City police endorse drug addict rehabilitation group’s program. Vancouver BC Canada 1975

Description: Narconon, a group that works to rehabilitate drug addicts has received the endorsement of city police, according to a report submitted to the Vancouver Police Board. (Narconon 1975)

Press Article:

The Province Newspaper

Vancouver, British Columbia

Tuesday, April 15, 1975

City police endorse drug addict rehabilitation group’s program

Narconon, a group that works to rehabilitate drug addicts has received the endorsement of city police, according to a report recently submitted to the Vancouver Police Board.

In a covering letter, Chief Constable Don Winterton says of Narconon: “It is the only program that I am aware of that is having any amount of success in dealing with heroin addiction. I feel that it is very important for our force to maintain contact with this organization and to continue to assess the program.”

According to the report, the program consists of group therapy coupled with individual psychotherapy when desirable and possibly religion and meditation.

“The Narconon program enables an individual to develop the skills, abilities and attitudes necessary to achieve what he wants, thereby attaining a satisfactory self-image and relationship with others. The need of drugs is reduced and ultimately no drugs are used.”

The program was started at the Arizona penitentiary in 1966 and has an excellent reputation in the U.S. where an 85-per-cent success rate during the parole period of addicts is claimed, the report says.

Sgt. Frank Rayner of the drug squad who compiled most of the report says: “It appears that communication, both mental and physical, is the keynote that gets the addict turned around and off drugs. However, he or she must be a willing subject.

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The Narconon history.