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Parents may try their best to educate their kids to avoid drug use, but if they then send them to a school where drugs or alcohol use or trafficking is common, their efforts are more likely to fail. This is according to a 2008 survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.
According to this survey, one-third of parents surveyed felt that the presence of drugs in the child’s school would not increase his or her risk of drug or alcohol use. But in a 2007 report, CASA stated that eighty percent of America’s high school students and 44 percent of middle schools students have personally witnessed drunk or high students or illegal drug use, dealing or possession on school grounds. And that on average, students who go to schools with higher rates of drug abuse themselves manifest higher rates of illegal drug or alcohol use.
This year, for the first time, teens reported that it is easier to get prescription drugs to abuse than it is to obtain beer. And 43 percent said that they knew where to buy marijuana within a day.
“Drugs are out there and our kids know it very well,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.
“It helps to keep out our kids safe to educate them on the true dangers of drug abuse and to stay fully involved in their lives by sharing experiences with them and having family dinners,” added Mr. Hallmark.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Drugs in Schools or visit the Narconon website.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Prescription Drugs in the Home are the Key to Abuse by Teens
While figures for some kinds of drug use among teens have dropped slightly over the last several years, prescription drug abuse shows no signs of letting up. Supporting this abuse is the ease with which our young people can lay their hands on prescription drugs to abuse, particularly prescription pain relievers.
A recent report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University shows that one-third of teens who know prescription drug abusers say that these kids get their drugs from home. Another third say they can get these drugs from a friend or classmate.
The annual survey of teen attitudes on substance abuse drew the conclusion that probably half of all prescription drugs being abused by teens are coming from someone’s home medicine chest.
And this ease of acquisition showed in the statistics on prescription drug abuse. By 2007, one in every twenty high school seniors had found and tried OxyContin, a powerful narcotic painkiller with a high, when abused, similar to heroin. While this is bad enough, the statistic of seniors who had abused Vicodin, a painkiller containing hydrocodone, was almost twice as high.
“Prescription pain relievers are addictive, whether it’s teens or adults abusing them,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “We help people of all ages, from eighteen to seventy-five and up, recover the drug-free life they lost. Seventy percent of our graduates remain drug-free after graduation, as a result of our holistic program that addresses the three main barriers to recovery: the cravings, guilt and depression experienced by every addict.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Drugs in the Home or visit the Narconon website.
A recent report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University shows that one-third of teens who know prescription drug abusers say that these kids get their drugs from home. Another third say they can get these drugs from a friend or classmate.
The annual survey of teen attitudes on substance abuse drew the conclusion that probably half of all prescription drugs being abused by teens are coming from someone’s home medicine chest.
And this ease of acquisition showed in the statistics on prescription drug abuse. By 2007, one in every twenty high school seniors had found and tried OxyContin, a powerful narcotic painkiller with a high, when abused, similar to heroin. While this is bad enough, the statistic of seniors who had abused Vicodin, a painkiller containing hydrocodone, was almost twice as high.
“Prescription pain relievers are addictive, whether it’s teens or adults abusing them,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “We help people of all ages, from eighteen to seventy-five and up, recover the drug-free life they lost. Seventy percent of our graduates remain drug-free after graduation, as a result of our holistic program that addresses the three main barriers to recovery: the cravings, guilt and depression experienced by every addict.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Drugs in the Home or visit the Narconon website.
Drug Abuse by Teens: Parents Are Both Part of the Problem and Part of the Solution
A recent study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) shows that many parents fail to take essential actions that prevent drug use or drinking by their teenaged children. At the same time, the study shows that parents who do take these actions have children with lower rates of drug or alcohol use, meaning that they can be part of the solution. The study is the annual Back to School Survey, published each year in August 2008.
The factors found to discourage substance abuse by teens were:
• Being engaged in the teens’ day-to-day life
• Relaxing with them
• Frequent family dinners
• Supervision, especially of time spent with friends on weeknights
• Setting positive examples of healthy behavior.
On the other hand, neglect of these factors was found to coincide with greater drug use.
The study found that 46 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds typically leave home to hang out with friends on school nights, but only 14 percent of parents say their kids usually leave home on these nights. The later that teens are out, the more likely it is that they will be around alcohol and drug use while they are out and the more likely it is that they will join in. Apparently, many parents miss the fact that their teens are leaving home at night.
A startling new result in this report was the increase in the percentage of kids who could quickly obtain marijuana. Twenty-three percent of teens can get it in an hour or less, the highest figure yet. Forty-two percent could get it in a day or less. Of those who could get it in an hour or less, nearly half of the teens surveyed had used the drug.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that almost two and a half million people initiate use of marijuana each year, more than half of them 12- to 17-year-old children. And many of these people will go on to use other addictive drugs. The director of CASA, Joseph Califano, reports that “Twelve- to seventeen-year-old children who used marijuana were eighty-five times more likely to use cocaine” than those who did not.
“A certain number of young people who start abusing drugs early will wind up addicted and in need of rehabilitation,” commented Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Drug Abuse by Teens or visit the Narconon website.
The factors found to discourage substance abuse by teens were:
• Being engaged in the teens’ day-to-day life
• Relaxing with them
• Frequent family dinners
• Supervision, especially of time spent with friends on weeknights
• Setting positive examples of healthy behavior.
On the other hand, neglect of these factors was found to coincide with greater drug use.
The study found that 46 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds typically leave home to hang out with friends on school nights, but only 14 percent of parents say their kids usually leave home on these nights. The later that teens are out, the more likely it is that they will be around alcohol and drug use while they are out and the more likely it is that they will join in. Apparently, many parents miss the fact that their teens are leaving home at night.
A startling new result in this report was the increase in the percentage of kids who could quickly obtain marijuana. Twenty-three percent of teens can get it in an hour or less, the highest figure yet. Forty-two percent could get it in a day or less. Of those who could get it in an hour or less, nearly half of the teens surveyed had used the drug.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reports that almost two and a half million people initiate use of marijuana each year, more than half of them 12- to 17-year-old children. And many of these people will go on to use other addictive drugs. The director of CASA, Joseph Califano, reports that “Twelve- to seventeen-year-old children who used marijuana were eighty-five times more likely to use cocaine” than those who did not.
“A certain number of young people who start abusing drugs early will wind up addicted and in need of rehabilitation,” commented Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Drug Abuse by Teens or visit the Narconon website.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #10: Addiction Can Be Overcome
Addiction is one of society’s most severe and tragic ills, creating the loss of life, wealth, families, happiness and productivity. For years, a solution has been sought that will free addicts from trap of in addiction. Solutions abound, starting with incarceration and proceeding on through tens of billions spent on an alphabet soup of federal and state agencies.
Out in society, rehabilitation services are based on everything from ancient philosophies to brand new ideas. Nationally, more than 11,000 drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers offer help. Over 55,000 Alcoholics Anonymous groups offer support and guidance to the recovering alcoholic and 25,000 Narcotics Anonymous groups help drug addicts. Federal dollars support the development of a roster of drugs created to treat addiction’s cravings or symptoms.
The result is a bewildering maze of treatment options. Many treatment options treat addiction as a chronic, incurable brain disease that requires medication, the same as diabetes or heart disease. Some addiction services believe that an addict will always be an addict and will never recover.
“Our experience is that the right program enables a person to leave addiction behind,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. Mr. Hallmark went on to describe how the Narconon program achieves its 70 percent success rate. “Our recoveries start with a sauna and nutritional program that flushes drug residues from the body to help the person reduce or even eliminate cravings. Unless cravings are addressed first, most addicted people can’t focus on their recovery. Next, counseling helps a person leave the pain and grief of addiction behind, and life skills training teaches them how to live a new, drug-free life.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Addiction Can be Overcome. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Out in society, rehabilitation services are based on everything from ancient philosophies to brand new ideas. Nationally, more than 11,000 drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers offer help. Over 55,000 Alcoholics Anonymous groups offer support and guidance to the recovering alcoholic and 25,000 Narcotics Anonymous groups help drug addicts. Federal dollars support the development of a roster of drugs created to treat addiction’s cravings or symptoms.
The result is a bewildering maze of treatment options. Many treatment options treat addiction as a chronic, incurable brain disease that requires medication, the same as diabetes or heart disease. Some addiction services believe that an addict will always be an addict and will never recover.
