Louisiana
Drug Rehabilitation Center
Narconon New Life Retreat
In a beautiful wooded area not far from Baton Rouge, Narconon Louisiana was established in 2006. After Hurricane Katrina tore through the area in 2005, founders Tom and Kathy Steiner were able to see firsthand how many displaced people were suffering from addiction withdrawals as well as trauma from the storm. Determined to provide more help, they opened the state’s first Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, in Denham Springs.
The facilities are located on 15 wooded acres and include a swimming pool, basketball court, pool table and other game equipment for use after program services are done for the day.
The major drug problems being treated at this location are addictions to methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine and a variety of prescription drugs. But no matter what substance started the addiction, the solution is the same: the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
Narconon of Louisiana is licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
Drug Addiction in Louisiana
Any area with abundant shipping capabilities is sure to attract those who wish to mingle illegal imports with legitimate commerce. The Port of Southern Louisiana (between Baton Rouge and New Orleans) handles more tonnage than any other U.S. port at 267 million tons in 2014. The international airport of New Orleans serves nearly 8 million passengers a year. Hundreds of miles of coastline and navigable rivers offer a further invitation to drug trafficker
Detecting concealed drugs coming into Louisiana on these channels of transportation becomes a heroic task. In fact, it’s so difficult that law enforcement sources admit a gap in their intelligence on the subject—they simply don’t know the extent to which sea and air transportation facilities are used for the transport of drugs into the state.
In addition to trafficking by sea and air, Houston and Dallas are sources of drugs distributed throughout Louisiana. Some reports have suggested that the temporary settling of Katrina refugees in Houston may have strengthened the drug trafficking ties between these two cities. Much of the drugs in the state are being transported to East Coast destinations, but anytime you have drugs passing through a region, you have a supply for local residents as well.
Eight counties in Louisiana manifest sufficiently serious drug trafficking activity to be included in the Gulf Coast High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) established by law enforcement agencies.
Any Location Can Serve Drug Dealers
Powder and crack cocaine, ice methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin are the primary drugs trafficked into the region by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Club drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA) are usually brought in my Asian smugglers. Once the drugs are in the state, almost any location can be used for the retail trade.
Housing projects, parking lots, nightclubs, and private residences are commonly employed for the exchange of drugs and money. Students may make the exchanges in schools or homes.
Controlled prescription drugs such as hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin), Xanax, methadone, the pain reliever Dilaudid and Soma, a muscle relaxant are common drugs of abuse in Louisiana. When these are the drugs being abused, they could be acquired at any pharmacy. Theft of prescriptions is common and may occur in a pharmacy, hospital or any private home where prescriptions are left unlocked. Internet pharmacies utilize package delivery services that deliver to any home or office.
“Doctor-shopping” can occur in any doctor’s office but is most likely to occur in pain management clinics. The State of Louisiana has enacted regulatory laws to clamp down on overprescribing by pain management clinics. To circumvent these laws, some clinics have closed and then re-opened as urgent care clinics.
When Use Becomes Addiction
Abuse of these drugs may start with the user thinking they can join in with friends at a party once, twice or a few times, and then the cravings kick in and they can’t quit. Some of these drugs—like methamphetamine and OxyContin—can be that quickly addictive.
Others take more time. It may take longer for alcohol, Valium or marijuana use to become a habit that can’t be overcome.
But the end result is the same with all addictive drugs: the user loses control of his or her own life and gives that control to the substance being abused. That’s when effective drug and alcohol rehabilitation can give that person’s life back to them.
Give us a call today to learn more about how Narconon New Life Retreat in Louisiana can help you or someone you love overcome drug or alcohol addiction.