MS woman in right-to-die appeal Jun 7, 2008
At some point she said she may travel to Switzerland and take a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by doctors at the Dignitas organisation. She said: "If my life becomes unbearable, if pain is unbearable; if living is worse than not living then I would end it. "I don't want to choke to death or die in excruciating pain. (BBC News -- Health)
Scholarships May 21, 2008
According to the policy, students could be tested for using alcohol, PCP, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines, marijuana, barbiturates, opiates or other drugs specified in the policy. The board took no action on the matter. (Washington Daily News, NC)
Movie: Mister Roberts (1955) May 20, 2008
He had taken an overdose of barbiturates, with the cause of death ruled a probable suicide. Mister Roberts Plays Broadway. (Suite101.com)
A New Fight to Legalize Euthanasia May 20, 2008
Generally, a doctor prescribes a lethal dose of barbiturates, but is not legally allowed to administer it. The patient must take the dose himself. (Time.com)
Board OKs drug testing May 16, 2008
The tests would screen for alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, methamphetamine, morphine, opiates, oxycodone and other drugs. Students would have 72 hours prior to testing to submit verification of any prescription drug use. (Montana Standard, MT)
Row looming over cannabis grading May 7, 2008
However, the council says the drug causes less harm than those in class B, such as amphetamines and barbiturates. It argues that it should remain in class C, where the maximum penalty for possession is two years, rather than five. (BBC News -- UK)
Reefer madness: Do the drug laws work? May 7, 2008
Most specialists accept there is no scientific basis for altering the advisory council's 2006 conclusion that cannabis is "substantially" less harmful than the class B drugs amphetamines and barbiturates and should therefore remain in class C. Drug and mental health charities agree that the law is too blunt an instrument to deliver public health warnings, and have called for education campaigns to warn young people of the risks. They point out that consumption of cannabis has fallen 4 per cent... (Independent)
Migraine Frequency Linked With Women's Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Apr 22, 2008
17, 2008) People who overuse barbiturates and opioids, such as codeine, butalbital, and oxycodone, to treat migraine are at an increased risk of developing chronic migraine, according to new. . (Science Daily)
Overuse of Opioids, Barbiturates Boosts Chronic Migraine Risk Apr 19, 2008
THURSDAY, April 17 (HealthDay News) -- Taking barbiturates and opioids such as codeine and oxycodone too often for migraines could double the chances of having chronic migraines a year later, new research says ... Those who took medicines containing barbiturates or opioids for only eight days a month in 2005 were twice as likely to develop chronic migraine a year later as those who didn't take such drugs ... "People who use drugs that contain barbiturates and opioids, if only for a total of... (MEDLINEplus)
High court upholds lethal injection Apr 17, 2008
Rather, they wanted the court to order Kentucky to switch to a single, massive dose of barbiturates - the same method used to euthanize animals. But Roberts said that "a condemned prisoner cannot successfully challenge a state's method of execution merely by showing a slightly or marginally safer alternative.". (Boston Globe)
Justice Ends the Holiday Apr 17, 2008
You see, the plaintiffs conceivably might feel pain under the three-drug injection process that starts with barbiturates, is followed by a paralytic agent and finishes with a drug that causes cardiac arrest ... You see, the plaintiffs conceivably might feel pain under the three-drug injection process that starts with barbiturates, is followed by a paralytic agent and finishes with a drug that causes cardiac arrest. (Townhall.com)
'Right to die'Where European nations stand on euthanasia Apr 5, 2008
Her face horribly disfigured, she had fought in vain for the right to take a lethal dose of prescribed barbiturates, surrounded by her family at a time of her choosing ... According to prosecutors, she had taken a "deadly dose" of barbiturates ... They are provided with a lethal dose of barbiturates which they have to take themselves. (BBC News -- Health)
Woman Refused Right-to-Die Took Her Own Life Mar 28, 2008
The state prosecutor in the eastern city of Dijon said Thursday toxicological examinations of Sebire's body revealed the presence of powerful barbiturates. "It is possible to say today that Madame Chantal Sebire did not die a natural death, but by absorbing a lethal dose of barbiturates, as the autopsy has shown," Jean-Pierre Alacchi said. (Fox News)
