NARCONON BLOG

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The Opioid Update

Just about every day when I turn on the news, I see some update or media clip regarding the opioid addiction epidemic. Everywhere we look, opioid addiction disrupts our civilization and stains our communities with its toxic hold on millions of Americans....

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Arkansas, Addiction Crisis. Holding Pharma Accountable, and Helping Those Addicted

Arkansas recently made national news when the state’s attorney general sued three major drug distributors for their alleged role in creating and adding to the opioid addiction epidemic. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge claimed that Cardinal Health, McKesson...

ADDICTION

Why Are Some Addictions Taken More Seriously Than Others?

The subject of drug and alcohol addiction is riddled with stereotypes and stigma. Our negative view of addiction and addicts is actually a big part of the reason as to why we have such a terrible drug problem. We refuse to confront this problem as the...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

We Just Celebrated National Prescription Drug Take Back Day—What’s Next?

April 27th was “Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” a day which is celebrated in both April and October. The event was initially created and sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. And why do we need two days per year where we all get together...

ADDICTION

Washington State, Opioid Overdoses, and One Representative’s Efforts to Solve the Crisis

As concerned as I am about the 19.7 million people in our country who struggle with addiction, I keep my ear close to the ground on all issues drug-related. So when I saw a report from last year in the Golden State Sentinel that presented one representative’s...

DRUG REHABILITATION

The Nuances of Intervention—Addressing the Myths in How Intervention Works

Most of us who know anything about addiction or who have seen this crippling affliction first hand have also heard the term “intervention” tossed around. Intervention is a broad term, with multiple definitions and applications in several fields.

DRUG INFORMATION

Could Legal Marijuana Contain Fentanyl In Addition To Mold, Heavy Metals, and Pesticide?

The marijuana issue is probably one of the most heavily contested segments of the addiction epidemic. Everywhere we look in anything addiction or marijuana-related, there will be an argument over whether or not marijuana is harmful, whether or not marijuana...

ADDICTION

What Can You Do to Build a Better World in Recovery?

Being in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is infinitely preferable to the alternative of living with an active drug addiction or a drinking problem. But that does not mean that living in recovery is easy or straightforward. No one ever said that...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Addiction Is Lethal—The Importance of Getting Help as Quickly as Possible

I’d like to invite our readers to consider an interesting and concerning truism in addiction science. We can all agree that any kind of drug use is dangerous. Any sort of alcohol misuse is dangerous. These are the facts. But there is this interesting,...

DRUG INFORMATION

The Connection between ADHD Medications and Methamphetamine

I’ve often heard different drugs as being described as similar to one another. Many pharmaceutical drugs carry the same chemical compounds. Even some street drugs are close to each other. And we all know the iconic similarities of the horrible street...

DRUG REHABILITATION

How Have Socioeconomic Factors Played a Role in the Addiction Crisis?

In my years as an addiction counselor, one thing I’ve learned is that while addiction does not see color, the ethnicity, age, gender, income level, background and geographic location of the addict can certainly affect their access to care and ultimately...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The East Coast Suffers under the Weight of Opioid Addiction

The United States has suffered for nigh on two decades with an opioid crisis. It is a sweeping addiction epidemic that has torn millions of families and individual lives apart. Widely publicized as the worst addiction-related epidemic in the history of...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Children Are Being Exposed to Drugs Used to “Help” Address Addiction in Adults

To love and protect children is one of humanity's most important doctrines, one of the supreme, guiding principles of just being human. When we hear of a child’s suffering, it strikes a deep, painful chord in our very souls.

DRUG INFORMATION

The Difference between Fentanyl and Other Opioids—Why So Many Addicts Die

If you’ve had your eye on health news, you’ve probably heard “fentanyl” mentioned more than once in the last year. And why is that? Fentanyl is a powerful and potent opioid pain reliever first introduced into the medical pain-relief sector for...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Advertising Addiction: How Modern-Day Marketing Makes Good People into Addicts

How Modern-Day Marketing Makes Good People into Addicts The United States is a unique country in a lot of ways. We are the land of the free, the home of the brave. But there is one area in which we are quite trapped.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Unhappy Americans & An “Epidemic of Addiction”

A March 21st edition in the Washington Post caught my eye for its leading article by Allyson Chiu. The article was titled, “Americans Are The Unhappiest They’ve Ever Been, U.N. Report Finds.” An interesting topic certainly, but what really caught...

ADDICTION

Exploring the Difference between Overdoses and Overdose Deaths—What We Can Learn from These

A wise friend once introduced me to the concept that, “Correlation does not imply causation.” The principle is that, just because two incidents occurred side by side, or just because one event took place and was closely followed by another (correlation),...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Should a Jail Be Responsible For Treating Addiction?

When I checked the news the other day I was shocked to find a story of a federal judge who ordered that a county jail in Massachusetts be made to give an inmate his methadone doses, so he could continue his medication-assisted therapy.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Is Addiction Really a Form of Suicide?

I was recently on a short trip and the motel I stayed at gave patrons a complimentary copy of USA TODAY. I generally don’t like to read newspapers because all they put in the papers is bad news and I don’t think a lot of it is even true, let alone...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

French Health Officials Warn Its Citizenry of Alcohol Consumption

In the U.S., we love our alcohol. That just goes without saying. Alcohol consumption has become a regular part of our lives and such a frequent and normal occurrence that we don’t even think twice about.