For years, a potentially dangerous bit of junk quackery has been allowed to operate with impunity in the United States and around the world. Scientology's drug rehab front group, Narconon, has come under serious scrutiny in Canada and Australia.
It appears that the medically unsound Scientology based program is about to start toppling, with a big nudge from Ontario and the Northern Territory.
For years, a potentially dangerous bit of junk quackery has been allowed to operate with impunity in the United States. Scientology's "Narconon" front group has been allowed to charge tens of thousands of dollars for their bogus "treatment," which mainly consists of irresponsible overdoses of vitamins and hours in a hot sauna, coupled with classwork identical to the courses purchased by public Scientologists.
It's curious that this fraudulent, expensive Scientology recruitment front is still allowed to operate here in the US. There is a website dedicated to exposing the fraud; it's been up for years and offers well-documented information about the detoxification program. Narconon-exposed.org has several pages dedicated to the program and the risks involved.
It should be mentioned here that some of the vitamins such as niacin, when used in the massive doses administered by medically untrained Narconon personnel, can cause permanent liver damage as well as blindness. Narconon targets addicts, many of whom already have some degree of liver disease.
The science behind these studies is solid. So why, then, is this dangerous, unscientific program allowed to be used to "detox" 911 respondents, police officers in Utah, and promoted to state legislators nationwide?
In 2004, a series of articles was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. These articles, by Nanette Asimov, gave us an ongoing glimpse into a Scientology soap opera. When Narconon reps offered to give free talks to public school kids about the dangers of drugs, the offer was readily accepted without any oversight.
Here is a collection of Asimov's excellent series:
California State Schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell assembled a review board of medical and drug rehabilitation professionals.
One of our reviewers opined that 'this (curriculum) reads like a high school science paper pieced together from the Internet, and not very well at that. "
"Another wrote that 'my comments will be brief, as this proposal hardly merits detailed analysis.' Another stated, 'As a parent, I would not want my child to participate in this kind of 'education.'
While critics of the Narconon program in the US remain disappointed with the inaction of officials who won't investigate this potentially harmful program, a few spots of light are shining in Canada and Australia.
One exception was Newport Beach, a combination of tony and funky beachside communities.
Narconon Newport Beach had a facility in this Southern California beach community. Newport Beach had somehow become a haven for drug rehabs; mixed in with million dollar homes near the beach. Narconon Newport Beach was a source for constant complaints; delivery trucks and visitors' vehicles blocked the narrow streets during the day. At night, clients would sit on the roof, smoking cigarettes and being loudly profane.
The rehab presence in Newport Beach was getting out of hand, so the city handed down a new ordinance relating to bed numbers and quality of the program. They initiated basic requirements the rehabs would have to fulfill. Narconon Newport Beach refused, and closed down. They were not, however, closed down because of their medically dangerous treatment.
Narconon Trois Rivieres is one of the larger complexes still operating. Another showcase Narconon, Stone Hawk, closed down in Michigan, as the owner dropped the Scientology program and changed the name to 'A Forever Recovery.'
Narconon Trois Rivieres in Ontario, Canada has been Scientology's success story in Quebec, yet its days may be numbered. Ex-client and employee David Love is ripping through the fraud, abuse and secrecy behind the happy PR churned out by Narconon Trois Rivieres, and a number of government agencies are very interested in the information Mr. Love is providing.
Stories told by ex-clients of Narconon can be pretty unbelievable. Tales of drug abuse inside the facility, newly graduated addicts becoming counselors, sexual harassment and abuse, no medical oversight, with untrained personnel making dangerous medical decisions, filthy conditions and lots of Scientology are common issues no matter which Narconon was attended.
The Health Department will be looking at the elements of the Narconon program. Since addicts often have poor health and liver/kidney damage to some extent, subjecting them to this dangerous quackery is irresponsible.
Narconon is often promoted by other Scientology front groups. Last year, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers issued a stream of press releases about their expeditions up the Amazon and into the Australian back country. These ventures are, of course, nothing but PR opportunities for the cult, as Aborigines and Amazon indigenous peoples have no money or skills that would be useful and exploitable. Amusingly, Scientology "help" is often in the form of booklets distributed to people who are effectively illiterate by our standards.
Pictures are then taken of said people holding up booklets in the company of a smiling Volunteer Minister or two. These pictures are widely utilized within the Scientology PR machine, using them to reassure members that, yes, their donations are achieving something worthwhile.
The appearance of photos depicting Aborigines unenthusiastically holding up copies of one of Scientology's anti-drugs booklets caught the attention of the folks at the Northern Territory Health Department, who were rightfully horrified by the material being distributed.
http://www.news.com.au/...
Recognising the harm this program could cause to alcohol dependent Aborigines, the Health Department ordered Scientology members to quit distributing the booklets, and collect those they'd already given out.
Like the California review that got the program discredited in public schools, this order is a huge slap in the face for this Scientology program. It's only a matter of time before the Australian health officials discover that the information in the booklets handed out is the same quackery implemented by Narconon, which promotes itself online with a vast array of websites. Some promote Narconon directly, others pose as "referral services" in which the best place for your addict is a Narconon far away from you.
Could it be that the Narconon empire that has proved so lucrative to Scientology, Inc. about to be thrown into decline? It is hoped so; too many people have been ripped off, imprisoned, mistreated and worse by this fraudulent garbage.
Once the fewmets hit the fan, the media is going to have a field day with this. Scientology has always treated the media with respect and dignity. It's payback time, and you know what they say about payback.