Hope for Alcoholism Treatment
Many families have learned the frustration of trying to help an alcoholic family member when they did… [more]
Crack Cocaine Recovery
The devastation that crack cocaine wreaked on America in the late 1980s was about as destructive of families… [more]
Teen Alcohol and Prescription Drug Use May Create Need for Rehab
It may come as no surprise to parents of teenagers that there is often a hidden world among teens that… [more]
Should Parents Use Drug Tests if More than Half of All High School Students are Abusing Drugs?
In light of recent study results that show that more than fifty percent of schoolchildren have abused… [more]
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction
How Pain Killers Can Lead to Addiction It can often happen that one inadvertently gets hooked on pain… [more]
The Benefits to Your Community of Effective Drug Rehab
If one looks at the costs of drug treatment, law enforcement, the judicial system and welfare costs due… [more]
Narconon Report on How Failed Drug Rehab Services Contribute to State and Local Bankruptcies
Recent financial news includes stories about cities and states declaring or considering bankruptcy. The cities of Newark, Vallejo, California and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania have considered the possibility or have taken the plunge. California, Michigan and New York are the states considered closest to the bankruptcy line; Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois are said to be next in line.
According to Joseph Califano, chairman of the National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction at Columbia University, the costs of substance abuse and addiction contribute to the insolvency of state budgets.
Mr. Califano reports that some 30 percent of Medicaid costs are spent to treat the results of violence and accidents related to substance abuse, or to treat the seventy or more diseases caused or worsened by drug abuse and addiction. On top of that, as many as 80 percent of incarcerated Americans were jailed for drug offences, violent or other crimes committed to obtain drugs or while they were drunk or high.
Narconon spokesperson Bobby Wiggins agrees with Mr. Califano. “One of the best ways to reduce state and local budgets is to bring about lasting recovery to addiction.” Narconon is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of substance abuse and addiction through effective drug rehabilitation and drug education. “When those running into legal or health problems go through one after another drug rehabilitation program, states, counties and cities very often bear the burden of those costs. When those who leave prison on drug charges have no way to permanently rebuild their lives, states and counties stand to pay for future prosecutions and incarcerations unless lasting recovery can be found.”
Expenses from substance abuse and addiction cover a broad spectrum of social costs beyond healthcare and the penal system. Additional costs such as social services including welfare and the foster care system add costs, and lost income from productivity losses and failed businesses cost states and local governments even more. State by state, 94 percent of substance abuse-related costs go to cleaning up the messes created by drug use and addiction. Less than 3 percent is spent on prevention or treatment.
“In a world where addiction can be overcome, we can expect people to complete drug rehab treatment and return to the workforce healthy,” explained Wiggins. “At Narconon centers around the world, seven out of ten graduates stay clean and sober after they return home. Lasting recovery accompanied by the elimination of the expense of addiction is a solution available to any city, county or state.”
For more information on the Narconon drug rehabilitation program, visit www.narconon.org
www.narconon-news.org
Narconon Spokesperson Warns that Cocaine and Ecstasy Are Being Cut with Toxic Drugs
If you needed any further proof that drug traffickers and dealers are nobody’s friends, recent analyses of cocaine and ecstasy supplies shows that they are moreand more often being cut with toxic drugs. Shortages of cocaine in various parts of the world and reduced production of ecstasy may be driving drug traffickers to use bulking agents more frequently and in greater quantity than previously.
Narconon Spokesperson, Bobby Wiggins warned that while drug use is bad enough, drug use with unpredictable chemicals added is far more dangerous. “Drug users may become accustomed to the actions of their drugs of choice and may think they can control the effects pretty well – but when toxic drugs and chemicals are added to what they think they are buying, the matter can easily get out of control.” Narconon is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of substance abuse and addiction through effective drug rehabilitation and education.
The two main drugs being found as adulterants are levamisole and MCPP or meta-Chlorophenylpiperazine.
Levamisole was a drug once used on humans but dangerous side effects caused most uses to be discontiunued. Some people suffered allergic reactions including difficulty breathing, confusion, loss of consciousness or decreased bone marrow or blood problems resulting in extreme fatigue. It is now primarily used as an animal wormer.
In the last few years, the Drug Enforcement Agency has been finding levamisole in 69 percent of cocaine samples they test in the US. It’s also being found in ecstasy supplies, especially in Australia, along with cocaine samples tested there.
MCPP has been found in many cocaine samples. Medically, it is used to instigate migraine headaches so that headache medications can be tested. It has been found to cause anxiety, depression and panic attacks, and worsen obsessive behaviors. One investigator suspected that this drug was used to cut cocaine instead of other, more innocent, substances because it adds not only bulk to a package of illicit drugs, it also adds weight. It may also mimic the effects of some illicit drugs and may even enable a package of cocaine to pass a street purity test.
Levamisol has even played a role in recent celebrity deaths. In 2009. DJ AM was found dead from an overdose in his New York apartment. Toxicology tests showed OxyContin, benzodiazepines, cocaine and levamisole in his body. And when newsman Ted Koppel’s son was found dead in 2010, his death was determined to have been caused by an overdose of alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepines and levamisole.
“When a person is addicted to cocaine or ecstasy, they may feel they have no choice but to continue to find supplies of the drug, no matter how dangerous those supplies may be,” explained Wiggins. “But in fact, they do have a choice. An effective drug rehabilitation center that helps them leave drug use behind is their best path to a safe and healthy life. In more than 100 centers around the world, Narconon drug treatment centers are helping addicts find healthier lives.”
www.narconon-news.org
Narconon Educator Reports that Skyrocketing Emergency Room Statistics Illustrate the Life-Threatening Nature of Prescription Drug Addiction
When recreational drug abuse takes a bad turn, the result may be a trip to the emergency room to prevent life-threatening collapse or respiratory or cardiac arrest. This has been true since drugs started being abused. But rapidly increasing numbers of ER visits due to prescription drug abuse show just how dangerous this type of substance abuse can be.
A recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration lays out the figures. In 2004, about a million people visited the ER for problems with illicit drugs. In 2009, about a million illicit drug abusers also went to the ER with problems. But in that short time, the number of people misusing or abusing prescription drugs and then needing emergency medical care has nearly doubled – from 627,000 to 1.24 million people.
