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]
Drug Abuse in College
A young person going to college represents hope for the future and the chance of fulfilling one’s dreams. Parents should be proud of the child who can accomplish this today, but should also be wary of the dangers colleges offer to can cause the student to veer off the straight path. These may not be something that they have prepared their child to handle.
One pitfall that is all too easy to fall into is heavy alcohol consumption or binge drinking. It has been found by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse that nearly half of all full-time college students engage in this activity. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting. Some forty percent of college students report binge drinking, and 68% of students say they drink some alcohol.
Unfortunately, alcohol-related accidents claim more than 1,700 students’ lives annually. Some overdose themselves on alcohol to the point of dying from alcohol poisoning, where they fall into a coma and never awaken. Some die in traffic accidents related to alcohol-impaired driving.
Another hazard of college campuses which has been going sky high recently is the use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. A short time ago this was restricted to tranquilizers and sedatives, and then prescription painkillers, so that now drugs such as OxyContin, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Xanax, and Nembutal are drug names now known to most college students. In addition, in the past ten years or so, stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin have gained popularity on college campuses. These are often prescribed to younger children and teens for difficulties studying that are labeled ADD and ADHD, which supposedly require drugging for a student to learn. However, these drugs are very strong stimulants, similar or almost identical to speed, which people buy to get high, often becoming addicted. College students using Adderall to supposedly aid their concentration can easily start down the road to addiction to this drug early on.
Marijuana represents another very popular pastime with a third of all college students reportedly abusing the drug. This, according to the latest Monitoring the Future study, is on the increase, now surpassing tobacco use among young people in high schools.
The risk of marijuana isn’t just that of the drug’s effects, but unfortunately those who smoke marijuana heavily also seem to be involved in other higher risk behavior such as unsafe sexual activity and they often combine marijuana with alcohol and sometimes with other drugs. The result is that students who use marijuana often do not maintain optimum study schedules so they have poorer academic performance than non-drug users.
It isn’t typical that one would plan a drug rehab or alcohol rehab program in the middle of one’s college career, or that one would have to enter rehab after college, but now this is often the case.
Fortunately, there is effective help available. Narconon rehab programs exist on six continents and have been helping students and others to regain lasting sobriety for the past 45 years. There are more than fifty Narconon long-term residential rehab facilities located as far away as Russia, Italy, Taiwan, Australia, Canada and England and in many cities of the United States.
At Narconon, one has the opportunity to handle both the physical and emotional or mental effects of drug abuse.
The recovering addict at Narconon will have a full detox from drug or alcohol use that has poisoned the body and left behind toxic residues. This occurs on the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, which consists of daily moderate exercise plus nutritional supplementation, and time spent in a dry-heat sauna. The combination of these, done in a closely-supervised, strict regimen, gives the body an opportunity to rid itself of drug and alcohol residues which have the potential to cause more drug cravings. Once these are eliminated from the body, recovering users report many fewer and sometimes no drug cravings, a fresh outlook on life, and a brighter view of the future.
Then the Narconon program has five more parts which are actually courses one studies to address many aspects of why the person had resorted to drugs or alcohol in the first place. These also give one the life skills he will need to maintain a sober life. The courses include one designed to help the person in recovery regain their personal integrity. There’s also one which involves how to choose one’s associates and friends so that they will be supportive of a drug-free and productive lifestyle. The last course helps one to learn a common sense moral code to guide his decisions for future actions. All graduates also complete a plan for a drug-free and sober future that ensures the person can face life’s challenges without the need for drugs or alcohol again.
Give us a call or visit Get Help With Addiction Now to get help with alcohol or drug abuse for you or your loved one today.
Resources:
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/publications_reports.aspx: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse
http://www.higheredcenter.org/files/product/marijuana.pdf
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-vol2_2010.pdf
Drug Abuse Treatment Restores Life
Worldwide drug use has climbed to epidemic proportions. You could talk about stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines and methamphetamine or other drugs such as heroin, opium, morphine and other opiates. Or you could look at marijuana, hashish and prescription painkilling drugs taken for non-prescribed purposes. All in all, there are tens of millions of people abusing drugs all over the world. This doesn’t even include those who abuse alcohol.
In a recent report on national drug usage from 2009, it was found that illicit drug use in the United States had risen to its highest level in eight years. In the 2010 edition of this report, the rate of use held steady (8.9 percent in 2010 compared to 8.7 percent in 2009), and both remained above the 2008 rate of 8.0 percent.
