CDC Survey Measures Youth Alcohol and Drug Use among Other Risky Behaviors

Results show trends in several commonly-abused substances among youth.

The good news is that there are fewer teenagers engaging in risky behaviors compared to 1991, according to the Results of the latest National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YBRS) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Substance abuse was one of the many categories of behaviors measured, which also included diet, exercise, violence and sex.

In a release from the CDC last week, the Center’s director of the adolescent and school health division Howell Wechsler, Ed.D, MPH commented, “The overall survey results are encouraging because they show us that persistent efforts to get young people to adopt healthier behaviors can achieve positive results.”

The survey results showed that more than 43 percent of students across the country are considered current drinkers, and over 25 percent had five or more alcoholic drinks in a row within the last 30 days. Also noted was that about one quarter of the students first drank alcohol, other than a few sips, before the age of 13.

Another behavior associated with alcohol consumption is drinking and driving. Roughly ten percent of teenagers had driven a car within the last month under the influence of alcohol, which translates to millions of impaired underage drivers in just a 30-day period.

Nationwide, 38.4% of students had used marijuana one or more times during their life. While current marijuana use has declined over the last six years, it is still significantly higher at over 20% in 2005 than the under 15% total in 1991. Almost nine percent of students had tried marijuana for the first time before age 13.

Director of Drug Education for Narconon Arrowhead J.T. Daily points out that, “Unfortunately, there are pro-drug groups out there that promote the use of illegal drugs, which sends a message to young people that it might be safe or okay, which is not the case.”

Mr. Daily has worked with well over 100,000 students across the country in recent years and says he has to combat a lot of misinformation about these drugs. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the nation’s largest and most successful drug education and drug rehab programs, which uses the effective drug-free approach developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

Another drug that is promoted by organizations involved in drug legalization and harm reduction is the club drug known as ecstasy (MDMA). Although ecstasy use has dramatically declined since its peak around the year 2000, according to the YRBS there are still as many students who have tried ecstasy as methamphetamine, the latter of which has become a serious problem in the U.S. over the last several years.

Daily says that there are two videos available that also help to provide insight to young people. “Marijuana: The Myth” and “Ecstasy: The Real Story” are produced and distributed by a supporting group called Friends of Narconon. “The more information you can provide to students through effective drug education that communicates on their level, the more they will make the decision to stay away from these harmful substances,” he claims.

Nearly 14,000 U.S. high school students participated in the 2005 National YRBS, which is one of three Department of Health and Human Services-sponsored surveys that provide data on drug use among youth. The full 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data are available at www.cdc.gov/yrbs.

For more information on the videos, to inquire about effective drug education or to find help for a loved one in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead by calling 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.

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Increased Deaths Linked to Fentanyl Creates Growing Concern in Several States

The powerful prescription painkiller continues to cause alarm among addicts and law enforcement in a number of communities around the country.

An alert was issued on fentanyl by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment from their Director H. Wesley Clark. This advisory was to treatment providers, community organizations and recovery groups and highlighted the growing concerns about the prescription drug and the fatal effects of its known and unknown presence in street drugs.

From Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania to all the way down in Florida, the number of fentanyl-related deaths continue to add up. Most of them recently are attributed to addicts using heroin or cocaine that was laced with fentanyl. Detroit has been one of the hardest hit areas.

“Individuals involved in the public health need to be aware of this new dangerous drug combination,” Dr. Clark said. “They need to be prepared to alert patients, clients and others to help save lives.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration held a special conference in Chicago last week to address the sudden increase in fentanyl-related deaths. Topics of the DEA meeting included the pharmacology of fentanyl, heroin, and other related drugs while discussing strategies to cut down the illicit manufacturing of the painkiller and importation and transportation methods. They also covered the local protocols for addressing outbreaks of overdoses and deaths as well as obtaining and analyzing data from medical examiners and hospitals.

A University of Florida report issued last year stated that the number of fatalities linked to fentanyl is still one-quarter the number associated with other drugs abused, including opiates such as methadone or hydrocodone, but the number of sudden deaths from overdosing on fentanyl has been on the rise during the past few years across the nation.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that the number of emergency room visits for people abusing fentanyl increased by more than ten times from 2000 to 2004.

Fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic, was introduced in the 1960s, but it was not until the early 1990s that it became available in patch form. Last year, the first generic versions of the patch hit the market. The American Academy of Pain Medicine released a statement saying the potentially lethal combination of heroin and fentanyl is of great concern to the medical community and that the prescription drug is nearly 100 times more powerful than morphine.

For free information on opiates and other drugs or to get help for a loved one in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead today by calling 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.

Narconon Arrowhead is one of the largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education programs in the country and works continuously to help individuals overcome substance abuse. Their incredible results and number of lives saved are attributed to the application of American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard’s drug-free approach.