Some drugs had a jump of more than 100 percent during this time period. Oxycodone (primarily sold as OxyContin) was involved in 242 percent more ER visits at the end of this five-year period and visits related to hydrocodone (found in Vicodin and Lortab) abuse were up 125 percent. Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication that is often abused, was involved in visits increasing 148 percent.
“People often start abusing prescription drugs because they have the mistaken impression that they are safer than illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine,” reported Bobby Wiggins, a spokesperson and educator for Narconon. Narconon is an international non-profit dedicated to the elimination of substance abuse and addiction through effective drug rehabilitation and education. “For some people, synthetic opiates like oxycodone and hydrocodone are just as addictive as heroin or cocaine. And they can and do result in overdoses and bad reactions, sometimes due to mixing these drugs with others or alcohol.”
Among young people, marijuana was the illicit drug that most often sent them to the emergency room. In 2009, for every 100,000 people 20 and younger, 125 of them went to an emergency room with a problem related to weed consumption. In those over 20, the most problematic drug was cocaine.
“If more people realized the dangers that awaited them when they start abusing illicit or prescription drugs, more people would make the right decision and steer clear,” added Wiggins. “That is why we do extensive drug education and provide rehabilitation services in drug treatment centers around the world. Our goal is a world free from substance abuse and addiction.” More than 100 Narconon centers around the world help addicts find lasting recovery.
www.narconon-news.org
Narconon Spokesperson Reports on the Return of Ecstasy’s Popularity and its Dangers
After several years of falling popularity, ecstasy use has once again been increasing in clubs and on college campuses. Between 2005 and 2010, increasing statistics on initiation, use and overdoses have been seen primarily in urban centers across the country.
In 2009, more than a million people used ecstasy for the first time, a significant increase from 2008 when an estimated 894,000 people initiated use of the drug. The annual Monitoring the Future survey of high school students found that in 2010, more than seven percent of high school seniors had used ecstasy, a marked increase from 2005 surveys.
Ecstasy’s return to popularity may have something to do with easier availability. In the last few years, Canadian sources of ecstasy have replaced the previous European connections, as the precursor chemicals needed to produce ecstasy are not strictly controlled in Canada. Remote areas of the US-Canada border are often used as transport routes.
“The other reason that ecstasy may be seeing increased use has to do with the passage of time,” explained Narconon spokesperson, Bobby Wiggins. “A drug can become known for its dangers and bad effects. But after a few years, the people most exposed to that type of drug have grown up and moved on to other things. The young people who are newly exposed to that drug may not know about the problems associated with its use. And so you can get this cyclical pattern to drug abuse.”
Young people wanting to have a good time at a party or rave may choose to experiment with the drug. It’s sometimes called the Hug Drug because it increases feelings of empathy and socialization.
Scientists refer to the drug as an empathogen – a drug that artificially creates these feelings. It’s not hard to see why the drug would become popular in a night club setting. But for a few people, even one use can be fatal. In Los Angeles in 2010, a fifteen-year-old girl died after using ecstasy at a rave at the LA Coliseum. After a New Year’s Eve party in Los Angeles, 18 people required medical attention after ecstasy overdoses. In San Francisco, a June 2010 rave resulted in ten people being hospitalized after ecstasy overdoses. One person died.
“The fact of the matter is that drug use of any kind can be dangerous and it’s just not possible to know, going in, how that event is going to turn out,” Bobby added. “The safest route is to have fun with your friends – without the addition of drugs.”
www.narconon-news.org
Death or Injury from Ecstasy Overdose is No Way to Start the New Year, Warns Narconon Spokesperson
In Los Angeles each New Year’s Eve since 1998, a huge rave has been held to celebrate the occasion. By 2010, this event had grown to 45,000 attendees.While partygoers put on their best club gear, LA city and county employees arrange for medical support personnel who can rescue those whose drug use puts them at risk. At this particular rave, 14 ambulances were stationed at the party and regional hospitals were warned that they could see patients suffering from the ill effects of drugs and/or alcohol.
While one might hope that these medical personnel would never be needed, in 2010 in particular, it’s a good thing they were on the job. The night of and the day after the rave, eighteen people were assisted with ecstasy overdoses and one person died. The most common symptoms of ecstasy overdose were agitation, abnormally high blood pressure and excessively fast heartbeat. Three people were hospitalized, one in intensive care with liver and kidney failure and seizures.
The person who died had taken cocaine and ecstasy at the rave and then shot up with heroin after he got home. He had been healthy when he went to the party.
Narconon Spokesperson, Bobby Wiggins warned that celebrating New Year’s Eve can be fun but it’s nothing to lose your life or your health over. “Many young people go out to have a good time but don’t question the wisdom of ingesting drugs like ecstasy,” he said. “There’s no way to know what effects this drug will have on you, no way of knowing the dosage or contaminants. Plus mixing ecstasy with alcohol or other drugs is especially dangerous.” Thirteen of those suffering overdoses had also consumed alcohol or prescription drugs. The person who suffered liver and kidney failure received a month’s worth of dialysis treatments in the hospital and when released, was going to need to continue home dialysis.
These overdoses are part of a larger trend in Southern California. Use of the drug has been escalating in the area since 2005, driving many more people into drug treatment facilities to deal with an addiction to ecstasy. In fact, admissions to treatment for addiction to ecstasy increased by 650 percent between 2005 and 2009. By 2009, nearly two out of every 100,000 people in Los Angeles County sought help in a drug rehab for their ecstasy addiction.
www.narconon-news.org
Narconon Spokesperson Cites Substance Abuse Expert’s View on Giffords Tragedy: A Connection Between Tucson Shooting and Marijuana?
The shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and nineteen others in Tucson shocked the nation. As soon as the dead and injured were reported, what people wanted to know was WHY? Why would someone take this kind of destructive action. What could have led Jared Loughner to such an act of violence?
While we may never know what was at work in this young man’s mind, it has been reported that he was rejected by the Armed Forces due to his marijuana use. His friends stated that he was into smoking weed and using psychedelics. Psychdelic drugs are those that induce states of altered perception and thought, with apparent higher awareness but very often little control over what is experienced, drugs like LSD, mescaline and psilocybin.
