cocaine news stories on Newser

Hitler's Medical Files Tell of Flatulence, Cocaine Use

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:54:00 CDT

Adolf Hitler was a blowhard in more ways than one. He frequently used cocaine, ingested some 28 drugs at a time, and suffered from "uncontrollable flatulence," according to his medical records. Someone with enough bucks and a high bid can have those fascinating files, about to be offered in an...

Natalie Wood's Daughter Busted for Heroin, Cocaine

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:21:00 CDT

Natalie Wood's 38-year-old daughter has been busted at her Malibu home on suspicion of felony possession of cocaine and heroin, sources tell TMZ . Police discovered the drugs when they responded to reports of a woman screaming and a gunshot, said the sources. An unidentified man at Courtney Wagner's home was...

Is War on Drugs Bad for Chocolate?

Matt Cantor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:06:21 CDT

To cut down on production of the coca plants behind cocaine, the US has pushed an alternative crop to Peruvian farmers: a high-yielding cocoa hybrid. And while CCN-51 has had commercial benefits, there's one problem, chocolate experts say—it just doesn't taste that good. Instead, these connoisseurs say, Peru should...

Cops: No Charges in Whitney's Death

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:45:55 CDT

Authorities have officially closed the investigation of Whitney Houston's death and will not be filing any charges, reports E! Online . "We have determined that this is not a criminal matter," the Beverly Hills Police Department said in a statement. That had been a possibility given the traces of cocaine found...

Cocaine Found in Whitney's Hotel Room

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:38:18 CDT

Police did indeed find cocaine in the hotel room where Whitney Houston died, reports TMZ . Official documents list "white, powdery remnants" found in the Beverly Hills room, and sources tell the website that the powder tested positive for cocaine. Earlier this month, the LA county coroner declared the singer's death...

Whitney Houston Cause of Death: Drowning

John Johnson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:49:29 CDT

The LA county coroner has ruled that the official cause of death for Whitney Houston is accidental drowning, reports AP . But the report also cited cocaine and heart disease as contributing factors, and noted that she had the drug in her system at the time of her death, along with...

Uganda Cops: Cocaine Killed Amazing Race Producer

Rob Quinn — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 01:00:00 CST

Police in Uganda have dismissed reports that thugs poisoned Amazing Race producer Jeff Rice, saying the American appears to have died from a cocaine overdose. Rice was found slumped in a chair on his hotel balcony, and an autopsy found the drug in his system, officials say. Rice's assistant Kathryn...

Lawyers: Cocaine Found on Cruise Ship Captain's Hair

John Johnson — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:17:55 CST

Some potentially bad news for the captain of that cruise ship that sank off the coast of Italy: Lawyers representing survivors say traces of cocaine were found on a sample of Francesco Schettino's hair, reports AP . But then it gets a little confusing: No cocaine was found in his hair—...

28 Pounds of Cocaine Seized on Cruise Ship in SF

Rob Quinn — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:04:00 CST

It was supposed to be the cruise of a lifetime—around the Caribbean to Hawaii and onward to Australia. But three passengers who didn't make it past San Francisco look set to spend a big chunk of their lifetimes in jail. Customs officials seized close to 28 pounds of cocaine,...