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Narconon International (commonly known as Narconon) is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which is owned and controlled by the Church of Scientology. Headquartered in Hollywood, California, United States,, "Narconon International 4652 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, CA 90027." Narconon operates several dozen residential centers worldwide, chiefly in the U.S. and western Europe. The organization was formed in 1966 by Scientologist William Benitez with Hubbard's help, and was incorporated in 1970.
The Scientology organization and Narconon state that Narconon is a secular program independent of Hubbard's writings about Scientology, and that it provides legitimate drug education and rehabilitation. The organization has been described by many government reports and former patients as a Scientology front group.
Hubbard's writings, which underlie the program, assert that drugs and their metabolites are stored in the body's fatty tissue, causing the addict's cravings when partially released later on, and can be flushed out through a regimen known as Purification Rundown, which involves exercise, sauna and intake of high doses of vitamins. This hypothesis is contradicted by experimental evidence, and is not medically accepted. There are no independently recognized studies that confirm the efficacy of the Narconon program.
The program has garnered considerable controversy as a result of its origins in Scientology and its methods. Its drug rehabilitation treatment has been described as "medically unsafe", ( courtesy link) "quackery" and "medical fraud", while academic and medical experts have dismissed its educational program as containing "factual errors in basic concepts such as physical and mental effects, addiction and even spelling". Narconon's facilities have been the location of several deaths, some of which have been linked to a lack of trained medical personnel on site.
Narconon's creator was William C. Benitez, a former Arizona prison inmate who had served time for narcotics offenses.Narconon The Origins of the Narconon Program. Retrieved 4 June 2006. His work was supported by Hubbard, and in 1970 Hubbard sponsored the incorporation of Narconon as an organization.Narconon "L. Ron Hubbard and the Narconon program". Retrieved 4 June 2006. The organization was co-founded by Benitez and two Scientologists, Henning Heldt and Arthur Maren.
Even before Narconon became established, Scientology and Dianetics were promoted as providing a cure for drug addiction. In 1970, the Rev. John W. Elliot, senior minister of the Church of Scientology and chairman of its Drug Abuse Prevention team, announced that "Dianetic Counseling" had "completely cured 30 out of 30 people" who came to Scientology for help. Rev. Elliott also reported that Dianetics could cure hay fever, asthma and arthritis.
In the early days of Narconon, no distinction was made between Scientology's "religious" and "secular" branches; Narconon was considered by Scientologists to be an example of Scientology in action. "Narconon, with the Scientology program, is another example of the workability of Dianetics and Scientology", said an adherent in 1970. "The program has been expanded and is used in all Scientology churches and missions".
The Narconon website reports that the keynote of Narconon is that the "...individual is responsible for his own condition and that anyone can improve his condition if he is given a workable way to do so... man is basically good and it is pain, suffering, and loss that lead him astray". It positions the program as an approach to rehabilitation without recourse to alternative drugs. This early program did not, however, deal directly with drug withdrawal symptoms. In 1973, the Narconon program adopted procedures to include drug-free withdrawal.
In 2004 and 2005, WISE at Work magazine and International Scientology News each published articles clarifying the relationship between Narconon and Scientology; each placed Narconon in Scientology's "Division 6B", with responsibility for introducing the public to Scientology services.
By the end of 2005, according to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), Narconon was operating 183 rehabilitation centers around the world. New centers opened that year included in Hastings, East Sussex, England (now closed), and in Battle Creek, Michigan."IAS 21st Anniversary Event, Impact 112, 2006 Narconon President Clark Carr asserted that drug prevention lectures "have been given to over 2 million children and adults over several decades... and are currently being delivered across the United States, all New England States, Washington D.C., Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma and surrounding states, Michigan and Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, California, Nevada, Hawaii and possibly others" in response to an inquiry from The Humanist.
On 17 July 2006, the Narconon center in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, started a website at Narcodex.ca. Narcodex was a wiki purported to contain drug information. The domain name of Narcodex.ca was owned by ABLE Canada, a Scientology subsidiary. The funding for the website came entirely from Narconon Trois-Rivières, which also controlled the content on the site. The center was closed by the local health authorities in 2012.