“Our experience is that the right program enables a person to leave addiction behind,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. Mr. Hallmark went on to describe how the Narconon program achieves its 70 percent success rate. “Our recoveries start with a sauna and nutritional program that flushes drug residues from the body to help the person reduce or even eliminate cravings. Unless cravings are addressed first, most addicted people can’t focus on their recovery. Next, counseling helps a person leave the pain and grief of addiction behind, and life skills training teaches them how to live a new, drug-free life.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Addiction Can be Overcome. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #9: Lost Productivity
In the workplace, substance abuse exacts a huge price. According to Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, substance abuse costs American business an estimated $166.5 billion each year. Studies in the workplace have found that substance abusers higher numbers of accidents and illnesses. Heavy alcohol users are nearly twice as likely to have changed employers three or more times in the past year.
A 2008 study by Norwich Union showed that a third of workers admitted going to work with a hangover and 15% confessed that they had been drunk at work. A recent survey of human resource professionals found that substance-abusing staff created problems through absenteeism, untrustworthy behavior, damage to the company’s reputation, poor job performance, increased medical costs and conflicts between staff.
The good news is that when a person is employed prior to entering treatment for substance abuse, they generally have a better chance of recovery than a person who was unemployed before entering treatment.
“Simply by eliminating substance abuse and addiction, companies can achieve greater overall productivity from their employees,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Those pursuing careers have their best chance of success when they are free from substance abuse. Narconon Arrowhead is proud to support the productivity of America by providing drug and alcohol rehabilitation services with a 70 percent success rate. Every year, we return hundreds of individuals to their homes and their workplaces with a renewed ability to live clean and sober.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Lost Productivity. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
A 2008 study by Norwich Union showed that a third of workers admitted going to work with a hangover and 15% confessed that they had been drunk at work. A recent survey of human resource professionals found that substance-abusing staff created problems through absenteeism, untrustworthy behavior, damage to the company’s reputation, poor job performance, increased medical costs and conflicts between staff.
The good news is that when a person is employed prior to entering treatment for substance abuse, they generally have a better chance of recovery than a person who was unemployed before entering treatment.
“Simply by eliminating substance abuse and addiction, companies can achieve greater overall productivity from their employees,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Those pursuing careers have their best chance of success when they are free from substance abuse. Narconon Arrowhead is proud to support the productivity of America by providing drug and alcohol rehabilitation services with a 70 percent success rate. Every year, we return hundreds of individuals to their homes and their workplaces with a renewed ability to live clean and sober.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Lost Productivity. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: # 8: Lost Potential
When a drug overdose steals a young life, we lose that young life’s potential. When any person becomes addicted to alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription drugs that are being abused, families lose the bright person they loved and all the potential they knew was resident in that beloved son or daughter, brother, sister or parent.
Unfortunately, the highest levels of alcohol dependence occur in 18 to 20 year old Americans, according to the Surgeon General’s Office. Additionally, 5,000 young people a year lose their lives due to injuries involving alcohol, 1,900 of them from auto accidents.
A 2007 study from The National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction reported that nearly half of America's 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month.
“These years are when a person should be studying for a career or getting started in life,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a young person becomes dependent on or addicted to drug s or alcohol, it can seem more tragic because that person has not yet had the chance to achieve their full potential. Narconon Arrowhead has had great success in helping addicted people young and old achieve their potential by learning to build themselves drug-free liees. Seventy percent of our graduates successfully leave that addiction behind when they graduate.”
To read the rest of the article, please go to Lost Potential. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Unfortunately, the highest levels of alcohol dependence occur in 18 to 20 year old Americans, according to the Surgeon General’s Office. Additionally, 5,000 young people a year lose their lives due to injuries involving alcohol, 1,900 of them from auto accidents.
A 2007 study from The National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction reported that nearly half of America's 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month.
“These years are when a person should be studying for a career or getting started in life,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a young person becomes dependent on or addicted to drug s or alcohol, it can seem more tragic because that person has not yet had the chance to achieve their full potential. Narconon Arrowhead has had great success in helping addicted people young and old achieve their potential by learning to build themselves drug-free liees. Seventy percent of our graduates successfully leave that addiction behind when they graduate.”
To read the rest of the article, please go to Lost Potential. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: # 7: Trafficking Violence
Should we care about drug trafficking violence across our southern border in Mexico? Does it have any impact on Americans?
For background, consider that in the last year, border towns and cities within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border have experienced record levels of violence and murders as the drug cartels compete for turf. In the last year, more than 3,700 killings related to drugs and organized crime have occurred in Mexico, up from about 2,700 last year. In Tijuana alone, there have been 99 people killed just since September 26th. Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, has seen more than 1,000 killings this year.
Most law enforcement officials walk off their jobs, are targets for murder or feel helpless to prevent further crimes.
John Walters, the head of the White House, talking about the crimes being committed just across the border, admitted that some traffickers “come across (the U.S. border), kidnap, murder, carry out assassinations.”
And then there is the cost. Congress has thus far sent $400 million in aid to Mexico for their anti-drug efforts. The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, has complained that because America is the world’s largest market for illegal narcotics and because it provides much of the weaponry used by the cartels, it should focus more attention on these problems.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Trafficking Violence. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
For background, consider that in the last year, border towns and cities within 100 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border have experienced record levels of violence and murders as the drug cartels compete for turf. In the last year, more than 3,700 killings related to drugs and organized crime have occurred in Mexico, up from about 2,700 last year. In Tijuana alone, there have been 99 people killed just since September 26th. Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, has seen more than 1,000 killings this year.
Most law enforcement officials walk off their jobs, are targets for murder or feel helpless to prevent further crimes.
John Walters, the head of the White House, talking about the crimes being committed just across the border, admitted that some traffickers “come across (the U.S. border), kidnap, murder, carry out assassinations.”
And then there is the cost. Congress has thus far sent $400 million in aid to Mexico for their anti-drug efforts. The President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, has complained that because America is the world’s largest market for illegal narcotics and because it provides much of the weaponry used by the cartels, it should focus more attention on these problems.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Trafficking Violence. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: # 6: Economic Burden
Any family that has had one of their members addicted to alcohol, prescription or illicit drugs knows the cost of that addiction in anguish, fear and sadness. However, there is another cost that every family pays for addiction, whether someone close to them is addicted or not. That is the economic burden of addiction, paid for in health care costs, low productivity, welfare, accidents, property damage, the legal system and incarceration, crime, child and domestic abuse and all the public and private facilities that provide counseling, rehabilitation and treatment.
In 1992, this cost was estimated at $246 billion dollars. In 2006, according to the President of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the bill was approaching $1 trillion. This means that every person in the U.S. is paying close to $3,000 a year, one way or another, for the substance abuse problems in this country.
“What happens on a national scale also happens on a small scale to families,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Very often, families facing a loved one’s addiction problem don’t realize what they are looking at. Addicts routinely become manipulative of those close to them so they can continue to get the alcohol or drugs they are addicted to. This manipulation can create financial hardships for families.”
Addicts commonly complain of an unfair boss, an unjust arrest, bad breaks, thefts or threats and so prompt family members to help them out of a fix. But in truth, they are hiding their addiction behind a smokescreen. Many addicts empty bank accounts or steal items out of the home to finance their addiction. This can go on for years, bankrupting a family. Then when the truth comes out and the family wants to get the addict into rehab, they may be financially unable to do so.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Economic Burden. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
In 1992, this cost was estimated at $246 billion dollars. In 2006, according to the President of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the bill was approaching $1 trillion. This means that every person in the U.S. is paying close to $3,000 a year, one way or another, for the substance abuse problems in this country.
“What happens on a national scale also happens on a small scale to families,” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Very often, families facing a loved one’s addiction problem don’t realize what they are looking at. Addicts routinely become manipulative of those close to them so they can continue to get the alcohol or drugs they are addicted to. This manipulation can create financial hardships for families.”
Addicts commonly complain of an unfair boss, an unjust arrest, bad breaks, thefts or threats and so prompt family members to help them out of a fix. But in truth, they are hiding their addiction behind a smokescreen. Many addicts empty bank accounts or steal items out of the home to finance their addiction. This can go on for years, bankrupting a family. Then when the truth comes out and the family wants to get the addict into rehab, they may be financially unable to do so.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Economic Burden. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: # 5: Destroyed Families
There are few American families that completely escape the trauma and stress of someone’s addiction. A 2007 survey showed that twenty million people aged 12 and older abuse an illicit drug each month, and 17 million people are heavy drinkers. As a result of this substance abuse, more than 23 million people 12 or older are addicted to illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol. That’s a lot of spouses, parents, siblings and children addicted or affected by addiction.
