Drug Rehab Celebrates 43 Years in Operation

While most companies don’t survive long enough to see their second year of operation, one has seen that and many more.

Narconon Drug Rehab was started in a prison in 1967, and since then has expanded to a network of drug and alcohol treatment facilities located throughout the world.

“The first Narconon drug rehab was founded by William Benitez, an inmate at Arizona State Prison,” comments Gordy Weinand, Public Relations for Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. “I was in prison with Mr. Benitez when he got the idea to start a new drug rehab program.

“Willie, as we called him, was a heroin addict who could not seem to get off of drugs using traditional forms of treatment. After being sentenced to prison he had a realization that drug addiction had caused most of the problems in his life, including the current one. He set out to change himself through self-improvement. During his quest at self-improvement, he read lots of self-betterment books. One of those books, titled "Fundamentals of Thought" which was a self-help book written by Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, had some basic principles that he started practicing and incorporated into his life. He found himself responding favorably to his efforts and wrote the warden asking permission to start a small drug recovery program to help others.

“It was not easy for him. At first, officials denied permission for six months. Willie’s request to start a program consisting of twenty convicted drug addicts caused concern to officials who feared such a program might pose a security problem (such programs were rare in prisons during that decade).

“Willie persisted and finally assured officials the program was needed and would not pose a threat to the safe and orderly operation of the prison. After being allowed to start the program on a trial basis, he founded NARCONON (NARCOtics-NONe) on February 19, 1966.

“I was asked by Willie to come to meetings in 1967. Since this would get me out of the cell for a few hours, I agreed. After several meetings I came to realize that my drug use was the cause of my current situation. Once I started seriously studying and applying the techniques I learned, my life has forever changed and I have never looked back.”

Thousands are now drug free and prosperous thanks to what they have learned at Narconon.

The Narconon Drug Rehab Program uses a two-phase approach:

First the cells of the body are cleansed of impurities, thus reducing and sometimes eliminating physical cravings for drugs.

Secondly, the body is brought to a proper neurological balance with the use of an extensive vitamin therapy and proper nutrition.

Then follows a mixture of cognitive, personal abilities, and life-skill therapies which serve to focus and successfully handle the mental and emotional issues that accompany drug addiction.

Today, Narconon has spread from that one program in Arizona State Prison to include community programs in many states and countries such as Denmark, Italy, Holland, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Columbia, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Argentina, and Brazil. Mr. Benitez was a Hearing Officer with the Arizona Department of Corrections, the same system which once kept him under lock and key.

He was a husband for 30 years as well as a father and grandfather. Mr. Benitez passed away in June of 1999.

For more information on drug rehab or if you know someone who needs help, contact us at 1-877-413-3073.

Copyright @ 2009. Narconon of Georgia Inc. All rights reserved. Narconon and the Narconon Logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission. Narconon of Georgia is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation.