It happens all too often. A family member gets in trouble with drugs. Concerned relatives or friends begin looking for a good rehab program. A web search results in hundreds of websites, all from the same source, Narconon. Some may associate the name with a 12 step program, like Alanon. One might also think that, with so many websites, these people really must know what they are doing. Who would ever suspect this to be a recruitment branch of the "church" of Scientology?
Greg Beha is one such concerned parent. He called Narconon Stone Hawk, a large facility in Michigan, and arranged for his son to enter their program.
He paid $23,000 up front for a "3-6 month program."
Two days into the detox, his son began passing out and vomiting blood. Narconon personnel were reluctant to take him to a hospital for treatment. The young man was treated for severe dehydration. Once released, he returned to the Narconon facility to continue his rehab program.
Mr. Beha's troubles weren't over. On the Vince Daniels radio program in Southern California, Mr. Beha said, "In the evening of the fourth day--it was on July 18, 4 days into the program--Stone Hawk loaded my son's belongings and drove him 26 miles to a motel room--a $35 a night, I think is what it cost--and they dropped
him off. They paid for his room and gave him 10 bucks."1
What did Mr. Beha's son actually do that got him kicked out? According to Mr. Beha, " No one would tell me from Stone Hawk. And I talked to my son, and he told me that he just told them that L. Ron Hubbard was a complete idiot. And he used some swear words then."
Mr. Beha is demanding a full refund from Narconon Stone Hawk. And he's not the only one. Since Mr. Beha first spoke out on the Vince Daniels show, several other people have come forward with similar stories.
"Jeff X" was sent to a Narconon facility in Canada. He says, "Inside the center there was active drug use. It was not tolerated by staff but continued the duration of my stay. Marijuana, alcohol, and heroin I not only saw consumed but unfortunately consumed myself. I did heroin for the first time in my life at a Narconon center. The majority of the people there were being treated for opiate abuse. I myself was there for cocaine and a alcohol. I left the center and returned home and I received familiar results: I was neck deep in abuse very quickly." He also notes about his second visit, "It was a total disaster and the worst experience of my life."2
Narconon has a huge web presence. One poster to the alt.religion.scientology newsgroup offered a Tentacle list of Narconon's various websites:
http://tinyurl.com/...
You'll note that there are many "educational" websites listed, as well as sites promoting the many Narconon facilities around the world. One would think that an organization with such a large web presence must certainly be a good one!
Moreover, while most rehabs have a 10-15% success rate, Narconon claims anywhere from 70 to 80% success! This is an astonishingly higher success rate than anyone else.
If you were to search for a rehab project online, google ads for Narconon pop up. Indeed, it's hard to avoid Narconon, which has firmly insinuated itself into the online drug rehab milieu, leading many desperate parents turning to them for help.
Stories about Narconon's ineffectiveness date back to 1977. A mother's statement from that time: "I didn't know anything in particular about Narconon, just that they cost money. I drove with her (15 year old daughter) two days before her fifteenth birthday by taxi to Narconon. A young man gave us the mandatory introduction speech. He congratulated us on our decision and assured me that I need have no more worries. As a rule the Narconon recovery was a complete success...
The parents' night was led by an allegedly former addict. But you couldn't tell it from looking at him. Thanks to Narconon, he said, he had become a new person. And that impressed us parents."
And her heroin-addicted daughter noted that, "But they asked my mother questions. They wanted to see some cash before I was admitted. 1,500 marks paid in advance for the first month. Of course my mother didn't have that much money with her. She promised to bring it by the next afternoon. She wanted to take out a loan...I packed a few things in my straw bag and stuck the needle, a spoon and the rest of the dope in my underwear. We drove in a taxi to Zehlendorf, where the Narconon building was. The guys from Narconon didn't ask me any questions at all. They knew what was going on. They even had scouts that went to the strip and talked to junkies to see if they didn't want to try out Narconon...I asked if I could use the bathroom. I could. So I wouldn't be body-searched first thing like they did in the other recovery programs, and sent home if they found your drug paraphernalia. I went to the rest room and shot up the rest of the dope." 3
Nothing much has changed. Narconons are still staffed by former junkies. Current reports of unqualified staff, lack of medical personnel, and lax security are still topics of complaint.
The main concerns about Narconon treatment include their "cold turkey" detox method, where people in withdrawal are sequestered without medical treatment, the dangerous Purification Rundown, unqualified staff, inappropriate treatments, and the bad science behind the program. 8.
Conditions inside a Narconon create an environment which can lead to abuse. Narconon has done its best to cover up the horror stories of rape, overdoses, and health problems associated with the Purification Rundown.
So what, exactly IS Narconon? Proponents of Narconon will tell you it's the most successful drug rehab program ever, with a 70% success rate. They will also tell you it isn't part of Scientology, but is only "based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard." They also claim to be good neighbors, have excellent supervision, good security and trained medical personnel on site.
These are all "acceptable truths." Here are a few verifiable facts.
