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Narconon Dangers and Health Risks - Part One

It is not a matter of “if” another person will die, it is a matter of “when.” Narconon is a dangerous rehab center and the health risks and dangers to the Canadian public must not be tolerated any further.

Narconon Dangers and Health Risks - Part One

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct 15, 2010 – PART ONE of a Two Part Story

Narconon Patients have become extremely ill, rushed to hospital emergency in Trois-Rivieres, and may have died without the professional, medical attention from the emergency care physicians.

After searching for addiction help on misleading Narconon websites, which promise a 70% success rate to those who pay their $23, 000.00 fee, the vulnerable patient speaks to a well-trained Registrar. A Commissioned sales person of convincing attributes, luring the unsuspecting victim into the evil clutches of Narconon-Scientology. A handsome ten percent commission to the Registrar for each new Patient.

I was employed at Narconon Trois-Rivieres, as a Registrar.

The Patient arrives at Narconon, usually disoriented and many times drunk or still high on their drug of choice. They are taken up to the Registrar’s office where several pages of contract documents are presented for the Patient’s signature. Even though they have no mental capacity to form intent, their wobbly signature seals the contract agreement and the Patient is then taken to the Narconon Withdrawal Unit.

The Scientology Indoctrination Begins:

Following a strip search, luggage-go through, and urine test, the disoriented and many times frightened Patient, is assigned their room. There are usually several other patients already there and can be seen going through the “Drills.” Scientology Doctrine drills which seem strange and foreign indeed to the unaccustomed.

Some are seen on massage tables receiving what the term in Scientology is called “Assists.” It is not a massage, but rather a science fiction writer’s quackery, written by L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology. As the person lays there on the table, a staff member touches various points on their body, saying, “Feel my finger”, and the Patient responds, “Yes.” And this process of “Feel my finger – Yes”, goes on and on, non-stop, until the staff member is finished the “assist.” Sometimes a tired Patient simply falls asleep. There are variations to these assist techniques.

In another room, two people can be seen staring at each other; not moving a muscle. Sometimes with their eyes open or they may be closed.

Then there is the “Locational Drills.” The Patient is commanded to “Look around the room and find something that is red, (or green or blue, etc) This drill can go on for hours and frustrates the Patient to no end.

The Health Risks and Dangers:

When the Patient arrives at Narconon, they are not examined by a physician or seen by a nurse or any other government certified medical professional or councillor. Treating drug addicts or alcoholics without a medical examination, is dangerous and a high health risk concern.

Seizures may occur in up to 25 percent of alcoholics in withdrawal and they generally do so in the first 24 hours after alcohol use stops, but they can occur up to 5 days later. Alcohol withdrawal can be a dangerous process without the appropriate medication, such as Phenobarbital or other ant-seizure medication.

Drug addiction withdrawal also presents dangers of seizures; especially in Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, and Methadone withdrawal. There is a danger of death in withdrawing from these substances when not under appropriate medical care. “Feeling someone else’s finger touching your body will not save you”, as when Assists are given.
I have witnessed Patients being rushed by ambulance to hospital emergency in Trois-Rivieres, after having a seizure at Narconon. Some remained under professional medical care for several days before being discharged from hospital.

The Narconon Trois-Rivieres staff members in this Withdrawal Unit, have absolutely no government medical qualifications or licence whatsoever to care for vulnerable and very ill Patients. The only training course they take is at Narconon Trois-Rivieres, which they receive a certificate for. The main theme in their training is vitamin regimes and Scientology Doctrine “Drills” and “Assists.” This is an “In-House” training, with a Certificate designed and printed off their computer.

Some of the “Feel my Finger” Assists became far too close and abusive for some female Patients receiving Assists from male staff. These poor, vulnerable people, after placing their trust in staff, were touched inappropriately and abused. Two male staff members were fired, but nevertheless, the damage was done and no professional counselling provided for these abused victims. In one case, photos were taken of a very ill young lady, under 90 pounds, and she was abused.

The emails and stories these Patients and witnesses have submitted are very disturbing and it has affected them psychologically.

These incidents were not reported to police or any other government authority by Narconon Trois-Rivieres; just hushed-up and not spoken about.

Toxic Doses of Vitamin Regimes:

A staff member hands the Patient a small cup full of pills called “Drug-Bombs.” No other substance for withdrawal at Narconon is used; only the drug bombs and other vitamin concoctions. These vitamin regimes cause diarrhea and the dehydration begins. They do not administer any medicine which would prevent this and some Patients suffer through several weeks of this dehydrating diarrhea to the detriment of their health.

This toxic vitamin does not end in the Withdrawal Unit; it continues and increases when the Patient enters the Sauna Program in Narconon.

After being in the Withdrawal Unit for about 4 to 12 days or so, and on occasion longer, the Patient is driven an hour and a half to see their Scientology doctor in Montreal. Dr. Pierre Labonte sees the Patient and performs a quick examination. Then off for blood tests in a Trois-Rivieres Clinic.

