Survey Shows New Drugs, Same Old Story

The new 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, formerly called the Household Survey, was released as part of the kick-off for the 14th annual National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month observance.
Conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the survey found that current illicit drug use among young adults 18 to 25 years old is the highest, with over 20 percent using drugs.  The age group of 12-17 also showed significant use, with 11.6 percent of that population currently using illicit drugs.
It was also reported that the second most popular category of drug use is the non-medical use of prescription drugs. In fact, an estimated 6.2 million people, 2.6 percent of the population ages 12 or older, were current users of prescription drugs taken non-medically. Of these, an estimated 4.4 million used narcotic pain relievers.
Though these staggering numbers are indeed tragic, the nerve-deadening effects of narcotics and the abuse of these substances is nothing new.
Dating back to the end of the 17th century, opium and its derivatives have been plaguing society, but recorded history of this painkilling poppy goes thousands of years earlier. The addictive qualities are no secret, yet newer forms of opiates have been continually introduced throughout the ages.
Coming closer to modern medicine, morphine was introduced as a new drug, then heroin and then methadone and many other synthetic opiates. All of these drugs were packaged and sold by pharmaceutical companies and so far a number of them have become illegal because of their abuse potential and destruction to individuals and families.
The trend in popping a pill for any malady has continued to increase and the accessibility and variety of drugs now used by millions of Americans is higher than ever as new pharmaceuticals become available and are advertised, regardless of the damage caused in exchange for their marketed value or intended use.
In Clear Body, Clear Mind, a book about the effective detoxification program L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Too often the attitude is ‘If I can’t find the cause of the pain, at least I’ll deaden it.’” This includes physical and mental discomfort, depression or anxiety.
Hubbard’s decades of research in the field of substance abuse and rehabilitation helped form the basis for what is now called the Narconon® Drug Rehabilitation and Education Program, a secular network of treatment and prevention centers now in 36 countries that is rapidly growing due to the fact that it works.
“Having a clear understanding of the cycle of addiction is vital to anyone dealing with it personally or trying to help a family member,” says Luke Catton, president of Narconon Arrowhead, the largest facility in the Narconon network. “The amount of misinformation associated with drug use and supposed remedies runs rampant through our culture today. People need to know the truth about what all drugs really are and what they can do to an individual, including side effects and abuse potential.”

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