In July 2013, Narconon proposed to acquire the 150 acre Hockley, Ontario, estate of Donald Blenkarn, who had died the previous year. Narconon planned to convert the estate into a rehabilitation center for alcohol and other drug use, but drew widespread opposition from residents who were opposed to the presence of a rehab center, and to the presence of Narconon and Scientology specifically. The Blenkarn family ultimately chose to sell to an unidentified person within the community for below the asking price, and rejected a counter-offer from Narconon.
In January 2014, Narconon instituted a Hubbard-based detoxification program in Annapolis, Maryland, to treat veterans suffering from war-related conditions. The treatments were funded by the Department of Defense through a September 2010 grant for $633,677 given to University of Albany, where David O. Carpenter serves as the director of the school's Institute for Health and the Environment and is the program's chief investigator. As of December 2014, seven Gulf War veterans completed the program. It was administered on a seven-day-per-week schedule, with the regimen being completed in 33 days. The program's purpose was to discover whether Hubbard's program has a scientific basis for therapy and whether it was effective in reducing symptoms and improving the functional status of veterans whose physical pain and anxiety improved upon completion of the program. Carpenter affirmed that the program was effective in his own treatment.
In its early days, Narconon used unaltered Scientology materials in its courses, and Scientology executives ran the organization; founders Heldt and Maren were high-ranking members of the Church's public-relations department known as the Guardian's Office (GO). United States vs. Mary Sue Hubbard et al. , 493 F. Supp. 209, (D.D.C. 1979) (hosted by the Lisa McPherson Trust) In April 1970, Scientology spokesman Max Prudente described Narconon as "based solely on the philosophy and tenets of Scientology", claiming an 85% success rate.
However, as Narconon promoted its drug treatment services to a variety of governmental jurisdictions within the U.S., the organization repeatedly found itself at the center of controversy when its ties to Scientology were raised by journalists or politicians. Such ties raised questions about the constitutional appropriateness of governmental bodies sponsoring a religiously affiliated organization (see Lemon v. Kurtzman). These problems were further intensified by claims that the program was medically unsound and served as a fundraising and recruitment program for Scientology.
By the late 1970s, Scientology was keen to disavow its connection with Narconon. When the FBI raided Scientology offices on 8 July 1977, papers seized revealed that Scientologists were instructed to refer to Narconon and other "front groups" using code names:
In 1994, John Wood, the head of Narconon UK, denied any connection between Narconon and Scientology, saying, "I know beyond doubt that Narconon does not recruit for nor promote the Church of Scientology", despite the final stage in Narconon's process for patients at that time being "Route to nearest Org (Scientology organisation) for further services",Images in quote: Narconon Technical Line-Up, Narconon News. but by 2001 Scientology spokesman Graeme Wilson was describing Narconon as Scientology's "affiliate charity".
A March 1998 Boston Herald series exposed how two Scientology-linked groups, Narconon and the World Literacy Crusade, used anti-drug and learn-to-read programs to gain access to public schools without disclosing their Scientology ties. Heber Jentzsch, president of the Church of Scientology International, who said in an interview that the Purification Rundown saved his life,Jim MacLaughlin and Andrew Gully "Church of Scientology probes Herald reporter—Investigation follows pattern of harassment" Boston Herald 19 March 1998 Pg. 004 confirmed after the Herald report was published that Scientology's Los Angeles law firm had hired private investigators to look into the personal life of Herald reporter Joseph Mallia, who wrote the series. The Herald noted numerous other instances over the years where reporters were harassed with "noisy investigations" after writing stories exposing Scientology.
In Montreal, Narconon employees describe themselves as "FSM's", a Scientology abbreviation for Field Staff Member, while in Georgia a memo released under court order showed Narconon executive director Mary Rieser reporting directly to Scientology's Office of Special Affairs (OSA) as well as to parent organization ABLE.
