http://www.sierramountaintimes.com/index.p...=2705&Itemid=49

"Narconon Revisited"
by Jerry Whitehead III
Sierra Mountain Times
June 8, 2007

(Photo Caption:
The former Sonora Pass Lodge in Long Barn, the future home of Narconon, a substance abuse program with ties to the Church of Scientology. File photo.)

Two weeks ago, the Sierra Mountain Times ran an article regarding a new Narconon clinic opening in the former Sonora Pass Lodge location in Long Barn. Narconon is a substance abuse and rehabilitation program that is based on L. Ron Hubbard’s ideas and thoughts, the creator of the controversial Scientology religion. Since then, the SMT has received several letters to the editor regarding the Narconon program, some in favor of it and some against. Perhaps a more in-depth look into Narconon than the aforementioned first article could provide is in order.
Firstly, some of the science that backs Narconon’s treatment methods are a bit suspect within the scientific community and have little backing. Narconon administrators claim that
drugs, such as marijuana, ecstacy, LSD and others, collect in body fat and remain there indefinitely. They believe this stored up drug residue is why users have such a hard time quitting; the narcotic remnants trigger cravings and eventually cause potential quitters to relapse. The drugs in the fat, Narconon claims, can and do cause drug flashbacks up to several years after the user has quit.
They claim the vitamin niacin is capable of extracting the drugs from the fat into the body, and copious trips to the sauna causes the body to then sweat them out. This sweat will be mixed with a colored, oily ooze as it leaves the body, according to Narconon medical experts, and can range in color from red, blue, green, black, brown or yellow.
While Narconon experts are quick to point out support for some or all of the above beliefs in over 60 medical journals (the oldest from 1713 and the most recent from 1990), most within the current scientific community believe them to be factually and medically unsound.
Medically speaking, sweat glands can only produce watery substances and cannot produce oil. Biologists agree that certain drug residues can be stored in body fat for days or possibly weeks, there is no medical evidence to suggest it stays in the fat longer than that, nor that it could cause flashbacks. A UCSF pharmacologist called the idea of THC and other drugs staying in fat for years “amusing” and “ridiculous” in a 2004 San Francisco Chronicle article.
Despite heavy criticism from the medical community and a near complete lack of support, a good amount of patients who go through Narconon’s rehab program report positive results. In an anonymous letter sent in to the Sierra Mountain Times, a parent of a son who successfully completed the Narconon detoxification program had nothing but positive remarks.
“A key element that stands out with Narconon verses other facilities is the rehabilitation portion of the program,” the letter read. “Unlike so many others that say you are done in 30 days (and most use drugs to wean you off of drugs), they forget about rehabilitation, which is the key to being able to live a happy, healthy life and a positive influence on society. Narconon’s philosophy supports this as indicated by my son’s progress in the last few weeks...I can not say enough positive things about the staff at Narconon and how they truly have impacted one young mans life into a positive future.”
The letter also mentioned that religion isn’t a big issue in Narconon’s treatment.
“...while some of the methods at Narconon might seem to remind someone of the Church of Scientology, it was very apparent to us that this is a non-denominational program committed to the improvement and well being of those who attend, religious beliefs set aside. Never once has he been discouraged from believing in Christianity.”
Scientology, as a reminder, is a religion that believes that 75 million years ago, a being named Xenu, the ruler of a Galactic Confederacy, rounded up hundreds of billions of human-like people and transported them via space-planes to the planet Teegeeack (Earth). He then placed them around numerous volcanoes on Earth (including Mt. Shasta), placed bombs in the volcanoes and killed them. Their souls, called thetans, were captured and taken to watch a movie for 36 days that gave them mis-information causing them to believe in the current world religions, including Christianity. These brainwashed thetans would then wander the earth and attach themselves to humans, causing them to believe in other religions. Only Scientologists who have gone through the right steps are able to remove these thetans.