NARCONON BLOG

DRUG INFORMATION

Why It’s So Important Not to Drink or Use Drugs during Pregnancy

It has been common knowledge for some time that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not consume drugs, drink alcohol to excess, or consume tobacco. All three of these activities are not only harmful to Mom’s health, but such activities also...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drug Deaths, Suicide, and a Three-Year Drop in Life Expectancy - What Does It Mean?

One of the most telling indicators of the overall health of a nation’s population is its life expectancy. When a population’s life expectancy improves, this is a sign of overall improvement for that country. When a country’s life expectancy falls,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Most Opioid Pill Addicts Still Receive Opioid Prescriptions Following an Overdose

Addiction is the health crisis of the century for millions of Americans and their families. A cursory examination of the addiction epidemic timeline reveals that pharmaceutical opioids played a huge role in the creation of the epidemic.

DRUG REHABILITATION

Not Every Overdose Is Fatal, What Happens When the Addict Survives?

Our country is more familiar with drug overdoses than we perhaps ever have been. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70,237 people died in the U.S. from drug overdoses in 2017. That’s the highest that number has ever been in...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What if Car Crashes Increased at the Same Rate as Drug Overdoses? What Would Public Reaction Be Then?

While drug overdose deaths climbed from 16,800 to more than 70,000 over a 20 year period, was America’s response appropriately strong and determined? If not, why not?

DRUG INFORMATION

Is There a Connection Between Marijuana Use and Prescription Drug Use?

People seek drugs for all kinds of reasons. Some are trying to find an escape from a struggle or difficulty that they are facing in life. Others are peer pressured by their “friends” into using drugs. Some want to experience something different, something...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Suboxone Maker to Pay $1.4 BILLION to Settle Illegal Marketing Claims

In July 2019, Pharmaceutical company Reckitt Benckiser Group settled a federal lawsuit that they fraudulently marketed their addiction treatment drug Suboxone. They’ll pay a huge fine but why doesn’t this settlement actually result in justice?

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Drinking and Marijuana Use Results in Increased Tobacco Consumption in Some Individuals

A healthy lifestyle is always preferred over an unhealthy one. As we go through life, we try to be as healthy as we can. Those intentions are, of course, strongly affected by a wide variety of factors. These include socioeconomic condition, genetic endowment,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

One Year of Overdose Death Decreases: How Good is This News?

For the first time in decades, the number of Americans lost to drug overdoses has begun to decline. Is this cause for celebration? Not yet. Not when you know the reason for the decline. Did you hear about this? For the last year, the number of overdose...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Have We Simply Become Numb to All the Drug-Related Deaths?

There’s a problem with the readily-available information on statistics related to America’s drug abuse and drug overdose situation. And this problem could be skewing the way many of us perceive this situation and reducing our sense of urgency in seeking...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Does Alcohol Marketing Affect Alcohol Use in Young Adults?

Advertising is a growing industry and has been for some time. We see ads pop up everywhere. TV and radio stations have advertised the products and services of sponsors for decades now. Billboards, vinyl wraps on public transportation, newspapers, signs...

ADDICTION

What You Can Do to Support Overdose Awareness Month

Every year, tens of thousands of people die from drug overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017, a little over 70,200 people lost their lives due to overdoses.

DRUG REHABILITATION

Addiction Is “A Solution” that Becomes “The Problem”

The often false, painful and confusing narrative of how a person becomes addictive is at the center of much debate. For many years, addiction was seen as a problem for the inner city, or the morally weak. Worse, when a person didn't fit this narrative,...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The Financial Cost of Addiction

The headlines in U.S. News last week read, “Americans Spent $146 Billion on Illegal Drugs in 2016.” That’s a shocking figure. It’s a figure that drives home just how enormous our country’s drug problem is. But at the same time, a figure like...

ADDICTION

The Importance of Informed Consent in Opioid Drug Prescribing

Who doesn’t want to make informed decisions? Have you ever paid for a product or service on a whim and then regretted it after finding out the product or service wasn’t really what you wanted? You probably would not have made the purchase had you been...

DRUG INFORMATION

Individuals Are Finding It Hard to Get Off Antidepressants. Are They Addictive?

When we turn on the news and read about our nation’s drug addiction crisis, we are inundated with information about the opioid epidemic. We hear tag lines and keywords like “opioid overdoses,” “opiate addiction,” “the opioid epidemic,” “the...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Tide Turns On Pharmaceutical Industry As Leading Advocate Changes Mind On Pain Medication

An article in the New York Times from April 29th, 2019 shone a light on the opioid addiction crisis and highlighted a phenomenon we are very glad to see. Medical doctors, usually pain pill advocates, are turning their backs on pharmaceutical opioids and...

ADDICTION

Yet Another Urgent Reason to Help Addicted Parents

Suicide attempts are another risk factor for the children of addicted parents. We have known for some time that it is harmful for children to grow up in households where one or more of the parents is using drugs and alcohol. There is a wealth of research...

DRUG INFORMATION

Exploring the Off-Label Gabapentin Spike

If you’ve ever had a family member or friend who struggled with seizures, then you’ve probably heard of gabapentin. If not, let’s define it. Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic drug, an anticonvulsant. It’s one of the most commonly prescribed medications...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Substance Abuse, Native Youth, and Reversing a Harsh Trend

Drug addiction and alcohol misuse are human problems. By that I mean, this crippling crisis can befall anyone. No one is immune to the threat of addiction. No amount of money or social status can protect someone from the risk of addiction.