A feature on the Los Angeles Times by Evan Wood shared that the bi-annual meeting was attended by HIV experts that consist of thousands of scientists and physicians, as well as activists who are leading the fight against HIV and AIDS. Incidentally, the choice of host city – Vienna – is also rooted in the connection between HIV infection and drug use.

The city, according to the feature, is considered as the “gateway” to what was termed as one of the “most rapidly growing HIV epidemics” in the world. This epidemic is said to be happening among heroin users in Eastern Europe. Statistics that were mentioned by Wood indicate that injecting illegal drugs constitute about one out of three new HIV infections (outside of sub-Saharan Africa), while 70 percent of those who inject illegal drugs contract HIV (in certain areas of Eastern Europe and Central Asia).

Michel Sidibe, the executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), wrote on the medical journal Lancet: “The war on drugs has failed.”

The statement is in reference to the effect that the criminalization of drug abuse has, including the fact that addicts are driven further underground, which in turn leads to unsafe practices such as the sharing of needles.

The players were suspended after testing positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. One of them is Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League outfielder Prentice Redman, who was suspended for 100 days. Redman tested positive for an amphetamine, and the 100-day suspension will go into effect after he completes his current 50-game suspension. Redman is with the Triple-A Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League.

Three Minor League players of the Milwaukee Brewers were suspended for 50 games, effective immediately: third baseman Allixon Cequea, outfielder Erickson Salaya, and pitcher Leonard Lorenzo. All the aforementioned players belong to the Dominican Summer League team. The report said that Cequea and Salaya tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolone; Lorenzo, on the other hand, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone.

Two other players belonging to the roster of the Dominican Summer League Team were suspended for 50 games each, effective immediately. These are Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Jose Valdez, and Oakland Athletics’ pitcher Leudis Benzant. Valdez, like Lorenzo, tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone, while Benzant tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

According to the report, sixteen minor league players were suspended due to violations of its drug policy over the last week alone. A total of 60 minor league players faced suspensions that collectively added up to 3,100 games.

The committee voted 25 to 10 against the plan. This advisory panel included doctors and pain experts, and one of the reasons for the rejection was that the panel felt that the plan lacked a stipulation requiring doctors to undergo training on the appropriate use of prescription narcotics. This rendered the plan as weak in terms of controlling the use of such drugs.

Drugs such as OxyContin, fentanyl and methadone are considered as important in pain management; however, these are the same drugs involved prescription drug abuse, and have also been linked to deaths due to overdose. It is for this reason that the FDA, as well as the drug industry, worked together to draw up a plan to reduce the misuse and abuse of these medications.

Dr. John K. Jenkins, director of the office of new drugs at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA, shared that the concern of the advisory panel lay in the “voluntary nature of the training requirements” for doctors.

It was said that the FDA had initially planned on stipulating mandatory training for those who intend to prescribe the drugs. The agency, however, was concerned about the fact that they only had the authority to require drug manufacturers to provide training. Another concern for the agency was that some doctors may choose to simply stop prescribing the drugs if they find mandatory trainings too tedious, thereby limiting the options of patients who may need them.

According to a feature on FoxNews.com, a study that was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology dealt with the use of Ecstasy in treating patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Funding for the study was provided by the Multidisciplinary Association for Pyschedelic Studies in Santa Cruz, California.

The study used 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known as Ecstasy, in a trial that involved a small group of 20 patients who had no history of psychosis or addiction. The patients involved underwent psychotherapy sessions that lasted for eight hours and were scheduled a few weeks apart. Eight of the patients in the trial were given placebo, while twelve were given a dose of Ecstasy.

The researchers observed that after two months, 10 of the 12 patients who were given Ecstasy responded to the treatment. Their observations indicated that Ecstasy seemed to lessen the fear of long-term patients, which in turn helped the patients get the most out of their therapy sessions.

Among the patients who were only given placebo, only two out of the eight showed improvement. There was no adverse side effects observed that could be attributed to the use of the drug, although the researchers will be following up with patients to verify the treatment’s long-term effects.

The use of Ecstasy as an aid in therapy is not new; on the contrary, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Mithoefer shared that psychiatrists and psychotherapists made use of MDMA to improve therapy long before it became popular as a party drug.

Jeremy and Melissa have both been in trouble for their drug addiction which even resulted to them losing their custody of their son, Lyrik. This is why Melissa wants to be treated as well and checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center Sunday afternoon. However, there might be another reason why she decided to go into the institution too. Reports reveal that her landlord had given her a 30-day notice to move out in the days before she voluntarily announced that she’s in Celebrity Rehab too.

Her drug-related craziness was getting into her neighbors’ nerves that police would be constantly visiting her house especially at night. It was also said that her husband Jeremy was a frequent guest in the house which other tenants did not welcome. The neighbors would know when he’s with her because of their disturbing behaviors at night that would prompt them to call on the authorities.

Melissa’s landlord can only hope Celebrity Rehab can help her and Jeremy.

Lohan has to serve 90 days in jail as a result of California Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel’s decision when Lohan was found violating the terms of her probation on drunk driving case and failed to attend her alcohol education classes. Her former lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, resigned after she found the judge’s decision too harsh on Lindsay. In the last few days, Holley hinted that Lindsay might be hiring Shapiro to evade prison time.