According to Joseph Califano, the director of Columbia University’s National Center on Drug Abuse and Addiction, the legacy of addiction is broken families, spousal violence, child abuse and teen pregnancy. No stratum of society is exempt from this damage, no profession or trade escapes addiction’s effects.
Alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in particular are related to incidents of domestic violence. One of the results of this damage in America is the highest rate of divorce in the world. Children of divorce with all the disruption that accompany the process commonly have higher rates of drug and alcohol use during the separation and early years of the divorce.
“When an addicted family member comes home over the holidays it’s very common for the other family members to gloss over the problem and pretend it doesn’t exist.” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “They are just hoping for a few happy moments with the person who has probably been largely missing from their life for awhile. But in fact, the holidays may provide the only opportunity the family has to intervene in that person’s substance abuse and get them into an effective rehabilitation program.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Destroyed Families. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
According to Joseph Califano, the director of Columbia University’s National Center on Drug Abuse and Addiction, the legacy of addiction is broken families, spousal violence, child abuse and teen pregnancy. No stratum of society is exempt from this damage, no profession or trade escapes addiction’s effects.
Alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in particular are related to incidents of domestic violence. One of the results of this damage in America is the highest rate of divorce in the world. Children of divorce with all the disruption that accompany the process commonly have higher rates of drug and alcohol use during the separation and early years of the divorce.
“When an addicted family member comes home over the holidays it’s very common for the other family members to gloss over the problem and pretend it doesn’t exist.” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “They are just hoping for a few happy moments with the person who has probably been largely missing from their life for awhile. But in fact, the holidays may provide the only opportunity the family has to intervene in that person’s substance abuse and get them into an effective rehabilitation program.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to Destroyed Families. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #4: Crime Rates
It’s easy to find the connection between substance abuse and crime. Start by examining arrest statistics. In 2003, nearly 74 percent of adult male arrestees in testing sites across the U.S. tested positive for one of nine drugs including cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opiates or alcohol. Forty-four percent of those arrested tested positive for marijuana, 30 percent had used cocaine and more than 11 percent were positive for methamphetamine.
Also, illicit drug users are about 16 times more likely than nonusers to be arrested for theft, nine times more likely to be arrested for assault. A survey of inmates in state prisons in 1991 found that 30 percent of those convicted of burglary and 31 percent of those convicted of theft reported that they committed their crimes to get money for drugs.
“It’s not that every drug user also commits crimes,” said Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “However it is very common that a person who has become addicted to drugs will do and say things that he or she never would have done if they were not addicted. Families will see this when their addicted son, daughter, spouse, parent or other family member makes it to a holiday event, their first visit home in a long time. The guilt and depression felt by addicts can generate conflicts and arguments between the addict and his or her family.”
Guilt and depression along with cravings are the major barriers that must be overcome to reclaim a productive, enjoyable life after addiction. To succeed, rehabilitation must address these barriers that keep addicts trapped in the addiction.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Crime Rates. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Also, illicit drug users are about 16 times more likely than nonusers to be arrested for theft, nine times more likely to be arrested for assault. A survey of inmates in state prisons in 1991 found that 30 percent of those convicted of burglary and 31 percent of those convicted of theft reported that they committed their crimes to get money for drugs.
“It’s not that every drug user also commits crimes,” said Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “However it is very common that a person who has become addicted to drugs will do and say things that he or she never would have done if they were not addicted. Families will see this when their addicted son, daughter, spouse, parent or other family member makes it to a holiday event, their first visit home in a long time. The guilt and depression felt by addicts can generate conflicts and arguments between the addict and his or her family.”
Guilt and depression along with cravings are the major barriers that must be overcome to reclaim a productive, enjoyable life after addiction. To succeed, rehabilitation must address these barriers that keep addicts trapped in the addiction.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Crime Rates. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #3: Domestic Violence
It’s one of our greatest tragedies: men and women who anticipated a loving relationship instead find themselves experiencing violence at the hands of the loved one. In the U.S., nearly one third of female murder victims are killed by an intimate, and the proportion is increasing.
The World Health Organization reported that alcohol consumption, especially at harmful and hazardous levels, is a major contributor to the occurrence of intimate partner violence and that violence is more severe and more likely to result in physical injury when alcohol is involved. Fifty-five percent of American women who had been assaulted by a partner believed their partners to have been drinking before the attack, and 20 percent of men who were attacked by women stated that the woman had been drinking before the attack.
This relationship between alcohol and abuse or violence means that successful rehabilitation of those addicted to alcohol can go a long way to reducing the trauma and loss of domestic violence.
“No one wants to be an addict, no matter what the addicted person says,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “One of the tragic aspects of addiction is that the condition masks itself. By survey, the primary reason that addicted people do not seek help is that they think they don’t need help. Families can help that person break through that barrier. In our experience, families play a large role in the recovery of people who come to Narconon for help.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Domestic Violence. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
The World Health Organization reported that alcohol consumption, especially at harmful and hazardous levels, is a major contributor to the occurrence of intimate partner violence and that violence is more severe and more likely to result in physical injury when alcohol is involved. Fifty-five percent of American women who had been assaulted by a partner believed their partners to have been drinking before the attack, and 20 percent of men who were attacked by women stated that the woman had been drinking before the attack.
This relationship between alcohol and abuse or violence means that successful rehabilitation of those addicted to alcohol can go a long way to reducing the trauma and loss of domestic violence.
“No one wants to be an addict, no matter what the addicted person says,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “One of the tragic aspects of addiction is that the condition masks itself. By survey, the primary reason that addicted people do not seek help is that they think they don’t need help. Families can help that person break through that barrier. In our experience, families play a large role in the recovery of people who come to Narconon for help.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Domestic Violence. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #2: Child Abuse
If you hurt yourself using drugs or alcohol, that’s bad enough. If you hurt children in your care, that’s a different thing entirely. Children are generally helpless to defend themselves against abuse or neglect by substance abusing caregivers.
Various reports estimate that between 40% and 80% of child maltreatment cases are related to substance abuse. Heartbreaking stories of neglect and abuse can be found in every state in the Union, ranging from children being locked in closets while their parents seek drugs, to the baby who was given cocaine to silence her cries and the infants whose cribs are in the same room as the methamphetamine labs. Also, it’s estimated that a half million babies are born each year who are suffering from prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol.
“Children are some of the most tragic victims of drug and alcohol addiction,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When addiction really takes hold, the drug controls the person rather than the person controlling the drug. A deeply addicted person will value their next hit of cocaine or meth or OxyContin more than they value the welfare of their children.”
According to federal agency studies, children whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs are almost three times more likely to be verbally, physically or sexually abused and four times more likely than other children to be neglected. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop alcoholism or other drug problems.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Child Abuse. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Various reports estimate that between 40% and 80% of child maltreatment cases are related to substance abuse. Heartbreaking stories of neglect and abuse can be found in every state in the Union, ranging from children being locked in closets while their parents seek drugs, to the baby who was given cocaine to silence her cries and the infants whose cribs are in the same room as the methamphetamine labs. Also, it’s estimated that a half million babies are born each year who are suffering from prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol.
“Children are some of the most tragic victims of drug and alcohol addiction,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When addiction really takes hold, the drug controls the person rather than the person controlling the drug. A deeply addicted person will value their next hit of cocaine or meth or OxyContin more than they value the welfare of their children.”
According to federal agency studies, children whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs are almost three times more likely to be verbally, physically or sexually abused and four times more likely than other children to be neglected. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop alcoholism or other drug problems.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Child Abuse. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: #1 - Overdoses
It’s the call no family wants to get: there’s been a drug overdose and you need to come to the hospital. Maybe it’s for a son or daughter. Or it could be for a spouse, sibling, parent or even a best friend.
Fortunately, medical science has developed antidotes to some commonly abused drugs that can save lives, if they can find out which drug was taken in time and if the overdose was not too severe. Unfortunately, some people take too much of a drug or get help too late to survive an overdose.
Since the early 1970s, mortality rates from unintentional drug overdoses have been rising steadily. In 2005, that rate had reached 22,400 drug overdose deaths. The same year, there were just over 17,000 homicides. In fact, in the category of accidental deaths, drug overdose deaths are second only to deaths from vehicle crashes.
What’s more, illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin are not the major contributors to this increase. The greatest increases have come from prescription pain relievers and sedatives such as Valium. When abused, these drugs can easily become addictive and repeated abuse can lead to mistakes such as overdoses.
“Drug overdoses are a terrible and unnecessary way to lose our loved ones,” declared Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Canadian, Oklahoma. “They are particularly unnecessary because addiction can be addressed with a holistic, drug-free program such as the one we deliver at Narconon that enables the addicted person to replace addiction with a productive, enjoyable life.”
