These bath salts are actually illicit drugs covertly packaged and sold as substances for a soothing mineral bath. They are clearly labeled “not for internal use” but just as clearly, this is all just to mislead law enforcement. The contents of these packages are chemicals like mephedrone, 3,4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone and Methylone. The names on the label are “Ivory Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,” “Bliss” or “Purple Wave.”

They are sold at parties, clubs and “head shops” – stores that sell incense, alternative lifestyle gear, drug use paraphernalia and any legal intoxicating substances they can get access to. There are head shops in every corner of the US. In Memphis, Tennessee, there’s one. In Dallas, three. In New York City, five. In San Francisco, over a hundred.

It’s said that when bath salts are smoked, they create a stimulating, euphoric, hallucinogenic state that might be similar to cocaine, LSD, MDMD (Ecstasy) or methamphetamine.

If certain localities or states have outlawed this drug, it is still readily available on the internet for about $25 a package.

What Dangerous Effects Are Being Created by this Drug?

The effects of this drug have, in a few cases, been disastrous and gruesome. A 21-year-old man in Louisiana tried to cut his own throat a few days after snorting bath salts. He finally succeeded in killing himself when he shot himself in the head. A Mississippi man was terrified by the hallucinations he experienced while on the drug and so cut long slices in his stomach and face.

And in Washington State, a man killed himself and his wife after a wild car ride. His young son was found dead at home. The couple had bath salts on their persons when they were found. In New Orleans, a woman survived injecting bath salts into her arm – barely. A few days after the injection of the drug into her arm, she developed a incredibly fast-moving infection in her arm. Doctors rushed her into surgery as soon as the severe symptoms showed up and tried to save her arm. But the infection raced through her arm so quickly that they had to amputate her arm, shoulder, collarbone and breast to save her life.

With Many Drugs, a User Puts His or Her Life on the Line

The simple truth is that that a person can be at risk of loss of life when any illicit drug is used or any legal drug is abused. Every year, thousands of people die in alcohol-related accidents or assaults. And it is now being recognized that drugged driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. One state after another is enacting “drugged driving” legislation or enforcing existing “impaired driving” statutes to try to save lives.

When using opiates or opioids like heroin, morphine, codeine, hydrocodone or oxycodone, there is a risk of overdose. These drugs slow down respiration and so are particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol, which also slows down respiration.

Some will start in programs like NA with no luck because of the severity of their addictions.

When a person, young or old, is trapped in a pattern of drug or alcohol abuse and can’t quit by themselves, you can help by getting them to Narconon Arrowhead for an effective, long-term residential drug rehabilitation program. For more than ten years, Narconon reviews have shown that Narconon Arrowhead is helping seven out of ten of its graduates stay sober after they go home.

This thorough program helps each person in recovery address the damage done by addiction and helps also correct the weaknesses that led to substance abuse in the first place. Find out how you can save the life of an addicted person you may be trying to help. Contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/us/dea-bans-chemicals-used-in-bath-salts.html

http://news.yahoo.com/bath-salts-injection-leads-flesh-eating-disease-140407827.html

http://www.indianastatesman.com/opinion/bath-salts-a-dangerous-drug-on-the-rise-1.2759244#.TynEPphA9SU

http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr102111.html

Synthetic drugs consist of formulas that seem to provide similar effects to drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, Ecstasy, marijuana or other drugs that young people may be familiar with. Their manufacture is completely unregulated, their formulas always damaging and sometimes deadly. There is only one reason for these new synthetics to be created and sold: profit for the manufacturers and sellers.

Synthetics are often distributed at clubs and through parties. Some of them may be able to be sold openly for some years until legislation catches up with them. When legal, they are also often sold in what’s called “head shops,” where alternative lifestyle and drug paraphernalia are sold.

This has been the case with Spice and mephedrone, for example. Spice, also known as K2, is a synthetic cannabinoid (meaning that it has an effect similar to cannabis or marijuana). This drug consists of herbs with one or more of several synthetic chemicals sprayed on them. They are sold labeled as incense but are meant to be smoked. Some of the chemicals used in this drug are five to 200 times stronger than marijuana. Spice is addictive and has resulted in seizures, vomiting, long-lasting delusions, extreme agitation and disconnection from reality.

Mephedrone has an effect similar to khat, a plant grown in Africa and frequently smuggled into the US and Canada. Khat is hallucinogenic, addictive and has been linked to suicides. It’s often sold labeled as bath salts or plant food. Louisiana has some of the most severe mephedrone problems in the US, and counts more than 160 emergency room visits associated with the drug.

