The struggles and triumphs of an addict

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, nicknamed “The Punisher,” has called for the executions of drug users as the latest measure in his unmerciful efforts to cut down crime. “These sons of whores are destroying our children,” Duterte said earlier this month in a profanity-ridden speech in front of a crowd of 500 at a Manila slum, the Guardian reported . “If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful,” he said.  Duterte, who has been called the “Trump” of the Philippines for his penchant for profanity, announced his severe crime-fighting measures a day after he was sworn in as president on June 30 with a promise that 100,000 would die in his war on drugs. Before he was president, he was known for cleaning up crime in the Filipino city of Davao, known as the "murder capitol," where he was the mayor for more than two decades. Within the first week of Duterte’s presidency, at least...

At least 33 people were hospitalized on Tuesday from an apparent mass drug overdose of synthetic marijuana, in an area of New York City where the drug is said to be used at “epidemic” levels. Authorities said they began receiving calls at around 9.30am of people collapsing near an intersection in Brooklyn that the news website DNAinfo said was known as the “ epicenter ” for synthetic marijuana – or K2 – use. Brooklyn resident Brian Arthur broadcast live on Facebook from the scene, saying it looked like “zombieland” as he panned to images of incapacitated and agitated people being attended to by emergency responders. “I just came home from work and I’m seeing this, like, what the hell?” Arthur said. “Every freaking step they laid out.” One man who was barely able to stand up wandered into the street as emergency medical staff attempted to help him. Close by, another man was frozen like a statue until he started falling slowly forward, only upright because he was leaning into a f...

Drug dealers using Instagram and Tinder to find young customers Now you can swipe right for #mephedrone as dealers branch out to social media sites popular with young people Drug dealers are branching out to platforms and apps, popular with young people, such as Instagram, Tinder, Kik and shopping app Depop to sell their wares. These can be anything from prescription medication and research chemicals to recreational drugs. The process is simple. On Instagram, using the social platform convention of hashtagging, a potential customer trawls through the app looking for phrases like #weed4sale or the names of the drugs themselves (#mdma, #mephedrone etc). The customer then contacts the owner of the account and the deal moves along through direct messages. In the case of Tinder, potential customers can swipe through profiles until they find a dealer and match with them. Buyers can either meet face-to-face or pay online and have their purchases posted ...

 Iran executed all adult men in one village for drug offences, official reveals The entire adult male population of a village in southern Iran  has been executed for drug offences, according to Iran’s vice-president for women and family affairs. The matter came to light earlier this week after Shahindokht Molaverdi revealed it during an interview with the semi-official Mehr news agency in rare comments from a senior government official highlighting of drug traffickers. “We have a village in Sistan and Baluchestan province where every single man has been executed,” she said, without naming the place or clarifying whether the executions took place at the same time or over a longer period. “Their children are potential drug traffickers as they would want to seek revenge and provide money for their families. There is no support for these people.” Molaverdi said the administration of President Hassan Rouhani has brought back previously axed family suppor...