Narconon is part of Scientology. In their organizational chart, Narconon falls under the umbrella of ABLE, the Association for Better Living and Education, which is under the direct purview of CST, the "Church of Spiritual Technology," which is the Keeper of the Copyrights and the International Management watchdog committee which controls Scientology operations. 4
Courses in Narconon are drawn from Scientology's "green volumes." These courses are identical to those purchased by public Scientologists. In that case, they are "religious" doctrines. In Narconon, it is claimed they are secular.
"Each stage of the Narconon programme has an exact equivalent in Scientology - so much so that it is more accurate to say that Narconon is Scientology, rather than that it is merely derived from it."
--From a report to Submitted to Don Z. Miller, Deputy Director, Health Treatment System, State Department of Health, Sacramento, CA, on 31 Oct 1974. 5
This was noted in 1974, yet Narconon spokespersons still flat out lie about the association between Narconon and Scientology!
Another falsehood relates to their 70% success rate claimed by Narconon promotional material and spokespeople. On the Narconon-exposed.org website, this issue is discussed, noting, "The way that Narconon presents its claimed success rates is, on the whole, very peculiar. As well as not making available source data from studies, it often claims that its success rates are universally applicable - that is, that a particular success figure is obtained everywhere. In a great many cases, figures are quoted without any reference to their sources; basic information such as where they come from, when they were determined and how many people were evaluated are often wholly absent. Even when some kind of citation is included, it is often extremely vague - for instance, "a study conducted by an independent organisation" (who, where, when, how?). 6
This is typical Scientology propaganda. Big things are always happening in some other country, acclaimed by unnamed officials. This 70% success rate shows what you can do by massaging data. The study, as explained on the footnoted URL, took a small number of participants as its focus. At the end of the study, the 70% success rate was based on the data after those who failed to complete the program were excluded. Are you snickering yet? When the dropouts were included, the success rate dropped to 2%. The recovery rate for addicts who quit without a support program is 10%.
However, a certain number of clients go on to become Scientologists. This is certainly underplayed by Narconon supporters, who would like to avoid the issue of Narconon recruiting vulnerable recovering substance abusers altogether. Narconon International president Clark Carr estimates 10 to 15% of all graduates become Scientologists.
But Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International, places that number down around 6%.
Once the client has completed the program, he or she is often urged to remain as staff, or encouraged to continue coursework at a Scientology facility. According to an internal Narconon flowchart dated 1984, the final step should be, "ROUTE TO NEAREST [SCIENTOLOGY] ORG[ANIZATION] FOR FURTHER SERVICES IF INDIVIDUAL SO DESIRES." 7.
This lends some credence to the frequent claim by critics of Scientology that Narconon clients are expressly directed into Scientology (this, they suggest, being the primary goal of the Narconon programme). Some have suggested that as many as 50-75 percent of those who undergo full Narconon training become Scientologists. The 1974 Tennant Report states of the patients interviewed at Narconon New Life in Los Angeles that "most ... wanted to become qualified Scientologists."
It's been suggested that Narconon clients are basically trading one addiction for another. And nowhere in their literature is it ever suggested that one side effect of Narconon treatment might be that your loved one comes home a Scientologist.
The safety of the Narconon program is definately in question. Part of the program consists of the 'Purification Rundown,' a supposed detox regimen that frees the body of all toxins. The Purif, as it's called, is mandatory for new Scientologists, and is sold secularly under several front group banners.
Based on college dropout L. Ron Hubbard's fanciful interpretation of the side effects of a niacin overdose, the Purification Rundown administers massive doses of vitamins, which are supposed to remove toxins from the body. Unfortunately for clients, the amount of niacin given actually results in toxicity, which can cause blindness and permanent liver damage. In some cases, vitamin dosage is 142 times the toxic level. 9.
(this footnoted URL also provides dosage charts and toxicity symptoms of vitamins used in the Purif)
In a healthy subject, this can cause health concerns.
Substance abusers are generally not in the best physical condition to begin with.
The Purification Rundown also involves running, and sauna sessions. For someone in poor health, running may have deletorious effects.
Furthermore, while 30 minutes is the recommended safe time period for saunas, Narconon clients can spend up to 5 hours in one session, at 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Visit this URL to read more about the junk science behind Narconon's detox program:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/...
In 2004, a series of articles by Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle outlined the review and expulsion of the Narconon educational program presented to students in California public schools.
It began in San Francisco, where a review of their curriculum determined it to be full of inaccuracies. Rather than comply with the request that they revise their program to reflect the current thought on drugs, addiction and detoxification, Narconon representatives doggedly insisted that the science behind the program was sound. They were subsequently expelled from public schools in San Francisco.
California Superintendent of Public Schools Jack O'Connell asked for a review of the Narconon program at the state level. And from there, Narconon's educational outreach got expelled at the state level. Narconon Hawaii, which had previously unveiled "Unparalleled Expansion," also got the boot based on California findings. The city of Boston followed. 10.
Amusingly, representatives of Narconon flatly deny that any of this has happened. Clark Carr, on the radio show "The Many Moods of Vince Daniels," flat out stated that Narconon has never been expelled from California schools.
Those of us who followed the story know better.
To sum it all up:
Narconon has a huge web presence. Websites include "informational" sites based on government pamphlets, combining verifiable information with Scientology confabulation.