Staying One Jump Ahead of the Law

The only thing an unscrupulous chemist has to do to release a new drug is simply change a few molecules of the formula and he has a new drug that may not be covered by existing laws. Federal laws do exist that allow for prosecution under the Federal Analog Act. This law states that if a new drug is similar to or is basically a revised version of an existing outlawed drug, it can be seized and its manufacturers arrested. But it may take awhile for prosecutors to catch up to new drugs with the use of this law. States often pass their own laws outlawing individual drugs as soon as law enforcement personnel can compile enough information on a drug to support legislation.

As of the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey of young people and their drug use, one in nine high school students had tried one of these drugs. In 2010, the national poison control centers received nearly 3,000 calls about Spice, but in the first ten months of 2011, they received nearly twice as many.

Saving Young Lives through Drug Rehabilitation and Drug Education from Narconon Arrowhead

For more than a decade, Narconon Arrowhead has been extending its help to those who have become trapped in addiction to these drugs or those who are at risk. Narconon Arrowhead is the largest Narconon center in the country however the organization has many facilities including Narconon Vista Bay. Drug educators take the Narconon Arrowhead drug prevention curriculum to schools across the Midwest, and the rehabilitation facility near McAlester, Oklahoma restores sobriety to those who were addicted. Narconon schools receiving the education have reported positive results.

Seven out of ten graduates stay clean and sober after they go home, and a study on the results of the drug prevention curriculum showed that substance abuse rates among students went down after they received the anti-drug lessons.

If you know someone who needs help with synthetics or any substances of abuse, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933.

References:

http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Drugs/Synthetic-drugs-and-precursor-chemicals
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-14/more-teens-using-synthetic-drugs/51900736/1
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2011/March/designer-drugs-are-escalating-out-of-control-according-to-incb.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Drugs/marijuana-substitute-spice-hitting-streets-putting-kids-hospital/story?id=10118951
http://www.thesttammanynews.com/articles/2011/01/07/news/doc4d264c1c50dd9996430887.txt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephedrone

If it worked, it would be money well spent. The 2011 report The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society, published by the US Department of Justice, estimates the price tag at $193 billion annually. And as high as this number is, it omits the costs associated with alcoholism, alcohol abuse and all its collateral damage. If our drug prevention and education programs were effective, we could gradually spend less money on cleaning up this wreckage.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy, run by the nation’s Drug Czar, is the group that budgets federal money for drug prevention and interdiction. Their 2011 budget report lists drug abuse prevention at $1.7 billion. This money is spent on the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program, the Successful, Safe and Healthy Students program and many, many others. Nearly $4 billion is slated for treatment. Another $4 billion goes to support interdiction by Homeland Security, Department of Defense and other agencies. And so on down the list.

With more than a billion and a half dollars spent each year on a population of 300 million people, surely we are creating a positive effect, especially on our young. But surveys of Americans in their teens do not show any distinct changes in their attitudes or drug use.

Teen Surveys Show Some Numbers Up, Some Down, Little Net Change in Drug or Alcohol Use

The Monitoring the Future report is an annual survey on drug abuse and attitudes toward drugs by school-aged children. The latest report, published in December of 2011, shows teen smoking and alcohol use down, marijuana use up. Prescription drug abuse is largely unchanged. While some numbers go up and some go down, there is precious little net change. In fact, this survey also shows that disapproval of marijuana use is reducing, perhaps predicting further increases in marijuana abuse in the future. These are not the remarkable results of effective drug education and prevention.

Every year, half our high school seniors graduate with illicit drug use in their history. About half these students abuse some other drug than marijuana such as inhalants, LSD, Ecstasy, cocaine, heroin or prescription drugs. The percentage of high school seniors who had abused a prescription drug by their graduation in 2011 was about 22%.

And while alcohol abuse has fallen considerably from its high numbers back in 1991, it’s still high at 70% of all seniors. More than half have been drunk by this time, as well.

Narconon Arrowhead Offers a Different Approach to Drug Education and Prevention

Narconon Arrowhead is a non-profit drug rehabilitation center located in Southeast Oklahoma, that also runs an extensive drug prevention and education program in schools. Staff prevention specialists make the rounds of schools across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas, providing classes based on the Narconon drug education curriculum. This curriculum was the subject of a peer-reviewed study that found that reduction in tobacco products, marijuana, alcohol and amphetamines resulted from the classes. In particular, tobacco, marijuana and alcohol are the “starter drugs” that can lead to the abuse of stronger, more addictive substances.