But Robert Shapiro had something else on his mind. “I have agreed to represent Ms. Lohan on the condition she comply with the terms of probation, including a requirement of jail imposed by Judge Marsha Revel,” Shapiro said in a message to Reuters. “Ms. Lohan is suffering from a disease that I am all too familiar with. Hopefully, I can be of assistance to Ms. Lohan and Judge Revel in implementing a treatment approach recommended by medical professionals for Ms. Lohan’s long term recovery and sobriety,” the statement said.

Shapiro is no stranger to Lohan’s case. After his son Brent died in 2005 after taking ecstasy drugs while drinking, he has been an active participant in the fight against drug addiction and has been helping others who are in dangerous drugs situations to overcome their deadly habits.

He has also helped a lot of celebrities and was a part of OJ Simpson’s “dream team” when he was accused of murdering his wife. Shapiro’s family also established the Brent Shapiro Foundation and the Pickford Lofts sober living facility in LA where Lindsay Lohan is reportedly staying since early this week.

Portland Trailblazer’s coach Nate McMillan who was with Washburn in North Carolina State told Yahoo Sports , “some of the things that Shaquille [O’Neal] was doing, Washburn was doing as a forward-center who could run and jump and shoot. He could do it all. He had the talent to certainly be an All-Star.”

After the Warriors signed him on, Washburn was already hooked up with drugs. George Karl, who was then Chris’ coach, already sensed that he was in deep trouble, all because he can’t let go of the dope. Even the great Julius Erving, who extended a helping hand to Washburn, could not make any difference.

After three months into the game season, Chris checked in a rehabilitation facility in California. This did not help much, as he continued his drug use, and he was draining his bank account day by day for the drugs. He had a mansion, but he opted to stay with folks who barely have water and electricity and slept on dirty floors with no carpet, all because he could not leave his habit.  In June 1989, his NBA career ended. He failed a third time on his drug test and earned a lifetime ban in the NBA, just after 72 games in the league. In 1991-1994, Chris was going in and out of prison for drug-related case.

Washburn finally came out clean in 2000. He is now one of the speakers in the Dallas Life Foundation Center. When he speaks, the kids listen to him, and he now makes a positive impact on their lives. His message was clear: learn from what has happened in his life; he had the chance of becoming a great NBA player, but he wasted it because of drugs.

“Digital drugs” are described as sound waves that can have the same effect on the brain as chemical drugs. A feature on The Seattle Times talks about a brand of digital drugs called I-Dosers, which is said to be gaining popularity among teenagers; but there are experts who are skeptical about the effects that these “digital drugs” will have on a person.

Some parents who have learned about this new “craze” of sorts are worried. Will it be digital drugs today, then more hard drugs tomorrow? Will “digital drugs” be the new “gateway drug?”

The concept behind digital drugs is something called binaural beats, where one frequency plays in one ear while another frequency, slightly different, plays in the other ear. These sound waves can be downloaded as MP3 files or played through special software that reads .DRG sound files; the I-Doser free software is said to be the second most downloaded program in the science category of CNET.

While there may be insufficient scientific evidence to support the claim that I-Dosers can mimic the effects of chemical drugs, we agree with the opinion of Jose Szapocznik of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who said: “When your child is looking for an altered state of consciousness because they’re bored, or because their world is painful for them … that’s what parents should be worried about.”

The team successfully busted a total of more than 500 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 kilos of cocaine and some guns. Four people are now facing charges for what has been uncovered by the sting.

It has been a fact that in recent days, the streets of Minneapolis have been a site for violence where gangs and drugs play great roles. With what the police has been able to do, it sends out a clear signal that they are dead set on catching the criminals.

Capt. Don Banham, a member of the Enforcement Team has said that they were able to establish three things on this operation. First, they were able to take out the drugs in the street. It’s no joke to have that much drugs in the area and the money involved will really be significant. Second, by catching the criminals, they have somehow disrupted their behaviors and prevent their planned drug-related activities. Third, with the arrests made and people put behind bars, Minneapolis streets may become a little peaceful, although not completely free from crooks. This can somehow decrease violent scenarios in the streets which have been happening for the past couple of months.

Aside from the drugs and guns that were seized, a whopping $100,000 was also confiscated. Minneapolis Police authorities are hoping for more successful drug busts in the coming days. They are seeking the help of civilians to eradicate violence and drug operations on the streets. If people will become active in the fight against illegal drugs, police work can be made a lot easier.

Lindsay’s up for 90 days in jail after her probation revocation hearing last July 6 at a Beverly Hills Court. Shawn Chapman Holley who represented Lohan during the hearing resigned last week.

According to Goldberg, the actress seems not to be aware of what she might be facing during her 90-day prison stint. “I’m concerned that she’s not disciplined or tethered enough to the reality of adult consequences,” he told People mag. Lohan appeared to be in a difficult and dangerous situation and when asked if she might hurt herself, she allegedly started sobbing quietly. The Chicago lawyer even offered a piece of advice to the starlet to leave LA but LL didn’t give any attention on what he had suggested.

Goldberg is said to be very worried on this particular case. Though he refused to take on the matter, he can’t help but voice out his opinion on Lindsay’s present state of mind. After having been able to sit with the Lohans, the actress in particular might have succumbed to the idea that what is happening is just fate and that she’s having an inner sadness that still hasn’t surfaced yet. What becomes scary in her current situation is that she might just take on her jail time and be on a program that will not do her any good. It’s as if she’s already bound to fail.

So, who can be a candidate to help LL? Maybe OJ Simpson’s former lawyer, Robert Shapiro, can do the job for Lindsay. Shapiro’s office when contacted regarding the issue didn’t give any immediate response. We might have to wait and see.