Disfigured woman kills herself Mar 28, 2008
A severely disfigured French woman, found dead this month after a court rejected her request for euthanasia, took a lethal overdose of barbiturates, a prosecutor said on Thursday. Former schoolteacher Chantal Sebire, 52, asked for the right to die to alleviate the suffering caused by a rare and incurable tumour, which deformed her face, causing her to lose her eyesight and the senses of smell and taste. (iAfrica.com)
Pharming and Generation Rx Mar 26, 2008
Examples include barbiturates and benzodiazepines (Valium and Xanax). Stimulants, which are prescribed to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. (Wood River Journal, ID)
Prison On Lookout For Drugs Mar 21, 2008
Methamphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and barbiturates have all been found on inmates and visitors. "The drug culture doesn't change. The drug of choice on the street" is the drug of choice in the prison, Ezell said. (Cedar Crest East Mountain Telegraph, NM)
Disfigured Woman Who Sought Death Finds It Mar 20, 2008
On Monday, a court in the city of Dijon rejected Sebire's request to be allowed to receive a lethal dose of barbiturates under a doctor's supervision. It refused the request for doctor-assisted suicide because of French law and out of concern for medical ethics. (CBS News -- World)
Alzheimer's or cancer: Which disease would you rather die from? Mar 17, 2008
His father had stashed away barbiturates during his work as a vet. But by the time he needed them, he couldn't access them. (Times Online)
The boy Brando lost Feb 24, 2008
When Kashfi, increasingly mentally unstable, overdosed on barbiturates, Brando was given temporary custody. At one court hearing a friend of Kashfi's testified that she had found Kashfi 'passed out, lying in her own vomit', while Christian played outside on the edge of a swimming pool. (Guardian Unlimited)
Lindsay Lohan poses nude for magazine Feb 19, 2008
Stern photographed Monroe in 1962 at the Hotel Bel-Air in California, six weeks before she was found dead from an overdose of barbiturates. Those images for Vogue magazine feature Monroe in next to nothing, posing nude with some scarves and jewelry as her accessories and sipping champagne. (KHOU.com, TX)
School official says drug testing a deterrent Feb 15, 2008
The school system s policy allows tests for PCP, cocaine, marijuana, barbiturates, opiates and benzodiazepines. Tkach said tests are rarely if ever administered for alcohol because it does not remain in a student s system for long. He also said the school system does not regularly test for steroid use because the tests costs about 130 each. (Washington Daily News, NC)
Baby Thrown In Trash Clings To Life Feb 13, 2008
Officials said Granados tested positive for barbiturates. If taken in small doses, barbiturates act as tranquilizers while they act as sleeping pills when taken in large doses. (Click2Houston, TX)
Prozac Nation? Feb 11, 2008
The newer medications, like Valium, were safer than older drugs, like barbiturates, which accounted for six times as many deaths per prescription written. Nor did addiction trends show a clear pattern. (Slate)
Insomnia fuels a run in drug sales Feb 7, 2008
Though barbiturates were employed to soothe insomniacs in the '50s and '60s, they had serious side effects, including addiction. They were replaced by benzodiazepines, but a newer class of drugs called benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BzRAs), which include Sonata and Lunesta, are now more commonly prescribed because they appear to be better tolerated. (USA Today -- News)
A dangerous cocktail Jan 25, 2008
Today's pills, which include brands such as Valium or Ativan, are less likely to lead to accidental fatal overdoses than barbiturates of the past, Dr. Uetrecht said. But dangers arise when those sedatives are mixed with other drugs that slow down the central nervous system, such as anti-anxiety medications or alcohol, Dr. Uetrecht said. (Globe and Mail)
Ex-governor backs assisted suicide Jan 11, 2008
The initiative, modeled after a similar law in Oregon, would allow doctors to prescribe a fatal dose of barbiturates to terminally ill patients diagnosed with six months or less to live. Gardner -- whose own illness would not qualify him for physician-assisted suicide under the proposed law -- is working on behalf of the group Compassion and Choices Washington. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Pain, Suffering, and Capital Punishment Jan 9, 2008
A lawyer arguing for mercy on Ralph Baze -- who executed a sheriff and deputy trying to serve a warrant on him -- insisted the way to go is a single dose of barbiturates ... A lawyer arguing for mercy on Ralph Baze -- who executed a sheriff and deputy trying to serve a warrant on him -- insisted the way to go is a single dose of barbiturates. (Townhall.com)