Narconon has repeatedly been determined to be an unscientific, inaccurate and misleading program.
Narconon's program is hazardous to people with compromised health issues.
Narconon is Scientology under a social betterment banner.
Being against Narconon does not mean one is in favor of drug abuse. (I have to thank Scientology's "intelligence" branch for this proactive statement.)
No parent would ever suspect an organization with such a seemingly legitimate presence to lie. But, they do. And often. That's Scientology, baby!
Sometime next week, I plan on revealing more about the Purification Rundown. This "Hubbardian junk science" is at the heart of several Scientology fundraising projects, selling Scientology's religious ritual as a secular service. If you're invoking the name of Hubbard while downing mass quantities of niacin, the FDA says, "More power to you. Have a happy religious experience."
But Narconon is selling Scientology's religious ritual, the Purification Rundown, to a secular market. And the secular market often doesn't bother to look beyond the glossy, professionally designed brochures churned out at Scientology's "secret compound" in Gilman Springs, California. I've been there. The razor wire's on the INSIDE.
Narconon is Scientology in a clam shell. Not enough people are aware of that. Narconon presents itself as an experienced, viable alternative drug rehab program. That just proves that you can run a scam for 27 years without being caught.
Despite all the verifiable medical evidence, despite all the data manipulation, rape victims, auto wreck victims, people who overdosed or caught a STD at a Narconon facility, Narconon continues to gain credibility politically. Despite solid proof that Narconon's program administers dangerous amounts of niacin; despite the fact that Narconon is based on nothing more than the uninformed "theories" of a dead science fiction writer, officials in cities around the world crop up extolling Narconon's virtues.
Did you know that, if you're against Narconon, you're in favor of legalized drugs? Neither did I, until somebody promoting Scientology said so on the newsgroup!
Some people are so damned lazy, if it superficially sounds good, like Narconon, they're in favor of it. For, who would be against rehabilitating the addicted?
Crack dealers, maybe? Criminals?
I wrote that last paragraph two days ago. All of a sudden, there's a sea change in the wind. Since Mr. Beha posted his Narconon complaint to
http://www.ripoffreport.com/...
several other people who had negative experiences with Narconon establishments have begun to come forward and speak out.
All of a sudden, Mr. Beha reports offers from Narconon Stone Hawk. A fraction of his $26,000 will be refunded.
Oops, no, how about half? How about an amount that comes with a gag order?
Mr. Beha responds, "I want a full refund."
I heard the first Vince Daniels show on Narconon. Mr. Beha and Clark Carr were both on. Carr showed himself to be a master slitherer that day.
"Will you give this man a refund?"
"Narconon HELPS people!"
No, Clark, Narconon PRETENDS to help people! You offer a bogus program that, if it works, just turns junkies into Scientologists, and at worst, you go blind and your liver flops out during Sunday dinner with the inlaws.
I only realized last week what a huge presence Narconon has on the web. How its modified government informational brochures give it a panache of validity.
How anyone looking for help is bound to knock up against a Narconon ad on the web.
And how few people, presented with representatives who are clean, personable, and seemingly well informed, will bother looking beyond what the proponent is pushing. Especially if glossy, brightly colored brochures are presented. Expensive print material somehow lends credibility. This kind of shit boggles my mind. People have known about the Narconon fraud since the '70s, but they're still screwing people over and it's 2007.
So if you know someone who is seeking help, I guarantee that they've at least looked at a Narconon ad and considered it, if they're on the web.
Preying on vulnerable, recovering substance abusers as well as sucking huge sums out of concerned families, recruiting in the name of "altruism," and making junkies into Scientologists, it's just reprehensible. It's exploiting vulnerable individuals and families. Scientology has figured out how it can get paid to recruit!
However, people who have been screwed over by Narconons are beginning to come forward and speak out. Not because they wish to profit, but to warn people not to fall for the same trap they fell into. Narconon is trying to make a deal with Greg Behar to shut him up. But others are adding their voices. Scientology has lost its power to instill fear, thanks in part to the internet. The next few years will be really interesting and, no doubt, entertaining.
Like the Mulholland Dam which cracked and collapsed in Los Angeles county, Narconon's reputation is beginning to slowly implode. It all starts here, with Mr. Beha's complaint to http://www.ripoffreport.com/...
Even on the web, information is disseminated slowly. Ten years ago, I knew about the seekrit skripturez of Xenu and the DC8s. Ten years later, the world knows.
So now, we've laughed at Xenu and mocked Tom Cruise. With good reason. And now, if you know someone considering rehab, please share this information with them.
Note: Tomorrow, Saturday at 11:30 california time, Vince Daniels will host Greg Beha and a few other people who have made the decision to stand tall and speak out.
- http://stop-narconon.org/...
- http://www.cs.cmu.edu/...
JeffX/
- http://stop-narconon.org/...
4.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/images/internal_orgchart.gif
5.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/doctrines.htm
6.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/studies.htm
7.http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/narconon/therapy.html
8.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/safety.htm
9.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/detox.htm
10.http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Stop-Narconon/sfusd-articles.html