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Drugs and Alcohol in the News
Substance Abuse Headlines

By , About.com Guide

Updated December 14, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Dec 13 2009
Below are the latest drug- and- alcohol-related news stories from sources around the world. For more information on alcoholism and recovery-related news, check the homepage.

Overdose Killed Springsteen's Cousin
An autopsy has revealed that Lenny Sullivan, assistant road manager and cousin of Bruce Springsteen, died as a result of an overdose of amphetamine and heroin. Sullivan, 36, was found dead in his hotel room hours before Springsteen was scheduled to begin a concert in Kansas City on Oct. 26. The concert was canceled.

72-Year-Old Woman Arrested in Drug Bust
When North Carolina police swept up 13 suspects in a drug crackdown, one of the Southport suspects was a 72-year-old woman, Martha Lee, who authorities say allowed people to use drugs at her home. Deputies charged Lee with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Couple Find Stranger Asleep On Couch
A Mississippi couple came home to find a man sleeping on their couch cuddling a teddy bear. He apparently thought he was at his girlfriend's house. They told him to leave and called police, who found the man weaving down the highway, mowing down mailboxes, in his pickup truck.

Man Charged When Car Gets Stuck at Drive-Through
An Illinois man was arrested for driving under the influence after he got his car stuck at a Taco Bell drive-through lane during a late-night fast-food run. When police arrived Aaron Dawson's car was straddling the curb with the front tires off the ground.

Man Arrested for Drunk-Dialing 911
Police arrested a Tennessee man after they responded to a 9-1-1 call and found him intoxicated in his home. It turned out the man had drunk-dialed 9-1-1 operators 47 times in the past year. The 57-year-old explained that the reason he called was because he was "just drunk."

10 Year Old Flees Car as Mom Drives Drunk
A pizza delivery driver called police to report seeing a 10-year-old girl bang on the windows and eventually escape from a vehicle after her mother drove it into a ditch. The Virginia woman drove off leaving the child behind. The pizza driver stayed with the girl until police arrived. They later arrested 30-year-old Tara Biller.

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Pamela Bach Arrested for DUI
Actress and producer Pamela Bach, former wife of David Hasselhoff, has been arrested again on suspicion of driving under the influence. Troopers said her blood alcohol content was .14 when she was stopped on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. Bach was already on probation for a previous drunken driving charge.

Hasselhoff Released From Psychiatric Hold
Meanwhile back at the ranch, David Hasselhoff was reportedly hospitalized and held under an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric hold after he had a seizure and his daughter called 9-1-1. The former Baywatch actor was released after 72 hours and his attorney is denying that Hasselhoff was drinking again.

Ron Artest Says He Drank Alcohol at Halftime
Former Chicago Bulls forward Ron Artest admitted in an interview with The Sporting News that he used to drink cognac during halftime from a bottle of Hennessy he kept in his locker. Artest now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reality TV Winner Ordered to Drug Rehab
The winner of the CBS reality television show "Big Brother 9" has been ordered to undergo substance abuse rehab before he can make bail. Adam Jasinski pleaded guilty to trying to sell thousands of Oxycodone pills in Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Billy Joel's Daughter Hospitalized
The daughter of singer Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley, was hospitalized after reportedly taking eight pills and a friend called 9-1-1 from her father's Manhattan apartment. Hospital officials would not release further information, but Alexa'a father said she would recover. "She is going to be fine," Billy Joel told reporters.

Obama Ecstasy Pills Hit the Streets
Police in Texas have seized a batch of Ecstasy pills that are shaped in the image of President Barack Obama (see photos). Because Ecstasy is not a prescription drug, but manufactured only illegally, it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

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