When the holidays come, some addicted people will avoid family events from the shame they feel due to their addiction. Others will make the trip home. Surveys show that most families try to overlook the addiction so everyone can have an enjoyable holiday, but as one former addict put it, “It was like ignoring the elephant in the living room. Everyone knew it was there but no one wanted to say anything.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Overdoses
Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Fortunately, medical science has developed antidotes to some commonly abused drugs that can save lives, if they can find out which drug was taken in time and if the overdose was not too severe. Unfortunately, some people take too much of a drug or get help too late to survive an overdose.
Since the early 1970s, mortality rates from unintentional drug overdoses have been rising steadily. In 2005, that rate had reached 22,400 drug overdose deaths. The same year, there were just over 17,000 homicides. In fact, in the category of accidental deaths, drug overdose deaths are second only to deaths from vehicle crashes.
What’s more, illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin are not the major contributors to this increase. The greatest increases have come from prescription pain relievers and sedatives such as Valium. When abused, these drugs can easily become addictive and repeated abuse can lead to mistakes such as overdoses.
“Drug overdoses are a terrible and unnecessary way to lose our loved ones,” declared Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Canadian, Oklahoma. “They are particularly unnecessary because addiction can be addressed with a holistic, drug-free program such as the one we deliver at Narconon that enables the addicted person to replace addiction with a productive, enjoyable life.”
When the holidays come, some addicted people will avoid family events from the shame they feel due to their addiction. Others will make the trip home. Surveys show that most families try to overlook the addiction so everyone can have an enjoyable holiday, but as one former addict put it, “It was like ignoring the elephant in the living room. Everyone knew it was there but no one wanted to say anything.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Overdoses
Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thirty Million Impaired Drivers Each Year Make Our Roads Hazardous
A new survey reveals that in some states more than 25% of drivers have driven after consuming alcohol, in the last year. This means more than 30 million impaired drivers on the road. What’s more, nearly one in twenty drivers across the country reported having driven under the influence of illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin or prescription drugs used nonmedically.
An earlier study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration pointed out that 29 percent of drivers 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol. The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving states that an estimated 15,827 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in 2002. That’s 37 percent of the total number of traffic fatalities.
These stark figures paint a very grim picture of the kind of damage drinking and driving can cause. But of course, fatalities are just one kind of damage being created. There’s also injuries and billions in medical and quality of life costs.
Problems really arise when a person is addicted to alcohol or illicit drugs and constantly drives impaired. These people not only endanger others, they are at risk of death or serious injury every day.
“When families know a son, spouse or other member has a chronic problem with alcohol or drugs, they may be saving his or her life if they find an effective rehab program,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a person makes a lifetime recovery in an effective rehab program like the one at Narconon, he protects his own future and the futures of adults and children he may pass on the street every day.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Impaired Drivers. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
An earlier study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration pointed out that 29 percent of drivers 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol. The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving states that an estimated 15,827 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in 2002. That’s 37 percent of the total number of traffic fatalities.
These stark figures paint a very grim picture of the kind of damage drinking and driving can cause. But of course, fatalities are just one kind of damage being created. There’s also injuries and billions in medical and quality of life costs.
Problems really arise when a person is addicted to alcohol or illicit drugs and constantly drives impaired. These people not only endanger others, they are at risk of death or serious injury every day.
“When families know a son, spouse or other member has a chronic problem with alcohol or drugs, they may be saving his or her life if they find an effective rehab program,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a person makes a lifetime recovery in an effective rehab program like the one at Narconon, he protects his own future and the futures of adults and children he may pass on the street every day.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Impaired Drivers. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
McCready’s Addiction Problem is Just Like Anyone Else’s, Just More Public
When a celebrity is dragged through the headlines for years, facing rehabs, arrests, incarcerations, probations and more, it’s the same fate suffered by millions of addicts. In their cases, paparazzi, reporters and tabloids make the fates excruciatingly public.
In millions of homes around America, the same scene plays out more privately. Take the case of Mindy McCready, known for several hit country tunes and albums in the mid-1990s. Starting in 2004, Mindy began a public decline, hitting mile markers for overdoses and attempted suicides, assaults given and received, multiple arrests, community service, probation and rehab in Arizona, Florida and Tennessee. Mindy’s drugs of choice, based on arrest records, have been alcohol and OxContin.
Government surveys estimate that more than 22 million people fall into the same category as McCready, abusing illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol to the point that the use damages the abuser’s life.
And the damage spreads outward from there. A 2004 survey found that 63 percent of those surveyed stated that they had been impacted by someone’s addiction, mostly family members.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: McCready Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
In millions of homes around America, the same scene plays out more privately. Take the case of Mindy McCready, known for several hit country tunes and albums in the mid-1990s. Starting in 2004, Mindy began a public decline, hitting mile markers for overdoses and attempted suicides, assaults given and received, multiple arrests, community service, probation and rehab in Arizona, Florida and Tennessee. Mindy’s drugs of choice, based on arrest records, have been alcohol and OxContin.
Government surveys estimate that more than 22 million people fall into the same category as McCready, abusing illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol to the point that the use damages the abuser’s life.
And the damage spreads outward from there. A 2004 survey found that 63 percent of those surveyed stated that they had been impacted by someone’s addiction, mostly family members.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: McCready Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Far From Being Harmless, Current Marijuana is More Potent, Dangerous and Addictive Than Ever Before
The various proponents of marijuana legalization or use in medical treatment might have you believe that marijuana is a natural and harmless substance. A Spanish study does not support this concept.
In sheer numbers, marijuana users beat out any other drug users. In 2006, nearly 15 million Americans 12 and older used the drug in the past month. For comparison, abusers of prescription drugs numbered 7 million and 2.4 million were cocaine users.
But the most dangerous change occurred in the potency of the marijuana being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico, Canada or other foreign countries. Potency of pot seized in 1980 averaged less than 2 percent THC, marijuana’s intoxicating ingredient. By 2007, the average potency had increased to almost ten percent, with some samples testing as high as 13 to 33 percent. And as to the effects of THC, a study of cannabis users executed in Spain in 2002 suggested that the heavy use of cannabis can induce a psychotic disorder that includes depression, hallucinations and depersonalization as symptoms.
What makes marijuana additionally dangerous is that so many young people see no harm in using the drug, an attitude that can easily lead to chronic use or dependence. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that in 2006, more than 4 million Americans aged 12 and older fit the criteria for dependence or abuse of the drug, which means that these individuals continued to use the drug despite personal, mental or social harm.
“Facts on the effects of marijuana must be carefully evaluated by anyone who has someone close to them who is a heavy or chronic marijuana user,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Since so many people start using marijuana at such a young age, we could be losing our best minds to a marijuana addiction, rather than grooming our children for good careers and productive, enjoyable lives.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Marijuana Addictive. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
In sheer numbers, marijuana users beat out any other drug users. In 2006, nearly 15 million Americans 12 and older used the drug in the past month. For comparison, abusers of prescription drugs numbered 7 million and 2.4 million were cocaine users.
But the most dangerous change occurred in the potency of the marijuana being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico, Canada or other foreign countries. Potency of pot seized in 1980 averaged less than 2 percent THC, marijuana’s intoxicating ingredient. By 2007, the average potency had increased to almost ten percent, with some samples testing as high as 13 to 33 percent. And as to the effects of THC, a study of cannabis users executed in Spain in 2002 suggested that the heavy use of cannabis can induce a psychotic disorder that includes depression, hallucinations and depersonalization as symptoms.
What makes marijuana additionally dangerous is that so many young people see no harm in using the drug, an attitude that can easily lead to chronic use or dependence. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that in 2006, more than 4 million Americans aged 12 and older fit the criteria for dependence or abuse of the drug, which means that these individuals continued to use the drug despite personal, mental or social harm.
“Facts on the effects of marijuana must be carefully evaluated by anyone who has someone close to them who is a heavy or chronic marijuana user,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Since so many people start using marijuana at such a young age, we could be losing our best minds to a marijuana addiction, rather than grooming our children for good careers and productive, enjoyable lives.”
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Marijuana Addictive. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Is Methadone Treatment Obsolete?
For opiate addicts, such as those addicted to heroin, opium or synthetic opiates such as hydrocodone, methadone has allowed them to cease use of the addictive substance without painful withdrawal symptoms. Once a person has been on methadone for awhile, treatment protocols vary. Some addiction treatment practitioners taper a person off methadone and some will keep a person on maintenance treatment, meaning that the person may be on methadone for the rest of their lives.
