Cities' Sewage Serves as Giant Drug Test

(AP) - Mexico has enacted a controversial law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging free government treatment for drug dependency. The law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution when the law goes into effect Friday. More»

Vaccine stops drug from producing a high

(NEWSER) - Scientists have developed a potential vaccine against cocaine addiction and have asked the federal Food and Drug Administration to greenlight large-scale clinical trials. The injections of modified cocaine work by stimulating the immune system to attack cocaine when it's ingested, preventing the drug from producing a high, reports the Houston Chronicle. Current treatment for cocaine addiction is limited to counseling and 12-step programs. More»

Drug fighters encouraged as hefty price hikes signal supply shortage

(NEWSER) - Prices for cocaine and methamphetamine have jumped for the fourth quarter in a row, indicating a short supply of the dangerous drugs, according to the latest figures from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. A gram of pure cocaine cost $137 in September, up from $93 last year, and meth jumped from $133 to $245. More»

Heroin mixed with cold medicine is a hit with middle-school customers

(NEWSER) - Drug traffickers are pursuing the middle-school crowd by mixing snortable dope with everyday products like cold medicine and candy, and pushing the product under kid-friendly names. A blend of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM labeled "cheese" has been linked to the deaths of 19 teenagers in Dallas. More»