Drug Bulletin

In January, 2009, two California Narconon^® drug rehabilitation centers reported to Narconon International, administrative headquarters of the worldwide network, that their most recent one-year drug-free success rates were 76.7% and 80% of graduates living stably drug-free. Another recent tabulation by Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma has paralleled this with a 75.4% drug-free one year report. The average of the three is 77.5%.

Needless to say, this is exceptional. The 1998 SAMHSA Services Research Outcomes Study (SROS) national survey¹ of 1,799 drug rehab clients in 99 drug treatment centers across the United States reported an average 5-year post-program 21% reduction in use of any illicit drug and 14% reduction in use of alcohol. There was no report of an average achievement of “drug-free” – using no drugs at all.

What might be considered remarkable is that these “high” results are the “norm” for Narconon. Over its several decade history, tabulations of drug-free results by Narconon staff as well as by external observers or tabulators have hovered consistently around 75%.

It has been standard practice for specially-trained Narconon center staff to follow up program graduates both to see how they are meeting their discharge program objectives (returning to work, restoring family relations, etc.) as well as to monitor their drug-free status.

Following is Northern California Narconon Vista Bay’s graph of graduates reporting drug-free from one month post-graduation up to one year later.

Although alcohol is commonly recognized also to be a drug, it is not unusual to report “drug free” and “drug and alcohol free” separately. In Vista Bay’s example, there are some graduates who began to consume alcohol (but not other drugs), reducing the drug and alcohol free total to 71% – still in the high range for rehabs.

For the same time period, Southern California Narconon Newport Beach presented the following chart of drug-free living.

This center also charted the extensive staff work done to recover to the Narconon program those graduates who had reverted to drugs within their first year.

The figures above are based on a large number of graduates – 213 out of 275 who had been monitored a full year after graduation. Of the 275 graduates, only 30 (10.8%) were known to have relapsed and an additional 29 (10.5%) were not locatable by the centers.

The majority of the Narconon program is life skills training to develop and/or improve an addict’s abilities to make and practice wiser and more ethical choices. These courses also teach how to change life conditions for the better. Therefore, it has long been Narconon staff policy to recover students who relapse post-program to help them discover “what they missed” in their earlier studies, to clear up any misunderstandings, disagreements, or inability to apply the data. The idea is that someone who’s got the data can live an ethical, drug-free life – assuming, of course, that the person desires this objective.

The fundamental premise of the Narconon program model is that a person, whether addicted to alcohol and other drugs or not, is responsible for his own condition and that he can and will improve his life to the degree he takes personal responsibility – and then does something about it. Of course, the doing something about it is the magic.

But what is missing from the Narconon drug rehabilitation formula is the mantra increasingly heard around the world that addiction is a “relapsing disease.” At Narconon addiction is treated as the result of missing abilities, specifically, not knowing or not using those abilities one must have and practice to live without the crutch (or burden) of drugs and alcohol. Certainly, some Narconon graduates relapse. Rather than consider this normal and to be expected, Narconon staff attempt to recover the “student” (as they call the Narconon client) back to the program to get it right. It’s a very positive atmosphere, but not stress free. Responsibility does not come easily, as maturity has instructed us all.

CARF Review of Narconon Routine Outcome Monitoring

The Narconon policy of “routine monitoring” of its graduates was reviewed by CARF² in 2005 at Narconon Arrowhead, the network’s international training center (CARF accredited for 15 years). The 2005 CARF survey of Narconon Arrowhead operations reported that “the organization does an excellent job in tracking the progress of persons served following discharge and uses the data in refining its program.”

Narconon Arrowhead’s graph of one-year drug free is:

With over 200-bed capacity, Narconon Arrowhead has two full-time staff posted to do outcome monitoring. They maintain weekly contact for three months and then monthly contact for two years to assist with reintegration into the community.

Notes:

1. DHHS Publication No (SMA) 98-3177, September, 1998.
2. Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission

From Clark Carr
President, Narconon International

Presenting at the International Congress on Traditional and Complementary Medicine

I returned not long ago from Iran, where I had the opportunity and privilege to present at the International Congress on Traditional and Complementary Medicine at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, a northern city on the Caspian Sea (October 2008). The conference had over 300 poster and 79 oral presentations. I had been concerned that what I had to contribute might not be relevant to those attending from Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other Central and South Asian countries. After all, papers were being presented on scientific studies of herbal and nutritional treatments dating back sometimes over a thousand years – Avicenna, Al Razi, Jorjoni (who revived the great Avicenna’s work). There were placebo and controlled studies on numerous aspects of Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese acupuncture, and especially on what in Iran and the Far East they call “Unani” (Greek) medicine. We in the West trace this tradition to Galen, although it has a much broader base. Many reading this might dismiss much of this as less than medieval. Think again. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and there is always something to learn from the old masters.
Paper after paper illustrated how so-called “traditional” treatments with common nutrients and herbs were producing results comparable to or better than pharmaceutical (or surgical or other invasive) interventions.
Distinguished professors discussed an age when philosophy and medicine were not separate disciplines. One quoted Jorjoni as having said, “Medicine is the philosophy of the body. Philosophy is the medicine of the soul.”

My own lecture and workshop was on the “Narconon® First Step Program” – use of minerals, vitamins, and simple hands-on ‘assists’ to ease withdrawal from drugs. To my surprise, this turned out to be in the mainstream of conference discussion.

