By Lindsay Melvin - Scripps Howard News Service
University of Memphis student Sarah Harrison doesn't indulge in other people's prescription drugs, but she knows plenty of college kids who do.

Making her way across campus on a rainy afternoon, the junior said, "I mean, anyone can get it, and if you don't have it, someone will sell it to you."

Harrison is referring to Adderall, a widely prescribed drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  » More

By Joe Rojas-Burke, The Oregonian
Oregon's rate of use of opiates without a prescription is the second highest in the U.S. after Oklahoma. A recent federal study suggests that Oregon doctors' greater willingness to prescribe opioid pain relievers may partly explain the state's exceptionally high rate of abuse. It found that rates of use without a prescription ranged from lows of 3.6 percent in Nebraska and Iowa, to highs of 6.8 percent in Oregon and 8.1 percent in Oklahoma. Legal sales ranged from less than 4 kilograms per 10,000 people in Illinois to more than 11 kilograms in Oregon, Tennessee, Nevada and Florida. » More

Survey Shows an Increase in the Rate of Marijuana Use

By Denise Mann, WebMD Health News; Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
The use of illicit drugs and the nonmedical use of prescription medications is increasing, and this is largely driven by an increased rate of marijuana use, a survey shows.

The survey on drug use was released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  » More

By LARRY ESKRIDGE of the Daily Ledger
CANTON — The cost of underage drinking and ways to reduce it provided the focus of a town hall meeting Tuesday at the Donaldson Center in Wallace Park, sponsored by SADD/SWAT, the Coalition for Wise Choices, the Making Wise Choices program, the YWCA, the YMCA, and United in Jesus Outreach Ministries.

District 66 Superintendent Roy Webb said he was pleased to see such a large turnout, noting he believed so many people came because there was a concern about young people in the area.  » More

The prescription pain medication Oxycontin is becoming on of the most abused and misused drugs in Hollywood. When used correctly, it's considered a safe pain management drug. But when used inappropriately, Oxycontin, known on the street as OC, O and hillbilly heroin, becomes incredibly dangerous. » More

First reactions to news that Erie residents suffer from a high rate of depression might be to either dismiss the findings or jest about the results. After all, many of us have so much affection for our hometown that thousands of people flocked to a new Facebook group, "You might be from Erie Pa IF," to share fond memories about Erie's special foods, beautiful peninsula, quirky characters and endearing traits. » More