Counselors at Narconon often see college binge drinking as an early issue with alcoholics.  Alcohol abuse, beginning in college, can be the start of alcoholism for many people. What begins as a seemingly social activity can spiral into an isolated pattern of drinking alone, in excess, over years and even decades.  Addicts often have to relearn how to socialize without alcohol after years of abuse.

Survey data show notable drops in student binge drinking at several colleges and universities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Feb. 16. For example:

• Alcohol-related violations dropped 3.7 percent at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D. over two years.
• Between 2007 and 2009, “problem drinking” fell 12 percent at the University of Pittsburgh.
• The number of Purdue students who engaged in binge drinking sank from 48 percent in 2006 to 37.3 percent in 2009.
• Frostburg State University in Maryland saw binge drinking plummet 27% over the past decade.

Prevention advocates say the drop in risky drinking is no accident. Students and administrators are making concerted efforts to provide students with fun, late-night activities that are alcohol-free – and offered regularly.

What could possibly compete with a beer keg? The Wall Street Journal lists a dizzying array of activities, including alcohol-free tailgate parties, carnivals, movie showings, simulated sumo wrestling, bowling, arcade games, and contests.

http://www.jointogether.org/blog/posts/2011/activities-key-to-cutting.html

Narconon sees these significant drops in binge drinking as real progress in the effort to fight addiction.  Although these studies are fairly new, in time, other statistics will surely show increased GPAs and higher graduation rates for those schools offering more alcohol-free activities.

Narconon Drug Rehabilitation hopes to see less cases of alcoholism beginning with binge drinking as more schools adopt these practices.

A new study led by a researcher at Indiana University suggests that drinking problems in teens is not “just a phase,” but strongly predicts they will be alcohol dependent in their twenties, CNN Health reported Feb. 15.

Researchers assessed the drinking problems of 597 Finnish twins at age 18 by giving them the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), a self-administered questionnaire. They followed up with in-person interviews when the twins reached age 25.

They found that 52 percent of the study participants showed problem drinking at 18 based on their RAPI scores. Those scores held at age 25, when nearly half of the participants were assessed as dependent on alcohol (46.2 percent) or met criteria for alcohol abuse (1.5 percent).

“The key finding was that the more drinking-related problems experienced by an adolescent at age 18, the greater the likelihood that adolescent would be diagnosed with alcoholism seven years later, at age 25,” said Richard R. Rose of Indiana University, who led the study. “The analysis of co-twins ruled out factors such as parental drinking and household atmosphere as the source of the association, because twins jointly experience these.”

http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2011/teen-problem-drinking-not.html

Narconon works with people to come off of alcohol, drugs and teaches life skills. There are many difficulties that people face when they have become dependent on drugs and alcohol. People that seek treatment are likely to be successful but a big factor is the environment they return to after treatment is completed.

Narconon drug rehab teaches a different approach to alcohol and drug treatment. When someone enters the doors at Narconon they are educated about the drugs and their lifestyles. Many people are blinded by their addiction until one sinks very low and eventually realizes they need help. Narconon sees the ongoing problems alcohol and drugs bring to peoples lives and sees there is hope for those in need of treatment. Alcohol is a very powerful drug for the simple fact it is virtually everywhere in society.

Narconon reviewers found the following article from Join Together very interesting.  Apparently, a study found that there is an increase in alcohol related deaths, if there is an increase in liquor stores.   Apparently, without being reminded or coached to drink, some people won’t.  If there isn’t a liquor store on the way home, they won’t drive the extra mile to find liquor.  This is just conjecture, but the statistics are telling.   Here is the article:

“A study led by a researcher at the University of Victoria in British Columbia found a strong correlation between an increase in private liquor stores and alcohol-related deaths, Reuters reported Jan. 31.

The study was conducted in British Columbia between 2003 and 2008, when the Canadian province’s 89 health areas partially privatized alcohol sales and the number of private liquor outlets increased by 40 percent. Researchers looked for relationships between the number of alcohol-related deaths, the density of alcohol outlets, and the proportion that were privately owned.

According to the study abstract, investigators found that “the total number of liquor stores per 1000 residents was associated significantly and positively with population rates of alcohol-related death.” Every additional liquor outlet per 1,000 people resulted in a 27.5 percent increase in alcohol-related deaths.”

As always, Narconon of Georgia believes that prevention is the best solution to any addiction.  If the mere presence of a liquor store increases the number of deaths, then it stands to reason that other forms of advertisement likewise affect over-drinking.   With the increase of alcohol ads that “really aren’t ads” and alcohol “energy drinks” that really make you tired, there is no doubt a greater number of abusers are being created on a daily basis.  Surely, in this economy there are other ways that we can encourage individuals to spend money.   Even if liquor sales go down, the industry is certainly not going to disappear.

And as always there is Narconon drug and alcohol rehab for those who were lured to the liquor store near their house too frequently or bought into the energy drink ads too heavily.

Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine is usually smoked but can also be injected.  Immediate effects are euphoria, weightlessness.  Secondary effects are paranoia, heavy breathing.

Crack cocaine is a very addicting drug. It is not easy just to put it down and never go back again. It’s a drug you must get help for. The cravings will continue to increase and if the user continues to use the amount of crack cocaine needed to get the same high is greater.

Our drug rehab facility has successfully treated hundreds of crack cocaine addicts.  Our success rate is one of the highest in the country at 76%.  If you or a loved one is plagued with addiction it’s never to late to get help.

Drugs in the Workplace

Addicts some feel embarrassed about their drug addiction.  They feel like there is no way out of the addiction.  They continue to do the drug that they are addicted to just because they feel like there is nothing else.

