NARCONON BLOG

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.

DRUG INFORMATION

The Long-Term Harm of Steroid Misuse and Opioid Addiction

We see this often with people who are self-medicating on anabolic steroids. The misuse of anabolic steroids is harmful enough by itself. When we add another drug habit into the mix, for example, self-medication on opioid pain relievers, the drug habit...

ADDICTION

How to Get the Real College Experience

College is a fantastic opportunity to learn a great deal and to gain valuable experience in order to ready oneself for life as an adult. College is a time to learn a trade, or simply to further one's general education.

DRUG INFORMATION

Opiate Addiction and Cocaine—How the Two Are Connected

U.S. News ran a story on August 8th, 2019 titled, “Lethal Deception: Deaths From Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl on the Rise.” The article talked about how cocaine misuse is on its way up and how that has had a direct effect on increasing drug-overdose...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Now That the Oklahoma Lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson Is Over—What Happens Now?

In August 2019, Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman ordered Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals to pay Oklahoma $572 million for the harm their products cause. When the settlement is paid, what will the benefits actually be?...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Recovery Can Last a Lifetime

Everyone has an opinion on the best way to get off drugs and alcohol. But some people don’t believe that anyone can break free from addiction, that addiction is a disease and one has it for life.

ADDICTION

What Happens During an Overdose and What Can You Do About It?

I’ve always believed the best way to tackle a problem was to first learn as much about the problem as possible. So when one of my closest friends died from an overdose in 2012, I dedicated a good deal of time and my career to learning about the dangerous...

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Difference Between Enabling and Help

Every parent wants to help their child, wants to ensure that their kids have the best chances possible for a good and happy life. This imperative is built into a parent’s nature. But it’s not enough to just hope for a good life for our kids.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

American Fix: Ryan Hampton Says What Needs to Be Said

This new book, American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis and How to End It, addresses reasons for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and the tough decisions that must be made to stop the carnage. It is an important book for anyone who wishes...