When a person is not educated in time and develops an addiction, the Narconon Arrowhead rehabilitation program is there to help him or her. This premier drug rehab program uses no substitute drugs or medications as part of drug addiction treatment (of course, anyone needing medication for physical conditions would continue that treatment).

There are also no “dual diagnoses” of conditions that might simply be the effects of the addiction or the early stages of recovery. It is very normal to manifest instability and anxiety while working one’s way out of addiction and back to sobriety. At  all Narconon centers including Narconon California and Arrowhead, it is found that the right nutritional supplementation, the right staff support and the right counseling will enable many people to get through this period without needing any drugs. After all, the goal is freedom from all illicit drugs, alcohol use or abuse of prescription drugs.

If someone you care about is struggling with addiction to illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon Arrowhead today to find out how this holistic program can help. For full details, call 1-800-468-6933 today.

References:

http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs44/44731/44731p.pdf
http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/11data.html#2011data-drugs
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/f1y1budget.pdf
http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/11data/pr11t1.pdf
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1747-597X-3-8.pdf

Click here for Narconon reviews.

It’s not necessary to debate what might be wrong with our educational system. There’s one task that will improve the process for every student in every school. That is eliminating drug abuse among our young Americans.

Easy to state, not so easy to accomplish. After all, the most recent version of the annual report Monitoring the Future, that reports on the substance abuse and attitudes toward drug use of our teens shows that drug use is on the increase.

Both marijuana and prescription drug abuse lead the increases, accompanied by an increase in needle use of heroin by high school seniors and other significant findings.

In general, abuse of some of the drugs we are somewhat accustomed to – cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, Ecstasy and some others – was level or down but the increases in marijuana and prescription pulled the overall numbers up.

Nationally, our efforts to curb drug use among our young citizens is failing.

How Would Reducing or Eliminating Student Drug Use Benefit All?

As substance abuse grows among teens, it’s not just the drug users themselves that would benefit. Every young person would benefit for a number of reasons.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 76% of students in public schools and nearly half of those in private schools have seen drugs or alcohol used, stored or sold on school grounds. Knowing that the student next to you has marijuana, prescription pills or alcohol stored in his locker, or that she’s high on one or more of them, do not make the best educational environment. The fewer teens that are using drugs, the better the chance for a non-threatening schoolroom atmosphere and the lower the peer pressure to abuse substances.

When drug use is avoided, our students can’t help but do better in general. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a young person who abuses marijuana tends to get lower grades and is more likely to drop out of school than a person who does not.

From the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.3% of American youth (aged 12-17) met the criteria for dependence on drugs or alcohol. In 2009, nearly 8% of those receiving addiction treatment were 17 or under, or more than 150,000 individuals. And of course, this number represents a small percentage of those who actually need treatment. Just like adults, teens hide their habits, cover up signs of substance abuse and manipulate those around him or her to enable the habits to continue.

If a teen does not himself abuse drugs or alcohol, there is doubtless someone close to him who does. Eliminating drugs from schools and the lives of our teens helps provide a safer environment for everyone.

When Recovery is the Next Step

As noted, some teens already meet the criteria for drug or alcohol dependence before they even graduate from high school. Others will continue their substance abuse and become one of the more than 22 million Americans who need addiction treatment each year.

The Narconon Arrowhead drug and alcohol rehabilitation program located in Southeastern Oklahoma has been helping anyone between 18 and 70+ recover from addiction for more than a decade. This long-term, non-traditional recovery program serves as many as 200 people at a time at its beautiful location inside an extensive state park and game preserve. (Other locations including Narconon Georgia exist in the United States.)

Narconon Arrowhead is a place where recovering addicts can focus on recovery, removed from the problems or associates who might have contributed to their substance abuse habits.

Each person is guided through an essential array of life skills, including:

•    Communication skills that enable a person to deal with problems in life without flinching or running away
•    The restoration of personal integrity and relief from the guilt from actions of the past
•    Adoption of a common sense, non-denominational moral code to serve as a compass in daily life
•    Knowing which associates will lead to a clean and sober life and which ones can mean relapse and how to handle situations related to these associates
•    Knowing how to turn an adverse situation into a positive one.