Narconon spokesperson, Bobby Wiggins cited the article by Chairman Joseph Califano of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University that drew a connection between psychosis and marijuana use. After he examined news reports on the tragedy, Chairman Califano wrote, “There has been no mention of the potential of marijuana to spark latent psychosis and exacerbate schizophrenia and other mental illnesses…Is Jared Loughner an individual whose psychosis was prompted or exacerbated by the use of marijuana?”
Wiggins commented, “It’s understandable that people would be confused about problems connected with marijuana use. After all, marijuana is prescribed by doctors for medical conditions. Can it be all that bad? Media that run the sensational stories about marijuana coffee shops, medical use and legalization issues manage to overlook the studies that outline the drug’s dangerous effects.” Narconon is an international organization dedicated to the elimination of substance abuse and addiction through effective drug rehabilitation and drug education.
In 2008, more than half a million people entered drug treatment facilities in this country for addiction problems with marijuana as a primary drug or secondary drug (very often with alcohol). More than 28 million Americans used marijuana last year, and nearly half of all high school graduates have used the drug at least once.
“With statistics of marijuana use and addiction being as high as they are, it is evident that people do not know the real story of the dangers of the drug,” concluded Wiggins. “It is my job as a Narconon spokesperson to make people realize that there is more to the story than simply legalization or medical use arguments. It’s possible that Jared Loughner is a warning that lives may be at risk due to the prevalence of this drug.”
Around the world and across America, people needing to leave a drug habit behind come to Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and find lasting recovery. In seven out of ten cases, graduates remain clean and sober after they go home, proving the workability of the holistic, drug-free program.
www.narconon-news.org
Narconon Spokesperson Reports that Afghan Opium Poppy Blight Reduces Production of Heroin but Boosts Prices, Encouraging More Cultivation
It’s almost like watching the stock market. Opium poppies in Afghanistan develop a fungal disease that greatly reduces the amount of opium gum they will produce. The law of supply and demand means that the price of opium, to be made into heroin in refining labs near the borders, is going to go up. But in a response as mysterious as the fluctuation of stock prices, the price of opium rises so much that farmers end up making far more money per hectare under 
cultivation than they did last year.
In 2009, 6900 metric tons (mt) of opium were produced compared to 2010′s 3600 mt. At the same time, the price per kilogram rose from US$64 to US$169. Therefore, ironically, opium farmers actually made considerably more in 2010 for each hectare used to grow poppies. In 2009: US$3600. In 2010: US$4900.
Incidentally, the income from a hectare of wheat decreased in the same time period, from US$1200 to US$710.
The fact that Afghan farmers can make far more money growing opium than they can growing a legitimate crop like wheat means that many more people will be encouraged to change their crops. Thus basic human needs and financial forces end up contributing to the amount of heroin that circulates around the world.
Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of heroin. Most of its supply makes its way into Russia and Western Europe with smaller amounts traveling to Australia and Africa. In fact, 90 percent of Russia’s annual consumption of 35 mt of heroin for its 2.5 million addicts travels from Afghanistan through the porous borders of Tajikistan and Kazakhstan on its way to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other points.
When addicts can quit using heroin, the demand will drop and this will drop the price. Simple finances can, ultimately, reduce the amount of drugs being trafficked. But addicts must have hope of a true recovery. That means drug rehabilitation centers that truly reduce cravings and don’t just substitute one drug for another.
This article was brought to you by Narconon International. Narconon is an international organization dedicated to eliminating addiction through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and drug education.
In many drug rehabs, medical staff prescribe methadone or buprenorphine to prevent opiate withdrawal pain and sickness. But the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers located around the world provide a healthier, more comfortable method of withdrawal. Using nutritional supplements, physical relaxation processes and one-on-one support, opiate addicts at a Narconon center experience a far more tolerable withdrawal process than they may have gone through previously. This step is followed by a thorough detoxification process employing a dry-heat sauna. For many addicts, these two beginning phases of the Narconon drug recovery program provide real hope of lasting sobriety.
For more information about the Narconon drug rehab program, visit www.narconon-news.org.
Should You Cover Up for a Co-Worker Who Drinks? Narconon Spokesperson says "No."
“It can be hard to see that you are doing a coworker who is drinking a favor by working with an employer to get the person help but that is the better choice,” 
advised Bobby Wiggins, Drug Education Director for Narconon International. Narconon is an international organization dedicated to eliminating addiction through drug and alcohol rehabilitation services and drug education. Employees should realize that everyone deserves a drug and alcohol-free workplace. It may be that the only way to achieve a substance abuse-free workplace is by helping addicted co-workers get help.
The employee who continues to abuse alcohol or drugs on the job continues also to have the chance to endanger their own life and the lives of others in the vicinity. Research indicates that between ten and twenty percent of workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs. In fact, those industries that have the highest rate of drug use are the same ones that carry a high risk for occupational injuries. These industries include manufacturing, mining, construction and wholesale.
Additionally, an employee who fails to get a substance-abusing co-worker into a drug recovery program also contributes to a lower viability for the employer. Alcohol alone costs American businesses an estimated $134 billion in productivity losses each year, mostly due to absenteeism.
Smaller companies may offer an attraction to substance abusers because they are less likely to have a program in place to deal with the problem of addicted employees. But smaller companies also have fewer resources with which to deal with problems created by the substance abuse. One bad accident or claim against the company can wipe them out.
What can you do about it?
You can encourage your employer to work with addicted employees by getting them help rather than firing or punishing them.
If there is no Employee Assistance Program, you can talk to your employer or union about starting one so addicted staff have an established route on which to get help.
Refuse to loan the abusing employee money or lie or cover for them if they fail to complete projects or meet deadlines.
Your involvement in helping an addicted co-worker may be the turning point that person needs to finally reach out for help. Your reward will be seeing them return to a productive life again once they achieve sobriety.
People who have reached the point of endangering their jobs through their substance abuse often need the help of a treatment program to stay clean and sober. The Narconon drug and alcohol program has returned many sober workers to the workplace in its forty years of service. In programs around the world, seven out of ten graduates remain sober after they return to their homes and jobs.