Lethal injection under scrutiny Jan 9, 2008
And a megadose of barbiturates could cause muscle contractions. That would presumably be painless for the prisoner, yes, but perhaps unpleasant for witnesses to observe. (Nature News Service)
Teck Cominco Pollution Case Is Rejected by Supreme Court Jan 8, 2008
Mr. Verrilli suggested that a lethal dose of barbiturates would ensure a painless death, but Mr. Englert said that could lengthen the time it takes to kill the inmate, from a few minutes to as long as half an hour. So, against "some risk of excruciating pain ... is it reasonable to say 30 minutes is too long" to wait. (Wall Street Journal)
US experiences lull in executions as high court examines lethal injections Jan 7, 2008
Would it work better to deliver a fatal overdose of barbiturates. That is the method used by terminally ill people in Oregon and by veterinarians in most parts of the country who euthanize animals. (Boston Globe)
Matters of the heart Dec 27, 2007
halothane, barbiturates. Immunomodulating drugs: Eg. (Express Pharma)
Court unlikely to rule against lethal injections Nov 16, 2007
There are alternative drugs available, such as more modern anaesthetics, or massive doses of barbiturates which could be used instead. But Mr Dieter said: "I think its unlikely that the Supreme Court will rule against the death penalty altogether.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Evicted suicide service goes on road Nov 9, 2007
Two German men aged 50 and 65 have used the "death on wheels" service of the Dignitas charity, which handed them lethal barbiturates last week in a car park near Zurich. The deaths were only reported on Thursday, with a prosecutor confirming that both men had driven to a woodland parking area and overdosed in their cars. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Prescription drug abuse produces adverse effects Nov 8, 2007
"People will take amphetamines to stay awake all day then barbiturates at night to get to sleep," Ryan said. Nancy Watts, director of the pharmacy technician program at Chattanooga State, said prescription drugs do not have the stigma of street drugs because they are believed to have less risk of contamination and are not "cooked at home" like many illegal street drugs. (The University Echo, TN)
On the Books (24) Nov 1, 2007
However, she allegedly moved without telling her probation officer, tested positive for THC and barbiturates and otherwise violated the conditions of her suspended sentence. Butte Police Reports. (Montana Standard, MT)
'I know how I am going to die' Oct 16, 2007
Dave Richards of Britain heightened awareness of Huntington's last year, but not because he made a discovery: He sipped a lethal drink of barbiturates at a Swiss clinic, where voluntary euthanasia is legal. Mr. Carroll says he has respect for people who have the guts to say this is how I want to go, adding that it is a way to spare loved ones of the brutal reality of the disease. (Globe and Mail)
Inmates plead with kids: Do as I say, not as I did Oct 14, 2007
The first drugs I ever experimented with were barbiturates that somebody gave me. They probably got them out of their mom s medicine cabinet. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
* The poisonous cocktail Sep 25, 2007
Other drugs, like Valium and barbiturates, that are distributed in fatty tissue can accumulate in the elderly body and remain active longer, increasing side effects like sedation. Aging also results in fewer protein binding sites for drugs, resulting in a higher blood level of the drug that loses the competition for sites. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
The 'poisonous cocktail' of multiple drugs Sep 19, 2007
Other drugs, like Valium and barbiturates, that are distributed in fatty tissue can accumulate in the elderly body and remain active longer, increasing side effects like sedation. 1. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
It's all Friedman's doing Sep 12, 2007
Cameron believed he could cure his patients' neuroses by completely erasing their minds and rebuilding them along healthier lines; to implement this erasure of self, he imposed a sustained regimen of sensory deprivation, isolation, enforced sleep and a cocktail of LSD, PCP, insulin and barbiturates. He also prescribed a barrage of electroshock therapy, which almost completely erased his patients' short- and long-term memories. (Toronto Star)
Lab Analysis Allows Boston DUI Case To Move Forward Sep 7, 2007