David Root, an occupational medicine practitioner and a member of the Narconon Scientific Advisory Board, defended the program's validity. He told the San Francisco Chronicle in 1991 that drugs and other poisons "come out through the skin in the form of sebaceous, or fatty, sweat. The material is frequently visible and drips, or is rubbed off on towels". This apparently explains the need for "daily doses of vitamins, minerals, and oils, including niacin".
Narconon's "New Life Program" consists of two principal stages: detoxification and rehabilitation. The program, adapted from Hubbard's Purification Rundown, consists of six elements: exercise, sauna, supplements, sufficient liquids, regular diet with fresh vegetables, and adequate sleep.
According to Narconon spokesman John Bitinas, there are more than 200 beds at Narconon Arrowhead, the program's flagship center in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. Asked whether medications are used to help patients going through withdrawal, he said that, "Narconon is drug-free, meaning we do not use substitute drugs as part of our rehabilitation process." All patients are assessed at enrollment to determine whether they are "psychiatrically or medically qualified for the level of care we offer here. If they are found to need a higher level of care then Narconon is qualified to offer at that time, they are referred to a more appropriate facility." If patients require medications to treat physical conditions like diabetes or infections, those medications are prescribed by the Narconon physician, who is part-time but available on-call on a 24-hour basis, according to Bitinas. Each U.S. patient spends an average of three to four months at Narconon, for a fee that ranges from $10,000 to around $30,000.
Narconon is not a medical model. The program rejects the disease model of addiction, and its literature has described the terminology used by that model as being disempowering to patients.
The Narconon program follows the "social education" model of drug rehabilitation. The program is four to six months long and includes a regimen of detoxification that includes "aerobic exercise, dry-sauna sweating, hydration and nutrition supplements; life skills trainings; and personalized plans for after-graduation living." The main premise of the detoxification regimen is that "the activation of drug residuals stored in the body can elicit drug cravings in the former drug user thus tempting relapse. The Narconon detoxification regimen is designed to eliminate drug residues from drug users' bodies and thus reduce the cravings that may be caused by these residues."
Experts from mainstream medicine and toxicology have repeatedly argued that Hubbard's method has no validity: "one may from a pharmacological point of view strongly question the idea of using enforced sweating to expel drugs from the body", said Professor Folke Sjoqvist in a 1996 report for the Sweden government, while an Oklahoma Board of Mental Health report from 1990 states that, "Although minute quantities of some drugs may be found in sweat the amount represents a small fraction of drug elimination". In a deposition concerning the death of Patrick Desmond at Narconon Georgia, expert witness Louis A. Casal was questioned by plaintiff's attorney Jeff Harris:
Narconon asserts that methadone, amphetamines, methamphetamines, morphine, copper, mercury, and other toxins, some consumed years earlier, leave the body by means of sweating. This contrasts with the view of the body's drug retention taken by mainstream science, which has found that most recreational drugs leave the body within a few days (with the exception of cannabis, which in the case of frequent use can remain in the body for up to a month).
Narconon's "drug bomb" includes a niacin dose of 4000 mg/day. The risk to patients of taking high-dose niacin is one reason why medical experts assessing the Narconon program have found that it is a danger to patients; the program has been banned in a number of jurisdictions including Quebec and France as a result.
Because Narconon doctrines dictate that patients undergoing its program exhibit physical symptoms relating to the drugs that are (supposedly) being "sweated out," and because Narconon's staff are not medically qualified or typically qualified in orthodox drug rehabilitation, there is a risk that serious medical symptoms—from niacin overdose or from other causes—may be misinterpreted by Narconon staff as the desirable effects of detoxification:
Independent researchers have found considerably lower rates of success. At least one website critical of Narconon cites a Swedish research study that gives a rate of 6.6%. (Scans hosted by David Touretzky) Narconon has reported the same study's findings as being much more favorable, although its representation of the study is greatly simplified.