More disturbing is that in the group of young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate increased even more than in the general population, from 19.6 percent in 2008 to 21.5 percent in 2010. This increase seemed to be driven largely by a rise in the rate of current marijuana use among this group of people.
The 2010 report showed that while some areas are improving, overall there were 22.6 million Americans age 12 and older who were currently using illicit drugs.
These are just statistics. The real situation is even more devastating when the drug scourge attacks your own family. If you have a child or other family member who has walked down the road of trying drugs, trying some more drugs, and then being hooked on drugs, you know what heartbreak and sadness is like, seeing your own loved one unable to break out of the shackles of drug abuse.
There is Hope
Fortunately there is hope. Narconon offers a holistic, drug-free treatment program which has been effectively helping people to get off of drugs and stay off them for more than 45 years. Effective drug abuse treatment brings a person back to life! He may have lost his job, she may have lost her friends and even close ties with families, but if the person can be gotten to a Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, there is an excellent chance of finding his or her way back. Each individual experiencing the Narconon program recovers his self-esteem, his personal integrity and his determination to live life fully and without the crutch of drugs or alcohol.
No matter what drug or drugs have been abused by the individual, Narconon helps the person to get back the bright viewpoint he once had on life, before he got hooked on drugs. It is a long-term program that really works. There are no Narconon meetings to attend after graduation. In fact, Narconon has tracked its graduates and found that seventy percent of them are clean and drug-free two years after completing the program.
Narconon centers exist all over the world, on six continents, so it is likely that there is one near you. If you would like to help your loved one to fully recover using an effective, holistic drug abuse treatment program that really does restore life, call Narconon today at: 800-775-8750.
Resources:
US Dept of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (2010). Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume I. Summary of National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-38A, HHS Publication No. SMA 10-4856Findings). Rockville, MD.
And Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-41, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 11-4658. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011.
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
Narconon Director Points Out that Many Parents May Omit Prescription Drugs When Warning their Children about Drug Abuse
When the current generation of parents was growing up, the biggest drug problems were marijuana, alcohol, amphetamines, heroin and sedatives. So when today’s parents of teenagers talk to their kids about drugs, they may overlook the fact that prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing substance abuse problem out there.
They probably don’t know about the numbers.
In 2002, there were nearly 4.4 million people abusing prescription pain relievers, the number one class of prescription drug abused. By 2009, nearly a million people had been added to this list. In that same time span, the number of people being treated for pain reliever addiction more than doubled, climbing nearly to three-quarters of a million. Nearly twice that needed treatment for their addictions to oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, codeine, Ritalin, benzodiazapines, Soma or a long list of other prescription drugs.
“Plenty of kids hear about the dangers of smoking marijuana or using cocaine, but parents may think that prescription drugs are safely locked up,” explained Bobby Wiggins, Narconon® Drug Prevention Specialist. Narconon is an international organization dedicated to helping overcome addiction and to educating young people on the dangers of drugs and addiction.
“Many young people start abusing drugs by getting them from someone they know,” said Wiggins. “Maybe it starts with a friend, a relative who gives them some or sells them, or the young person may just steal a few if they think they can get away with it. In short, it’s not that hard if a person really wants it. But it can be plenty hard to quit if the person decides they’ve had enough.”
Parents may overlook explaining to their children that a drug like OxyContin can be very quickly addictive and for some, can be harder to withdraw from than heroin. And because children probably know adults who take prescription drugs such as Xanax and Prozac, it may not seem dangerous for them to take these drugs out for a test drive.
By 2010, prescription drug abuse had pervaded America. The University of Michigan reported that 10 percent of high school seniors were abusing painkillers. In New Hampshire, deaths from overdoses quadrupled between 1999 and 2007. In a small county in Central Florida, accidental overdoses of prescription drugs doubled in one year, going from 21 to 42.
“Parents should make time to explain that prescription drug use is only safe when it’s done under the supervision of a doctor and then only as prescribed,” added Wiggins. “A parent could research the effects of these drugs with their children. When a child learns that OxyContin withdrawals are described as ‘the worst flu you ever had with vomiting and diarrhea that goes on for 10 to 14 days,’ they might think twice about using the drug recreationally. A little communication can go a long way with a child who would otherwise only hear that someone they knew was having fun using these drugs.”