For more information about Narconon, visit www.narconon.org
Narconon Reminds that Drug Abuse Kills Many who Never Touch Drugs
There are those who claim that the choice to abuse drugs harms only the user. The logic continues that the substance abuser should have the right to choose. 
The lie in this claim shows up when you examine the collateral damage connected with the trade and abuse of illicit drugs.
First is the cost associated with substance abuse and the addiction that so often results. To calculate the cost, one must figure in the cost of law enforcement and drug interdiction, the judicial system and incarceration, the healthcare system, foster child care and substance abuse treatment. The result is an average bill of more than $1200 for each American.
Collateral damage shows up at every point of the trade. In the national parks of California and Kentucky, for example, clandestine marijuana plots guarded by armed guards endanger hikers and park rangers. In inner cities, the crack cocaine trade is commonly associated with high levels of violence. And in Mexico, more than 30,000 people have died as drug cartels fight over turf.
On the 20th of December 2010, a horrific gas explosion destroyed part of Texmelucan, Mexico, killing 28 people. It is suspected that Los Zetas, a particularly vicious drug cartel, were responsible for tapping into major gas lines so they could steal gas and oil. The gas leak reached the river and caused fires to flash down the river and through the streets. Narconon is an international organization dedicated to eliminating substance abuse and addiction through drug rehabilitation and drug education.
Tijuana, El Paso and Nogales, Arizona are hotspots of drug trafficking and violence. But across the US, more than 200 cities report substantial activity by Mexican drug cartels. More cities, particularly in urban centers on the East Coast, report drug trafficking activity also by Jamaican, Dominican, Asian and African gangs.
No corner of the United States is completely free of drug trafficking. Every person who is freed from addiction is one more person not contributing to crime and violence associated with the trafficking and sale of drugs. And that’s in addition to the fact that each person freed from drugs now has a chance at a productive, enjoyable life once again.
Narconon is an international organization dedicated to eliminating substance abuse and addiction through drug rehabilitation and drug education. Helping people recover stably from the grip of addiction is the specialty of Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers around the world. In more than forty countries, seven out of ten graduates stay clean and sober after they return home.
For more information on Narconon, visit www.narconon.org
Methamphetamine Creates Devastation on Both Sides of the Border, According to Narconon Spokesman
The tangled, destructive effects of methamphetamine trafficking are being felt on both the U.S. and Mexican sides of the border. In the U.S., more than a 
quarter million Americans are addicted to meth at an estimated annual cost of more than $23.4 billion. Costs result not only from addiction and health treatment, but also crime, foster care for the children of meth users and lost productivity.
On the Mexican side, federal officers and members of the La Familia drug trafficking cartel are engaging in shootouts and grisly murders that terrify the citizens of Michoacan, Mexico. La Familia is one of the top methamphetamine trafficking organizations bringing the drug to U.S. markets.
Methamphetamine is one of the most dangerous illicit drugs on the market because of its destructive physical effects and the speed at which it addicts a user. According to a report on National Public Radio, meth can addict 90 percent of its first-time users.
Anyone coming in close contact with this illicit and immoral trade is liable to be tainted by the contact. No matter what profit or pleasure the drug seems to bring, destruction surrounds it from the first steps of manufacturing all the way through transport, sale and use.
In support of this observation, murder and death surround the actions of Michoacan-based La Familia. The chief of the cartel, Nazario Moreno Gonzales, was thought to be responsible for the murder of 12 Mexican federal law enforcement officers in July 2009, shortly after the arrest of a La Familia member. Then, after a December 2010 shootout with law enforcement, Gonzales, was reported killed. Also killed were five officers and three civilians, including a baby and a teenage girl.
In the U.S., more than half of all country law enforcement officials, mostly those in the West, West-Central and Southwest, report that methamphetamine is their greatest drug threat. And in 45 states, meth-related crime has been on the rise.
When a person becomes addicted to methamphetamine, they need the most effective drug rehabilitation program available to break the grip of this dangerous drug. That’s where the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program can help. With its long-term, holistic program, it can help even those addicted to a drug like methamphetamine. No matter what drug of addiction is involved, seven out of ten Narconon graduates remain clean and sober after they go home.
In more than forty countries around the world, the Narconon drug rehabilitation centers and drug education centers are dedicated to eliminating addiction wherever it occurs. For more information on Narconon, visit www.narconon.org
Rising Statistics of Children Killed Due to Neglect or Abuse Says Narconon Spokesperson
There are many areas in which we want to see growth. We would like to see children’s reading and math scores increase, and we’d like the economy to grow. 
But when the statistics of the number of children losing their lives to neglect or abuse rise, then it’s time to take action to counter this trend.
From 1998 through 2007, the statistics of children killed from neglect or abuse have risen from just over 3 per thousand to nearly 5 per thousand. Tragically, much of the neglect or abuse of children is related to the substance abuse problems of the parent.
It’s estimated that more than 60 percent of child maltreatment cases involve a parent with a substance abuse problem. In 2008, more than 1,700 children died from abuse or neglect. Alcohol was frequently related to physical abuse and cocaine use was often connected to sexual abuse of children.
Saving children’s lives ranks very high as a good reason to help an addict overcome their addiction. As more than five million children live in a home where illicit drugs are used and nearly ten million live with someone who abuses alcohol, eliminating addiction could save a thousand young lives each year.
One of the major problems with helping addicts with children overcome addiction is the fact that many drug rehabilitation centers see the same addicts for treatment, over and over again. Some rehab facilities will state a sobriety rate of 10 percent to 20 percent and then explain that “relapse is simply part of recovery. This is not the way addiction treatment has to be.
At Narconon drug and alcohol recovery centers around the world, seven out of ten graduates stay clean and sober for at least two years after they go home. This is the way drug treatment should work. This is the kind of substance abuse treatment that saves young lives.
In more than 100 centers across the United States, Latin America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa, addicts find the help they need to achieve a productive, enjoyable and sober life, and students learn the truth about drug and alcohol abuse. For more information on Narconon, visit www.narconon.org
Children May be the Most Critically Affected Victims of Methamphetamine, Warns Narconon Spokesperson
When adults ruin their own lives by using or manufacturing methamphetmine, at least they had a choice in the matter. But for children endangered by meth abuse and addiction or by living in a home used for meth production, they don’t have a choice.
