Drugs

Exclusive: Regime, which executed 243 people last year for drug offences, accused of investing in entertainment to whitewash its human rights recordThe acclaimed Australian film-maker Phillip Noyce is being paid by the Saudi regime to make a feature film portraying the repressive state’s narcotics officers as heroes.The Watchful Eyes, based on a real Saudi ministry of interior narcotics case, is billed as a dramatic depiction of the “heroism of security men in combating drugs”. Continue reading...

Pop star was arrested in March after she was pulled over for driving erratically on US 101 in CaliforniaSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxBritney Spears was charged in California on Thursday with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, authorities said.The 44-year-old pop star was charged with a single misdemeanor count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, the Ventura county district attorney’s office said. Continue reading...

Hope that sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy could help soldiers fight longer by helping them process traumaAs the war on drugs approaches its end, a new doctrine could soon take hold: psychedelic drugs for active-duty soldiers suffering from PTSD.In two studies funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), 186 service personnel with PTSD will likely next year undergo multiple sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy. Continue reading...

Health secretary’s ‘power grab’ to override Nice comes amid growing concern move may be illegal and benefit big pharmaDozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting’s decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal.Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines. Continue reading...

Experts say any short-term financial benefit will be outweighed by long-term health costs related to obesityFaced with high demand for GLP-1 drugs, some American cities and states that previously covered the cost of the weight-loss medication for low-income residents and public employees have now started to restrict or eliminate coverage.The pullback stems from the dramatic increase in public spending on drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy in recent years. Continue reading...

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule on Friday requiring health insurance companies and states to resolve non-urgent prior authorization requests for prescription drugs within 24 hours. • The regulation mandates Medicaid and CHIP insurers, plus state administrators, to publicly disclose denial rates and respond faster to improve patient access. • This addresses delays in medication approvals, potentially benefiting millions enrolled in these programs amid ongoing affordability challenges.

Enzo Conticello jailed for 27 months for ‘opportunistic’ theft of Givenchy handbag containing precious jewelsA man who stole a handbag containing a Fabergé egg and watch set valued at up to £2.2m has been jailed for more than two years.Enzo Conticello, 29, took the Givenchy bag belonging to Rosie Dawson as she stood in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, London, on 7 November 2024. Continue reading...

Analysis of more than 500 brain scans finds LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics increase cross-talk between brain systemsScientists have identified a hallmark signature produced by psychedelic drugs in the human brain when users experience their mind-altering effects.The “neural fingerprint” of the psychedelic trip was spotted among hundreds of brain scans of people on LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca, pointing to a shared impact on the brain’s behaviour. Continue reading...

• Major U.S. health insurers are limiting coverage of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to their original FDA-approved use for diabetes management, excluding weight loss treatments. • According to industry analyst Andy, this shift reverses prior expansions amid rising costs and supply shortages, affecting millions of patients seeking obesity care. • The policy change aims to control spending on these high-demand medications, which have seen off-label use surge, potentially pushing patients toward alternatives or out-of-pocket payments.

Matthew Uthoff and his wife, Amber Dena Snow, allegedly gave oxycodone-laced pasta dish to unknowing victimTwo people in Iowa were accused of giving a pregnant woman a lasagna laced with narcotics with the intention of causing a miscarriage, according to law enforcement.Matthew Uthoff, 35, and his wife, 36-year-old Amber Dena Snow, are accused of delivering a lasagna containing oxycodone to the pregnant individual. The couple faces several charges including delivery of a controlled substance and purposefully terminating a human pregnancy without the knowledge and voluntary consent of the pregnant individual. Continue reading...

Father of Grace O’Malley-Kumar calls decision to take sample from his daughter after her death ‘disgusting’The father of a university student killed while trying to protect her friend from Valdo Calocane in Nottingham told an inquiry it is “disgusting” the stabbing victims were tested for drugs and alcohol but their killer was not.Sanjoy Kumar, Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s father, said he could not understand why the diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic had not been tested for drugs while in custody after the attacks. Continue reading...

• The White House added Jentadueto, Jentadueto XR for Type 2 diabetes, and Striverdi Respimat for COPD to TrumpRx, enabling cash discounts on brand-name drugs from Boehringer Ingelheim. • Consumers can bypass insurance for lower prices on these medications via the website, expanding access amid high health care costs. • The move supports broader efforts to reduce drug prices as NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya's acting CDC role ends March 26.

Exclusive: Drug users face felonies and prison under Prop 36, with analysis showing racial disparities and little helpCalifornia prosecutors have filed nearly 20,000 drug possession felony cases under a tough-on-crime measure passed in 2024. But despite promises to get people into services, the vast majority of those arrested have not received drug treatment, state data reveals.Proposition 36, a state ballot measure, enacted harsher penalties for minor theft and drug offenses, with proponents pledging the crackdown would lead to “mass treatment to keep people alive, out of jail, and off our streets”. Continue reading...

Ex-MP for Reigate, 65, accused of one count of possessing a class A drug and three of possessing a class B drugThe former MP Crispin Blunt has been charged with four drugs offences, prosecutors said.The 65-year-old, who represented Reigate from 1997 to 2024, is accused of one count of possessing a class A drug and three of possessing a class B drug. Continue reading...

GLP-1 drugs, once primarily used for diabetes treatment, have demonstrated impressive effectiveness in treating obesity, which affects over 100 million Americans, according to PBS NewsHour reporting. The class of medications is generating significant clinical interest as researchers explore both the therapeutic benefits and potential risks associated with their use. Medical experts including Dr. Jody Dushay, Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, Dr. Anna Lembke, and Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly discussed the promise of these drugs alongside concerns about safety and long-term outcomes in recent coverage.