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An excerpt from the Brief of the Petitioner, as submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 24, 2007, regarding whether or not a judge can disregard congressionally sanctioned Federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses is presented.

The author, a federal district judge from Iowa, discusses his opinions of mandatory sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders. He compares his caseload of drug offenses with the national average, and discusses the demographics of methamphetamine and crack cocaine offenders. Drug treatment, the efficacy of minimum sentencing, and the political activities of judges are also discussed.

The article discusses drug poisoning in the U.S. and describes initiatives to reduce it from health professionals, legislators, and physicians. Topics include the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, designer drugs, the abuse of prescription narcotics, and difficulties in diagnosing drug poisoning during medical emergencies. The toxicologist Mark B. Mycyk and the medical director of the Oregon Poison Center Jane Horowitz are quoted. A graph is included of an increase in U.S. drug poisoning deaths from 2000 to 2008.

Presents arguments against the legalization of illicit drugs in the U.S. in response to the nation's drug problem. Reasons for devising the laws that restrict the use and supply of psychoactive drugs; Factors that contributed to the youthful drug epidemic in the 1960s and 1970s; Value of drug laws to children.

The article reports on the need of policies for the use of illegal drugs, misuse of alcohol and prescription medications for maintaining occupational safety. Topics discussed include views of Nancy N. Delogu, attorney at the law firm Littler Mendelson, on civil lawsuits for neglecting safety, views of Robert DuPont, co-founder of the drug testing firm Bensinger, DuPont & Associates, on synchronization of workplace polices with state laws, and a data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The article discusses the court case U.S. v. Poage, wherein West Virginia-based orthopedic surgeon Chad Poage pleaded guilty to a charge of health care fraud for obtaining controlled substances by fraudulently writing prescriptions. According to the evidence, Poage used his colleagues' Drug Enforcement Administration numbers, without authorization, to pick up these controlled substances for his personal use. He also admitted to present stolen driver's licenses when obtaining these drugs.

The article discusses the U.S. court case U.S. vs. Arroyo wherein Arroyo was arrested through investigation carried out by North Reading police on domestic violence call in an apartment of North Reading. The police arrested Arroyo on the basis of drug charges, where Arroyo argued against the warrantless entry of police officials. The role of emergency doctrine came into existence in the case which allowed police to check the apartment without warrant.

This section offers news briefs on narcotics laws in the U.S. A federal judge ruled the unconstitutionality of the Florida's controlled-substances laws. Drug abuse laws in Illinois include a ban on the abuse of bath salts or drugs abused through snorting, injecting, ingesting or smoking and classified as Schedule 1 controlled substance. The 2010 Michigan Drunk Driving Audit shows the decrease in alcohol-related fatalities while drug-related crashes, deaths and injuries increase.

The article reports on the reauthorization of the legislation for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which was discussed during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee on May 8, 2007. Such discussion was considered the first formal reauthorization of the SAMHSA since 2000. It enables the advocates to call for no major disruptions in progress in the implementation of the National Outcome Measures (NOMs). INSET: Update on the Second Chance Act.

The article reports on the launch of a 10-point strategy for the enforcement of methamphetamine prevention and treatment legislation in Arizona. Such legislation focuses on the treatment alternatives to imprisonment, targeting the state's different communities in rural and tribal populations. State Governor Janet Napolitano is aiming for further financial support in the improvement of treatment services and enhancement of drug courts in addition to the $7 million federal grant.

Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program (DOJ) B Scope: b The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for the Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program announcement to reduce serious and violent crime. B Areas: b DOJ said this program focuses on high-crime communities with concentrated distress and hot spots of crime and directly supports the department's priorities to reduce violent crime (sometimes associated with gang activity), assist communities struggling with drug abuse and support law enforcement officers by integrating officers and enforcement strategies into community-based crime-reduction efforts. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports about the launch of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy plan, to address synthetic drug abuse. This comprehensive strategy provides an overview of recent trends in the consumption and trafficking of methamphetamine, diverted pharmaceuticals, ecstasy and other synthetic drugs, and outlines an approach focused on four core areas: prevention, treatment, regulation of chemicals and drugs, and law enforcement. This action also brings together the various strands of domestic and international efforts into a coherent plan for attacking and disrupting the trade in these dangerous drugs.

