Prosecutors have agreed to drop possession criminal charges against the owner of a chain of Polk County tobacco stores. Tammi Siegfried, 35, signed a “pretrial intervention contract” Tuesday to avoid prosecution. She has agreed to stop selling products that sheriff’s deputies said are sometimes purchased by drug users. Siegfried was arrested last month after deputies seized bongs, grinders, scales and other merchandise from Low ... Jump to full article >>

HELENA — University of Montana sophomore Bambi Erving says the state’s anti-tobacco programs not only convinced her to quit smoking but also helped turn her life around at age 15. Erving, of Plains, had left her family’s troubled home to move into a trailer house with other teenagers and young adults, where she said drug, alcohol and tobacco use was the norm. A high school counselor suggested that she get involved with reACT, a youth toba ... Jump to full article >>

KALISPELL, Mont. — One of the whistleblowers responsible for bringing down the major tobacco companies in the 90s is hitting five Montana cities in five days. Dr. Victor DeNoble worked for the largest tobacco supplier in the United States. DeNoble was allowed to break his sworn silence to the tobacco companies in 1994 telling congress the companies were lying about how lethal their products actually are. “ The seven executives, for the f ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK — In the opening moments of ABC’s “20/20″ on Friday, a 21-year-old blonde named Ashley says in her suburban Minneapolis bedroom, “I don’t look like a heroin addict.” It’s a pointed introduction to an hourlong special about the phenomenon of suburban youngsters being targeted by drug dealers as consumers of a potent form of heroin that doesn’t need to be injected. “I’ve never ... Jump to full article >>

Police found such a small amount of crack cocaine in James V. Taylor’s car that investigators described it as unweighable. It was enough for a 15-year prison sentence in Missouri, where the courts make an enormous distinction between crack and powder cocaine. Missouri and several other states followed the federal government’s lead in creating such disparities decades ago, but now federal law has changed and prisoner advocates say it& ... Jump to full article >>

Mexican drug smugglers are increasingly peddling a form of ultra-potent heroin that sells for as little as $10 a bag and is so pure it can kill unsuspecting users instantly, sometimes before they even remove the syringe from their veins. An Associated Press review of drug overdose data shows that so-called “black tar” heroin – named for its dark, gooey consistency – and other forms of the drug are contributing to a spike ... Jump to full article >>

I’m a lightweight; always have been. I didn’t get properly drunk until I was 25, on a night out which culminated in a spectacular public vomiting in a Chinese restaurant. Ever wondered what the clatter of 60 pairs of chopsticks being simultaneously dropped in disgust might sound like? Don’t ask me. I can’t remember. I was too busy bitterly coughing what remained of my guts all over the carpet. Not a big drinker, then. Lik ... Jump to full article >>

The singer, 36, who had a long battle with drink, drugs and depression, told the Radio Times that it was ”a shame” that the drug ”doesn’t mix well with me”. Referring to the tendency to binge-eat after smoking marijuana, Williams, whose song Morning Sun is this year’s official charity track for Sport Relief, said: ”Did you see me last year? Have a look at last year. Yep. Year of the Munchie 2009. ” ... Jump to full article >>

Drug developer Nymox Pharmaceutical Corp. said Thursday it has obtained a commitment for $15 million in equity financing from institutional investors. The money will be used for general corporate purposes. The financing also will help the company continue with research into new drugs including one called NX-1207, which may treat an enlarged prostate. The investors may get common stock at a 3 percent discount to the market price, the company said ... Jump to full article >>

Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline wants people to know that it “sucks” to quit smoking, but there’s a way to make it “suck less.” The maker of Nicorette, an over-the-counter nicotine-infused gum that helps some cigarette smokers wean themselves off nicotine, is launching a $15 million campaign that will break on prime-time TV networks ABC, CBS ( CBS – news – people ) and NBC this Monday. The ad blitz, created b ... Jump to full article >>