Narconon Warns Most People Arrested Test Positive For Illegal Drugs

Narconon Drug Rehab warns that in a study conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, over 50% of those arrested in the United States tested positive for a controlled substance.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of The Office of National Drug Control Policy, said: “Study results once again demonstrate the connection between drug use and criminal activities, we must concentrate our resources on programs that have been proven to break the cycle of drugs and crime,  jailing these offenders without offering treatment, simply defers the time when they are released back into our communities to start harming themselves and our communities again."

Narconon Drug Rehab notes that the newly appointed drug czar Kerlikowske called for an end to the “war on drugs” in an interview reported on the Reuters news service.  He stated “A more balanced approach is needed, with greater emphasis on treatment programs, especially in prisons.”

“The results are quite eye-opening,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Atlanta Recovery Center. “The study shows that in the ten test sites throughout the United States, the majority of people arrested had used an illegal drug. Washington D.C. had the lowest rate, 49% testing positive for a controlled substance, while 87% of the arrestees in Chicago tested positive.”

Based in Atlanta, the Narconon Atlanta Recovery Center states that while marijuana is the most commonly detected illegal substance among arrestees in other cities, Atlanta had more arrestees test positive for cocaine use. Over 40 percent of arrestees in 8 of the 10 cities test positive for marijuana at the time of arrest, a statistic that has not changed significantly in any site since 2007.

Cocaine was the second most commonly detected substance among arrestees in 2008, except in Atlanta where it is the most commonly detected drug.

Gordon Weinand, spokesperson for Narconon Atlanta Recovery Center, commented, “We have not gotten better at treatment in the last decade, but have improved in our ability to incarcerate.  In the last decade the United States, has moved to the number one position regarding incarceration – locking up more people per capita than any country on the planet.

“We need to focus on effective drug treatment and drug prevention; incarceration does nothing to ‘reform’ a drug user.”

Long term studies would undoubtedly demonstrate tremendous savings in terms of government, community and familial spending.  In the meanwhile, saving lives should be enough of an impetus to get behind any attempt to use addiction treatment as an alternative to incarceration.

This new approach to the drug problem in America marks a clear difference from the tact of previous administrations.  Focusing on treatment of drug problems has shown results in many areas of the country and the world.  The results are reflected in saved lives and in lower prison budgets.