In recent years, some opiate addiction treatment practitioners are campaigning for a change in methadone treatment guidelines, stating that this indefinite maintenance with methadone is the best idea. One study from 2000 found that 80% of those who quit methadone treatment relapse within three years. Some practitioners may consider this a reason to keep opiate addicts on methadone indefinitely but some see a different logic.
“If a person’s only choice is addiction to an opiate or taking methadone prescribed by a doctor, then methadone might be a logical form of treatment,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “What many people don’t know is that they have the choice of the tolerable withdrawal process that is offered at Narconon Arrowhead.” At Narconon, the withdrawal phase is followed by a precise, proven method of detoxification that for many, results in greatly lowered or even eliminated cravings.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Is Methadone Obsolete?. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
In recent years, some opiate addiction treatment practitioners are campaigning for a change in methadone treatment guidelines, stating that this indefinite maintenance with methadone is the best idea. One study from 2000 found that 80% of those who quit methadone treatment relapse within three years. Some practitioners may consider this a reason to keep opiate addicts on methadone indefinitely but some see a different logic.
“If a person’s only choice is addiction to an opiate or taking methadone prescribed by a doctor, then methadone might be a logical form of treatment,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “What many people don’t know is that they have the choice of the tolerable withdrawal process that is offered at Narconon Arrowhead.” At Narconon, the withdrawal phase is followed by a precise, proven method of detoxification that for many, results in greatly lowered or even eliminated cravings.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Is Methadone Obsolete?. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Effects of Addiction Spread Much Farther Than Previously Thought
If you pay attention to government surveys, you’ll learn that more than 20 million people suffer from addiction to alcohol or street drugs, or they are dependent on prescription drugs that they have been abusing. But a recent survey of American adults shows that the effects of addiction stretch much farther than this.
In 2004, 63 percent of adults surveyed said that addiction had impacted their lives, most of them because of a family member’s battle with drugs or alcohol. That means that more than 135 million people struggle either with their own addiction or that of a family member or someone close to them.
This doesn’t measure the number of children who are without a father or mother because they are in jail, in rehab or simply gone. Or the number of children who have parents at home but suffer neglect or abuse because of the drug use. It doesn’t measure the lost productivity or the number of businesses that have had to close because an owner lost everything to substance abuse or an employee embezzled enough to close the doors.
Substance abuse and addiction exacts a terrible toll on America. And successful recovery programs can be few and far between. Many rehabilitations state success rates between 5 and 20 percent.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Effects of Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
In 2004, 63 percent of adults surveyed said that addiction had impacted their lives, most of them because of a family member’s battle with drugs or alcohol. That means that more than 135 million people struggle either with their own addiction or that of a family member or someone close to them.
This doesn’t measure the number of children who are without a father or mother because they are in jail, in rehab or simply gone. Or the number of children who have parents at home but suffer neglect or abuse because of the drug use. It doesn’t measure the lost productivity or the number of businesses that have had to close because an owner lost everything to substance abuse or an employee embezzled enough to close the doors.
Substance abuse and addiction exacts a terrible toll on America. And successful recovery programs can be few and far between. Many rehabilitations state success rates between 5 and 20 percent.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Effects of Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Save Kids' Lives by Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse
A new study just published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine notes that thousands of children aged five and under have been poisoned by prescription painkillers in the last few years. Eight of these children died and 43 suffered life-threatening injuries. Another 214 experienced moderate effects.
Drugs included in the study were opioid painkillers such as oxydcodone, hydrocodone, and methadone. Opioid drugs are similar to opiate narcotics such as morphine but are not derived from opium. Another drug in the list was buprenorphine, a newer drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction.
Opioids can cause such a suppression of the respiratory system that young children simply stop breathing. The rapid growth in the number of prescriptions in the last decade means that tens of millions of households have opioid painkillers present, increasing the threat to young, curious children.
“Opioid pain relievers provide a better quality of life for those in severe pain, but they are also addictive,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, offering a full range of services from in-patient rehabilitation to free consultations to those struggling with addiction and referrals to treatment programs. “If a person finds they can’t quit taking these drugs when they are no longer needed, that person needs help to overcome that addiction. Every household that can be freed from opioid pain relievers is a household that is safer for young children.”
Opioid painkillers are not only dangerous to young children. Older children seeking substances to abuse commonly obtain prescription medications from family members. Leftover prescriptions and medications stored in medicine chests or purses are the primary source for teens who abuse prescription drugs.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Save Kids' Lives. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
Drugs included in the study were opioid painkillers such as oxydcodone, hydrocodone, and methadone. Opioid drugs are similar to opiate narcotics such as morphine but are not derived from opium. Another drug in the list was buprenorphine, a newer drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction.
Opioids can cause such a suppression of the respiratory system that young children simply stop breathing. The rapid growth in the number of prescriptions in the last decade means that tens of millions of households have opioid painkillers present, increasing the threat to young, curious children.
“Opioid pain relievers provide a better quality of life for those in severe pain, but they are also addictive,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, offering a full range of services from in-patient rehabilitation to free consultations to those struggling with addiction and referrals to treatment programs. “If a person finds they can’t quit taking these drugs when they are no longer needed, that person needs help to overcome that addiction. Every household that can be freed from opioid pain relievers is a household that is safer for young children.”
Opioid painkillers are not only dangerous to young children. Older children seeking substances to abuse commonly obtain prescription medications from family members. Leftover prescriptions and medications stored in medicine chests or purses are the primary source for teens who abuse prescription drugs.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: Save Kids' Lives. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Drugs/Alcohol and Transportation Are Always a Deadly Mix
Every day, the lives of millions of people depend completely on the operators of trucks, airplanes, ships, trains and cars being substance abuse-free. In dozens of studies done around the world, in the National Transportation and Safety Board investigations of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the U.S., drugs and alcohol have come up thousands of times as factors in accidents.
As in the collision of the Cosco Busan in San Francisco Bay in 2007. The pilot was suffering from sleep apnea and was taking modafinil, a drug that can cause confusion, difficulty seeing, hallucinations or thoughts of suicide. One report stated that he was also taking Valium.
And as in the collision of the Metrolink commuter train in Los Angeles in 2005 in which the train struck a vehicle at a railroad crossing. The driver of the car, Juan Alvarez, admitted that he had been trying to kill himself by placing himself in the path of the train but had changed his mind at the last moment and left the vehicle. Mr. Alvarez suffered from an addiction to methamphetamine.
The Federal Aviation Administration investigates instances of pilot fatalities, and between 1999 and 2003, it made tests of 1629 pilots who were fatally injured in accidents. Drugs or alcohol were found present in 52 percent of those accidents.
A 2005 study by The Walsh Group in Maryland found that of 168 admissions to a trauma center for motor vehicle accidents, more than 65 percent tested positive for either drugs or alcohol.
“These facts all point out the urgent necessity to send anyone suffering from addiction to treatment that will enable them to live a drug-free life,” emphasized Derry Hallmark, the Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Our safety and our very lives might depend on that person who is addicted. They might be driving our bus, administering medical treatment, or being an air traffic controller. For our families to grow up in a safe environment, we must enable people to overcome addictions and achieve drug-free lives.”
To read the entire article, please go to: Transportation and Substance Abuse. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
As in the collision of the Cosco Busan in San Francisco Bay in 2007. The pilot was suffering from sleep apnea and was taking modafinil, a drug that can cause confusion, difficulty seeing, hallucinations or thoughts of suicide. One report stated that he was also taking Valium.
And as in the collision of the Metrolink commuter train in Los Angeles in 2005 in which the train struck a vehicle at a railroad crossing. The driver of the car, Juan Alvarez, admitted that he had been trying to kill himself by placing himself in the path of the train but had changed his mind at the last moment and left the vehicle. Mr. Alvarez suffered from an addiction to methamphetamine.
The Federal Aviation Administration investigates instances of pilot fatalities, and between 1999 and 2003, it made tests of 1629 pilots who were fatally injured in accidents. Drugs or alcohol were found present in 52 percent of those accidents.
A 2005 study by The Walsh Group in Maryland found that of 168 admissions to a trauma center for motor vehicle accidents, more than 65 percent tested positive for either drugs or alcohol.
“These facts all point out the urgent necessity to send anyone suffering from addiction to treatment that will enable them to live a drug-free life,” emphasized Derry Hallmark, the Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Our safety and our very lives might depend on that person who is addicted. They might be driving our bus, administering medical treatment, or being an air traffic controller. For our families to grow up in a safe environment, we must enable people to overcome addictions and achieve drug-free lives.”
