NARCONON BLOG

DRUG INFORMATION

The Mechanics of Opioid Addiction

“The opioid epidemic.” We hear this line on the news, on social media, in discussions within our communities, and so on. It is a well-known fact at this point that the United States is struggling with an opioid epidemic.

ADDICTION

Parents: Don’t Let Yourself be Blindsided by Your Child’s Drug Use

Too many parents lose their teen or young adult children to drugs when they don’t even know the individual is using drugs. Learn how to prevent this horrible surprise and possibly save a young life.

DRUG INFORMATION

Synthetic Opioid Fentanyl: Now the #1 Drug Involved in Overdose Deaths

Surviving addiction to opioids like heroin becomes vastly harder when an unpredictable and powerful illicit drug like fentanyl hits the market and spreads across the country. Tragically, an increasing number of people are not surviving their encounters...

DRUG REHABILITATION

Five Things to Look for When Picking the Right Treatment Center

When I was a kid growing up on the family farm, working on cars, barns, houses, tractors, anything that moved and shouldn’t, or anything that should move and didn’t, my dad used to tell me something that stuck with me to this day.

DRUG INFORMATION

Medical Marijuana as a Treatment for Opioid Addiction?

On January 23rd, 2019 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy officially added opioid addiction to the growing list of "eligible illnesses" treatable through the state’s medical marijuana program. New Jersey has suffered considerably with an opioid addiction...

ADDICTION

Youth Too Often Choose to Ride with Impaired Drivers, Not Realizing They Risk Their Lives

Peer pressure can make teens and young adults feel compelled to go along with dangerous stunts. They might not realize that getting in the car with an impaired driver could be one of the most dangerous stunts of all.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Opioid Overdoses on the Rise Once Again amongst Youth

Our teens face various struggles, challenges and seemingly difficult situations that come with the overall experience of growing up. We’ve all been there, and we’ve probably seen these struggles mirrored in the faces of our own teen children and our...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Criminal Prosecution For Drug Crimes Should Result in Drug Rehabilitation—Not Jail

There was a recent article in the Washington Post which caught my eye. The report was about county prosecutor candidates competing for votes in Virginia. The article discussed the layered nuances of criminality and drug use.

ADDICTION

The Need to Humanize Addiction

When we look at significant illnesses like cancer, diabetes, MS, heart conditions, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and so on, our hearts go out to those who struggle with such illnesses. We feel strongly for them and for the struggles they inevitably face.

DRUG INFORMATION

What Are the Most Addictive Drugs in the World?

It’s no small task to measure the addiction potential of a substance. But researchers still put in the effort do this in order to furnish us with valuable information about different drugs. That information can help us greatly in addressing the drug...

ADDICTION

“The Perfect Week”: Ten Activities to Include in Your Week for Success in Recovery

One of the biggest fears that anyone in recovery has is the fear of relapse. And we get that. Life as a newly-sober individual is challenging. Going through an addiction treatment center can do a lot for helping an individual turn their life around, but...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Synthetic Opioids — The Drugs Responsible for Most of the Overdose Deaths in 2017

The U.S. struggles in the grip of an opioid crisis—perhaps the worst addiction epidemic that our nation has ever seen. And in the last few years, a new strain of opioids has entered the scene, creating a surge in the addiction crisis and a resulting...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Why Are We Losing So Many Older Women to Drug Overdose Deaths?

A recent analysis of drug overdose deaths shows a shocking increase in the number of older American women who are lost to overdoses of prescription opioids or even heroin and fentanyl. It’s vital to understand how this happens so these losses can be...

ADDICTION

How Can We Make 2019 a Year of Good Deeds in the Fight against Opioid Addiction?

The New Year is well underway, giving us opportunities for thoughtful introspection on how we can make 2019 not just a good year, but a great one.

DRUG INFORMATION

Eliminating Health Problems Could Start with Eliminating Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Drug use and excessive alcohol consumption cause and worsen a very long list of physical and mental illnesses. To maintain a healthy life, avoiding drug use, or recovering from addiction, are vital first steps.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

How Could Hospitals Direct OD Patients to Treatment Centers?

Most of the time, when someone overdoses on drugs, they are taken to a hospital which treats the overdose. Of course, this is what happens when the addict is around someone who can call 911. But what happens when the patient recovers from the overdose?

DRUG INFORMATION

Slow-Onset Alcohol Deaths, Overlooked by Media and Activists Alike

Excessive alcohol consumption is killing more people than drug overdoses, but you see almost nothing about this problem in the headlines. We take a closer look at the depth of this challenge to social and individual health.

DRUG REHABILITATION

What Happens When Your Son or Daughter Has a Drug Problem? A Guide on What to Do and What Not to Do

The unique struggle that a parent of a drug user faces should not be wished on anyone. When a mother and father have a son or daughter who falls prey to drug addiction or an alcohol habit, this becomes a cruel and entrapping, even devastating, problem...

ADDICTION

Is Drug Abuse the Result of Bad Parenting or a Lack of Drug Education?

Wouldn’t it be incredible if a parent could look their child in the eye and know, just know , exactly what was going to become a problem for that child in the future? Every parent wants to set their kids up for a successful and happy life just as much...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

What Will It Take to Overcome the Opioid Crisis? Our Combined “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat”

Overcoming the opioid crisis will only be accomplished with the “blood, toil, tears and sweat“ (to quote Winston Churchill) of hundreds of thousands or even millions of people just like you. Learn how you can help.