NARCONON BLOG

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Often Do Medical Experts Become Addicted to the Very Substances They Sometimes Must Prescribe?

Addiction can crop up among any set of people. No one is safe from the risk of addiction. Even highly trained medical experts still fall prey to the very substances that they sometimes must prescribe.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

OxyContin Maker Closed, Fined $8 Billion

The maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, has agreed to plead guilty to three federal criminal charges for its role in creating and advancing the nation's opioid epidemic. Unfortunately, this does not even come close to holding Purdue accountable for the...

DRUG INFORMATION

Want to Be a New Father? Quit Using Alcohol First

Without much doubt, raising a healthy baby depends to some degree on both parents maintaining healthy lifestyles. When it comes to alcohol, new data suggests that BOTH the mother-to-be AND the father-to-be should abstain from alcohol in order to have a...

DRUG INFORMATION

Giving Birth to a Healthy Child Means Giving Up Alcohol AND Marijuana Prior to Conceiving

While much attention has been put on the use of mind-altering substances during pregnancy, new information shows that use of these substances, by either parent, before conception can impact brain development.

ADDICTION

Looking Beyond Opioid Addiction—How Polysubstance Abuse is Becoming the Norm

A new study indicates that clinicians need to look beyond opioid addiction, mainly because the vast majority of addicts are now using more than one substance. When someone is addicted to more than one drug, the stakes are much higher, the risks much more...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Positive Drug Tests Reach Record High

According to new data, not only was the overall number of positive drug tests at a 16-year high in 2019, but the rate of positive tests (percentage of drug tests administrated that came out positive) was also at an all-time high. What does this data tell...

DRUG INFORMATION

So-Called “Study Drugs” Commonly Mis-Used

Treatment of classroom and behavior problems with stimulants has had a very widespread and dangerous side effect: the diversion of these stimulants to illicit use. This is mostly due to the myth that they enhance a person's ability to succeed academically.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

A Strong Warning from the Surgeon General’s Office on Drug Addiction

The office of the Surgeon General is responsible for assessing and addressing the serious health problems that the American people face every year. With that in mind, it is no surprise that the Surgeon General has released several reports on the state...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Drug Addiction & Denial—What Can You Do?

If you’ve never struggled with drug and alcohol addiction before, you may be at a loss for how to help an addicted loved one. What words should you use to help a loved one see that they need to get help? What words should you avoid?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Does Alcohol Cause More Deaths in Some States than in Others?

While alcohol is a problem everywhere, it does not affect all states equally. As the drug epidemic has swept across America, so too has alcohol addiction become more severe.—and it seems to touch down with particular severity in certain regions.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What Is the Average Age of Someone Who Dies from a Drug Overdose?

While there is no question that the United States is struggling with an addiction crisis of epic proportions, some of the more telling details of the crisis are not broadly discussed. For example, what could we learn by examining what age range of Americans...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Addiction Relates to Lack of Life Skills

Loss of life skills is part and parcel of being addicted. So it stands to reason that regaining those skills is an essential part of recovery. The more thoroughly these skills are rebuilt (or built for the first time), the more likely it is that sobriety...

Is There an End In Sight? What Will it Take to End Addiction in America?

It may seem unrealistic to consider a world where addiction to drugs and alcohol does not exist. Is it even possible? Or is addiction too much an intrinsic part of human nature?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Many Cardiac Deaths May Actually Be Drug Overdoses

It’s known that drug and alcohol abuse has a harmful effect on one’s cardiovascular system. However, new data suggests that the real threat of drugs on one's heart may have been entirely underestimated.

DRUG REHABILITATION

Why Do They Lie? How Drug Addiction Alters the Truth

People who are addicted to drugs lie for a number of reasons. Some want to hide the truth from their loved ones to protect them, others hide in shame.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

After a Long Decline, Drug Overdose Deaths Experience Upturn

In September 2019, I wrote a perhaps overly optimistic piece about the fact that America was finally seeing a downturn in overdose deaths. In the more than ten years I’d been writing about this topic, I had only seen the steadiest of climbs in these...

DRUG INFORMATION

Any Amount of Alcohol Consumption Can Cause Harm—An Argument for a Sober Life

Why not just say no to alcohol completely? It’s a serious question that many Americans are considering. As it becomes more apparent how harmful drinking can be, many might want to consider swearing off the substance for good. Just because alcohol is...

ADDICTION

Why Those Needing Drug Rehab During Pandemic May Suffer from Neglect

How has COVID-19 affected Americans seeking drug or alcohol rehab? This pandemic has made life difficult for ALL Americans. But for those who need drug rehab to protect their very existence, it has been far worse.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What is the Scope of Addiction in the World?

The drug epidemic that has swept across America is not just a problem in the States. When the camera lens is zoomed out to examine the planet as a whole, it becomes clear that the entire world struggles with a growing drug addiction emergency.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Winnipeg Experiences a Surge in Opioid Overdoses During COVID-19 – What Can We Learn from That Crisis?

What happens when a city experiences a massive surge in drug overdose deaths? What resources do residents have to help addicts before they overdose? One Canadian city is forced to find out.