" Boston, who is facing a misdemeanor DUI charge, had said the analysts wouldn't find anything in his urine sample. Boston finished Thursday's practice at One Buc Place and appeared to be learning of the news as he left the field with a team official. He initially had no comment, but later issued a statement through the team. "All I am able to say at this time is that I have done nothing wrong; I was not impaired. I have assured, and will continue to assure, the Buccaneers that I have done... (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- Sports)
Working at drugstore taught many a lesson Sep 6, 2007
Sulfa drugs, narcotics such as codeine and barbiturates were among the most medically prescribed drugs. Vicks Vapo-Rub, Turpin Hydrate, horehound and Smith Brothers cough drops, camphorated oil, rubbing alcohol, aspirins, Anacin, Pepto-Bismol, Alka-Seltzer, Milk of Magnesia, Ex-Lax, Mineral Oil, Cod Liver Oil. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Tough love or TLC? Sep 2, 2007
Withdrawal symptoms are medically trivial, as all the textbooks will tell you, unlike those, say, from alcohol or barbiturates. They last a few days at most and consist of flu-like symptoms of the type that no one can pass through life without experiencing. (Times Online)
Osteopath faces patient lawsuit Aug 31, 2007
At the time, board officials said they acted because they believed Buckau was over-prescribing narcotics, barbiturates or other habit-forming drugs to his patients. Buckau's office, Mountainside Family Practice at 3625 Fifth St., has been closed since the suspension. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Could Owen Wilson Case Inspire Copycats? Aug 30, 2007
It translated to about 119 individualsmostly women who were blond who used barbiturates. After Freddie Prinze used a gun to die by suicide, young Hispanic males used guns to kill themselves. (MSNBC -- Health)
Business embraces drug tests Aug 19, 2007
30-day news archives. It's the responsible thing to do," said Beverley Wiggins, who owns the shop with her husband, Leslie. "We're against drugs. (Florida Today)
Off your trolley Aug 14, 2007
What every new mobile phone needs is a small, simple, retractable hypodermic syringe to inject barbiturates into the phone user's earlobe when he or she exceeds the volume limit. The howling monologue would thus rapidly be replaced by a deep silence. (BBC News -- UK)
Police across county work to take dealers off the streets Aug 1, 2007
The task force confiscated a variety of drugs, including marijuana, barbiturates, designer drugs, like ecstasy, pharmaceutical pills, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, commonly known as "speed." In 2004, detectives seized 58 weapons, 35 vehicles and $211,635 in cash from the drug dealers. In recent years, investigators entered a new battleground in their ongoing war against drug dealers - cyberspace. (Springfield Sun, PA)
School drug plan includes random tests Jul 27, 2007
Grayson County News-Gazette. Thursday, July 26, 2007. (Leitchfield Grayson County, KY)
Doc suspended over prescriptions Jul 22, 2007
Specifically, it said the suspension was "for his practice of prescribing intoxicants, narcotics, barbiturates or other habit-forming drugs to his patients in quantities and under circumstances making it apparent to the board that the prescription was not made for legitimate medicinal purposes, or prescribing in a manner or in amounts calculated in the opinion of the board to endanger the well-being of his patients or the public in general.". Margaret Hansen, the board's executive director,... (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Osteopath accused of over-prescribing addictive drugs Jul 21, 2007
State officials wrote that Buckau's license was suspended "for ... prescribing intoxicants, narcotics, barbiturates or other habit-forming drugs to his patients in quantities and under circumstances making it apparent to the board that the prescription was not made for legitimate medicinal purposes, or prescribing in a manner or in amounts calculated in the opinion of the board to endanger the well-being of his patients or the public in general.". Officials also said the board will conduct a... (Rapid City Journal, SD)
New on DVD: Miller pops in 'Factory Girl' Jul 20, 2007
Sienna Miller plays Sedgwick financially well-bred, emotionally not discarded by Warhol after a brief career in his films and dead of barbiturates at 28. It's a game performance, but the movie's a pop CliffsNotes affair, and you'd have found richer period detail on the bedroom wall of just about any '60s teenager. (USA Today -- Life)
Brown orders review of cannabis law Jul 19, 2007
Other class C drugs include steroids and prescription antibiotics; amphetamines and barbiturates are class B; cocaine and heroin are class A.. Yesterday's announcement reflects in part concern about skunk, a stronger form of cannabis, which has been blamed for an increase in mental health disorders. (Guardian Unlimited)