After Dr. Pierre Labonte reviews the blood test results, he qualifies the Patient to enter the Sauna Program. When high liver enzyme counts are evident, entering the Sauna Program may be delayed until further tests are done. But this is not always the case and Patients have entered the Sauna with high liver enzyme counts and other medical health risk complications.

Narconon is a health risk concern to many non-scientologist physicians, who know all too well, the dangers that await these vulnerable Patients.

David Edgar Love

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Narconon Dangers and Health Risks - Part Two

It is not a matter of “if” another person will die, it is a matter of “when.” Narconon is a dangerous rehab center and the health risks and dangers to the Canadian public must not be tolerated any further.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct 15, 2010 – The Dangerous Sauna Program:

High doses of Niacin are administered in a toxic dosage and this is one of the health risk dangers. The dosage usually begins at 100mg, increasing to 2, 600mg, and sometimes as high as 5, 000mg. The medically recommended level is about 15 mg. The toxic high doses administered at Narconon, can have severe, even potentially fatal side effects, which was evident.

The effects of the Niacin overdose, which include skin irritation, flushing, severe itching, dizziness and headache, can also cause severe damage to the liver and cause other medical problems.

Other vitamin Mineral supplements, include calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine and potassium, and up to half a cup of pure oil. Also a solution called Cal mag; a mix of calcium gluconate, magnesium carbonate and vinegar in water is taken up to three times per day.

On one occasion a diabetic patient entered the sauna program at Narconon Trois-Rivieres and did not receive his insulin. He became extremely ill and was taken to the hospital emergency where the trained medical staff saved his life. He spent several days in hospital care before being discharged.

The hospital staff were very angry and concerned over how Narconon could treat such a patient by not giving him his insulin; especially while being in a hot sauna and taking high doses of niacin and other vitamin concoctions.

Because niacin can cause hyperglycemia, dosage adjustment of insulin or oral antihyperglycemic therapy may be required in diabetic patients.

This Narconon program is extremely dangerous to patients with active liver disease, peptic ulcer disease, hyperuricemia with a history of gouty arthritis or uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Patients with gallbladder disease, history of jaundice or liver disease should be monitored closely while on niacin or niacinamide.

The Narconon Sauna staff members have no medical training and are not qualified to monitor toxic reactions to the high Niacin doses, nor are they trained professionals to recognize any physical or psychological adverse reactions to this treatment they are administering. In effect, they are practicing medicine without a license. They are examining the patients for physical and psychological reactions to the niacin and other vitamin concoctions, which they themselves are administering. These doses are increased according to the unqualified opinions of Narconon staff members.

A Dangerous Scam and Quackery:

After reviewing materials published by Narconon, University of Oklahoma biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science. In a 1988 report, Dr. Ronald E. Gots, a toxicology expert from Bethesda, Maryland, called the regimen "quackery", and noted that "no recognized body of toxicologists, no department of occupational medicine, nor any governmental agencies endorse or recommend such treatment.

A report on Narconon for the Department of Health in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin, told a 2003 court case that the Purification Rundown is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe.

In a 1999 French court case, five staff members of the Church of Scientology were convicted of fraud for selling the Sauna Purif and other Scientology procedures. In Russia, the Purification Rundown has been banned by officials as a threat to public health.

Narconon Scientology Deaths and Serious Injury:

Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of Narconon in Taceno, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.

A 25-year-old man in Portland, Oregon died from liver failure having taken the Purif. His parents sued the Church of Scientology and the case was settled out of court.

At Narconon Trois-Rivieres in Canada, a young man was denied his insulin while in sauna and was rushed to hospital and nearly died.

At Narconon Trois-Rivieres in Canada, a young man suffered severe stomach pains during his time in sauna and was sent to his room to lay down. After suffering all day in his bedroom, he was then taken to the hospital emergency and admitted to a hospital ward for care and monitoring.

Many of the Narconon Trois-Rivieres patients experienced vomiting from stomach upset and other ailments and pains.

Patients at Narconon also experienced mental distress, angry and violent outbursts, including one man who punched his fist through the glass window in the sauna door.

Conclusion Summary:

I was at this Narconon as a patient and later employed on staff for a period of six months and have seen and experienced the dangers and health risks at this controversial rehab center. Many of the cases I witnessed have been documented and substantiated by other reports from ex-patients and ex-staff members from Narconon Trois-Rivieres.

In view of the clear and obvious violations of due care to Patients and medical negligence which this Narconon is responsible for, this facility should be shut down immediately without redress. This is a public health and safety concern that the health authorities and governments of Canada are responsible for, accountable for, and of which they have the power to act and protect our vulnerable citizens from the exploitation, dangers, and health risks.

It is not a matter of “if” another person will die, it is a matter of “when.” The time is now for putting an end to this addiction treatment center that is practicing medicine without a license and administering unsafe and dangerous doses of niacin and using other practices to the detriment of their Patients safety and well-being.

Narconon is a dangerous rehab center and the health risks and dangers to the Canadian public must not be tolerated any further.

David Edgar Love