About National Recovery Month
September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, an event sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The annual event has been observed for nearly a quarter century, with 2013 being its 24th year. National recovery month is intended to educate people across the United States about the fact that people who are struggling with drug addiction can make a fresh start through treatment and therefore achieve a healthy and rewarding life. President Obama announced the commencement of this year’s national recovery month with a proclamation dated August 30, in which he cites the fact that millions of Americans are every day working toward recovering from addiction to drugs and alcohol. While countless people throughout the nation are currently living as addicts, and staggering numbers of Americans take their first step towards addiction by starting to use drugs every day of the year, the purpose of national recovery month is to shift the focus off of the problem and onto the solution. In the words of President Obama, the event is intended to bring attention to the “transformative recovery” that is possible through rehabilitation and to “provide hope to those struggling to break free from addiction.” This year’s event carries the theme of “Together on Pathways to Wellness,” and it is intended to give hope to people across America who are providing support to their family, friends and neighbors who are working to get sober.
Narconon Arrowhead Coloring Book Teaches Children to Enjoy Life without Drugs
One of the focuses of President Obama’s proclamation concerning the 2013 national recovery month is on early intervention strategies which are used to address substance abuse in schools and other areas. Dovetailing nicely with the purpose of national recovery month is the Narconon Arrowhead drug education coloring book, Be a Winner, Kids! Say No to Drugs! This 12-page book was prepared by the flagship Narconon center, where countless people have gone to make a fresh start and overcome their addictions to drugs and alcohol over the years. All told, there are 12 illustrations in the book which children can color in at school or at home. Each of the pages features positive messages in verse, encouraging children to get outside, play, exercise, read and enjoy all that life has to offer, and to do all of these things while avoiding drugs. Given that it is a coloring book intended for younger children, the book avoids the cold hard facts about substance abuse and drug addiction, choosing instead to point the reader’s attention towards the wonderful things in life, while also providing a gentle yet persistent reminder that drugs should at all times be avoided. For example, a page with a picture of a girl pushing a boy on a swing surrounded by trees and under the bright sun presents a happy image, with both the boy and girl smiling widely, and the text says, “Team up with a friend and swing high as you can, but never let drugs be part of the plan.”
Narconon Works to Prevent Drug Use and Addiction Throughout the Year
At the end of the book is a maze that children can follow, avoiding the end which says “Drugs! Turn Around!” and finding their way to “You avoided Drugs! You’re a winner!” The illustrations for coloring in and the maze together provide a fun way for children to spend some of their time while they fill in the pages. Furthermore, children who use the book will walk away with the clear message that drugs are bad for you and that life has so much more to offer in terms of enjoyment and satisfaction than what is available through using drugs. The new coloring book is only one example of the many publications, including audiovisual properties, that Narconon provides for use in the community. From offering drug prevention educational materials to schools, to putting on anti-drug lectures for hundreds of thousands of school children over the years and passing out countless copies of booklets such as The Truth About Drugs and Ten Things Your Friends May Not Know About Drugs, Narconon works throughout the year to forward the same objectives highlighted every September by the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
For more information on recovery month go to http://www.recoverymonth.gov/
To get updates on Narconon Arrowhead events, rehabilitation and drug prevention see their main site at www.narcononarrowhead.org.