At Narconon centers in forty countries around the world, people are learning to leave addiction behind as they build a new productive life to replace the one that was destroyed by addiction. Every year, Narconon volunteers educate tens of thousands of children why they should choose a drug-free life for themselves. For more information, visit www.narconon-news.org.
You can also visit one of our Narconon drug rehab center’s website.
Narconon Report and Press Release Update
Narconon report on news and press releases from around the network. Drug information such as the news on the meth addiction in Michigan (story #9). Also Narconon reporting on the Hawaii drug abuse scene that keeps on creeping up (story #1) and the continued work that Narconon of Georgia is doing putting out drug information online (covered in several stories below).
- Hawaii Drug Use Continues to Rise: Recent studies show drug use in Hawaii is up and the use of narcotics continues to climb. A program [Narconon Hawaii] recently brought to Hawaii is helping to tackle the problem. Drug abuse and addiction continue to grow by epidemic proportions in Hawaii. (a press release report courtesy of www.khon2.com)
- Employers Can Benefit from Drug-Free Work Week Pointers: If an employee is already trapped in the cycle of addiction finding a drug rehabilitation facility that will get them back to the productive, drug-free individual required for their work and to enjoy the life they so rightly deserve is of the utmost importance. “This is where Narconon Arrowhead comes in,” declared Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers located in southeast Oklahoma. “We offer employers an alternative to simply getting rid of good staff that can be rehabilitated, and we enable good workers who have become hooked to drugs to come back to the work force, sober and industrious. At Narconon, our program constantly returns substance abuser to a healthy, productive lifestyle. Seven out of ten of our graduates are still drug-free years after they return to work.”
- Economic Hardships Can Increase Addiction: Yet I continued to put the drugs before finding employment, putting food on the table for my family and paying any bills. I just know I woke up every morning with all aim of getting a job and instead would find myself doing whatever it took, be it lying ,cheating or stealing from family and friends to get money so I could acquire more drugs,” said Joe Harper, graduate of the Narconon Arrowhead drug rehabilitation program.
- There is a Continuing Desperate Need for Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in Oklahoma: Many Oklahomans believe that drug addiction is simply a way of life and you have to live with that addiction every single day for the remainder of your life. What many Oklahomans do not know s that substance abuse treatment programs, like Oklahoma’s Narconon Arrowhead, can end drug abuse and give a person their life back. (Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab news)
- Narconon of Georgia Applauds Efforts of Prescription Buy-Back Programs: Narconon of Georgia, in conjunction with local law enforcement, has spearheaded the effort in Georgia state to make people more aware of prescription drug abuse dangers and educating teens and parents alike. “The drug education we provide to schools, churches, and local support groups has shifted some-what in the past few years,” comments Gordon Weinand, Public Relations for Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia.
Narconon Georgia Graduate Celebrates Three Years Clean: She believed her son could make it if he were in a long-term drug treatment program, not available at the time, in her own state. She searched online and found what she was looking for – Narconon of Georgia, a non-traditional program which employs sauna therapy and life skills to prepare its clients for full and winning re-entry into life. “Life after Narconon is a whole lot better! In my darkest hours, I never thought I could be this happy. Now every day is a healthy bright day after Narconon for me and my family.”- Addiction Treatment Reduces Crime: … This study comes after two decades of research into the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation in criminal offenders which has largely gone unheard. … The Narconon program has long asserted that successful treatment can only be accomplished through establishing comprehensive personal ethics. The treatment program delivered by Narconon of Georgia is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an alternative to incarceration, as it emphasizes on personal responsibility as the major component necessary for real recovery.
- Narconon Louisiana drug rehab graduate traces roots of addiction back to psychiatric medications: Once J.K. became addicted to street drugs as well as his prescriptions, his problems continued to intensify. Luckily, before he lost his life to drugs he found a rehabilitation center with a completely drug-free method called Narconon Riverbend; situated in Denham Springs, Louisiana. During his treatment he had to come to terms with his past troubles as well as the road that his psychiatric therapy led him down.
- Handling Meth Addiction In Michigan: Narconon Freedom Center, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program located in Albion, Michigan, has been at the forefront of the Red Ribbon Week activities in the state. This week Narconon Freedom Center visited a neighborhood watch meeting to educate the local community about the risks of meth abuse and the manufacturing of the drug.
Narconon-News.org. For regular updates on the Narconon network news and activities around the world. (press release report)
Narconon Drug Rehab News and Press Release Report
Naconon report of drug rehab news. Community activities of Narconon centers around the world. From Narconon Geogia drug abuse prevention activities to Canada drug-free life success story.