The Church of Scientology claims that "the Narconon success rate is not merely the world's highest, it is four times better than international averages", while a systematic review of evidence regarding Narconon's efficacy conducted by the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services on behalf of the Norwegian Directorate of Health concluded that:
In April 2014, the town council of Wyong, New South Wales, Australia refused permission for Narconon to open a new centre at nearby Yarramalong, saying that the program's method of treatment was a factor in the decision. Wyong Mayor Doug Eaton said:
A May 2014 investigation by the Chronicle discovered that some California schools were still using the Narconon program, in spite of the 2004 decision. Steve Heilig, one of the experts who evaluated the Narconon education program on behalf of the school district and found it to be scientifically unsound, urged schools to check the accreditation of drug education programs before allowing them access to students, saying, "One imperative of drug education is that we not deceive students, as once they discover that you are not telling them factual information, they are likely to disbelieve everything you say".
In November 2016, Narconon was reported to have given talks on the dangers of drug addiction in two schools in Camden, London. Elizabeth Kitcatt, Camden School for Girls headteacher, said in a statement that the students found the talk "very useful", while Harry Shapiro, Director of DrugWise, called out the schools for being unaware to the group's ties to Scientology. A Brecknock Primary spokeswoman said: "The school's deputy head was in the room for the whole drug awareness talk and at no point was there any mention of Scientology or any religious connotations. It was marketed as an anti-drug talk and that's exactly what it was". President of Narconon UK Noel Nile claimed that the group was "in the business of saving lives".
The Narconon centre had no medical staff and was unable in either case to diagnose the seriousness of their condition. Before the deaths, Taceno's mayor had asked for the Narconon centre to be closed.
Narconon patient Giovanni Costa later stabbed staff member Rodolfo Savino, whom Costa claimed had ignored Federica's symptoms and had given her insufficient medical aid. Costa was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
WSB-TV in Atlanta reported that:
Desmond's family paid Narconon $30,000 for his treatment. Narconon Georgia director Mary Rieser commented to a reporter:
The lawsuit between Narconon Georgia and the Desmond family was settled out of court in February 2013, three days before jury selection was scheduled to begin. The settlement followed harsh sanctions against Narconon by the trial judge Stacey K. Hydrick, who said in a court order that Narconon Georgia had:
and that it had:
Judge Hydrick withdrew Narconon's response to the Desmond family's allegations, meaning that if the case had not been settled then the family's claims would essentially have gone unopposed by Narconon.
Narconon International denied that it had any connection with Narconon Georgia, although documents disclosed in the Patrick case showed that Narconon Georgia's executive director, Mary Rieser, reported to Narconon International, Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, and to ABLE, describing in her reports the evening of Patrick's death:
Represented by attorney H. Gavin Long, Cunningham's family sued Redwood Cliffs and Bright Futures Recovery for $1 million each. The rehabilitation centers countered with an offer of "$100,000 and $350,000, respectively". The family refused and took the case to a jury in Santa Cruz. After a twelve-day trial where Narconon tried to argue that they had not referred Cunningham to Bright Futures Recovery, the jury awarded the family $11 million. According to journalist Tony Ortega, it was very rare for the case to go to a jury, and since this court case, "Scientology cut ties with its Northern California Narconon network, and the Redwood Cliffs facility has closed. But Narconon is still on the hook for its share of the verdict".
The investigation included the recent deaths of four patients: Stacy Dawn Murphy, aged 20, who died at Narconon Arrowhead on 19 July 2012; Hillary Holten, 21, who was found dead at the facility on 11 April 2012; and 32-year-old Gabriel Graves, who died at the facility on 26 October 2011. The investigation later expanded to cover the death of 28-year-old Kaysie Dianne Werninck, who died at Narconon Arrowhead on 3 March 2009.
Following media attention surrounding the deaths, the National Association of Forensic Counselors (NAFC) permanently revoked the Certified Chemical Dependency Counseling certification of several Narconon Arrowhead employees, including director Gary Smith. In August 2013, the ODMHSAS permanently revoked the facility's permit for medical detoxification after Narconon had exhausted all avenues for protesting the decision.
In August 2013, Inspector General Kim Poff and investigator Michael DeLong, both of the ODMHSAS, who had been investigating the deaths at Narconon Arrowhead, had their employment terminated. No reason was given for the termination, but the investigators' attorney later claimed that the two were wrongfully fired, saying: "Their termination, in part, relates to the Narconon investigation".