Pair these improvements with a thorough, sauna-based detoxification that flushes out old drug toxins that contribute to cravings and you have the result of a person who feels better about himself, probably better than he has in years and who has learned sober living skills. This is how Narconon Arrowhead gets its 70% success rate.
If you are seeking help for someone struggling with substance abuse or addiction, contact Narconon Arrowhead today for the details on this remarkable and innovative program. Call 1-800-468-6933 today.

References:
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/education/07classrooms.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana-abuse/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-school-work-social-life
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/cannabis.htm
http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/publications_reports.aspx: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens and Parents

Narconon provides drug education and prevention to schools all over the country. For more information on Narconon schools or to schedule a drug prevention lecture call today!

Every year, the Monitoring the Future survey provides an in-depth look at the activities and opinions of our teens with regard to substance abuse. Even in the best of years, it’s never a very pretty picture.

Our young people continue to cloud their thinking and put their sobriety and even lives at risk by abusing addictive drugs. When they should be planning higher education, making career plans, going to proms or just enjoying their freedoms, too many are instead seeking out marijuana, prescription drugs, alcohol or other substances they can abuse.

It could be argued that this is not such a serious phenomenon because most kids who use these drugs will not become addicted to them. On the other hand, if none of then abused addictive substances, NONE of them would ever become addicted.

The newest report, published in February 2011 and based on 2010 surveys, reports that  marijuana use is increasing. And not only marijuana use – but also DAILY marijuana use. By the time American youth reach their senior year in high school, one in sixteen is a daily or near-daily user of marijuana. Since many schools have classes with an average size just over 30, this means that if you stand in many classrooms and look out over those students, two of them are essentially addicted to marijuana. It is very likely that their grades, relationships with family and general accomplishment of goals are suffering greatly by this time.

Decline in Alcohol Use Continues

For the best part of a couple of decades, alcohol use among teens has been declining,  and the 2010 statistics showed this trend continuing. This was true for alcohol consumption in general and for binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in a short period for a man, four for a woman.

Cigarette use was also declining, but this decline was arrested in 2010. There were signs that 8th and 10th grade smoking was on the increase.

Particularly alarming in this report was the fact that heroin use using a needle by high school seniors had more than doubled. While this took usage stats from .3% to .7%, this is not a trend anyone would want to continue.

Prescription Drugs Present a Clear and Present Threat

It has not been that long since prescription drug abuse became a serious threat. After all, OxyContin and Vicodin weren’t even added to the survey until 2001. But recently, there has been a steady growth trend was seen in the abuse of these drugs. In 2010, 15% of our teens in 12th grade reported having abused a prescription drug in the prior year. By the time they graduate, more than one in five seniors has abused a prescription drug (21.6%).

Any of these Drugs Can Turn Deadly

Any one of these drugs, no matter how innocuous it might look, has the potential to kill. Heroin, prescription drugs and even alcohol can kill outright with an overdose. But even with marijuana, there is a potential for death. Marijuana changes one’s perception of time and distance, and can slow reaction time. This means that driving while under the influence of marijuana can kill just like drunk driving can.

The Safety of Those Who Become Addicted Depends on Finding an Effective Recovery Program

For students or grownups alike, the answer is the same; addiction treatment that works, whether it’s NA, traditional treatment or the Narconon program. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this means a long-term program of 90 days or more. At Narconon Arrowhead, seven out of ten addicts seeking recovery reach their goal.

Narconon Arrowhead is a non-profit, non-traditional recovery program that usually takes three to five months to complete. It is composed of eight sections or phases that each address one component of addiction or the reason a person started using drugs in the first place. People come from all over the United States to its Oklahoma location because of its high success rate.

Most other drug rehabs in the US will state a success rate somewhere between 16% and 20%. A program with a higher success rate than this is often counting up how many people finish the program, not those who stay sober for a two year period after graduation. By conducting surveys of those who have returned home, Narconon Arrowhead can verify its success rate.

Learn all the steps of this innovative program that is helping people recover from addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs or street drugs. Call today to learn how Narconon Arrowhead can help you or someone you love leave a drug habit far behind with Narconon alcohol treatment or drug treatment services. Call 1-800-468-6933 now.

References:
http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/education/07classrooms.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana-abuse/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-school-work-social-life
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/cannabis.htm
http://www.drugabuse.gov/PODAT/faqs.html

One could learn that teens tend to adopt the behaviors of their peer groups after studying scientific literature, for example, a study published on the website of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This study states that “socializing with peers and conforming to peer–group standards…may place young people at particular risk for initiating and continuing alcohol consumption.”

