NARCONON BLOG

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Parental Involvement Tied to Drop in Teen Drug Use

A broad study analyzing several risk factors and overall health metrics for teens had an interesting finding. The researchers found that, for teens whose parents were more involved in their lives, those teens had better health outcomes and were less likely...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

New Study Shows Conservative Opioid Prescribing More Safe for Patients in the Long Run

When the debate around curbing opioid prescribing began many years ago, some public health advocates expressed concern that more conservative prescribing practices would deny chronic pain patients access to pain relief.

DRUG INFORMATION

Marijuana Users Suffer Lower Blood Flow to the Brain than Non-Users

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease examined blood flow to the brain, and it found that heavy marijuana users consistently have lower-than-normal blood flow levels than non-users. That puts them at risk for insufficient oxygen levels...

DRUG INFORMATION

The Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose and the Long-Term Health Problems It Causes

By the time emergency medical technicians get to a person who has overdosed, that individual may have already suffered severe brain hypoxia, or brain damage from a lack of oxygen caused by the effects of drugs on their lungs.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

As Fentanyl Surges into the Drug Supply, America’s Youth at Highest Risk Ever for Drug Overdoses

Every society has its core mandate to protect its youth. Unfortunately, new research shows that teen and young adult drug-related death rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed in recent years.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

The 80–20 Trap: How Drug and Alcohol Industries Prey on Their Heaviest Users

It is a well-known rule of thumb in business: 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. It applies to hardware stores, new car sales and designer clothing sales. It also applies to the subject of drug abuse, excessive drinking and addiction.

DRUG INFORMATION

Brace Yourself: A Tsunami of Psychedelic Drug Use May Be Coming

Technology workers’ use of psychedelic drugs in an attempt to boost productivity has been followed by more calls for medical testing and legalization. But psychedelic use is associated with delusions, psychosis, paranoia, and physical and mental harm...

DRUG INFORMATION

Heavy Alcohol Consumption Now Linked to Brain Inflammation

A recent scientific study published in a journal dedicated to brain health showed a clear connection between heavy drinking and brain inflammation. Critically, such inflammation was found to cause a long list of unique and potentially life-altering health...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Marijuana and Hallucinogen Use at All-Time Highs for Young Americans

According to the recently published 2022 Monitoring the Future Survey, even though overall drug use did not increase among youths between 2021 and 2022, certain drug types did become increasingly more popular, namely cannabis and hallucinogens.

ADDICTION

Key Factors Creating the Highest Overdose Risk Among Drug Users

Certain drug combinations, habits, and even mental or physical health conditions greatly increase the risk of fatal drug overdose. Learn the factors that create the biggest risks.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Monitoring the Future Survey Showed Drug Abuse Rates Remained Steady Among Young Americans in 2022

The 2022 Monitoring the Future Survey was finalized and published recently. The findings showed no progress in reducing teen substance abuse rates from 2021 to 2022, as rates of substance abuse among young people held steady compared to drug use rates...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Should Opioid Addiction Treatment Drugs Be Sold Over the Counter?

Should opioid addiction treatment drugs be available over the counter at pharmacies? It might help some people but could it create far more harm than it helps?

DRUG INFORMATION

Xylazine: The New Krokodil? The Dangerous Rise of a Flesh-Eating Drug

Xylazine, a veterinary sedative used for large and small animals, is being found in illicit drugs across America. In addition to inducing zombie-like conditions, the drug has the ability to cause large, open wounds that do not heal.

DRUG INFORMATION

Want to Be a Successful Student? Ditch the Pot.

Marijuana consumption among high school students is high and among college students is even higher. Many studies reveal that the use of this drug negatively impacts academic performance, memory, attention, and cognitive function.

DRUG INFORMATION

Alcohol Addiction Connected to Loss of Sense of Smell, Damaged Gait, and Impaired Balance

A scientific paper shows how people who drink alcohol compulsively often lose their sense of smell. Another paper showed how heavy drinkers tend to develop ambulatory and balance-related issues, making them more prone to falls and other accidents.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Multiple States Stiffen Penalties on Drug Dealing. But Will This Solve America’s Addiction Epidemic?

Since January 2023, several states have significantly increased penalties on drug dealing, all to discourage drug dealers from setting up shop in their states. While the intention behind such actions is good, stiffer penalties for drug dealers won’t...

DRUG INFORMATION

FDA Takes Action to Restrict Addictive Tranquilizer Drug, But Is it Too Late?

A new report outlines how the FDA is cracking down on xylazine diversion, the animal tranquilizer currently being mixed into opioids to create deadly concoctions that kill users. The FDA is moving in the right direction by making this effort, but more...

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Methamphetamine Deaths Increased by More Than 50-Fold Between 1999 and 2021—Fentanyl Largely to Blame

“I won’t overdose on that drug—it’s not an opioid.” For decades, people who have become addicted to mind-altering substances like methamphetamine and other non-opioid drugs have used this line to justify using their drug of choice.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

Cocaine Deaths Surge as Autopsies Reveal Fentanyl in Most Cocaine Overdoses

One of the most critical developments of the last decade concerning drug abuse has been stories of traces of synthetic opioids creeping into local supplies of drugs, types of drugs previously thought to be “non-lethal” (or drugs that were thought to...

DRUG INFORMATION

Polysubstance Use: What Is It? What Are the Dangers?

Focusing on one problem like opioid overdoses or methamphetamine use misses the bigger picture: the polysubstance use that is so common. A look at the most common drug combinations provides insight into the extent of this challenging issue.