Denham Springs, Louisiana 4/1/2010 10:47:26 PM
News / Education

Who Is More Likely To Abuse Prescription Drugs?


According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in five teens have abused prescription drugs and another 4,000 are abusing prescription drugs for the first time every day. In fact, a recent study shows that teens regard prescription medication as safe, because it is often prescribed by a doctor. However, what these teens don’t realize is that prescription drug abuse is one of the fastest growing drug threats in our country and is responsible for thousands of deaths in the U.S. Drug and alcohol rehabs, like Narconon Louisiana New Life Retreat, have witnessed the increased amount of people seeking help for a prescription drug abuse addiction.

One of the most alarming things about prescription drug abuse is that there are so many different drugs that a person can abuse. Nowadays, you can find the equivalent of any street drug in a pill form. People suffering from a
heroin addiction can turn to Oxycontin, someone that is addicted to cocaine can purchase Adderall or Ritalin and achieve the same high. And just like street drugs, the only real way to combat a prescription drug abuse problem is to enroll in a long-term, inpatient rehabilitation facility.

Narconon Louisiana has reported that prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem among their clients. Jeff Lukas, Executive Director of Narconon Louisiana explains, “Often times I get calls from parents who have no idea what their son or daughter are taking, they know they’re under the influence of something, maybe some pills were found, or there are rumors that their child is abusing drugs. Parents are shocked and terrified to find out that their child has been ingesting, sometimes lethal, amounts of prescription drugs.”

Unlike most rehabilitation centers,
Narconon Louisiana does not follow the 12-step methodology. Instead, clients in this program learn that not only are they not born with a disease, but that they can change their behavior and learn to live a life free of drugs and alcohol. Clients work one on one with a counselor to figure out what problem drugs and alcohol were a solution for, once that problem is isolated clients work to handle it once and for all, eliminating the need to resort to drugs and alcohol.

In addition to Narconon’s unique take on addiction, this rehab also employs a detoxification program, proven to drastically reduce physical drug cravings. A primary problem for a person who is addicted to drugs and alcohol is that they will experience cravings that act as the number one barrier to sobriety and the sauna program at Narconon Louisiana, helps to handle this permanently.

Prescription drug abuse can be handled, but it is key to handle this addiction immediately. If you or anyone you know is in need of help for a drug or alcohol addiction please call Narconon Louisiana at 866-422-4650 for more information.