The same conclusion could be drawn by watching a group of teenagers interacting or monitoring the behavior of one’s own child. A new entry to a social group may be seen to struggle with the behaviors of this new group until a pattern is developed that allows him or her to fit in. This adaptation can apply to dress, speech or interests or to more hazardous behaviors like sexual mores or alcohol consumption.

A new survey analysis reported on in Time Magazine shows that the new social group of a dating partner may have more influence than new girlfriend or boyfriend. According to this new report, when alcohol consumption increased after entry into a new social group, it wasn’t usually the partner who triggered higher rates of drinking. It was the partner’s friends. It was almost as though the new entrant to this social group felt it was more important to fit in with the larger crowd than mimic their own partner’s rate of alcohol consumption.
This report also noted that males were more likely to adapt the “protective coloration” of the new social group than were females.

Parents Can Use This Information To Keep Children Safe

Forewarned with this information, parents who keep up with changes in their children’s lives can note when a social group seems to change relative to a new dating partner. A few words with the teen about peer pressure may help defend a teenaged child from the risky behavior of a new group.

At the same time, parents should realize that trying to instill awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse this late in the day may be difficult. At this point, you are fighting against the influences of people who may have the power of social ostracism over your child; that’s a heavy influence to fight. The much better time to educate children on substance abuse is much earlier, before peer pressure has entered the picture. And the best tool to use in this fight is understanding, not scare tactics. Parents can educate themselves on the adverse effects of drug abuse, if they have not experienced it firsthand in their younger, or not so much younger, days. Honest communication of the real effects of addictive substances is the best approach. There’s definitely no shortage of hard facts on this subject.

Narconon Arrowhead is There to Offer Effective Help if the First Line of Defense Fails

While it is better by far to prevent substance abuse and addiction, there are times when prevention fails. Then effective and lasting rehabilitation is needed. The better and more effective the rehabilitation, the less need there will ever be for another trip to rehab. Most US rehabs will state an after-program sobriety rate of 16% to 20% but this is explained away by stating that “relapse is part of recovery.” The success rate of Narconon Arrowhead is better than 70%, based on contact over a two-year period after graduation.

The Narconon Arrowhead long-term drug rehabilitation program addresses all the major points of damage done by addiction: loss of self-esteem and self-respect, loss of personal integrity, damage to relationships, estrangement from family and friends, low responsibility resulting in blaming others for one’s problems.

But that is not all. The family member of an addicted person invariably observes that they don’t communicate any more, they seem to have secrets. They are out of touch with reality and seem to get no enjoyment from anything but drug use anymore. These changes are also effectively addressed on the Narconon Arrowhead program as well as other facilities including Narconon California, Georgia and International.

One of the services that results in major changes in these areas is the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program, one of the phases of the rehab program. This phase uses time in a low-heat sauna, generous doses of nutritional supplements and moderate exercise to provide the body with the support it needs to flush out old, stored drug toxins. Residues of earlier drug use tend to lodge in the fatty tissue and can be involved in the triggering of cravings, even years after drug use ends.

This explains how a person may suddenly relapse after years of sober living.

At the end of this unique detoxification, those completing it ordinarily say their thinking is clearer, their outlook is brighter, they have more energy and their cravings are reduced. With a reduction in the effect of addictive drugs, each person in recovery can now focus on learning the life skills that enable them to repair damage to their relationships. And they learn the skills that will guide them through sober living decisions in the future.

Find out how Narconon Arrowhead can provide you with the addiction recovery program you need to help a loved one whose behavior has trapped them in addiction. Call 1-800-775-8750 today.

References:
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm

http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/29/how-teen-drinking-is-influenced-by-romantic-partners-pals/

Click here for information on Narconon Objectives.

Not long after someone finds a way to exploit a weakness and make millions no matter who they hurt, law enforcement agents are on their trail, trying to shut them down. This is the case with internet pharmacies. Starting back in 2000, internet pharmacies began to advertise and sell their drugs and ship packages to citizens across America. Now, in 2012, many of the pharmacies have been shut down but the problem still exists.

When people can acquire controlled prescription drugs without sufficient monitoring, it is very possible for them to become addicted. Controlled prescription drugs are those that have more restrictions placed on them because of their abuse and addiction potential. Like OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, Ritalin, Lortab, Adderall and Ativan.

