1973 Narconon Newsletter — Freedom From Drugs and Crime
Narconon News
Vol. II Issue II
FREEDOM FROM DRUGS AND CRIME
NARCONON
YOUR PULL CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
Drug Abuse and YOU!
Drug abuse and crime have become exceedingly widespread in the United States over the past years. There has been a huge increase in drug abuse and crime within the last decade. The statistics of this situation are of greatest importance to each of us. It is very likely that you will become the eventual effect of this escalating trend.
The chances of your becoming the victim of theft have risen considerably. Drug addicts are forced by their craving for drugs to steal billions upon billions of dollars worth of merchandise each year to support habits costing as much as a hundred dollars a day and more. An addict with a hundred-dollar-a-day habit will have to steal $300 to $500 worth of merchandise a day to satisfy his needs. If the government is successful in slowing the flow of drugs into the U.S., the resulting scarcity of supply will most probably cause a tremendous increase in price, which may lead to still more robberies and other crimes committed to meet the demand. The possibility of your own family, friends, and loved ones being “hooked” on drugs has also increased. In some California schools, the incidence of drug abuse has risen to 90%. With such a great lack of truly workable preventative measures, none of us are totally exempt from direct contact with drug abuse and its supportive crimes.
The general casual acceptance of this situation by society has served only to cause continued persistence and enlargement of the problem itself. The confronting and handling of drug abuse and crime seems almost an impossible chore, but this is not necessarily so. All of us, together, working and contributing in various ways, can overcome the established momentum of drug abuse. Comparatively, the potential danger to the individual of continued increase of drug abuse far exceeds the individual action necessary to overcome and eliminate the problem, in terms of financial support and emotional stress. On the contrary, financial support in this instance could well be considered small in comparison, and the act ion of contributing time and money in this effort can well be an emotionally satisfying experience.
The long range effects of drug abuse and crime will be largely determined by what we, as individuals, do here and now. A future world of total degradation and suffering, or one of safety, sanity, and prosperity depends to a great extent on the degree of responsibility each of us assumes today.
There are literally thousands of tasks to be performed in many areas, and tremendous expenses to be incurred. We can overcome this problem — with your help. First, we must all contribute in every way that we can. We have a big job to do, but we are succeeding … with your help.
The Editor.
NARCONON NEW LIFE EXPANDS
The Narconon New Life Public Program was started in June of 1972 under the competent direction of Mr. Paul D. Leonard. Paul engineered the acquisition of a large house at 827 Beacon Ave. in Los Angeles, and set up the first Narconon Public Program there. The center began rather small, with only three regular staff members and a handful of students. In July, Mr. Ben Gibson from New York came to work at New Life as the course supervisor. Ben was highly trained and experienced in the handling of rough and heavy traffic, having been in charge of a Harlem, New York group called “Soul Food for Thought”.
In August,‘72, an open house was given to officially open the new center. The event attracted about fifty persons from the L.A. area. A ribbon cutting ceremony was convened by Mrs. Leonard and visiting Los Angeles Supervisor Dorn.
The number of staff members and students grew and broad base promotional activities were initiated. Paul Leonard became the guest of several television “talk” shows and newspaper articles began to appear.
The New Life New Years Party attracted about 80 people. It was a fantastic success. By the first of the year, the center had grown to five full time staff members and 15 students, and had acquired the neighboring house at 833 Beacon Ave.
A reorganization has occurred with the expansion of the center. Paul Leonard has now become the Executive Director of Narconon Calif., with Ben Gibson taking over the directorship of New Life in L.A. New public programs have been started in San Diego, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Palo Alto, Calif. Other public programs are forming in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and El Centro. The Los Angeles New Life Program is now the largest public program in the U.S. with ten full time staff members and over thirty students. New quarters have recently been acquired for the expanding program, bringing the total to three large houses. In spite of the great expansion of living quarters and office space, the program’s rapid expansion is already causing cramped conditions and plans are being laid for the addition of still more space.
“Making it”
A Young Woman Frees Herself of the Misery of Drugs Through a Local Narconon Program
The following story is taken from real life. It is a true story, with the exception of the young woman’s actual identity, which has been changed.
Photo Caption
Donna was quite inactive and apathetic in her former drug environment.
I grew up with my mother and by brother. My mother worked most of the time, and I went to school with my brother. We played a lot and went to sleep at night, like good kids, and I had a happy childhood.