Unfortunately, the effects of meth addiction are practically calculated to set up a mental condition that is conducive to child neglect, endangerment and abuse. Those high on meth will not feel hungry and so may neglect to provide food for children. Common effects of meth use include paranoia and hallucinations, meaning that parents may not even be in contact with reality, should their child need care.
“A person who has become addicted to methamphetamine will feel that chasing that high is more important than eating, sleeping or caring for their children,” stated Bobby Wiggins, spokesman of the Narconon drug rehabilitation program. Narconon is an international organization that is dedicated to preventing drug abuse and addiction and rehabilitation of those who have become addicted. “Across the nation, hundreds of children each year are injured, killed or repeatedly exposed to toxic, caustic chemicals, drugs or other dangers.”
Story after horrific story can be found in every corner of the U.S. In Tulsa, four children were taken from a home after feces, uncapped needles, human blood sprayed across a wall from a person shooting drugs and other dangers were found throughout the home where meth was being used and sold. The children’s ages ranged from 19 months to 10 years of age. In South Dakota, a baby died after his parents fled a fire that broke out while they were cooking meth. When the parents got to safety, they realized that neither one had brought the baby with them.
In Tennessee alone, more than a thousand children were present on the premises during methamphetamine lab seizures between 2001 and 2010. It’s common for children to test positive for methamphetamine in this situation.
Saving the children starts with saving the caregivers. As much love as a parent has for his or her child, meth may subvert it. That’s why those addicted to drugs or alcohol need the most effective drug rehabilitation program possible. For most people, long-term, residential treatment is the solution they need to enable them to become productive citizens and trustworthy parents once again.
The Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, delivered in countries around the world and across the United States, allows participants to proceed through the phases of recovery at their own pace. The program focuses on thorough detoxification using dry-heat sauna, exercise and nutritional supplements and extensive training on life skills that may have been destroyed during addiction.
Addicts to often lose their sense of self-esteem and personal integrity while they are addicted. The Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program not only helps each person develop a new, drug-free lifestyle, it also helps lift the person out of the depression and guilt that results from addiction and replaces it with an understanding and ability to practice heightened personal ethics.
With a healthier, detoxified body, knowledge how to make drug-free decisions and a fresh understanding of ethics, seven out of ten graduates from the Narconon program stay clean and sober when they go home.
For more information on Narconon, visit www.narconon.org
Home Sweet Home? Not if it Was Home to a Methamphetamine Lab Narconon Spokesperson Warns
Home Sweet Home? Not if it Was Home to a Methamphetamine Lab Narconon Spokesperson Warns
“Meth Home” registries fail to protect people from contaminated homes previously used for methamphetamine manufacture.
Across the nation increasing manufacture and use of methamphetamine means that the lovely home you just bought for your growing family could be your worst nightmare. As has happened hundreds of times in every state in the nation families or individuals move into homes where methamphetamine was manufactured by a former owner or renter. Due to high levels of contamination parents may come down with kidney problems or migraines children may begin to suffer from serious asthma attacks and what is termed “failure to thrive” in infants.
The problem has become so pervasive that the Drug Enforcement Agency established a national registry for “meth houses” at http://www.justice.gov/dea/seizures/index.html.
When we talk about problems with drug abuse and addiction, we usually focus on the addicts and crime associated with the selling and taking of drugs. This is a whole other part of the drug abuse problem in America that is not often discussed. Narconon is an international organization that is dedicated to preventing drugs abuse and addiction and rehabilitation of those who have become addicted.
Missouri has been particularly hard hit by meth seizures. Year after year they have some of the highest lab bust statistics of any state. They passed a law stating that an owner who knew of meth lab activity in the house had to reveal this fact to prospective owners. But professional contractors in the state estimate that as many as 90 percent of meth houses are never detected and thus are never reported.
Missouri state authorities list 1284 meth busts in 2006 1285 in 2007 1487 in 2008 1774 in 2009 and 1242 through August of 2010. But the DEA registry lists just 2756 meth houses. Since reporting is voluntary the Registry is better than nothing but does not serve the purpose of keeping people safe.
One of the best ways to know if the lovely home you wish to purchase formerly housed meth manufacture is to start with the neighbors. Before you buy ask the residents on both sides and across the street if there was any police activity at the house. Ask about strong foul odors or blacked out windows or strange items in the trash. Any of these indicators can point to methamphetamine manufacture. The Department of Health of many states will provide guidelines on cleaning up meth-contaminated homes. Some companies that do mold remediation are also qualified to de-contaminate meth houses.
Essential in the effort to combat methamphetamine abuse and thus reduce demand for the drug are effective drug education for youth and drug rehabilitation treatment for those who fall to this quickly addictive and physically damaging drug.
Narconon organizations around the world provide drug education to young people to help them understand the problems that result from abusing drugs. It has proven effective in reducing the drug use among young people who have received the curriculum. And the Narconon drug treatment program enables seven out of ten graduates to remain drug free after they return home. And that includes those recovering from methamphetamine addiction.
For more information on Narconon visit www.narconon.org
Narconon Director Proposes Lasting Addiction Recovery as a Way to Reduce Crime
Not everyone agrees that drugs cause crime, but statistically, it is easy to show a relationship. The Bureau of Justice Statistics monitors such statistics and analysis them to find trends.
In 2004, the Bureau found that more than one in five criminals in jail said they had committed the crime they were convicted of to get money for drugs. Property crimes ran higher, from 25 to 30 percent. Each year, between 4 and 7 percent of homicides, or close to 600, are related to drug use. And in 2007, a survey of victims of violence felt that their attacker had been on drugs or alcohol in about a quarter of the attacks.
In states where methaphetamine use is rampant, child abuse and domestic violence also tends to be high. Montana authorities reported that drug use was a factor in 66 percent of all foster care placements, and in the vast majority of cases, the drug involved was methamphetamine. In Pinellas County, Florida, a sheriff’s deputy estimated that his workload would drop 60 percent if there were no drugs or alcohol being abused.
We don’t have to get into an argument about whether or not drugs or alcohol abuse cause crime. Narconon is an international organization that is dedicated to preventing drugs abuse and addiction and rehabilitation those who have become addicted. The truth is that if drug addiction and alcohol abuse were eliminated from the scene, crime figures would drop.