Despite all the work that has been done to deal with the problem, a quick internet search brings one to a site offering 30 and 80 mg oxycodone for $14.00 to $30.00 a pill, shipped from Pakistan or India. (The street price for OxyContin is about $1 per milligram.) All the “popular” drugs are available on this site: In addition to the ones above, they offer Prozac, Klonopin, Viagra, Codeine, Soma, Percocet and the much more. (This search came up with more than one million results, as well.)

Drugs shipped from other countries to the US have been found to be inconsistent in manufacture, contaminated with substances like boric acid or floor polish, or simply something other than what they claim.

Legislation Tries to Close these Doors but Has Been only Partly Successful

The Ryan Haight Act of 2008 (named after a young man who overdosed on opiates obtained online) and the new internet pharmacy law of 2011 introduced by Dianne Feinstein have attempted to close the virtual doors of these pharmacies. But still, investigations keep finding and shutting down illicit pharmacies. Like Meetinghouse Community Pharmacy near Boston. The owner made three million dollars for shipping one million pills for his out-of-the-country partners.
Of course, one of the major problems with these pharmacies is not just that they sell inferior drugs. Illicit internet pharmacies operate without requiring a written prescription from a doctor. Therefore, underage drug abusers or addicts anywhere can use these pharmacies to acquire drugs to abuse. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) reported in December 2011 that 96% of all online drug sellers were illegitimate and operating illegally. As many as 36 million Americans have purchased drugs off the internet, according to Alliance to Save Online Pharmacies.

As part of the correction of the entire internet pharmacy industry, Google forfeited half a billion dollars that it obtained by selling Google advertising to internet pharmacies, long after it knew that these pharmacies were operating in violation of law. As a result of this action that played out in August 2011, Google has taken many actions to restrict the ability of these pharmacies to operate. It now requires advertisers to be certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies internet practices program and retains an outside company to monitor its advertising from pharmacies.

While Law Enforcement Chases Prescription Drug Pharmacies, Those Who Became Addiction to these Drugs Must Also Be Helped

Closing down these sources of inferior, mislabeled or addictive drugs must be done, but this does not help those who managed to become addicted to drugs obtained off the internet, or who fed their addictions this way. The only way to help these people is the good old-fashioned way: by taking on the task of teaching them how to live a productive, enjoyable and drug-free life again.

This is the job that goes on every day at Narconon Arrowhead in Southeastern Oklahoma. In this long-term, residential drug rehab program, those who became addicted learn the life skills that will support their new drug-free life. They go through a thorough detoxification program that flushes out drug residues stored in fatty tissues, helping with cravings.

They learn communication skills that once again engage them in life. In three to five months, on average, they regain a lasting sobriety.

Narconon also delivers drug education and prevention lectures to people all over the country and throughout the state of Oklahoma. Narconon schools who have had drug education have reported the ability to say no to drugs so they don’t get caught up in the trap of substance abuse.

If you are trying to help someone who has become addicted to drugs or alcohol, no matter how they acquired the substances, contact Narconon Arrowhead to find out how you can get back that person you knew before the drugs took over. Call 1-800-468-6933 today.

References:

http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/companies-band-together-end-illegal-online-pharmacies  http://www.safeonlinerx.com/ http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/CriminalInvestigations/ucm239309.htm http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2007/August/07_crm_576.html http://www.heraldextra.com
http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=9ac81372-466a-49e1-9d04-33da43cdb806
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/August/11-dag-1078.html
http://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2011/dorchester-pharmacist-convicted-of-illegal-dispensing-of-drugs-via-the-internet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacy

Narconon’s locations include Narconon Vista Bay, Georgia, and Narconon Arrowhead that enrolls clients from all over the country.

But while this game plays out around the world, people who were just looking for a legal high get hurt or even killed.

All that a chemist has to do to evade law enforcement is change one molecule in some formulas and the drug escapes the law. In Europe and Asia, dozens of new formulas are being monitored so new legislation can be launched. Police and legislators will catch up as soon as they can but in the US, this loophole was partly closed in 2010 by passage of the Federal Analog Act. This law says that if a new drug is basically the same as an old one that is illegal, you can prosecute anyway. But even this is not enough to save some people from harm.