My mother drank a lot, and went out with a lot of different men. She remarried when I was about fourteen. I remember that I didn’t like my step-father at all. It was about this time that my brother left home. I began smoking marijuana and drinking a lot of alcoholic beverages about this time. The kids that I was hanging around with at school were smoking “grass” and they said, “Hey, you want to try some?” I did. We would ditch school often to go and smoke grass. I got caught a couple of times and thrown into juvenile hall, but I didn’t think that it was any “big thing”. I thought that I was right, and that the “authorities” were wrong.
Photo Caption
Donna meets a Narconon representative on the street who tells her about the program.
I was hitch-hiking one day, when a sixty-year-old man picked me up. He took me out to dinner and we became friends. He eventually became my “pimp”, and I would prostitute for him. Then, when I was fifteen, this man “turned me on” to the first pills I ever took. — “reds”, (barbituates), “bennies, (benzadrine), and he also got me started on heroin.
I began liking to take “uppers” and “downers” because they made me feel really loose and they gave me a feeling of “confidence”, which I otherwise lacked. I would wake up in the morning at this man’s house, and I would have to “drop” at least six “uppers” before I could get up. Then, about an hour later I would have to start dropping “reds” all day long and “shooting” heroin.
I lived in the ghetto area of Venice, Calif. It was really a tough section and I was physically attacked several times. I remember while on “reds”, I got my stomach cut open, my head cracked open, and was severely burned by people in that area. I was forced to have sex with large groups of men. I contracted gonorrhea, and I was a total mess.
Photo Caption
Donna hesitatingly enters the office of the local Narconon program.
I continued living with this man, because I was really “hooked” and he just kept on supplying me with drugs. I got arrested three times in a row for “possession” and “under the influence” and I really got scared, and then I met a guy who told me about Narconon, so I came to the local program.
Photo Caption
Donna signs up for the beginning Narconon Communication Course.
At first, I was just coming here to hide — to hide from myself and the world. I had fallen on my face for the last time and I just didn’t want to get up again. I couldn’t confront life without drugs. I couldn’t talk to people. The only people who I considered were my friend s were those who were on drugs. I just couldn’t function unless I had pills inside of me. Everything scared me to death.
Photo Caption
Working hard, Donna speeds through the course materials of Narconon Curriculum.
When I came to Narconon, the people here slowly brought me out of it. I saw how they gave me freedom to do anything I wanted, except get “loaded”, and I thought, “Well, I may as well not even stay here if I’m going to get “loaded”. I may as well go back to Venice.” I made the decision not to take drugs, however, and the minute that I made that decision I felt a lot stronger. The people here made it easy for me to decide. From that point, I’ve just been going up all the way.
Photo Caption
It is now easy for Donna to go job hunting with a new found confidence.
I have had a lot of wins. I can talk to people now. I never could talk to people before. I was scared to death of them, unless I was on drugs. I enjoy going to course and learning how to help myself and others get off drugs and lead sane lives. Now I have goals in life where before I had none, and I know what I want to do with my life. I am planning to become a Narconon Course Supervisor and I am taking the prerequisite courses now. I am doing very well and I know that I will never go back to drugs or crime.
Photo Caption
Completion of the basic courses is acknowledged by the award of a certificate
Narconon is actively engaged in the business of rehabilitating drug-using men and women. There are many such stories. Through community programs and institutional programs, hundreds of young people have ridden themselves of drugs and crime. I t has been estimated that there are currently over 500,000 heroin addicts in the U. S. alone, and total drug addiction runs into the millions. It will take thousands of programs and man-hours to overcome the ever-increasing problem of drugs.
Your help and support is needed. Find out today what you can do to help combat drug abuse and crime.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
Narconon’s rapid expansion is accelerating. Since the first of the year, new public programs have been established in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dorchester, Mass., Milton, Mass., EJ Centro, Calif., San Diego, Calif., and Denver, Colorado. In penal institutions, programs have been started in Hawaii, the O.H. Close School in Stockton, Calif., and the Mattapan Pre-Release Center in Massachusetts. Doug Carroll is running an expanding program at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver.