To read the entire article, please go to: Transportation and Substance Abuse. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
Drug Overdoses Are the Second Leading Cause of Unintentional Injury Death in the U.S.
Effective Rehab Becomes an Essential Service as We Lose More Citizens to Unintentional Overdoses than Ever Before
The mortality rates from unintentional drug overdoses have been rising steadily since the early 70s, and in the last ten years, the number of these deaths has reached historic highs. Even the “black tar” heroin epidemic of the mid-70s and the crack cocaine peak in the 90s did not approach today’s numbers.
In 2005, the most recent year for which this data has been studied, 22,400 people died of drug overdoses. As a comparison, 17,000 people died from homicides that year, and only traffic crashes account for more deaths than overdoses.
But it’s not heroin or cocaine that’s leading the list of fatal drugs. The top class of drug is prescription drugs such as opioid painkillers which were listed as the leading cause of death in 38 percent of the cases. Methadone alone contributed 50 percent of the opioid painkiller deaths.
Considered as a group, prescription drugs such as painkillers and sedatives such a benzodiazepine totaled 45 percent of the deaths, whereas cocaine, heroin and amphetamines only amounted to 39 percent of the deaths. Studies have shown that a high percentage of those who die of prescription overdoses have a history of substance abuse, that many have no prescriptions for their drugs, and that some alter the drugs by crushing or dissolving them.
“Prescription drug use is so broadly acceptable in our society that, as a result, many addictive drugs are highly available,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma.
To read the rest of this article, please go to:
Drug Overdoses. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
The mortality rates from unintentional drug overdoses have been rising steadily since the early 70s, and in the last ten years, the number of these deaths has reached historic highs. Even the “black tar” heroin epidemic of the mid-70s and the crack cocaine peak in the 90s did not approach today’s numbers.
In 2005, the most recent year for which this data has been studied, 22,400 people died of drug overdoses. As a comparison, 17,000 people died from homicides that year, and only traffic crashes account for more deaths than overdoses.
But it’s not heroin or cocaine that’s leading the list of fatal drugs. The top class of drug is prescription drugs such as opioid painkillers which were listed as the leading cause of death in 38 percent of the cases. Methadone alone contributed 50 percent of the opioid painkiller deaths.
Considered as a group, prescription drugs such as painkillers and sedatives such a benzodiazepine totaled 45 percent of the deaths, whereas cocaine, heroin and amphetamines only amounted to 39 percent of the deaths. Studies have shown that a high percentage of those who die of prescription overdoses have a history of substance abuse, that many have no prescriptions for their drugs, and that some alter the drugs by crushing or dissolving them.
“Prescription drug use is so broadly acceptable in our society that, as a result, many addictive drugs are highly available,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma.
To read the rest of this article, please go to:
Drug Overdoses. Or visit the website of Narconon Arrowhead.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
A Young Woman's Recovery from Devastating Addiction
This is the story of a young woman I recently met and had a chance to interview on her recovery from addiction: Three short years ago, I was smoking crystal meth and snorting OxyContin every day. I was completely hopeless and out of control. My life was spent dancing on a pole in a nightclub, just to be able to afford the next hit that I was going to take in the club’s bathroom.
Self-respect did not exist. Instead, it was replaced by a false sense of confidence that I exhibited to all those who came in contact with me. I hated my parents, my life, and myself. I thought that drugs helped me feel “normal.” I didn’t realize that the drugs just kept the more basic problems out of sight.
On October 9, 2005, I hit that "bottom" that you hear addicts talk about. That moment is as fresh for me as yesterday.
That moment came when I was all alone, sitting in a hospital emergency room. I was covered in blood and looking through my cell phone for someone to come help me. I saw the other people in the ER all had family or friends with them. None of the “friends” I had been getting high with for years would come help me. My family refused to have anything to do with me.
I’d started bleeding heavily a few hours before. Just before I drove myself to the ER, I shot up crystal meth and OxyContin. In the ER, I found out that I was four months pregnant and miscarrying. I was so out of touch that I didn’t even know I was pregnant.
For hours, the nurses monitored my hormone levels as I waited for my unborn child to die inside me. Finally, the doctor came in and let me know that last hit I had taken had killed my baby. Trembling and hysterical, I called my mother. She didn't believe anything I told her because, like a typical addict, I had been lying to her and manipulating her for years.
That was the moment I hit bottom. Instead of calling anyone else to help, I turned my cell phone around and took a video of myself, makeup smeared down my face from crying. I told myself in that video, “Remember this moment.”
For the rest of this story, please visit: A Young Woman's Recovery. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Self-respect did not exist. Instead, it was replaced by a false sense of confidence that I exhibited to all those who came in contact with me. I hated my parents, my life, and myself. I thought that drugs helped me feel “normal.” I didn’t realize that the drugs just kept the more basic problems out of sight.
On October 9, 2005, I hit that "bottom" that you hear addicts talk about. That moment is as fresh for me as yesterday.
That moment came when I was all alone, sitting in a hospital emergency room. I was covered in blood and looking through my cell phone for someone to come help me. I saw the other people in the ER all had family or friends with them. None of the “friends” I had been getting high with for years would come help me. My family refused to have anything to do with me.
I’d started bleeding heavily a few hours before. Just before I drove myself to the ER, I shot up crystal meth and OxyContin. In the ER, I found out that I was four months pregnant and miscarrying. I was so out of touch that I didn’t even know I was pregnant.
For hours, the nurses monitored my hormone levels as I waited for my unborn child to die inside me. Finally, the doctor came in and let me know that last hit I had taken had killed my baby. Trembling and hysterical, I called my mother. She didn't believe anything I told her because, like a typical addict, I had been lying to her and manipulating her for years.
That was the moment I hit bottom. Instead of calling anyone else to help, I turned my cell phone around and took a video of myself, makeup smeared down my face from crying. I told myself in that video, “Remember this moment.”
For the rest of this story, please visit: A Young Woman's Recovery. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Fight Crime by Eliminating Addiction
In every state in the Union, crime and arrest statistics show the relationship between drug or alcohol abuse and crime. And Texas is no exception. An examination of ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program) statistics shows that between 50 and 60 percent of adult male arrestees in four Texas cities tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opiates or PCP in 2000. The numbers ranged from a high of 59 percent in Laredo to a low of 52.9 percent in San Antonio. Marijuana was the top drug found in Dallas, and 45 percent of all arrestees in Laredo tested positive for cocaine.
The same year, the economic impact of drug or alcohol abuse in Texas was an estimated $25.9 billion. This means a cost of more than $1,200 for every man, woman and child in the state.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy states the connection this way: “Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture or distribute drugs…drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user’s behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking.” Illicit drug users are about 16 times more likely than nonusers to be arrested for theft, 9 times more likely to be arrested for assault.
The loss of life to drugs or alcohol is another cost that it’s hard to put a price tag on. Thousands of Texans lose their lives each year to substance abuse. In 2002, 1,677 people in Harris County and 1,070 people in Dallas County died this way.
“Whether a person starts using drugs first or starts committing crimes first, the result is the same: a dwindling spiral of loss of self-respect and hope that leads to more drug use and more crime,” said Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.
To read the rest of the article, go to: Fight Crime by Eliminating Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
The same year, the economic impact of drug or alcohol abuse in Texas was an estimated $25.9 billion. This means a cost of more than $1,200 for every man, woman and child in the state.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy states the connection this way: “Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture or distribute drugs…drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user’s behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking.” Illicit drug users are about 16 times more likely than nonusers to be arrested for theft, 9 times more likely to be arrested for assault.
The loss of life to drugs or alcohol is another cost that it’s hard to put a price tag on. Thousands of Texans lose their lives each year to substance abuse. In 2002, 1,677 people in Harris County and 1,070 people in Dallas County died this way.
“Whether a person starts using drugs first or starts committing crimes first, the result is the same: a dwindling spiral of loss of self-respect and hope that leads to more drug use and more crime,” said Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.
To read the rest of the article, go to: Fight Crime by Eliminating Addiction. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Monday, August 25, 2008
National Recovery Month Points Out Necessity of Acting Early to Eliminate Addiction
September is the time to celebrate National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That makes September the right time for families to approach family members with an addiction problem to help them find their way onto the path to recovery now.
