More Students Get Fix From Study Drugs

(AP) - Calls to poison control centers about teens abusing attention-deficit drugs soared 76% over eight years, a new study shows, highlighting the dangerous consequences of prescription abuse. The calls were from worried parents, emergency room doctors, and others seeking advice on how to deal with side-effects of ADHD drugs, which can include rapid heartbeat and extremely high blood pressure. Four deaths were among cases evaluated in the study. More»

Overdoses now leading cause of accidental death in Scioto County

(NEWSER) - Scioto County sits in the southern tip of Ohio, an unremarkable piece of Appalachia save for the deadly tidal wave of prescription drugs washing over its population. Overdoses have quadrupled over the past decade, reports the New York Times, and are now the leading cause of accidental death, ahead of even car crashes. One in 10 babies born here tests positive for drugs; the most popular among the area's addicts is OxyContin. “It was moving so fast that families were caught totally off guard," says a counselor. "They had no idea what they were dealing with.” More»

Adam Goldstein's apartment littered with drugs; he promised to start rehab

(NEWSER) - DJ AM lit up a crack pipe in front of his recovery sponsor the day before his death, the New York Post reports in an ongoing effort to piece together his final moments. Friends told investigators Adam Goldstein’s manager and sponsor flew from the West Coast to NYC Thursday after weeks of worry over his erratic behavior and missed appointments, but an agitated Goldstein would only see his sponsor. More»

Plus, more dirt on yet another Jacko doc

(NEWSER) - As a timeline of Michael Jackson’s final hours began to emerge, Dr. Conrad Murray’s lawyer was was quick to question it, calling it “police theory” in a statement yesterday, the AP reports. “Dr. Murray simply never told investigators that he found Michael Jackson at 11am not breathing,” after allegedly giving Jackson Propofol and then leaving the room. More»

Slump in high school grad numbers will spark 'buyers market'

(NEWSER) - Students will find college entry far easier in coming years as the number of high school graduates falls, the New York Times reports. The annual US grad count is expected to peak at around 2.9 million in the next year or two, and then slump until 2015. “For the high school graduate, this becomes a buyers’ market,” said University of Vermont President Daniel Fogel. More»