Q&A: cannabis reclassification Jul 18, 2007
Hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine - in theory the most harmful - are class A, while class B includes substances such as amphetamines and barbiturates. If cannabis was again made a class B drug it would carry much more severe penalties for possession, including imprisonment. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Writers, students call attention to depression Jul 7, 2007
The writer of the note had had a most excellent friend who stayed with the victim as the barbiturates and booze came up late at night, and the friend took my student to another school that morning. This was my first experience with depression among the young and not the last. (Coos Bay-North Bend The World, OR)
New Onset Epilepsy Linked to Increased Suicide Risk Jul 4, 2007
"Improvement in epilepsy care, introduction of new drugs with fewer side-effects, and reduced use of barbiturates are possible explanations for this declining time-trend," he wrote. The study was funded by the Research Institute of Aarhus University Hospital, the Stanley Research Institute, and the Danish Medical Research Council. (MedPage Today)
Man won't face assisted suicide charges: RCMP Jul 4, 2007
"The law actually is very protective in nature and that's how it was designed and I think it is absolutely correct,'' he added. Ludwig Minelli, founder of Dignitas in Zurich, said last week that his facility has helped more than 700 people end their lives through a variety of means that includes swallowing barbiturates, like MacDonald did, to self-injecting a lethal dose of drugs. He said up to five Canadians have used the service, which costs about $7,200, and at least two others have inquired... (CTV.ca)
Epileptics Have Three Times Greater Suicide Risk, Lancet Says Jul 3, 2007
Improvement of epilepsy care, introduction of new drugs with fewer side effects, and reduced use of barbiturates are possible explanations for this declining time trend,'' the study said. To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kuli in Budapest at. (Bloomberg)
Smoking 'as difficult to kick as ever' Jun 30, 2007
Tobacco is so addictive that doctors writing in the Lancet medical journal this year said it should be classified as an illegal drug, on a par with amphetamines and barbiturates. The government says 70 per cent of smokers want to give up but are held back by the power nicotine has over them. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Older drivers should take precautions Jun 18, 2007
Among the drugs that affect vision are barbiturates, narcotics, tranquilizers, sedative bromides and antihistamines. Avoid eyeglass frames with wide, heavy temples (sidepieces). (Carroll County Times, MD)
COMMENTARY: Intent behind musicians' self-destruction still unclear Jun 9, 2007
Among Cash's tragic stories are the horrific young death of his brother and his troubled early tours while addicted to barbiturates. Then, of course, we enter the likes of Sid Vicious, Ian Curtis, Keith Moon and other British rock icons that, at the top of their careers, found solace and acceptance at the bottom of a bottle or the tip of a heroin needle. (U-Wire.com)
Woman sexually assaulted after drink spiked Jun 8, 2007
Some drugs included benzodiazepines, barbiturates, muscle relaxants and hypnotics-such as Serapax, Valium and Rohypnol. SPONSORED LINKS. (The Age, Australia)
'Dr. Death' served us all with time in prison Jun 7, 2007
This number is tiny compared with the 85,755 Oregonians who died from the same diseases but without barbiturates. Without fearing abuse, we should permit intolerably suffering patients the right to exert this ultimate autonomy in choosing the manner of their dying. (Yahoo News)
AMPAKINE compounds a new potential treatment for respiratory depression Jun 4, 2007
Opiates and barbiturates are the primary drugs classes responsible for these effects ... "These results open up the real possibility of combining an ampakine compound with commonly prescribed barbiturates or opiates to reduce the likelihood that life-threatening respiratory depression will occur," noted explained Roger G. Stoll, Ph ... Under terms of the license Cortex will evaluate a number of novel low and high impact AMPAKINE compounds for a range of new respiratory applications, such as,... (EurekAlert!)
Catch a fallen star, if you can Jun 3, 2007
Given amphetamines and barbiturates by the studio to cope with her heavy workload, she struggled with addiction and died at 47 from an accidental drugs overdose. Marilyn Monroe Signed aged 20 in 1946 after several years as a successful model, Monroe was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