When families realize that a son, daughter or other member is having a problem with drugs or alcohol, the natural tendency is to try to help them find a new job, a new place to live, or help them out with bills or legal fees. All too often, however, this route leads to tens of thousands of dollars invested without that expense resulting in recovery from addiction. By the time many families start a serious search for rehabilitation, their financial options are severely limited and their emotions have been ravaged. The addicted person may have been through multiple stays in jail, may have lost their children, spouse, health, business and everything they own by this time.
“Many addicts promise to quit but in fact, can’t get clean without help,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the nation’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a person has a pattern of continuing to use drugs or alcohol despite damage to life, family and work, that should tip a family off to the need for rehab. If a family continues to bail out the addict from one problem after another, they are actually helping the addict continue their addiction rather than insisting on recovery. Their insistence may be what that addict needs to face the drug or alcohol problem.”
To read the rest of the article, please click here:
National Recovery Month. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
When families realize that a son, daughter or other member is having a problem with drugs or alcohol, the natural tendency is to try to help them find a new job, a new place to live, or help them out with bills or legal fees. All too often, however, this route leads to tens of thousands of dollars invested without that expense resulting in recovery from addiction. By the time many families start a serious search for rehabilitation, their financial options are severely limited and their emotions have been ravaged. The addicted person may have been through multiple stays in jail, may have lost their children, spouse, health, business and everything they own by this time.
“Many addicts promise to quit but in fact, can’t get clean without help,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the nation’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “When a person has a pattern of continuing to use drugs or alcohol despite damage to life, family and work, that should tip a family off to the need for rehab. If a family continues to bail out the addict from one problem after another, they are actually helping the addict continue their addiction rather than insisting on recovery. Their insistence may be what that addict needs to face the drug or alcohol problem.”
To read the rest of the article, please click here:
National Recovery Month. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Parents Need to Know How to Protect Kids from Drugs in Schools
According to a study by the Columbia University National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, eighty percent of high school students in American have personally witnessed drug use or possession or drunk or high students at their schools. Forty-four percent of middle school children have had the same experience. The study also showed that students in drug-infested schools are much more likely to use drugs or alcohol themselves.
Until school systems learn how to turn this situation around, a student’s primary line of defense is his or her parents. To protect their children, parents must learn what changes may indicate that the student has started abusing drugs or alcohol. Symptoms include:
Missed classes, lateness, incomplete or missing assignments, falling grades
Accidents, mistakes
Sudden, unexplained weight loss or gain
Neglect of school, work or family affairs
Discontinuation of hobbies, sports or group activities
Deterioration in appearance or hygiene
Change in communication with family or good friends
Secretive behavior
Missing money or unexplained money or new and expensive items, missing items of value
Health problems, change in sleep patterns, runny nose, cough, irritated skin, hangovers
Explosive arguments, often over small matters
To read the remainder of this article, please go to:
Parents Need to Know How to Protect Kids from Drugs in Schools. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Until school systems learn how to turn this situation around, a student’s primary line of defense is his or her parents. To protect their children, parents must learn what changes may indicate that the student has started abusing drugs or alcohol. Symptoms include:
Missed classes, lateness, incomplete or missing assignments, falling grades
Accidents, mistakes
Sudden, unexplained weight loss or gain
Neglect of school, work or family affairs
Discontinuation of hobbies, sports or group activities
Deterioration in appearance or hygiene
Change in communication with family or good friends
Secretive behavior
Missing money or unexplained money or new and expensive items, missing items of value
Health problems, change in sleep patterns, runny nose, cough, irritated skin, hangovers
Explosive arguments, often over small matters
To read the remainder of this article, please go to:
Parents Need to Know How to Protect Kids from Drugs in Schools. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Road to a Miracle: From Hell’s Angel to Helping Addicts Achieve Drug-Free Lives
It was a long road from being a Hell’s Angel addicted to amphetamines to finally becoming a productive drug-free individual spending his life helping others get off drugs.
The road started in New Jersey where George Veliskakis grew up. It then led through the Hell’s Angels and amphetamines and then through a heroin addiction George battled while running a boxing gym. Fortunately, the road finally arrived at a drug-free life in which he could help others overcome the addiction problems he had suffered from.
George’s first encounter with drugs came after he lost an eye while being abused by other kids. “They were teasing me about being Greek and one of them accidentally stabbed me in the eye with a knife,” George explained. While in the hospital, one of the nurses convinced George that he needed a painkiller for the eye injury. “I only realized years later what happened,” he went on. “The nurses wanted to get some morphine for their own use so they got me to ask for a painkiller when I wasn’t even in pain. They gave me a little, laughed when I got high then they got high themselves. Many years later when I got injured and actually needed painkillers, these memories came back to me and I figured out what had been going on.”
In his 20s, George joined the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club. He began to use and sell amphetamines and other drugs and spent two terms in jail. After the second jail term, he decided to get clean and return to the athletic world that had helped him succeed when he was a young man.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: From Hells Angel to Helping Addicts Achieve Drug-Free Lives. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Young Vancouver Musician Restores His Goals After Overcoming Cocaine Addiction
I recently had the opportunity to interview one of our graduates, Jordan Field. Jordan is a very talented young musician from Vancouver, British Columbia. His story is a reminder that is it possible to leave addiction behind if you have the right program. Here's the beginning to his story. To finish the story, just click the link at the bottom.
Like a lot of teenagers, Jordan Field was rebellious in his teenage years. However, not every rebellious teen becomes addicted to cocaine when they hit their early twenties, but Jordan did. Fortunately, Jordan found a drug rehab that taught him the life skills he needs to live drug-free from now on, freeing him to concentrate on his musical talents.
“I’ve been a musician and a dancer most of my life,” Jordan said. “But when I got into using cocaine and ecstasy, I lost sight of my goals completely.” Somehow, Jordan managed to keep his drug use a secret from his family. “I was staying up for three or four days at a time on cocaine. Finally it hit me that if I want to succeed in life and in my musical career, it won’t involve drugs.”
To finish this story, please go to: Young Musician Restores Goals. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
$60 Million Still Being Poured Into National Anti-Drug Campaign Proven a Failure
A study by the Rockville, Maryland research group Westat, validated by the General Accounting Office, showed that $1.2 billion of taxpayer money was pumped into a youth anti-drug campaign that failed to show a positive result. The campaign was the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign that ran between 1998 and 2004, created and run by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a branch of the White House.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: $60 Million. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
The Westat group measured improvements in drug use or opinions of drug use by students and found that the campaign, rather than lessening drug use, “may have promoted perceptions among exposed youth that others’ drug use was normal.”
Even parents receiving these drug messages were not impressed. The Westat review showed that more parents talked to their kids about drugs subsequent to being exposed to the campaign but did not monitor their children’s drug use any more vigilantly.
Still, the ONDCP was bold enough to recently ask Congress for another $130 million to continue the campaign. On their website they complain of a lack of support when the response was just $60 million for this failed campaign.
To read the rest of this article, please go to: $60 Million. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
Monday, June 30, 2008
How Do You Help Someone Who Doesn't Want to be Helped?
If there was a disease suffered by one out of every ten Americans over twelve years of age, wouldn’t you agree that this disease was raging out of control? That’s exactly the situation that exists with drug abuse and dependence.
The government agency that monitors the statistics on drug abuse and dependence is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). In 2006, SAMHSA estimated, based on tens of thousands of surveys, that more than twenty-two million Americans were suffering from drug or alcohol abuse or drug or alcohol dependence. This compares to the Centers for Disease Control’s estimate of 1.1 million Americans who are HIV positive and it’s twice the number of people who suffered from all types of cancer combined.
To read the entire article, go to Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
The government agency that monitors the statistics on drug abuse and dependence is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). In 2006, SAMHSA estimated, based on tens of thousands of surveys, that more than twenty-two million Americans were suffering from drug or alcohol abuse or drug or alcohol dependence. This compares to the Centers for Disease Control’s estimate of 1.1 million Americans who are HIV positive and it’s twice the number of people who suffered from all types of cancer combined.
To read the entire article, go to Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
New Booklet Supports Efforts to Conquer Addiction
New Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime Supports Senator Jim Webb's Efforts to Conquer Drug Abuse and Addiction. As acknowledged by Senator Jim Webb in this month’s hearing of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, America’s drug war has failed to curb the numbers of citizens abusing and becoming addicted to drugs.
The most recent National Survey of Drug Use and Health reported record-breaking levels of illicit drug abuse. Other federal agencies report rapidly multiplying numbers of Americans in custody and hundreds of billions of dollars spent each year in a vain attempt to curb the problem.