The article discusses a December 2012 report by a panel of members of the Parliament of Great Britain which advocated de-penalization and decriminalization of drugs, noting that Prime Minister David Cameron does not support these findings.

Deals with the incarceration of men and women in the United States for drug law violation. Factors that determine prison sentences for violation of drug law; Increase in drug crimes despite the certainty of imprisonment for convicted drug traffickers; Reactions toward mandatory minimum sentences.

The article reports that New York Governor David Paterson has announced plans to reform the Rockefeller drug laws significantly. The laws were passed in 1973, imposing mandatory jail sentences for drug-related crimes. As a result of the laws being followed by other states, minor drug offenders began to fill the U.S. penal system.

This article discusses the initiatives of the New Jersey's (NJ) legislature for marijuana legalization. Topics discussed include demand for the regulations related to the marijuana industry, the impact of the NJ's budget under the administration of the governor Phil Murphy on legalizing marijuana, and completion of the court cases related to marijuana convicts.

The article presents guidelines for addressing methamphetamine abuse at the pharmacy counter in the U.S. The 2005 Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA) addresses issues relating to the abuse of methamphetamine including small-scale production of the drug. Several states have enacted laws regarding the sale of CMEA-regulated products.

The article offers information on the decisions of several civil court cases delivered by the Supreme Court of Alabama. It includes Wyeth, Inc. v. Weeks related to liability of drug company for fraud under the Alabama law, Bear Brothers, Inc. v. ETC Lake Development, LLC, related to direct appeal for denying or granting motion to compel arbitration, and Bates v. Riley focusing on the removal of a safety device by a co-employee to support a willfulness claim.

The article discusses the trend of the abuse of designer drugs such as synthetic marijuana and bath salts chemicals. Topics include regulation and law enforcement of designer drug abuse, the composition and physical effects of the drugs, and implications for emergency response management of individuals believed to be suffering side effects from these substances.

The article discusses the impact of the Japanese law and social mores on the government's efforts to curb drug use.

An interview with Justin Hastings, associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Sydney, is presented. Among the issues he discussed include the reason behind the increase in illegal drug use in North Korea, with people giving drugs as Lunar New Year gifts, the appeal of crystal meth among the country's youth to combat hunger, and the stance of the government on illicit drugs.

The article discusses the challenges encountered by the legislators at the Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. It mentions the legislation signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker that eliminates automatic license forfeiture for individuals convicted of drug offense. It notes that the House was the first to enact the substantive legislation in 2016.

The article attributes the closure of night clubs in Great Britain to poor drugs policy in the country. Topics discussed are the focus of British drugs policy on abstinence-based recovery agenda, potential role of city-centre testing kiosks in removing stigma attached to clubs that might have safety precautions used as evidence against them, and the opportunity for regions to capitalize on the alternative night-time economy.

The article focuses on a case of a man allegedly selling drugs through video on phone including the police appealing to the public through social media Facebook to stop texting and calling the suspect as it made it difficult to search his lost phone.

This article offers news related to U.S. state laws as of October 2015. Wisconsin has streamlined the process of acquiring the permit necessary to keep the meat of deer killed by motorists in auto crashes. California Governor Gerry Brown has signed a law giving the Department of Fish and Wildlife more power to fight illegal pot operations in state parklands and forests. New Jersey lawmakers have sent Governor Chris Christie a bill on the benefits of later start times in middle and high schools.

The article informs that growth in the prescription medication abuse has increased public health crisis in the U.S. Topics discussed include increase in the non-medical use of prescription drugs among youths, increasing statutory penalties for drug use can prevent medication abuse, and educating of youths for reducing health related concerns.

The article focuses on legislations enacted by the 2015 Kentucky General Assembly and discusses legislations for categories like drug abuse, drunk driving, and public service.