Stopping Alcohol and Drug Abuse: An American Resolution
Although teen drug use declining, alcohol-related traffic fatalities show the need for continued fight end drug addiction.
(PRWEB) December 31, 2004 -- Americans are about to face one of the deadliest
days on the road this week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) data has shown that alcohol-related traffic fatalities increase on New
Year’s Day and an estimated 185 people will be killed as a result.
The
NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reports that 45 percent of all
fatalities during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods, on an average,
have occurred in crashes where at least one of the involved drivers was impaired
as compared to about 30 percent of all fatalities during the rest of the
year.
According to the Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse
(NIDA) substance abuse costs our nation nearly $500 billion per year. It is also
responsible for our country’s higher rate of incarceration, increased healthcare
costs, the spread of disease, child neglect and domestic violence, and of course
the loss of life itself, for which there is no dollar amount.
It is true
we are a medicated society, and the cost skyrockets when the affects of
prescription drugs are factored into the equation. There are school children
being given addictive stimulants, millions of people on antidepressants and the
countless number of people who take pain relievers more liberally than
prescribed.
In the face of all of this, progress is being made. There is
the good news of the continued decline in teen drug use, which is down by 17
percent over the last three years. Also making headlines are the dangerous side
effects caused by prescription and over-the-counter drugs, warning consumers of
real risks associated with these medications.
Thankfully there are
organizations like Narconon Arrowhead working to prevent drug abuse and
rehabilitate individuals that fall into the trap of addiction. As one of the
nation’s largest and most successful alcohol and drug rehabilitation and
education centers, Narconon Arrowhead uses the proven drug-free methodology
developed by American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.
With
massive anti-drug awareness and education campaigns and its effective
rehabilitation program, Narconon Arrowhead has played no small part in the
reversing statistics and continues to spread the truth about alcohol and other
drug use across the nation and overseas.
While the total eradication of
substance abuse is the goal of Narconon Arrowhead, the responsibility of the
task cannot rest on the shoulders of government agencies and non-profit
organizations alone. There is something each and every American citizen can do,
and it can start with the New Year’s resolution of becoming more educated on the
subject of drugs, helping friends or family members in need and volunteering in
the community.
To find out more information about drugs and addiction or
to get help for a loved one, call Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 or
visit www.stopaddiction.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prweb192620.htm