Drug-related crimes are classified in three categories:
Use-related crimes that result from drug-impaired individuals committing crimes because of the effects that the drugs (or alcohol) have on their behavior and judgment. For example, the hit and run driver or the hopped-up person who attacks another with a knife because he imagines some danger.
Economic-related crimes or crimes to get the money for a drug habit, including theft and prostitution.
System-related crime which are crimes resulting from the manufacture, distribution and sales of drugs and the violence associated with these acts.
Drug abuse and long-term or heavy alcohol use have such a damaging effect on a person’s personality and judgment. Many people find themselves committing crimes or immoral actions in the course of their addiction that they never would have committed before. That’s why the Narconon program includes a number of actions that help a recovering addict recover his or her self-esteem and senses of morals, personal values and integrity.
On the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, each recovering addict learns to face the damage he or she has done to their relationships, careers and communities. As the addiction is replaced by a productive life, many of those who have recovered look for and find ways to give back to those who were damaged by the years of addiction.
Narconon centers around the world also offer drug education classes to students and young adults to help keep them from needing drug recovery programs in the future.
The prevention and treatment of addiction are an essential part of lowering crime and creating a world that is safer for all of us.
For more information on the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program or their drug education curriculum, visit www.narconon.org
Narconon recent news reports on drug addiction solutions
From the UK family reunited to an alcoholic who put a total stop to her addiction, below are some of the latest Narconon news.
Ex-Meth Addict’s Life Saved by Narconon Drug Rehab in Georgia: Today Jason is very much alive and celebrates his fourth anniversary clean on May 28th, thanks, his mother says, to the Narconon facility in Georgia.
Four years ago Jason was facing possible prison time for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and obtaining property by false pretense – crimes which were addiction driven. Jason’s fourteen year drug abuse started with pot and pills and had escalated to cocaine and methamphetamine. It had gotten to the point where Jason was making and selling 1-2 kilos of methamphetamine a week before he found his way to treatment.
Narconon Of Georgia Graduate Success: Once, diagnosed clinically dead from alcohol poisoning, today Susan is very much alive. For this, she thanks the Narconon program.
Susan started drinking at thirteen. She and her friends would steal beer from her parents and sneak into hiding places to drink it. They thought then they were having fun but as they grew older they out grew this prankish behavior. Susan didn’t. In high school she started stealing the stronger stuff – vodka and whiskey. Soon there wasn’t enough liquor at her parents’ house to satisfy Susan’s appetite, so she learned how to talk strangers into buying her liquor. Susan remembers once paying a trucker twenty dollars to buy her vodka.
Narconon UK drug rehab life changing story: (PRWeb UK/PRWEB ) June 3, 2010 — Too many UK families are pulled apart by the drug addiction problems of one family member. Michelle used to feed a crack and heroin addiction that would eventually destroy the original ties she had with her family. Today she celebrates a happy, drug-free life again.
According to a recent study published by the UK Drug Policy Commission, at least 1.5 million UK adults caring for relatives with drug problems, bear a huge hidden burden estimated at a cost of at least £1.8 Billion.
Already 3 years ago: Narconon Gulf Coast drug rehab. The drug rehab treatment center in Florida keeps on saving lives every day. You can find more results and do a tour of the facility at www.narconongulfcoast.com.
Numbers are not just statistics. Sometimes they are human lives. In a decade, like so many in the preceding century when lives became daily body counts in televised wars, there have been uncounted lives saved. Narconon is certainly not the only organization… read more Narconon stories.
Drug rehab treatment news | Narconon-News.org | Narconon reports on the drug addiction scene around the world
Narconon Report on Substance Abuse
New Study Reveals A Killer Combination of Abused Substances: The Spanish report emphasizes the importance of effective drug rehabilitation. Providing drug addiction treatment is how the Narconon® drug and alcohol rehabilitation program has saved lives for four decades. Although traditional drug treatment centers have success rates of 16 percent or less, Narconon rehab centers achieve a 70 percent success rate year after year. Around the world in 120 centers, …. (report on recent substance abuse study in Spain)
Rehabilitation for Opiate Addiction Without Maintenance Drugs: The Narconon program provides successful drug-free rehabilitation for people addicted to heroin, oxycodone and other opiates without putting them on methadone or buprenorphine. Narconon has over 140 groups and centers in dozens of countries throughout the world, with many facilities from coast to coast in the United States. The overall success of the program in returning people to becoming responsible, ethical and productive citizens has led to continued growth, which is spearheaded by the Narconon International office in Los Angeles.
Narconon Arrowhead Presents McAlester Walmart with Corporate Sponsorship Award: Narconon Arrowhead’s Director of Drug Prevention, John Bitinas, and Drug Prevention Specialist, Lancer Benson, presented the Corporate Sponsorship Award to McAlester Oklahoma’s Walmart store #151. The award for supporting drug education and prevention was received by Bob Morris, the store manager and the Walmart Management Team, during their morning meeting on February 1, 2010.
Narconon Offers Drug Education Lectures to Schools: Narconon is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide successful drug rehabilitation as well as education and prevention information. One of the services offered by Narconon East US is drug prevention and education lectures to schools, businesses and community groups.
Narconon Drug Rehab Addresses Addicts Responsibility: The Narconon program turns out graduates who are far more moral and as a result more successful in life. Parents and parenting are needed now more than ever in today’s society. But where there has been trouble on this line between parent and child, The Way to Happiness as taught to Narconon students can go far to improving the relationship.
Cocaine Abuse On The Rise: Mary Rieser of Narconon of Georgia has declared, “With such an alarming trend, I am asking all people with family and friends who are known cocaine users to seek drug rehab and find help for their loved ones. Our youth is our future, and we won’t have one if we don’t educate our young people on the dangers of even using a small amount of the drug.”
Heroin Abuse Troubling Consequence of Economic Hardship: Narconon of Georgia provides effect treatment for Heroin Addiction. Narconon is a non-profit network of addiction treatment centers which provide holistic approach to drug rehabilitation.