Adverse Effects of Some Common Synthetics

A popular synthetic that has surfaced in the last several years is Spice, also known as K2. This is made up of a synthetic cannabinoid (cannabis or marijuana-like) chemical that is sprayed onto herbs and then smoked. There are several chemicals that are used in this process and they run five to 200 times stronger than marijuana. The drug is sold in head shops and convenience stores, sometimes as “incense.” It is addictive and has resulted in seizures, vomiting, extreme agitation, delusions that can last as long as eight days, incoherent babbling and complete disconnection from reality. In some cases, the drug seems to have triggered a lasting schizophrenic condition in the user.

Mephedrone is another synthetic that mimics the effects of khat, a hallucinogenic plant grown in Africa and smuggled into the US and Canada. In some US states, mephedrone is not yet illegal. It is addictive and has been linked to suicides and more than 160 emergency room visits just in the State of Louisiana, which has had the most severe mephedone problems in the country. It’s often sold as bath salts or plant food, although if you get the confidence of the clerk selling it, he or she may explain how to abuse the drug.

LSD and Ecstasy (MDMA) are synthetic drugs that have become familiar sights at music festivals and nightclubs, and methamphetamine also started out in this category but has become an old standby compared to the many newcomers. LSD can create lasting delusions and MDMA has resulted in death from overheating and organ breakdown. As many people know, methamphetamine is very quickly addictive and highly damaging physically and mentally.

One in Nine Teens Has Tried One of these Synthetics

The annual survey of teens Monitoring the Future states that one in nine high school seniors has abused one of these synthetic drugs. In 2010, national poison control centers received 2,915 calls just about K2/Spice, but in the first ten months of 2011, they received nearly twice as many, showing the popularity of this drug to be rising.

The problems with these drugs extend beyond the possibility of addiction, although that is bad enough. The formulas for these drugs change constantly and what you are told you are buying may not be the truth at all. In the event of a bad reaction, a person going to the hospital may have their care delayed because the doctors have no idea what chemical is causing the problem.

And then there is the addiction. Fast or slow, these drugs are all addictive. When a synthetic drug user wants to get back to a sober life, get back to caring about himself or herself and the ones he or she loves, it may seem impossible. That’s where Narconon Arrowhead brings life-saving help to those who are addicted. Narconon reviews indicate successful results through treatment since the 1960’s. Whether the addictive drug is the more familiar alcohol, heroin or cocaine or one of these newer drugs, Narconon Arrowhead enables seven out of ten graduates to find lasting sobriety after they go home. If you care for someone who is struggling with addiction, find out how Narconon Arrowhead can help. Call 1-800-468-6933 today.

References:

http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Drugs/Synthetic-drugs-and-precursor-chemicals
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-14/more-teens-using-synthetic-drugs/51900736/1
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2011/March/designer-drugs-are-escalating-out-of-control-according-to-incb.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Drugs/marijuana-substitute-spice-hitting-streets-putting-kids-hospital/story?id=10118951
http://www.thesttammanynews.com/articles/2011/01/07/news/doc4d264c1c50dd9996430887.txt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephedrone

Narconon has many locations including Narconon Georgia. Call 800-468-6933 for more information.

A survey several years before this raid had shown Adderall to be the second-most-frequently abused drug on campus, after marijuana. Adderall is a form of amphetamine, a strong stimulant. It is also addictive. Students use Adderall and other types of study drugs to sharpen their focus and enable them to stay up to cram all night or finish papers. When about 5 percent of all children in the US are prescribed medication for ADHD, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then it is understandably easy to feel safe in using the drug to keep up with the competition when in college.

Richard Rasmuson, a pharmacist in Utah, stated the danger of misusing prescription drugs by saying “Unsupervised use tends to escalate dosage and tends to get out of control.” But an interview with a young man who had been prescribed one of these drugs when he was seven years old showed his dosage climbing from 20 milligrams a day to 120 milligrams by the time he turned 19. This early diagnosis and prescribing of drugs gave him the impression that he had to take drugs to be normal, so it seemed a small step to start using alcohol, marijuana and LSD while he was still in his teens.

The same pharmacist who made the comment about increasing dosages also cited the risk of paranoia and heart irregularities if these drugs are misused. However, the prescribing information for Adderall states: “Sudden deaths, stroke, and myocardial infarction have been reported in adults taking stimulant drugs at usual doses for ADHD.” Also according to this information, children may experience sudden death if they have any undetected heart abnormalities so they must be screened carefully for any possibility of heart defect before beginning use of the drug. Side effects also include “psychotic episodes at recommended doses, overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, depression, tremor, headache.” Thus even “proper” use seems to have its dangers.