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Proposed Budget Slashes Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment Services

The 2007 White House budget proposal seeks to cut approximately $360 million from alcohol and drug abuse-related programs

When the President released his proposal for the 2007 federal budget it was revealed that several programs involving drug prevention and treatment are targeted for reduction or elimination.

Among those hit include a combined $36.2 million cut for the Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention and a staggering $322 million blow to the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities programs. In addition, the entire $9.1 million for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Demand Reduction Program was removed.

“Effective drug treatment and prevention programs are the cornerstones to helping individuals and communities overcome the devastation of substance abuse,” comments Gary W. Smith, CEO of Narconon Arrowhead, which is a leading drug rehabilitation and education center that helps people from all over the country every year. As one of the largest and most successful programs in the nation, it uses the effective drug-free approach to rehabilitation developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

Smith continues, “Reducing funding for these activities could result in many lives lost.”

However, budget cuts were not suggested for all areas, as an additional $21 million was asked for the National Anti-Drug Media Campaign and another $59.3 million for Drug Court funding.

Earlier this year a government release promoted a study that showed anti-drug media messages are working for youth who are exposed to them, which is good news. The growth of the drug court system effectiveness has also been praised in many states and the extra funding could open up many more drug courts to deal with non-violent substance abuse offenders and monitor their progress.

Budget and political analysts have been scurrying to report their take on the proposal in different sectors of public funding, but the proposals undoubtedly will be changed considerably by Congress before being fully adopted later this year. This leaves hope for those in the treatment and prevention field supported solely by government money, as well as other non-profits who will undoubtedly shoulder the increased demand for services.

For more information about the substance abuse treatment and prevention portions of the 2007 budget proposal, visit the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America at www.cadca.org. To get help for a loved one in need of effective alcohol or drug rehabilitation, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or log on to www.stopaddiction.com.


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Report Shows More People in Treatment Started Using Drugs at an Earlier Age

Over 160,000 people admitted for drug addiction treatment in 2003 started using drugs before the age of 13


The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released a report from ongoing monitoring of the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) showing an increase in the number of people in treatment for drug addiction who started at an earlier age.

The report tracked treatment admissions from 1993 to 2003 and the percentage of people in treatment who started using drugs before the age of 13 had increased from 12 percent to 14 percent during that time span. The total number of people jumped from about 114,000 to more than 162,000.

In a SAMHSA release, Administrator Charles Curie exclaimed, “Age at first use is an important predictor of the potential for serious substance abuse problems later in life. The increase in the proportion of the admissions for drug use before age 13 should be a wake-up call to parents to speak with their children early and often about the dangers of drug use.”

Education and prevention efforts must start at earlier ages, and must start at home. Our children need to know everything about drugs and the damage they cause and this can be done without building their curiosity or using scare tactics. Simple communication with the truth is what works.

Narconon Arrowhead’s drug education and prevention program works with kids, parents, ministers, counselors, teachers and anyone else in an effort to create and maintain drug-free youth. While the program includes a very successful rehabilitation program based on the research and developments of American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, the professionals working in the treatment center would much rather not have to see those kids in the future going through treatment.

Take the time to speak to your kids about drug and alcohol abuse, and let’s make a better society for all.

For more information or help, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com. Free downloadable drug information is also available at www.drug-education.org. Act now before it’s too late.


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Opiates, Antidepressants Top List of Substances in Drug-Related Suicides

The Drug Abuse Warning Network tracks emergency department and drug mortality statistics in the United States

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) found that the most common single-drug suicide deaths involved opiates, followed by antidepressants and then cocaine, sedatives and anti-anxiety medications.

DAWN information showed that 7 out of 10 of the suicide deaths involved multiple drugs. The highest rates included combinations of alcohol and antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and opiates, alcohol and opiates, and then antidepressants with opiates. One quarter of the overall deaths in the metropolitan areas and states involved multiple antidepressants.

“What this data shows is what we teach in our education presentations,” comments a supervisor at Narconon Arrowhead, which is one of the nation’s largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education programs, “that all drugs are basically poisons and that enough of any drug can cause extreme adverse reactions and even death.”

The organization uses the drug-free rehabilitation methodology developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard and does not use any drugs in the treatment process. Part of the reasoning is because all drugs do produce side effects and it has been demonstrated that drug residues can become stored in the body and continue to produce negative effects.

The DAWN study of 32 metropolitan areas and six states also looked for mortality rates for drug abuse. Of the cities that were examined, Baltimore and Albuquerque had the highest rates with more than 200 deaths per million people. Another 14 metropolitan areas had drug misuse death rates that exceeded 100 per 1,000,000.

