Drugs of Abuse

The preferred drug of abuse does vary considerably among clients participating in the Narconon program. The primary drug of abuse for clients in this study was the following:

During the time frame of this study, the most prevalent drug of abuse for the clients at the Los Angeles and Arrowhead facilities was crack cocaine. Other prevalent drugs, in order, were alcohol, other forms of cocaine, heroin and other opiates, amphetamines, and some marijuana, LSD, PCP and inhalants.

Mixtures of drugs were a problem for a large percentage of this study population. On average, these clients had used more than one drug in 8 days of the prior month. No primary drug of abuse could even be named by 13% of this study’s clients. About half of these were mainly cocaine and heroin addicts, with a wide variety of other combinations as well.

Abuse at the two facilities - Arrowhead and Los Angeles - varied and these facilities had different drugs of abuse then the facilities in Europe. For example the American Indian population at Arrowhead was far more likely to abuse alcohol than other drugs and only the Arrowhead facility dealt with inhalant addicts. Similarly, the primary drug of abuse in the Italian facilities was heroin rather than cocaine or crack during this time period.

On average, these clients began using alcohol at age 15 and drugs at age 15 and a half . They had been using drugs, on average, for 15 years.