And what about this one young man’s experience? Was is unusual for him to migrate to the use of other drugs? Maybe not. In 2011, an associate professor of psychiatry from Massachusetts General Hospital published research results that showed that young people diagnosed with ADHD faced significantly higher risk of developing substance abuse problems later. Dr. Timothy Wilens stated, “Overall, study participants diagnosed with ADHD had a one-and-a-half times greater risk of developing substance abuse than did control participants.”

When you take a person at greater risk for substance abuse and give him or her an addictive drug, isn’t that a lot like throwing kerosene on a fire?

The better route is preventing substance abuse through adequate drug education in the early years and helping the addicted person find an effective drug rehab. When study drug use leads to illicit drug use or when a person abuses study drugs and becomes addicted to them, contact Narconon Arrowhead for help. From all over the U.S., families send their loved ones to Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma because of the superior success rate of the rehab facility. There are also several other Narconon facilities including Narconon Vista Bay, and more all over the United States and the world. Seven out of ten graduates stay clean and sober after they go home.

Find out how Narconon Arrowhead can help your family make an addiction problem a thing of the past. Call today to 1-800-468-6933.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/06/01/children-with-adhd-more-prone-to-substance-abuse-study
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2410

Click here for more information on Narconon meetings.

Unless you stay home with the doors and windows all shut and listen to nothing but Mozart and Beethoven, it might be hard to avoid any encounter with alcohol. Beer ads on broadcast media, billboards, bars on street corners and in restaurants, signs in the windows of convenience stores, liquor departments in supermarkets. Not to mention Facebook posts and other social media promoting alcohol – it’s everywhere.

As the average American lives his (or her) life, he’s going to encounter alcohol use on a regular basis. Weddings, New Year’s celebrations, graduations, sporting events, backyard barbecues – alcohol is almost as ubiquitous as cola drinks. It’s in our movies, plays, television shows and books. It’s supposed to add mystery, allure or an image of being hard-boiled to our fictional characters and perhaps.

But this pervasive presence of alcohol shows an amazing lack of empathy for the Americans who are losing their lives – either literally or figuratively – to this drug.

In the U.S., nearly one-quarter of the population sat down in the last month and had five or more drinks within a two-hour period. This is referred to as “binge drinking.” (For women, it’s four or more drinks.) That means more than 58 million people downed at least 270 million drinks, if they just did it once. These people were not “enjoying a beer with dinner,” they were drinking for a buzz or worse.

Seventeen million people were just heavy drinkers all the time. Not surprisingly, this is about the same number of people who fit the criteria for dependence on or addiction to alcohol. This means out of every fourteen people you meet, on average, one of them is struggling with an alcohol consumption habit that is out of control.

When a person hits alcoholism, the defining factor is that the alcoholism controls them rather than them controlling the alcohol consumption.

Children see their parents drink, some see them drunk. They know where the liquor is stored and much of the time, they get started by helping themselves when no one is around. This happens in this country and in nearly every country around the world. Worldwide, alcohol is killing more than 2.5 million people every year, either directly as a result of alcohol poisoning, or indirectly by way of accident, alcohol-fueled assault, or alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis or cancer.

Alcoholism will only be brought under control one alcohol-addicted person at a time. If you care for someone who is struggling with alcohol addiction, find out about the alcohol recovery program at Narconon Arrowhead. This premier rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma has been helping people achieve sobriety for the last decade, as part of a worldwide network of facilities in operation since 1966. At Narconon Arrowhead, alcohol consumption can once again come under the control of the individual, through a long-term residential rehab program.

The Narconon Arrowhead program is unique among alcohol recovery programs. No drugs are used, and there are no dual diagnoses. Each person is helped to recover by healing the physical and mental damage done by alcohol, utilizing many simple basic and healthy tools and life skills. A thorough physical detoxification also takes place, using only exercise, generous doses of nutrition and time spent in a low-heat sauna. Communications skills, sober decision-making skills and a renewed personal moral code help individuals regain a lasting sobriety.

Find out how the Narconon Arrowhead program can help you or someone you love. Alcoholism can come to an end, and people can learn how to have a productive, enjoyable life without depending on alcohol. Call 1-800-468-6933 today to get the whole story.

References:

http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.pdf

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/release/2011/alcohol_20110211/en/

Narconon also offers drug prevention services in which many Narconon schools decide to not use alcohol in the first place. Contact us today for more information.