Many times one does these drugs at work thinking they are not effecting anyone around them. When in fact they are. Nodding off during meetings, missed deadlines, missed days at work.  These are just some of the things that happen to the addict.

If you are an employer it effects you financially as well. Whether you fire the person and then have to then fill the position, training and more or just put the employee into treatment, your cost can be significant. Seek drug rehab immediately for your employee today.

Our facility has a 76% success rate among our graduating students. Get help today.

Atlanta Reflection

Getting sober and staying that way requires that the addict get back in touch with themselves and the environment.  Here is a success story from the Atlanta Recovery Center

addiction treatment program where a person is doing just that.  Once hopeless addicted to oxycontin and Xanax, he is well on the way to complete sobriety

“This exercise has caused me to focus inward on myself.  As I was doing it, I came to realize that I’m the reason I’m here.  And I can’t blame anyone else but me for the reason I am here.  This is the first time I have said this to myself.

This exercise focused on me and the different parts of me.  In order for me to grow here, I have to inspect the different things I have done in my life.  This exercise has helped me to do that.  I am happy that I stuck with it to the end because it has really helped me to see me, in the now.”

Addiction and Kids

Kids being raised with the darkness of addiction around them points out the fact that unless something is done to quickly halt the trend of drug abuse, we are walking into a new dark ages.  And at current rates of escalating addiction, not many people will be aware enough to turn the situation around.  The population will be too doped up to pull itself out.

Whether it is alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine, prescription drugs or heroin – these drugs don’t mix with raising children.  In order to bring a screeching halt to the situation (and it needs to be screeching) any kind of health care plan must include drug prevention and effective addiction treatment.  Hopefully it is not too late.

“MEDFORD (AP) — Adrianna Poot didn’t want to pass on her parents’ painful legacy of drug use, child abuse and neglect. But she did.

‘A child’s ability to explore his world in a positive manner stems from feeling safe and secure,” Gramley said. ‘When children haven’t been able to develop that trust, they don’t explore. And there’s no reason to trust if your diaper is never changed or you are not fed adequately or you cried yourself to sleep because you were hungry.”

The cycle of addiction is difficult to overcome simply by will power alone.  Addiction treatment provides services to help the one addicted find ways to break the cycle of addiction and supply practical tools for becoming a productive member of society.  If you or your loved one needs the services of a drug rehab, our referral specialists will help guide you to the treatment center that will help you become free from the chains of addiction. 

Narconon of Georgia has a 76% success rate for those who successfully complete the program.  Our trained staff and volunteers will help the transition into drug rehab be as easy and painless as possible.  Intake counselors are available to help you begin your path to a drug free life. 

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Alcohol Awareness

Alcohol Awareness month is a good time to take a look at our associates and the friends of our kids.  Do they drink heavily?   If they do, chances are there is trouble around them.  Alcohol abusers like to hang around alcohol abusers and only by pulling someone out of their circle and getting them into effective addiction treatment will the spell be broken.

Kids will drink if their friends drink.

During Alcohol Awareness month it is good to remember that we are known by the company that we keep. 

“The amount of alcohol you consume seems to be directly related to the drinking habits of your social group, according to a new study.

HealthDay News reported April 5 that researchers focused on data from 12,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, who were asked about their drinking and social networks over the 30-year span of the study. They found that those who had friends or relatives who drank heavily were 50 percent more likely to drink heavily themselves.

Moreover, even three degrees of separation — having friends of friends who drank heavily — appeared to influence individual alcohol consumption.

Narconon of Georgia offers drug education and rehabilitative services for those who are struggling with alcohol addiction.  Our 76 % success rate shows that the addiction cycle can be broken and you or your loved one will live a healthy alcohol free life. 

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One minute you are running around the next min you want to sleep. One minute you love the person that is there with you and the next minute you hate them.  There is no reason for any of this. Don’t push yourself away from everyone that cares for you.  Addiction can and most often times does lead to divorce.  Also, disconnection from your family often occurs. You don’t have to go through this alone.  Call today to find a drug treatment center

Drug Abuse Attitude

that can help you.

Youth and Alcohol

Earlier generations were not exposed to TV ads with young people drinking.  The earliest TV ads showed young mothers using the right kind of detergent or handsome young men getting their hair just right with Brill Cream. There was a different message and different social pressures resulting in different outcomes in terms of behavior in young people. Of course, there were those with drinking problems back then and it is difficult to analyze looking back, why some people seem to get addicted to alcohol no matter the circumstances.

However, young drinkers were not created en masse by the media and life had the opportunity to be more like Ozzie and Harriet – which doesn’t seem too bad, compared to the chaos of this young generation.

This article, which points out that Americans are drinking at an earlier age with each passing decade, challenges the validity of theories promoting alcoholism as a genetically determined disease.

In fact, it clearly indicates that the factors that influence at least that first drink, are outside of the individual – in the environment, not in the genes.

Careful examination needs to be done.  We don’t yet know the line between genetically determined alcoholism and that engineered on Madison Avenue.  However it is much easier to change behavior through addiction treatment than it is to change genes.

“A study of individuals born between 1934 and 1983 found that more Americans began drinking alcohol at an early age over the decades, especially women, and that those who did drink at a younger age were more likely to be alcohol-dependent as adults.

Reuters reported June 9 that researcher Richard A. Grucza of the Washington University School of Medicine and colleagues said that the study doesn’t prove that early drinking leads to dependence, “but what [it] does show is that early drinking does not simply reflect a genetic vulnerability to alcohol dependence.”

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