NARCONON BLOG

ADDICTION

What is a Pill Mill, and How Do Such Operations Contribute to the Opioid Epidemic?

There were multiple organizations, groups, operations, and factors at play in the inception and promulgation of America’s opioid epidemic. Pain clinics played their role, much to the devastation of countless American families. That’s why it is so crucial...

DRUG INFORMATION

Are There Really Any Gateway Drugs?

Arguments over this concept are not likely to end any time soon, with pro-drug advocates claiming that there is no gateway effect to drug use, and prohibitionists claiming the opposite. We take a look at some of the science.

DRUG REHABILITATION

Should I Wait to Do an Intervention Until After the Holidays?

No matter the time of year, only one certain time is best to do an intervention. That time is as soon as possible.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Developments in the Sackler Case Suggest More Needs to be Done to Hold Pharma Magnates Accountable

In the late-1990s and early-2000s, pharmaceutical manufacturers like Purdue Pharma aggressively marketed addictive drugs such as OxyContin, pushing doctors to prescribe them. Today, though it’s known that these companies helped create America’s opioid...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The U.S. is Losing a City Every Year to Drug and Alcohol Addiction

It may seem unbelievable at first, but the title is no exaggeration. America’s addiction epidemic has become so widespread that the United States now loses the population equivalent of an entire city each year to fatal drug overdoses.

ADDICTION

Responding to an Opioid Overdose

With fatal overdose numbers reaching higher each year, Americans must know how to safely respond to a drug overdose. And beyond that life-saving response, Americans must also know that addiction treatment is needed for those who survive an overdose.

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Consequences of Addiction on Families

There’s truly an overwhelming amount of research to tell us how our world would be better if there were no addiction.

DRUG INFORMATION

Deadly Counterfeit Pills Continue to Escalate Deaths

The presence of millions of counterfeit prescription drugs that actually contain fentanyl or other dangerous illicit drugs makes drug abuse more dangerous than ever. Just one pill can kill the unwary. We look at why and where this situation exists.

DRUG INFORMATION

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Neonatal abstinence syndrome is a harmful effect of drug addiction. Given the adverse nature of NAS and the many other harmful side effects of substance abuse, women who struggle with drug use should seek help as soon as possible.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol is Now Responsible For More Than 95,000 Deaths Per Year

Excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, or 261 deaths per day.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drug Overdose Deaths Jumped Nearly 30 Percent During the Pandemic

Many public health experts believed that, partially because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was going to be the worst year yet for drug overdoses. They were right, and final numbers for the death toll exceeded even the most gloomy predictions.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Awareness of Alcohol Addiction Soars, But Treatment Does Not

Even though Americans are aware that alcohol abuse is a problem in the U.S., the treatment gap is wider than ever. Reporting suggests that the gap recently went from 10% of alcohol addicts receiving treatment down to just 6%. What must be done to address...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Why It Is So Hard To Quit Drinking

Not drinking may seem like a simple solution to someone on the outside but, it is much more complicated than that to someone with an alcohol problem. So what makes it so difficult to quit drinking? Several factors can make it a challenge for someone to...

DRUG INFORMATION

The Deadly Dangers of Polydrug Use

Polydrug users may encounter the greatest risks of all drug users as they mix and match their drugs to suit their desires. What they may have lost sight of is how dangerous and even deadly this practice is.

DRUG INFORMATION

Drugs that Create Dramatic Emotional Changes

When you see dramatic emotional changes or fluctuations in someone you care about, if these changes make no sense, consider the possibility that short or long-term drug or alcohol abuse may be the cause.

DRUG INFORMATION

Carfentanil; A New Drug in America that’s 100 Times More Potent than Fentanyl

Carfentanil has made the news from time to time over the past few years, but not usually in a way that sparks mass concern from authorities and communities. Sadly, the most recent headline on carfentanil suggests that traffickers are appropriating this...

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Effects of Addiction Are Obvious, Why Is So Little Being Done to Treat It?

How can the effects of addiction be so obvious, yet so little is done to address the crisis?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

A Look at College Campus Drinking and Drug Use

Every parent wants a safe and rewarding college experience for their children. But when alcohol misuse and drug abuse are ongoing problems on college campuses which are further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, how can parents ensure their children’s...

ADDICTION

Discovering What You Can Do to Prevent Addiction in Your Community

While the American family is best positioned for helping an addicted family member get help with a drug problem, one could safely say that it’s the local communities that are best positioned for preventing drug addiction from becoming a problem in the...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Ways to Support a Loved One Deciding to Get Sober

If you have a loved one who is beginning to consider the idea of getting sober, here are some practical things that you can do to help.