NARCONON BLOG

ADDICTION

Return to Healthy Relationships in Addiction Recovery

As a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, healthy relationships are left by the wayside. Why is this? We examine the effects of drugs and alcohol on relationships and what can happen when this person makes it through rehab.

DRUG INFORMATION

A Drink a Day May be Harmful to Brain Health

For decades, the standard medical approach to alcohol has been, “Alcohol consumption in moderation is OK.” However, recent findings suggest the standard should be revised. According to scientists, even one drink per day can be quite harmful.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol Addiction and Mortality Rates Have Soared Since Pandemic

Alcohol addiction and alcohol-related deaths have increased dramatically in recent years. Today, alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Yet, unlike the opioid epidemic, alcohol misuse receives little...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know by Kevin Sabet

Who is Kevin Sabet and why is he qualified to reveal the secrets of the marijuana industry? For starters, here are his credentials.

DRUG INFORMATION

Marijuana Use Increases Odds for Emergency Room Visits

One of the most common myths about marijuana is that it is safe to use. A Canadian study published in June 2022 dispelled that notion by showing a correlation between marijuana use and a higher likelihood of being hospitalized.

DRUG INFORMATION

Alcohol, Heat and Dehydration: Another Reason to Keep the Alcohol Away this Summer

Heat + alcohol = trouble. Hot summer days lead to fluid loss through sweat, while alcohol consumption causes fluid loss through increased urination and other factors. Combined, the two quickly lead to dehydration and heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Seizures of Counterfeit Pills in the U.S. Soar in Recent Months

Drug trends across America are always changing, hence the importance of monitoring such trends. The most recent drug trend to take America by storm is the sinister distribution of fake prescription drugs, labeled as coveted painkillers but containing lethal...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Teen Overdoses at All-Time High, Parents Must Act

Preserving the health and safety of teens is priority #1 for parents. Every parent wants their sons and daughters to grow up to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. With that in mind, it is extremely worrisome that teen drug overdose deaths have more than...

ADDICTION

Drug “Experimentation” in Youth Leads to Addiction in Adulthood

A long-held point of view has been that young people will experiment with drugs and alcohol because “that’s just what young people do” often maintaining that young people will transition out of drug and alcohol experimentation when they grow older...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Does Removing Criminal Penalties for Drug Use Lead to More Drug Use?

Does it really make sense to blanket legalize drugs? On the other hand, does it really make sense to continue the War on Drugs? Or is it possible that leaving some penalties in place but altering or lessening them if treatment is completed might be more...

ADDICTION

Tips for Staying Sober This Summer

Practical tips on ways to stay sober this summer from someone who has been there.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drunk and High, The Worst Combination Possible for Getting Behind the Wheel

In the field of substance abuse, three connected factors are setting the stage for serious harm on America’s roads.

DRUG INFORMATION

Law Enforcement Seizures of Pills Containing Fentanyl Increase Dramatically

One of the most significant risks of using drugs is the possibility that an addict will unknowingly use a completely different drug from what they were expecting. This risk has been particularly evident with the recent surge in fatal fentanyl overdoses.

DRUG INFORMATION

Drugged Driving and Cannabis

People who use cannabis sometimes say that they feel okay to drive after an hour or two has passed. But are they really okay to drive? A new study shows they are not.

DRUG INFORMATION

Study Finds Just One Drink Per Day Can Shrink Your Brain

A common view shared by many people who consume alcohol is that limited, conservative alcohol consumption poses zero risks to one’s physical health. However, a new study indicates that even just one alcoholic beverage per day can reduce brain size over...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Tracing A Network of Crime: How Pharma Distributors Acted as the Middlemen in the Opioid Epidemic

In the now two-decade-long opioid epidemic in the U.S., pharmaceutical opioid manufacturers, pharmacies, and doctors have all come under fire for the role they played in the surge of opioid addiction and death. One group, previously unnoticed and only...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Oregon’s Big Drug Decriminalization Gamble

Oregon decriminalized personal-use quantities of drugs in 2020 with the intention that this new law would help drug users go to rehab rather than jail. This has turned out to be a big gamble that the State was possibly not ready for.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Fentanyl Is Now the Leading Cause of Death for Adults Ages 18 to 45

One of the findings in the CDC’s 2020 Cause of Death report was that overdose deaths caused by fentanyl were the leading cause of death for adults ages 18 to 45. At first, this key fact went almost unnoticed. Only now is this critical issue getting the...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Scotland’s Drug Problem Then and Now

Headline after headline has broken with the news that Scotland is in the midst of the worst drug problem in Europe with the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the region. And while this public health crisis is certainly newsworthy, some key details...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The State of Teen Drug Use: What Are the Real Numbers?

Are our children using more drugs or less these days? How about drinking and binge drinking? Actually, quite a bit of the information is positive.