In 2006, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 23 million Americans aged 12 or older needed treatment for illicit drug or alcohol abuse. The Bureau of Justice Statistics cites more than half a million more were in custody for drug charges.
“These raw figures by themselves don’t tell the whole tale,” stated Gary Smith, the Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “You have to look at the fact that those needing treatment have families and that more than twelve million of them are employed either full-time or part-time."
For the entire press release, please go to: New Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime.. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
The most recent National Survey of Drug Use and Health reported record-breaking levels of illicit drug abuse. Other federal agencies report rapidly multiplying numbers of Americans in custody and hundreds of billions of dollars spent each year in a vain attempt to curb the problem.
In 2006, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 23 million Americans aged 12 or older needed treatment for illicit drug or alcohol abuse. The Bureau of Justice Statistics cites more than half a million more were in custody for drug charges.
“These raw figures by themselves don’t tell the whole tale,” stated Gary Smith, the Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “You have to look at the fact that those needing treatment have families and that more than twelve million of them are employed either full-time or part-time."
For the entire press release, please go to: New Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime.. Or visit the website at Narconon Arrowhead.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Five Stages of Drug Use
Every minute of every day, around the clock, five people try an illicit drug for the first time. That adds up to nearly three million people per year. Tragically, more than half of these initiates are under 18.
People using drugs go through several stages on their way to full-blown addiction:
Stage 1: They’re curious about drug use; they may ask questions or ask to join those using drugs. They willingly listen to stories about the effects of drugs. They watch others obtaining drugs or using them.
Stage 2: They experiment with drugs and discover the effects. This is usually social, recreational use carried out as part of a group, usually on weekends. The peer pressure of the group use is enough reason for many people to continue to use drugs.
To read the entire article, please go to: Five Stages of Drug Use. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
People using drugs go through several stages on their way to full-blown addiction:
Stage 1: They’re curious about drug use; they may ask questions or ask to join those using drugs. They willingly listen to stories about the effects of drugs. They watch others obtaining drugs or using them.
Stage 2: They experiment with drugs and discover the effects. This is usually social, recreational use carried out as part of a group, usually on weekends. The peer pressure of the group use is enough reason for many people to continue to use drugs.
To read the entire article, please go to: Five Stages of Drug Use. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NEW! Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime
When a loved one is addicted to drugs, alcohol or other substances, families can be desperate for help. But what kind of help is often provided? Addiction treatment using other addictive substances is the norm. In fact, most medications used for addiction treatment become substances of abuse themselves -- which means that people use them to get high.What any family wants -- and what addicts themselves want, down deep -- is addiction treatment that truly brings about addiction recovery for a lifetime.
Now, Narconon Arrowhead is releasing the Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime. This new booklet, available free for the asking, will guide a person from my loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol all the way to my loved one has made a lasting recovery from their addiction. This valuable guide even includes instruction on how to do an intervention to get the addicted person into treatment.
For your free copy, call 1-800-468-6938 today or visit www.stopaddiction.com. Or visit the Narconon Arrowhead website.
SALVIA: Hallucinogenic drug legal in most states
While many people have never even heard of Salvia divinorum, an estimated 750,000 Americans not only knew about it but consumed it last year. Salvia divinorum is a variety of sage plant, fully legal in most states, that is used by those looking for a drug-induced altered perception experience.
Depending on how the drug is taken, onset of the effects may just take seconds and last for five minutes to half an hour. The Drug Enforcement Agency lists these effects of the drug: Perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors and shapes; distortion of body movements and body or objects; state of feeling unwell; uncontrolled laughter; a sense of loss of body; overlapping realities; hallucinations; incoordination; dizziness; slurred speech.
Salvia is acquired through the internet or from retail stores in states where it is not yet illegal. The effects are so powerful and uncontrolled that it’s recommended that new users or those about to use a high potency of the drug have a “sitter,” a person who remains sober and looks out for the safety of the drug user.
There are no federal laws controlling its possession or use. Twelve states have made this drug illegal or regulate its sale and use while thirteen more states have pending legislation. For the last two years, a debate has been waged online and in various media about the need to prohibit the possession of the substance. But once you’re outside the circle of those interested in taking or controlling mind-altering drugs, the name Salvia divinorum may draw a blank among parents, school officials and even some law enforcement personnel.
The most vivid way of finding out for oneself what this drug is like is to tune in to www.YouTube.com. Do a search for “salvia” and more than four thousand results will come up. Watch a few of these videos and then decide for yourself how you think the drug should be handled.
“Young people who are not educated about drugs and their dangers may try Salvia or other drugs just because they hear their friends talking about them,” said Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Peer pressure is one of the biggest influences in the initiation of drug use and in the decision to continue to use drugs. Unfortunately, just a few uses of some of the drugs our young people use is enough to get them addicted. Preventing drug use initiation is far easier and less expensive than rehabilitation.”
For more than forty years, the Narconon network of more than 120 centers around the world has restored drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to a clean and sober lifestyle. The Narconon program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison, and is based on the humanitarian works of L. Ron Hubbard. For more information on how you can help a loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933 or visit the Narconon Arrowhead website. Or visit the Narconon Arrowhead website.
Depending on how the drug is taken, onset of the effects may just take seconds and last for five minutes to half an hour. The Drug Enforcement Agency lists these effects of the drug: Perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors and shapes; distortion of body movements and body or objects; state of feeling unwell; uncontrolled laughter; a sense of loss of body; overlapping realities; hallucinations; incoordination; dizziness; slurred speech.
Salvia is acquired through the internet or from retail stores in states where it is not yet illegal. The effects are so powerful and uncontrolled that it’s recommended that new users or those about to use a high potency of the drug have a “sitter,” a person who remains sober and looks out for the safety of the drug user.
There are no federal laws controlling its possession or use. Twelve states have made this drug illegal or regulate its sale and use while thirteen more states have pending legislation. For the last two years, a debate has been waged online and in various media about the need to prohibit the possession of the substance. But once you’re outside the circle of those interested in taking or controlling mind-altering drugs, the name Salvia divinorum may draw a blank among parents, school officials and even some law enforcement personnel.
The most vivid way of finding out for oneself what this drug is like is to tune in to www.YouTube.com. Do a search for “salvia” and more than four thousand results will come up. Watch a few of these videos and then decide for yourself how you think the drug should be handled.
“Young people who are not educated about drugs and their dangers may try Salvia or other drugs just because they hear their friends talking about them,” said Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Peer pressure is one of the biggest influences in the initiation of drug use and in the decision to continue to use drugs. Unfortunately, just a few uses of some of the drugs our young people use is enough to get them addicted. Preventing drug use initiation is far easier and less expensive than rehabilitation.”
For more than forty years, the Narconon network of more than 120 centers around the world has restored drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to a clean and sober lifestyle. The Narconon program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison, and is based on the humanitarian works of L. Ron Hubbard. For more information on how you can help a loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933 or visit the Narconon Arrowhead website. Or visit the Narconon Arrowhead website.
Understanding Addiction and How to Heal Addicted Lives
If you've ever been baffled by addiction, you're not alone. Family members and close friends are commonly baffled by the phenomena their loved ones go through -- often for years before they realize what they are up again.
The manifestations of addiction are very often missed by parents, wives and employers. All they know is that they are having problems with a loved one. They are missing work, money is suddenly in short supply, there are lost days and weeks and tempers are short.
To help educate the public on addiction so they seek help in time to save the addict, and to provide the true data about how addiction is truly eliminated, Narconon Arrowhead has published the booklet Healing Addicted Lives.
An article describing the availability of this booklet can be found here: Healing Addicted Lives article
The booklet can be read online at: HAL booklet
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Introduction to a DrugFree World
This is my own personal blog as a Narconon Arrowhead staff member. You may know that we're the largest Narconon in the world, treating hundreds of drug or alcohol addicts at any one time. I wanted a way to tell people about the world inside Narconon and wonderful life-saving wins that people have here. I also wanted a place to explain to people why drug education and addiction treatment are such vital ways to put your energies.
I am constantly researching the worlds of drug use/addiction/trafficking and drug treatment. More of this information needs to be made available to the public because the media has the lid clamped on pretty tight. There are cities with terrible drug problems in which the media is not saying a thing, perhaps to protect the city's image and property values.
As I come across information that I think it is important, I'll post it here.
I am constantly researching the worlds of drug use/addiction/trafficking and drug treatment. More of this information needs to be made available to the public because the media has the lid clamped on pretty tight. There are cities with terrible drug problems in which the media is not saying a thing, perhaps to protect the city's image and property values.
As I come across information that I think it is important, I'll post it here.
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