War on Drugs Will be Handled with Rehabilitation: The demand for drugs is growing and the U.S. is first in line. Until people enroll in an effective drug rehab, like Narconon Louisiana the war on drugs is a battle we will all lose. Drugs like cocaine, marijuana and heroin are the main imports from Mexico. In the U.S. alone, 22 million people have reported to using cocaine at least once in their lives. These staggering numbers only prove how vital rehab is. Narconon Louisiana is a long-term inpatient facility that allows people to permanently get off drugs and/or alcohol…
Narconon Florida Successfully Handling Drug Addiction for 10 Years: Narconon Florida is a outpatient treatment center that uses the Narconon drug rehabilitation technology to solve addiction. The staff at Narconon Florida have 10 years of experience in handling and salvaging addicts from drug addiction.
Drug treatment info and news | Narconon-News.org | Narconon Report on substance abuse
Narconon Centers report on Drug Addiction
High Youth Drug Use Statistics Emphasize the Necessity for Effective Drug Education. The Narconon drug prevention curriculum is being used around the world to educate young people so they understand for themselves why they should say “No.” Avoiding unworkable scare tactics and applying effective education that consults student understanding concerning the lasting damage done by drugs, Narconon drug educators have reached more than three million school children with their message.
Drinking In College: Most Students Do It — Here at Narconon Arrowhead, we are dedicated to educating today`s young people about the dangers of alcohol as well as drugs. With the right knowledge our young people are less likely to use alcohol and/or drugs and we will see an increase in college students graduating and living a happy and productive life. (http://thesop.org/education/2010/01/21/drinking-in-college)
Addict Learns To Repair Relationship With Son Thanks To Narconon Drug Rehab: With the help of his family, Bobby enrolled in the Narconon program where he was finally able to handle his drug addiction for good. During his treatment he was able to do many courses that helped him to regain control of his life but there was one course in-particular that really helped him to get back onto the road to survival.
Narconon Opens the Eyes of Addicts Concerning Children. The Narconon program is designed to not only solve drug addiction but give the student the necessary tools to live a successful life. The Way to Happiness is one of those tools that produces stellar results.
Narconon Drug Rehab Program Expands. Due to Narconon Louisiana’s 76% success rate for permanent recovery, they have been looked at as a model center and are one of the most successful drug and alcohol treatment programs in the country.
Drug Use In Prison Should Be Handled With Effective Drug Rehab. Mr. Lukas goes on to say why the Narconon program is so successful. “Our program handles both the physical and mental aspects of addiction so that our graduates can go on to be productive, drug-free, crime-free, member of society.” Mr. Lukas goes on to say why the Narconon program is so successful. “Our program handles both the physical and mental aspects of addiction so that our graduates can go on to be productive, drug-free, crime-free, member of society.”
Could Promiscuity Ever be a Thing of the Past? — The Narconon program in Michigan delivers the full Narconon program and creates truly drug free lives. Attend any of their weekly graduations and you can hear some of the most amazing success stories. Not only do graduates overcome drug addiction through the Narconon program they are set on the way to happiness for life.
Drug treatment info and news | Narconon-News.org | Narconon Reports on the drug addiction scene
Methadone Addiction
In the Second World War, the Allies blocked the import of morphine to Germany which left the wounded Nazi troops without appropriate pain medications. The German scientist developed a synthetic opiate, Polamidon, which was later named methadone, that had the analgesic properties similar to morphine, but with the added advantage of lasting four to five times longer between doses.
After the war, the factory where methadone was invented fell under American control, which led to the first clinical trials of Methadone in 1947. The American pharmaceutical company, Eli-Lilly, first coined the name Dolophine – which comes from a combination of the Latin word dolor (pain) and the French word fin (end).
Eli Lilly was unsuccessful in marketing Dolophine (methadone) as a low cost analgesic and by the early 1950s, the drug was hardly being used at all. In 1968, New York City doctors, at Rockefeller University, Marie Nyswander and Vincent Dole, were experimenting with different drugs to help heroin users and discovered methadone could be used as a substitute for any other opiate, including heroin.
During the Nixon presidency, Vietnam veterans were returning home to America with heroin addictions that were costing them $5-a-day in Southeast Asia, but required $100 or more to maintain in the US. In a speech in 1971, Nixon called drug addiction “public enemy number one” and supported an expansion of methadone as a detox medication and as a replacement maintenance for those opiate addicts that had relapse histories.
From that time to present, methadone maintenance clinics have become very profitable business enterprises, since the cost of methadone is about ten cents/dose and those that are on daily doses of methadone cannot easily stop taking this drug, since methadone is known to produce the highest level of symptoms of opiate withdrawal.
Profits from the methadone dispensing business are also assured by the government, both state and federal, limiting competition by only allowing a certain number of clinics within a given area and since their patients must have the drug daily, the clinics can basically charge whatever the public can afford and be assured of repeat business.
Alcohol and drug addiction counselors whose purpose is to rehabilitate addicts so that they can reclaim the beauty of living drug-free have always opposed the use of substituting one drug for another, and for good clinical reasons.
The purpose of drug rehab is to restore a normalcy in the lives of people that have been avoiding life’s pain and, consequently the pleasure, as well, by taking opiates or painkillers. The substituting of one drug for another is counter to this noble effort and makes the goal of a drug-free life a futile endeavor. Therefore, the obvious moral prerogative is to free the individual from the compulsive need to take methadone daily or suffer consequences that are quite severe.
To convince the public that methadone maintenance is the only effective treatment for most opiate addicts, the methadone industry documents their business by quoting numerous articles claiming that the brain makes certain irreversible changes during opiate addiction that force the “recovering” addict to continue to supply their bodies with daily doses of opiate medications.
For those who believe this research and don’t investigate further, this argument may seem logical, however, it doesn’t present the obvious argument that even though there are approximately half million people on methadone maintenance, there are literally millions of ex-heroin addicts that are living successful, normal lives without the need to “repair their brain chemistry”. Anecdotal interviews with methadone patients has revealed that it is very hard to find anyone on methadone maintenance that likes their treatment and doesn’t feel enslaved by their need for these daily doses.