‘Hillbilly Heroin’ Doesn’t Beat This Narconon Graduate: Because OxyContin is a time-release formula over twelve hours, most addicts will have to chew, crush up and snort, or inject the drug to get the immediate euphoric effect of the Oxycodone, which is the primary pain reliever in OxyContin. (Drug rehab center Narconon Trois-Rivieres in Canada)- Narconon Handles Prescription Drug Abuse: According to Narconon Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation and Education Centers, addiction is defined as a condition characterized by repeated, compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol or other similar substances despite adverse social, mental and physical consequences. (Narconon Eastern United States drug rehab centers).
- Narconon Michigan Drug Rehab Open House Huge Success: Narconon Freedom Center hosted its First Annual Open House in recognition of Red Ribbon Week on October 25th 2009 in their newly renovated facility. The event provided visitors a tour of the newly remodeled facility as well as information about the Narconon program and how Narconon has successfully handled drug and alcohol addiction for over 40 years. (news from Narconon Freedom Treatment Center in Michigan)
- Narconon Freedom Center Drug Rehab Provides Solution For Michigan Citizens: Just as addiction has several stages so there are several needed steps to permanently handling addiction. If all the necessary factors aren’t addressed the result will most likely be drug reversion. Narconon Freedom Center provides all the necessary and successful steps to fully handle addiction. Narconon Freedom Center provides real solutions for struggling addicts. Whereas many addicts often try other programs and find themselves reverting to drugs, Narconon graduates go on to lead drug-free lives. (Michigan drug rehab news)
- Students Pledge to be Drug-Free at Narconon Education Seminar in Hawaii
Downtown Atlanta was Host to a Concert Promoting Drug Awareness: Narconon of Georgia Celebrates Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Week: “Our goal is to educate people on the dangers of drug abuse,” commented Mary Rieser, Executive Director for The Narconon Georgia Drug Rehab Center. “One way is celebrating Red Ribbon Week, with live music and drug education literature warning young and old alike about the dangers of drug abuse. Drug prevention is easier, less expensive, and saves lives. Life can be great without drugs and our big party today proved that point.”
Narconon-News.org | Press releases from around the network | Also here, you can find more Narconon news and information.
Narconon International at the HOPE 2008 Conference
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“Yusuf was wise to expand the scope,” said Clark Carr, president of Narconon International. “Drug abuse affects AIDS, AIDS affects population and human rights, and everything interacts with environment.” Carr delivered a paper on the ‘biochemical personality,’ outlining Narconon® drug rehab case histories which demonstrate a promising pattern of positive personality changes when recovering addicts cleanse toxic drug residuals from their bodies.
With its more than 145 centers delivering drug rehab or prevention services in 45 countries, Narconon was perhaps the most international organization present. “I’ve been fortunate to work with Yusuf on several occasions,” said Carr. “Several years ago we collaborated delivering drug education lectures to half a dozen Mumbai colleges.” The only permanent Narconon installation in India so far is a drug education unit in New Delhi, although Carr said they hope to open a residential drug treatment center in India in 2009. Dr. Rosy Chhabra, another colleague of Merchant and DAIRRC, reported on a study funded by the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of DAIRRC’s successful alcohol and HIV education project. “It was totally collaborative with schools and communities,” she said. “It was because the community took charge that it was successful.” |
The conference had a long name – HOPE 2008 International Conference on Alcohol/Drug Abuse, HIV/AIDS, Environment, Population, and Human Rights. Over 100 persons from 11 countries attended the conference held in October in Mumbai, organized by Dr. Yusuf Merchant, president of DAIRRC (Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation & Research Centre).
It’s not just drug toxins that are depressing us, of course. Speakers from Switzerland to South Africa discussed the dwindling spiral of environmental damage and population growth. Flying in from New Delhi to address the attendees was also keynote speaker, the Honorable Mrs. Meira Kumar, Minister of the Dept of Social Justice and Empowerment, a co-sponsor along with the National Institute of Social Defense. “There are two root causes of all five targets of the conference,” she said, “human greed and human deprivation.” She gave a blistering critique of those who “look down on the deprived.” “Our caste system is a human rights violation, a social injustice,” she continued, “but non-violence and education are our hopes and greatest tools.” The Minister said she preferred NGOs to tackle these problems, endemic not just to India but the whole world. “Government can’t do it. The NGOs are so passionate and dedicated.”