NARCONON BLOG

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Study Shows Lockdowns Associated with Binge Drinking

Though lockdowns slow the transmission of COVID-19, they appear to increase the number of people who binge drink.

ADDICTION

Ten Ways to Support a Loved One in Addiction Recovery

As someone who has lived a life of long-term addiction recovery, I can say with great certainty that my family’s love and support have provided a significant contribution to my long-term success.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol and Cancer—Death Rates Now Measured on a State Level

As if it were not clear enough why Americans should not consume alcohol, new study findings indicate that there is a direct connection between alcohol consumption and increased risk for contracting cancer.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol Used as Coping Mechanism for Covid Anxiety

While any type of alcohol consumption carries some risk for harm, consuming alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety creates a considerable risk for addiction. No one should use alcohol as a method of “dealing with anxiety.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Exercising Through Recovery

It’s long been thought that physical exercise is a healthy activity for recovering addicts. But what does the science say? As it turns out, there’s a growing body of data that suggests exercise helps recovering addicts stay sober.

DRUG INFORMATION

Dextromethorphan: Still a Drug of Abuse, Still Readily Available, Still Dangerous

Despite all the efforts throughout the community to keep drugs out of kids’ hands, bottles of cough medicines sit in many medicine cabinets—cough medicines that can get youth high and even threaten their lives.

DRUG REHABILITATION

How Addiction Treatment Can Inspire Hope

Is there a connection between hopelessness and addictive behavior? And if so, how could hope be used to help people recover from drinking and drug use?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Is There a Connection Between Drinking Less and Pain Relief?

One study found that veterans who cut back on their drinking also suffered less pain shortly thereafter. Is there a proven cause and effect relationship behind this? It is possible that relief from chronic pain may be yet another health benefit of quitting...

ADDICTION

Living with a Recovering Addict—Dos and Don’ts

Someone you care about just completed a drug and alcohol rehab program and is about to come back home. What do you do to support them? What shouldn’t you do?

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Top Ten Tips for Doing an Intervention

Although doing an intervention can be highly stressful it is oftentimes the very thing that saves an addict’s life.

ADDICTION

Ten Great Things About Long-Term Sobriety

It took me a while to realize that alcohol and I had a pretty dysfunctional and toxic relationship and that I do so much better when I stay as far away from it as I can.

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Insanity of Addiction and Why It’s So Hard to Stop

While the rational part of my brain knew I was drinking too much, the side of my mind consumed by my addiction only wanted more. Alcohol made me selfish, yet it also made me give away all of myself until I had nothing left to give.

DRUG INFORMATION

Why You’re Not Yourself When You Drink Alcohol

Perhaps from the outside looking in, it seems odd that a liquid, mostly water with some chemistry added in, could have such a significant impact on human behavior, thought, emotion, and reaction. Why does drinking change the way a person behaves?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What Does the UN’s World Drug Report Tell Us About Addiction?

Every year, the United Nations issues a report on the state of drug use around the globe. What does this year’s report tell us? It’s predictably grim news.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Alcohol Manufacturers Intentionally Target Underage Demographics with Marketing Campaigns

The alcohol industry spends close to $500 million annually on alcohol advertising. Many would not think twice about this. But what about when alcohol advertising encourages teenagers and underage young adults to drink?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Opioid Prescriber to Serve a Seven-Year Jail Sentence for Role in Opioid Epidemic

The majority of doctors practice medicine with ethics, morality, and the intention to help. But when doctors do become immoral, people get hurt. This is the story of one such doctor.

ADDICTION

Ten Tips For Moms in Addiction Recovery (From a Mom in Recovery)

I'll never forget the freedom I felt when I finally began to love myself again and realize that I was worth it, and the best part is that you are too.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The Rise of Drugged Driving in America

For decades, the American people have implemented strategies to prevent drunk driving. But more recently, drugged driving, a different but very real threat, has soared. How can we effectively address this new problem?

DRUG INFORMATION

The Physical and the Mental—Weighing the Effects of a Night Out Drinking

Though alcohol offers zero health benefits and presents an array of risks in its consumption, the alcohol industry in the United States is still a $252 billion industry and $1.47 trillion globally.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Animal Tranquilizer Contributes to Fatal Overdoses in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has recently seen a surge in overdose fatalities that involve heroin or fentanyl mixed with an animal tranquilizer called xylazine. Is this drug crisis in Philadelphia a unique case? Or is it common practice to combine drugs to create dangerous...