Narconon reports on recent MLK events and other drug addiction news
Latino and Black Youth March Together with Pride in Long Beach to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A group of youth carried a banner promoting peace between their races. Media in southern Los Angeles County have often reported conflict between Latinos and Blacks, but today 35 youths carried … – sponsored by Narconon Intl. and National Alliance for Faith and Justice (http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2010-01-0118-003.shtml)
Youth making a banner for the MLK parade – sponsored by Narconon and National Alliance for Faith and Justice
Need For Addiction Treatment Seen By Many: A community based approach allows the offender to fund his own treatment with employment begin required and case management fees. This approach adds an overall savings and is much more effective at reducing crime in general. Narconon of Georgia supports drug addiction treatment as an alternative to imprisonment and offers a non twelve step approach to treating drug addiction. Narconon of Georgia provides drug treatment and education.
Drugs and Promiscuity Contribute to Declining Morals in Society: Most people see promiscuity as an unfortunate side effect of drug and alcohol abuse. However, one drug and alcohol rehab facility addresses the morals that seem to be lost along the way that lead to promiscuity. Clients going through treatment at Narconon Louisiana enroll in a course called The Way To Happiness; a common-sense guide to life that proves that not only can addiction be handled, but morals can be restored.
Narconon Clients Take Part In Community Project: This community event is sponsored by the local chamber and other local businesses and will take place the last week in January. Narconon clients will create a man-made sledge out of just cardboard; tape and glue to recognize Narconon drug rehabilitation and promote the message of permanent recovery from substance abuse. …
Narconon Freedom Center Teaches Addicts To Take Care Of Themselves: Once one truly understands why such an idea is important they are far more likely to keep it in in their own life. Drug addicts often failed to take care of themselves during drug addiction as well as with the circumstances leading up to addiction. There are many reasons for addiction and the Narconon program covers all possible angles to enable students to live successful, happy, drug-free lives.
Community Day Activities in South L.A. Celebrate Dr. King’s Spirit: At one of the booths nearly a thousand drug education booklets providing the truth about alcohol and drug abuse were given out to parents, educators, young people and community volunteers and leaders by Narconon California. Roger Davis, Narconon California drug education and prevention presenter remarked; “We were inspired by the many people we met who serve the community and work every day to fulfill Dr. King’s Dream”. Davis, a graduate of the Narconon California Program, continued, … (photo: Handing out Narconon drug education booklets at the MLK event)
Under Age Drinking cost Hawaii nearly $200 million: Mix the underage drinking problem with rising prescription drug abuse in the islands, and there are enough factors leading to a substantial social problem when the state can least afford it. Narconon Hawaii warns the key to resolving this problem is education of youth on the effects of all drugs and alcohol. …
Featured center today is our Narconon center in Northern California at Lake Tahoe. Full drug treatment services in a great location.
Drug treatment info and news | Narconon-News.org | Narconon Reports on the drug addiction scene
Narconon Drug Rehab News and Reports on Subtance Abuse
President of Narconon Intl drug rehabilitation network visits Nepal: When asked what is the expanse of the Narconon network at this time? “We now have over 150 drug rehab and/or drug prevention or education centers in 50 countries,” says Carr. These facilities span every continent, the largest being Arrowhead with 230 beds and some smaller such as Narconon Denmark.
Narconon Trois-Rivieres Goes Live for The Second Time: “This was once again another excellent opportunity to show as many people as possible what it is like to see someone complete the Narconon drug rehab program,” comments Nick Hayes, a representative of Narconon Trois-Rivieres. “It’s a wonderful sight to see people achieving sobriety and getting their lives back, and we want to continue to share this with the rest of the world.”
Treating Drug Addiction With More Drugs – Where Does it End?: Drug users will tend to use several different drugs illegally and legally; legally meaning given by doctors to help curb their drug addiction or handle emotional and psychological problems, normally caused by drug addiction.
Desperate Crimes for Desperate Drug Addicts: Often a drug addiction can push people to absolute the extremes, and in an all too common case, an addict can be pushed to crime to fuel their addiction.
Alcoholism No Longer A Problem For Narconon Graduate: The last straw was one night when Stephen was even pulled over for a DUI, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because that was when his parents found the drug and alcohol rehab program that saved his life. The name of the program was Narconon.
Drugs Involved in Another Celebrity Death: One organization that is doing something about the cocaine problem in Florida is the Narconon Drug and Alcohol rehab Program. Narconon currently operates three drug rehab facilities in the state of Florida that have helped thousands of addicts in the state.
Narconon Warns Most People Arrested Test Positive For Illegal Drugs: Based in Atlanta, the Narconon center in Atlanta states that while cannabis is the most commonly detected illegal substance among arrestees in other cities…
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=108985&cat=10
Surge In Heroin Abuse Concerning Many: Director of Narconon of Georgia an addiction treatment center located in Georgia says ” With prescription drug abuse in the media and laws being passed to handle doctor shopping we must be careful to keep the pressure on eliminating all drugs of abuse.”
Long Term Drug and Alcohol Treatment for Those Suffering from Substance Abuse Problems Offered by Narconon of Georgia, a Featured Profile on Business Networking Community Site YourFINDit: Narconon of Georgia Drug rehab Founded in 2001, Narconon of Georgia is a non-traditional drug treatment program offering non 12 step long term drug treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse and chemical dependency for women and men.
Drug Abuse High Tech Device: … Narconon continues to spread the message that there are solutions – drug prevention and addiction treatment.
Narconon Center Gears Up For National Recovery Month: Narconon Freedom Center, a residential drug treatment center in Albion, Michigan is gearing up for National Recovery Month to promote the message that successful recovery is possible with Narconon drug treatment. National Recovery Month is a time set forth to promote the benefits of alcohol and drug treatment and to show that recovery from drug addiction is possible.
Narconon Freedom Center Staffer and Rehab Graduate Dominick Assante featured on CNN: … He was a heroin addict and IV user for three years and used up to 10 bags per day of the drug until a family member suggested he go to the Narconon drug and alcohol rehab program.
Mother and Daughter Celebrate Victory Over Meth: Edee’s grandmother continued searching the Internet and found Narconon California, a drug-free life skills program. “What impressed us,” Susan says, “was the sauna part; drugs are sweated out of the body. Edee told me she could see sticky tar coming out in her sweat. This helped eliminate physical cravings.” California drug rehab
Drug treatment info and news | Narconon-News.org | Narconon Reports on the drug addiction scene
