing a green, clawlike monogram will change only slightly. But the drink’s maker has decided after a decade of selling it as a dietary supplement to market it as a beverage, a switch that will bring significant changes in how it is regulated. Among them: Monster Beverage, the nation’s biggest seller of energy drinks, will no longer be required to tell federal regulators about reports potentially linking its products to deaths and injuries.