EDITORIAL STAFF
10 Questions to Ask Before Taking Opioid Painkillers
Patients must protect themselves from addictive medications by becoming informed on pharmaceutical drugs their doctors may try to prescribe them.
Addiction Treatment in the United States Rates Flatline While Overdoses Rise
According to preliminary data from CDC researchers, fatal overdoses were slightly higher in 2022 than in 2021, suggesting overdoses did not decline post-pandemic, as many public health experts thought they would. Meanwhile, treatment rates across the U.S.
What Enabling an Addict Looks Like: Ten Signs You’re Enabling Your Loved One
People who have a family member or loved one addicted to drugs and alcohol usually want to do everything they can to help that person get better, to assist them in breaking free from addiction and achieving a healthy, substance-free life.
Summertime Associated with Highest Risk for Teen Drug Use
New research has found that teens are most likely to use drugs for the first time during summer. Parents need to be aware of the unique factors and conditions that put teens at higher risk of drug experimentation during this season, so they can intervene and educate teen sons and daughters before they experiment with mind-altering substances.
Talk to Young People About Drugs and Alcohol
With new findings suggesting drug use is more dangerous for youths now than ever before, parents must do everything possible to prevent their kids from experimenting with mind-altering substances. This effort begins by having conversations with kids, and by helping them understand why they should avoid using drugs.
Why Do Drug Overdoses Spike During Winter? A Look at Cold Weather-Related Risk Factors
Research has shown a possible connection between cold weather and a heightened risk for overdose. Several factors may contribute to this, like cold weather making it more likely addicts will use drugs at home by themselves, therefore being less likely to have someone nearby who can render aid if the addict overdoses. The findings act as yet another reason why family members of addicts have to act fast to get their loved ones’ help.
Fears Mount as Increasing Number of Opioid Overdoses Seem Tied to Naloxone-Resistant Tranquilizer
A January 2023 report published in a La Crosse, Wisconsin newspaper highlighted local law enforcement’s concern that a string of recent fatal drug overdoses in the city may have been linked to opioids laced with xylazine, a powerful animal tranquilizer that can make the user’s overdose resistant to naloxone (the medication used by responders to revive OD-ing addicts). This report ties in with other reports from local newspapers across the country, plus several broader, nationwide federal warnings that seek to inform Americans of growing risk factors connected to ANY opioid misuse.
Alarming Increase in California Fentanyl Busts Shed Light on How Accessible Fentanyl Is
California recently conducted a statewide crackdown on fentanyl, seizing over 28,000 pounds of the highly potent opioid in the past year, a nearly six-fold increase over the previous year. Given the exponential increase in the prevalence of fentanyl in the United States, family members of addicts must be warned of the dangers of fentanyl and encouraged to seek help for their loved ones as soon as possible.
Quitting Alcohol Can Produce Positive Outcomes Even During Advanced Illness
After years of misusing drugs and alcohol and experiencing the long-term health crises that come from such use, many addicts may feel like there is no hope for them, and there’s no longer any point in seeking help or even trying to cease drug use. However, a new study showed notably positive health outcomes and extended life expectancy when people who were already suffering chronic harm from drinking alcohol got help and quit. These findings support the narrative that it’s never too late to stop using alcohol and drugs and that no addict should ever give up on their efforts to get clean, no matter how difficult it feels for them to do so.
More Evidence Suggests Drinking Leads to Accidents, Hospitalization, and Death
A recent study produced an alarming finding: People who get injured while intoxicated to the point where they require hospital treatment are five times more likely to die in the coming year. That critical data point suggests that just one alcohol-related injury is a serious predictor of alcohol addiction and the many potential health crises that can come, death included. With that in mind, family members of people who drink should take action immediately if they observe their loved one has an accident involving alcohol, even if their loved one insists they don’t have a drinking problem.
NARCONON NEWS
Narconon Mexico—Expansion of Facilities to Serve Those in Need
Narconon Centers
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Pedro Escobedo, Querétaro, Mexico
In a Landscape Plagued by Drugs and Violence, Narconon Puebla is a Bright Ray of Hope
Narconon Centers
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Puebla, Mexico