Community-based village health centers

I had been invited to send my abstract to the conference secretariat by the distinguished Dr. Muhammad Barzegar, known in WHO circles for his lifetime work promoting “Basic Minimum Needs” – that is, basing support and delivery of health services on careful, humble survey of what local small communities actually say they need and want rather than imposing it from on high by executive fiat. Dr. Barzegar toured me through a small village health center, one of 7,000 he has helped create for every village in Iran. The center’s young director knew virtually everything about the health and welfare of his 1,000 villagers. I asked him, “How many drug addicts does your village have?” Without hesitation he said, “Fourteen.”

The point is that he knew he had 14 drug addicts, just in his one small town, but he didn’t know how to treat them. Doing the math, one could roughly estimate 100,000 untreated addicts just in Iran’s villages, not considering the large cities. Of course, it is not just the rural village in Iran where facilities and knowhow to address drug and alcohol addiction are lacking. There is not a country in the world, including the United States, where treatment for drug addiction exists at a level to match the need.

Stepping down off drugs nutritionally

It was for just this circumstance that the Narconon First Step was designed – to provide a simple protocol for communities, congregations, families, where professional facilities don’t exist, to help drug-addicted loved ones to step down off drugs safely and without much discomfort.
In a nutshell, the Narconon First Step uses a few specific nutritional supplements to help handle and reduce common physical and mental/emotional symptoms of withdrawal.

To summarize briefly what I presented in workshop: First, what are the symptoms of opiate withdrawal (opiates being very common drugs of abuse worldwide)? This is what the addict fears and what a person wanting to help him must address.

Opiate withdrawal symptoms:

• cramps extreme sensitivity to pain
  aching joints
  insomnia
  anxiety
  depression
  weakness
  stomach pain
  vomiting
  diarrhea

Rather fearsome, particularly in the extreme, which heroin withdrawal presents. However, comparisons of symptoms of these opiate withdrawal symptoms to Calcium and Magnesium deficiency symptoms show a show a significant parallel, particularly vis a vis cramping, insomnia, and anxiety.

It makes a case that much drug withdrawal pain and discomfort can be laid to deficiencies in these two vital minerals. Hence, decades ago researcher and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard suggested for Narconon drug rehab use in easing drug withdrawal a simple, palatable drink – called “Cal Mag.”

CAL MAG: 1 part Magnesium Carbonate,
6 parts Calcium Gluconate
combined with a mild acid solution such as cider vinegar, in equal amount to the calcium (to facilitate absorption of the minerals). (1)

Mixed in hot water and drunk alone or with juice, two to three times a day, this mineral drink has demonstrated that it greatly eases many of the above symptoms. (If too much is taken, the bowels become loose. O, and one simply cuts back on it.) It has many other healthful uses, too.

Vitamin supplementation further addresses the above symptoms. Deficiencies in Thiamin (B1), Niacin (B3) and Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) also closely correspond to heroin and other drug withdrawal symptoms (including alcohol).

Hence, the Narconon First Step Program includes another formulation of significant amounts of niacinamide (the non-itchy first metabolite of niacin) and other B vitamins along with C, etc. These are taken with food or yogurt and amino acids for the first few days of intensive withdrawal. No pharmaceuticals or other drug substitutes are required. (2)

Along with someone providing personal attention and assists or exercises to help the withdrawing person stay in communication with his body and remain oriented in his present-time environment, this is the Narconon First Step. Easily taught. Easily learned. Easily delivered.

Long-term abstinence rates in large (US) national outcome studies (red) vs. Programs with high dose vitamin component (blue).

Volumes of western science research underscore that drug abuse is associated with depletion of vitamins and minerals. And that nutritional treatment is important to recovery. In a comparison of abstinence rates shown by US nationwide studies and drug rehab programs employing high doses of vitamins and minerals, nutrition wins again. In truth, nutritional supplementation is a key factor in better recovery.

Decades of Narconon results have shown this to be so.

I presented to the congress attendees that a spectrum of ‘providers’ considerably wider than treatment centers has utilized the above nutritional regimen to aid withdrawal. Across the world these have included naturopathic and other doctors’ clinics, prisons and jails, a pastor with addicts in his congregation, out-patient activities of residential and other rehab centers, families helping family members, and even addicts just helping one another. (If you have further interest in self-help manuals that teach this, workshop presentations, and so forth, please click here - Narconon First Step Program.)

Roots

We have all heard of the tradition of “bare foot” doctors in China and India. This congress showed that their treatment, in many instances, was no less effective at the local level than it might be in the city. Traditional treatment sometimes might be more effective. Large universities in South and Central Asia are dedicated to this proposition. My presentation showed how nutritional supplementation could help address drug addiction issues.

I returned from the conference inspired by the ancient roots of medicine, roots it would be best we not amputate in our zeal to be ‘modern’ or ‘post-modern.’

Continuing research in the West on the uses of nutrition to maintain and restore health, I think, is an important example of following our roots.

I would be interested in your viewpoints and comments.

Respectfully,
Clark Carr
President
Narconon International

Abstract of the paper

For further information on the Narconon program and its international network of centers, please visit www.narconon.org. Selected science papers relative to Narconon work can be found at www.narcononresults.org.

(1) For example, for one glass: 1/2 teaspoon magnesium, 1 tablespoon calcium, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar. 3 teaspoons equaling 1 tablespoon in the English measurement system.

(2) Obviously, in certain circumstances, such as heavy alcohol consumption and barbiturates, light tranquilizers may be required for a few days. Narconon medical directors refer such cases to medically supervised facilities. after the initial phase of physical withdrawal is complete, with medical approval, the recovering addict re-enters the drug-free Narconon program.