In the six states, the number of deaths related to drug misuse or abuse ranged from 74 to 697. After adjusting for population differences, the rates of drug misuse/abuse deaths ranged from 88 deaths per 1,000,000 in Maine and New Hampshire to 162 deaths per million in New Mexico.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related hospital emergency department visits and drug-related deaths to track the impact of drug use, misuse, and abuse in the U.S.

This survey did not include any deaths from adverse reactions to drugs. Such cases would include the consequences of using a prescription or over-the-counter pharmaceutical for therapeutic purposes and include deaths related to adverse drug reactions, side effects, drug-drug interactions, and drug-alcohol interactions.

For more information on specific drugs and addiction or to get help for a loved one in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com. To find results from previous DAWN publications go to www.dawninfo.samhsa.gov.


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Prescription Drug Use Pervades America

National Center for Health Statistics shows nearly half of the adult population has used prescription drugs in the last month


Recent information from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that nearly half of U.S. adults have taken prescription drugs within the past 30 days. The segment of the population showing the most prescription drug use was white non-Hispanic women (54 percent) and the lowest was Mexican-American men (26 percent).

The goal of the pharmaceutical industry is to make money. Drug companies are publicly-traded corporations and are not non-profit organizations. Evidence of this can be found by simply turning on the television and viewing the increasing number of commercials for prescription drugs as part of the direct-to-consumer marketing plans. U.S. revenues for the pharmaceutical industry have been estimated at $200 billion annually.

Along with the increase in overall use of prescription drugs comes the rise in abuse and addiction. A quick scan of headlines reveals the death of a high school athlete from a painkiller, the State of Massachusetts launching a prescription drug awareness media campaign and law enforcement officers from Ohio giving a seminar on spotting emerging trends in prescription drug trafficking and abuse.

Another article from the Associated Press (AP) reported that there are more estimated deaths in Maine from drug overdoses in 2005 than traffic accidents. The number of drug overdose deaths has more than doubled in the last five years, which has been primarily attributed to the use of prescription drugs.

“What many people forget,” comments Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, “Is that prescription drugs have the potential to be just as harmful as street drugs, and that most of today’s illegal drugs were once marketed and sold as pharmaceuticals.”

Narconon Arrowhead is one of the nation’s largest and most successful drug rehabilitation programs and uses the effective drug-free rehabilitation methodology developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is working with state legislatures to cut down the rising numbers of prescription drug abusers. One of the main avenues is state-level prescription drug monitoring programs, which have taken a leading role in detecting and deterring the diversion of controlled substances that are often abused. Prescription drug monitoring programs are currently in place or plan to be operational in about half of the United States this year.

For more information about prescription drugs or to get help for a loved on in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead today by calling 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.


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Adolescent Inhalant Use Continues to Rise

National survey indicates a slight increase in inhalant use among 12th-grade students

The results of the 2005 Monitoring the Future survey showed that inhalant use remains high among adolescents, with another slight increase for 12th grade students. The high range and rise in use comes just a year after a significant jump of inhalant use by 8th graders from 2002 to 2004.

Use of inhalants has consistently been highest among 8th graders, which is a reversal of the usual pattern of use across grades since the drug use is usually higher among 12 graders. The reported perceived dangers of inhalant use have declined among both 8th and 10th graders over the last four years now. Disapproval of inhalant use has also slipped a bit in 8th grade in recent years.

Inhalants are generally classified into three categories, solvents, gases and nitrates. Examples of these chemicals include paint thinners, glue, gasoline, butane, nitrous oxide, ether, cleaning products and aerosol sprays for paint, hair and deodorant.

Most of the chemicals that are sniffed or “huffed” are commonly found in the household, where young children and adolescents can easily obtain them.

Use of inhalants brings many negative effects on a person aside from the initial high they may feel. Adverse effects of sniffing toxins include damage to the liver, lungs, kidneys and brain, which opens up to a variety of symptoms and illnesses. Sniffing high concentrations of some chemicals can cause heart failure and even death.

“We’ve seen what inhalants can do to a person,” comments Gary W. Smith, who is a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and is the Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead. The center is one of the nation’s largest and most successful drug rehabilitation and education programs by using the effective drug-free methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard. “After years of inhalant abuse there are very definite signs of damage, even when the person is now drug-free.”

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week is in March each year. According to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration last year, 12 and 13 year-olds who used inhalants were more likely to experiment with other drugs in the future and engage in delinquent behavior than kids who never tried sniffing.

Effective drug education and prevention programs can help reverse this trend and the behavior associated with it. Programs like Narconon Arrowhead can help. For more information about Narconon Arrowhead or to get help for a loved one in need, call 1-800-468-6933 today or visit www.stopaddiction.com.

You may also view more statistics on inhalant and other drug use among teens at www.monitoringthefuture.org. The survey is conducted annually by the University of Michigan and is funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to assess drug use among 8th, 10th and 12th grade students.

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