Americans are about to face one of the deadliest days on the road this week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data has shown that alcohol-related traffic fatalities increase on New Year’s Day and an estimated 185 people will be killed as a result.
The NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reports that 45 percent of all fatalities during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods, on an average, have occurred in crashes where at least one of the involved drivers was impaired. This compares to about 30 percent of all fatalities during the rest of the year.
According to the Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) substance abuse costs our nation nearly $500 billion per year. It is also responsible for our country’s higher rate of incarceration, increased healthcare costs, the spread of disease, child neglect and domestic violence, and of course the loss of life itself, for which there is no dollar amount.
It is true we have become an overly-medicated society, and the cost skyrockets when the effects of prescription drugs are factored into the equation. There are school children being given addictive stimulants to “help them concentrate” when other factors such as diet and exercise are completely overlooked, millions of people possibly misdiagnosed and on antidepressants when other factors such as diet and exercise are completely overlooked, and the countless number of people who take pain relievers more liberally than prescribed when other factors such as diet and exercise are completely overlooked.
At least all is not lost and progress has been made in other areas. There is the good news of the continued gradual decline in the use of illicit drugs by teens. There have also been stronger warnings issued regarding the dangerous side effects caused by prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Thankfully there are organizations like Narconon Arrowhead working to prevent drug abuse and rehabilitate individuals that fall into the trap of addiction. As one of the nation’s largest and most successful alcohol and drug rehabilitation and education centers, Narconon Arrowhead uses proven drug-free methodology that obtains around a 70% success rate.
With massive anti-drug awareness and education campaigns and its effective rehabilitation program, Narconon Arrowhead has played no small part in helping to reduce the statistics and continues to spread truth about alcohol and other drug use across the nation and provide information and hope for millions.
While the total eradication of substance abuse is the goal of Narconon Arrowhead, the responsibility of the task cannot rest on the shoulders of government agencies and non-profit organizations alone. There is something each and every citizen can do, and it can start with the New Year’s resolution of becoming more educated on the subject of drugs, helping friends or family members in need and volunteering in the community.
