Two Seattle Times reporters win The Pulitzer Prize, journalism's highest award, for a series about methadone. 

Investigative reports reveal eight opiate overdose deaths of American soldiers in Afghanistan.  These reports also included various information about drug use in the military. 

"Unprescribed, illicit" Valium pills send 14 to the hospital, leading to warnings against these pills, and the arrest of one in connection with "dealing the rogue Valium."  

San Antonio investigators arrest a man who they suspect started a fire in a residence, after a woman, and the home’s owner, refused to give him prescription drugs. According to KSAT.com, a 35-year-old man was arrested on a charge of arson. The arrest affidavit came after the owner of the home called 911, realizing she was trapped in an upstairs bedroom by the fire on the stairway. She admits to having let the arson suspect in her home earlier that evening to talk to him about his troubles. He soon became aggressive, demanding her prescription drugs and beating her with a stick when she refused. She escaped to an upstairs bedroom, where she began packing her belongings. When she went to leave, the fire was raging. Authorities on the scene claim they had a difficult time getting the arson suspect to leave the burning property.

A new study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, claims that older adults who receive pain medications after surgery could be at a higher risk of addiction.   According to ABC News , physicians often prescribe opiates after outpatient surgery, including codeine and oxycodone.  These drugs are proven to be effective for temporary pain relief, they are also associated with side effects, like constipation, sedation, breathing problems, and addiction.

Hsui-Ying “Lisa” Tseng was arrested on 2nd degree murder charges after 3 of her patients died from prescription drug overdoses.  She was arrested yesterday by the Medical Board investigators, and she is being held on $3 million dollars bail.   According to CBS Local , Tseng prescribed a “myriad” of drugs to all three patients who died.  She is also facing a felony count of prescribing drugs using fraud, and 20 counts of prescribing drugs without a legitimate purpose.