Narconon in Toronto, Canada Successfully Rehabilitating Heroin Addicts
Representatives of a Toronto anti-addiction group were in town Friday to talk to federal officials about possible financial support.
Diane Mardy and Bob Dobson-Smith of Toronto’s NARCONON, a heroin addiction treatment group, discussed their program with Senator Richard Stanbury assistants to Health and Welfare Minister Munro.
The organization, which uses a new concept of addiction treatment, is coming at just the right time, says Mr. Dobson-Smith.
“More and more communities are feeling the need for an adaptable treatment method which doesn’t involve a substitute drug”.
NARCONON, housed in cramped quarters in Toronto, in its first year treated 21 heroin addicts successfully.
A series of “drills” or “training routines” allows the addict to focus his attention on the present, she says.
“He is better able to confront areas of his life he couldn’t before.”
Successful case
“When we say a successful case,” says Mr. Dobson-Smith, “we mean total withdrawal. There’s not even a desire for drugs again.
“It’s a preventive too,” he says. He went through the drills and though once a heavy soft-drug user no longer has any desire for drugs, “not even the softer ones.”
There are an increasing number of young weekend heroin users in Ontario, he says. They find dope too dull and acid too weird,” so they take heroin. From there many are becoming addicted.
The NARCONON program allows people to cope with personal problems by introducing a sense of self-assurance about the present and an ability to better handle the world around them.
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