A patient who was resident at Narconon Arrowhead at the time of Stacy's death said, "There was no doctor there, no nurse on staff. There's nothing like that there ... The staff, they're all former patients. ... My understanding is that everyone there is pretty much a former patient. ... The drugs that would have saved Stacy's life were either not available or no one there knew how to administer it." Now told reporters that he feared retaliation by Narconon for talking to the police and media: "I'm afraid for my life." Stacy's roommate, Destanie Ramsey, called police on the night of her death in order to leave Narconon Arrowhead, where she claimed she was being held against her will.
Oklahoma State Senator Tom Ivester commented that, "Clearly something isn't right and we have a moral obligation to do everything in our power to end this predatory business being run by the Church of Scientology disguised as drug treatment", adding, "This is a disgusting business that preys on desperate family members and their sick loved ones, scamming them out of thousands of dollars with the promise of providing hope and new life. It's a disgrace to have these people operating in the state of Oklahoma." In direct response to the Arrowhead deaths, Ivestor introduced legislation to expand Oklahoma's ability to regulate rehab facilities.
In response to an NBC Rock Center segment on the facility, Narconon President Clark Carr called its criticism of Narconon "bigoted" and described the program as addicts' "last chance for a decent, honest, drug-free life".
and declared the program "not medically safe", Findings of Fact regarding the Narconon-Chilocco Application For Certification by the Board of Mental Health, State of Oklahoma , 13 December 1991 a decision to which Narconon spokesperson Kirstie Alley responded, "The arrogance and irresponsibility of the mental health board will not survive the outrage of the many thousands of parents, graduates and supporters from the scientific community".
Between 1989 and 1992, Narconon, through Scientology attorney Tim Bowles, filed lawsuits against the ODMHSAS;
Narconon achieved exemption from the requirement for state licensing in 1992, as a result of approval from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Scientology leader David Miscavige commented on the case in an interview with ABC News Nightline, saying, "There are a group of people on this planet who find us to be a threat to their existence, and they will do everything in their power to stop us. And that is the mental health field. I didn't pick a war with them."
In 2012, a paid advert in the Oklahoma Gazette contained allegations from a previously unknown group named "Oklahomans for the preservation of homeland security and american values, (ohsav)" . The advert referred to recent TV news stories about Narconon and Scientology, named some of Narconon's critics in Oklahoma, and alleged those critics had "subjugated their individuality for their own thirst for hatred", had an "agenda of religious intolerance, racial discrimination or disdain for corporate America", and blamed them for "public disinformation hate campaigns against Blacks, Jews, Muslims and Scientologists". The advertisement showed the characteristics of a dead agenting campaign.
The Agency's director, Marc Latour, said that Narconon Trois-Rivières was dangerous for patients, that it violated many of the criteria governing rehabilitation centres in Quebec, and that there was no medical supervision and no scientific basis to its treatment. He added that at least four clients had been hospitalized in recent months because of methods used at the centre. Narconon Trois-Rivières issued a response, saying, "People with drug problems and their families should have a right to choose the program that works for them as these days there are many good alternative programs".
The closure followed a two-year campaign by ex-Narconon patient and staff member David Love, whose negative experiences with the program prompted him to become one of its fiercest critics in Canada. While he was at Narconon Trois-Rivieres, Love reports that:
Love is one of five former Narconon patients who have filed a complaint with Quebec's Human Rights Commission, alleging that their drug addiction was exploited by Narconon, which recruited them into the program and made them perform manual labour while taking part in it. Love also alleges that Narconon Trois-Rivieres earned around $16 million for Scientology between its opening in 2005 and its forced closure in 2012.
Narconon President Clark Carr stated that the facility closed because the province changed its stance on "what kind of drug rehabilitation it would tolerate" to "strictly medical, drug substitution, and so forth". Narconon was informed that it had to reacquire a license, but would only be approved if its method of treatment was changed.