Brent Davis has completed training at Narconon U.S. and is now in Texas putting in new programs. In St. Louis, Director John Whitney is working on a proposal for a program for the City Workhouse, and in establishing a much needed public program. Lillyean Walle and a dynamite team are firming up plans for programs in the Vancouver area. In Denver, Richard Field, Doug Carroll, Leo Grosso, and Jim Cummings are completing plans for programs in the area. Mike Partridge, who has recently returned to New York, will be getting programs started there. In Hawaii, Thomas Pellegrine is running a program in the Hawaii Prison, and is expanding Narconon activities there. Pauline Shattuck in Winter Park, Florida, has a Narconon Benefit planned with the Brubecks in early April. She has been getting in communication lines to the civic and governmental leaders in the state. Duke Snider, in Washington, D.C., is laying the ground work for a program in Silver Springs, Maryland. In Palo Alto, Calif., San Francisco 4ger Quarterback John Brodie and Phil Spickler are inaugurating a Narconon program in the Palo Alto schools.
Fred Petersen, who did the ground work for the highly successful program in the Delaware Correction Center, has been supervising it from outside and now is planning a local community center in Wilmington. The members of the Narconon group in the Delaware Correction Center, ably led by Danny Hill and Cliff Miller, planned and held a seminar in early March this Year. The Lt. Governor and other dignitaries attended. The seminar was a huge success. Here’s Fred Petersen’s description of it:
“The seminar began with a brief prayer by Chaplain Ha11 which I felt struck exactly the right note. A short address by Cliff Miller and Danny Hill, then myself, started things rolling. A quick rundown on background, theory and purposes was given, then Mel Jones spoke on the history of Narconon in Delaware; Paul Meunier on coordination and liaison between the program and the institution.
A short rundown was given by the officers in turn, each telling of their posts and responsibilities. Finally, several brief demonstrations of the Narconon Training Drills were given, with a short period for comment and questions before breaking for lunch. This was a great action by itself. Both the visitors and inmates ate in the staff mess from a fine buffet provided out of the men’s own pockets. This gave plenty of opportunity for conversation and explanation on a free and easy basis. Again, the men acquitted themselves nobly.
After lunch we returned to the Chapel and resumed demonstrations of the drills, again with comment and questions and some audience participation. We then broke up into four basic groups; Finance, Political, People, and Spiritual. This way, those interested in one or all phases could choose a group or circulate.
The Lt. Governor, the Executive Director of DARC, Tony Salerno, and the rest of us said a few more words in conclusion and validated those who attended. The seminar then broke up into small groups and the visitors seemed not to want to leave, but finally did, with great and good feelings all around.”
The seminar held at the Delaware Correction Center is but one of the many Narconon activities which have occurred and are being planned all across the country and the world. Validation and thanks are due the many, many active people who are helping to create the incredible expansion which Narconon is experiencing.
Photo Caption
RECEIVES RECOGNITION — Pat Healy, (right), the dynamic director of Narconon for Connecticut was presented with an award of recognition for his accomplishments in establishing Narconon programs locally. National Director Mark Jones presented the award at a meeting of the group at the New London YWCA. Pat has had wide experience with drug programs. He is highly respected and well known in the state. While working full time during the day, Pat supervises the programs evenings.
(Picture credit: Bucknavage Photos)
Photo Caption
DELAWARE PROGRAM A SUCCESS!!
The Narconon Program in the Delaware Correction Center was started by Barry Jaye, now Deputy Director of Narconon U.S. since June, 1972. In eight weeks he put a group of inmates through the basic Narconon Communication Course and trained some of them to supervise. Since then, the inmates have been running their own program. Danny Hill and Cliff Miller are the Co-Chairmen and are doing a great job.
THE WAR AGAINST DRUG ABUSE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
BECOME A NARCONON MEMBER
© 1973 by Narconon U.S. Illustration by Terry Hayes
Photo Caption
Several of the Narconon U.S. staff at the beginning of 1973.
JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE & CRIME
Join Staff
Narconon staff members are needed now in many areas. Program Supervisors and assistants are in great demand. Typists and solicitors are needed. Come in, write, or phone immediately for details.
Become a Member
Take out any of the various Narconon Memberships today. Your donation will be used to advance the progress of Narconon and will help to establish more programs locally and nationally. All donations to Narconon are tax deductible.
Donate
Materials and equipment of various kinds are needed now to help expand current facilities to meet an ever increasing demand. Typewriters, dictionaries, paper, printing and copying equipment, desks, furniture, building materials and tools are a few of the items needed.
CONTACT NARCONON U.S., 1229 SO. WESTMORELAND, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90006.
NARCONON
NARCONON means: non-narcosis or the absence of stupor and insensibility.
It brings about FREEDOM FROM DRUGS AND CRIME.
NARCONON U.S.
1229 S. Westmoreland
Los Angeles, California 90006
A non-profit organization dedicated to the reduction of drug abuse and crime. Registered in the State of California.