State investigators discovered nearly $3 million of insurance fraud at Narconon Georgia; in September 2013, the facility surrendered its state license in order to avoid criminal charges.
The first civil suit was filed on behalf of Angelo Amato of Illinois, who purchased Narconon's Purification Rundown at Narconon Fresh Start (a.k.a. Sunshine Summit Lodge) in Warner Springs, after Amato searched the Internet for drug treatment facilities and believed claims by Scientology that purported to be from an "independent consultant" web site. Amato claims to have been defrauded of $31,000 and began the Narconon program only to discover that it was actually Scientology being practiced, alleging that no actual drug treatment was offered at the facility.
The second civil suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Christie Estrada and Branden Chavez of New Mexico, who also researched "drug treatment facilities" on the Internet and were allegedly deceived by Narconon Fresh Start in to paying $33,000 before the Purification Rundown process could be applied, with Narconon Fresh Start allegedly asking for $23,000 of that fee up front in cash. The defendants in this case are also Narconon Fresh Start.
The core plaintiff complaints cover a spectrum of allegations of criminal misconduct by Scientology that include insurance fraud, denial that Narconon is tied to Scientology, fraudulent claims that Narconon staff were medically trained in drug treatment, and a number of other deceptive claims.
The Tarrs' civil suit followed closely behind a previous lawsuit filed by Hamilton on behalf of David, Stacy, and Jack Welch of Texas, who also allege that Narconon Fresh Start committed breach of contract, fraud, and negligence.
In April 2014, Hamilton filed another lawsuit against Narconon Nevada, this time on behalf of Harry and Lauren Geanacopulos and their son Peter. The Geanacopulos family's complaint argues that Narconon's programme content and success rate were misrepresented to them and that it has no genuine medical or scientific basis. Hamilton claimed to possess a Narconon internal document showing that the program was used as a "bridge" to introduce clients to Scientology.
The filing alleged that Narconon and the other defendants conspired to:
going on to claim that Narconon:
The grand jury investigation of Narconon Arrowhead came shortly after Tenorino filed documentation with the state of Oklahoma and with the NAFC, which resulted in NAFC filing their own civil lawsuits against 82 named defendants working for Narconon.
Though not directly linked to Narconon, the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project and Second Chance Program are both Scientology-affiliated and also use the Purification Rundown.
Nevada
In February 2014, Hamilton filed an additional civil suit against Narconon with the state of Nevada. His clients, Michael Tarr and his mother Cathy, sued Narconon Fresh Start (doing business as Rainbow Canyon Retreat) for fraud, breach of contract and negligence. The Tarrs claimed that, while residing at Narconon to treat his former heroin addiction, Michael did not receive detoxification treatment but rather indoctrination into Scientology, and asked the court to award them punitive damages as well as a refund of Narconon's $33,000 fees and their Legal fees.
National Association of Forensic Counselors
In May 2014, the NAFC filed a lawsuit in Oklahoma, naming Narconon, Scientology and eighty other defendants. The NAFC is a body that provides certification to drug abuse counsellors. The filing sought an injunction to prevent Narconon from using the NAFC's trademarks, certifications or logos; it also sought punitive damages.
Oklahoma
On 5 June 2014, one-time Narconon employee Eric Tenorio was issued a subpoena to appear before a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma that was investigating alleged insurance fraud and credit card fraud being committed at Narconon Arrowhead. The grand jury is empowered to hand down state and federal and to subpoena current and previous employees, agents, and operators of the facility.
Colorado
At the Scientology facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, operating under the name " A Life Worth Living ", there have been numerous law enforcement call-outs, medical emergencies, and other related requests for emergency services reported under a Freedom of Information Act request made available to the public on the Scribd document server, detailing numerous recorded incidents of Scientology operatives refusing to allow patents to leave, refusing to return their property, and patients making 9-1-1 calls that are interrupted by Scientology operatives.
Spin-offs and related groups
Narconon also operates and markets drug rehabilitation facilities under other names, partly to hide that they are part of Scientology. There are also other Scientology-affiliated drug rehabilitation groups that are based on the Purification Rundown.
See also
External links
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