Oklahoma: Narconon Arrowhead Legislation Planned

[NoName]

Dox about alcohol withdrawals:

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/a...oms-treatments

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...22-1/61-66.pdf

Withdrawals from other drugs are usually not so dangerous. Heroin/opioid withdrawals might make a person feel like they are dying or want to die, but it doesn't carry anywhere near the risk of death as alcohol withdrawal.

With opioids like Oxycontin, heroin, or buprenorphine, there are a couple of other concerns besides withdrawals. First is something called "incomplete cross tolerance". That means that you need less of a substitute drug than your drug of choice to get high. So if someone is used to shooting 80mg of Oxycontin to get high and thet google the pharmaceutical equivalent of heroin and shoot that up, it's pretty easy to OD. The other concern is that the tolerance you built up to your drug of choice goes away after a period of sobriety. So if you used to shoot the 80mg of Oxycontin, get sober for a few months, and then go on an epic bender, the old reliable high of 80mg could now be deadly.

As an aside, I don't think it is strange or ill advised to hire recovering addicts. I actually know a few who have gone on to work for reputable treatment centers. The problem with Narconon is lack of training and supervision, imho. At minimum, they should be getting drug tested with some regularity.

[Intelligence]

T

I have said repeatedly on this board that the **only** way to get government action against Scientology would be to make inaction a political liability.

I believe we have reached that point.

Absolutely right. The Politicians now know that it is NOT a matter of "IF" another will die, but a matter of "WHEN" - - if this place is not shut down FAST.

They KNOW that if another dies before the Government shuts Arrowheads doors, their Political careers are over - done - finished!

I will be in Oklahoma for several days, including the day of the scheduled protest on
August 25th from 1pm to 6pm.

To date there are 71 Confirmed Going AND 38 Maybes!

Several side-trips planned to help close the dangerous doors

.

[shadow]

That may be in those places. Would that just be those few? I knew Mary Reisner from Georgia - she was on 7 when I was. Allowing something like that would cost her dearly. I was surprised to find out she was falsifying that it was an in-patient facility. Must be a lot of pressure to deliver the coins. To some extent, using ex- druggies is a flawed organizational policy. I presume, management was unaware of the drug use. I say that, not as an apology, but that it would be fairly easy for them to do drugs on the sly, and fool management.

Mimsey

I think poster Intelligence might have more insight about his meaning of the following statement: "Unfortunately as countless evidence documents and witness statements declare, the deadly activity that was ignored by executives at Narconon Trois-Rivieres is common place in many other Narconons."

As far as whether management is aware or not, I reference the Desmond case and the documents so far showing Mary was aware of repeated drug use by staff and clients and a whole lot more: http://alley.ethercat.com/storage/10...rSanctions.pdf
Excerpts of a post by ethercat listing significant parts of the document at reaching for the tipping point http://forum.reachingforthetippingpo...,8408.60.html:
“Page 4:…
The documents also show that during this time NNGA had multiple reports of staff members using drugs and alcohol. There is also evidence in the new documents that shows that the Executive Director of NNGA altered evidence after Patrick's death, in what can only be viewed as an after-the-fact attempt to distance NNGA from the events leading up to Patrick's death. …
Page 6:
Quote
On September 14th, 2010, Plaintiffs deposed Rieser for the second time, again, asking her about the critical issues in this case and specifically about investigations into housing issues and her knowledge of the events on the night of Patrick's death. Reiser's responses to these questions, we now know, were not simply misleading, but patently false.
(I think they mean September 14th, 2011.)
Page 9:
Quote
In the meantime, Plaintiffs were able to locate and contact a whistleblower and former NNGA student and employee, Allison Riepe, who had intimate knowledge of the workings of NNGA, including its housing practices and the events surrounding Patrick's death.10
…
These documents contained information that had been repeatedly denied by NNGA throughout the litigation. For example, the documents included:
• Evidence of poor conditions at housing, such as a number of reports of:
o Students drinking alcohol and sneaking out of housing. (Bates Nos. 009912, 009920, 009924).
o Housing monitors failing to report for work. (Bates Nos. 009918, 009940).
o Staff members using drugs and alcohol. (Bates Nos. 009926, 009944)
o Lack of control over staff at housing. (Bates Nos. 009944);
o Lack of supervision of students at housing. (Bates Nos. 009959)
o Multiple complaints from students that drugs were too easily obtainable at housing. (Bates Nos. 009944)
o Instances of students overdosing on heroin. (Bates Nos. 009944, 009957).
o Substandard living conditions. (Bates No. 009968).
o Requests from students to NNGA for changes to housing such as apartment searches, additional monitors, and enforcing a curfew. (Bates Nos. 009913).
…
Page 15:
Quote
Like Patrick Desmond, Brad Taylor had been ordered by a court to enroll in an in-patient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in lieu of jail. (Riepe Dep., P. 14, L. 7). Taylor's student file included evidence that NNGA altered its letterhead to remove the words "out-patient" when they sent documents to the Tennessee drug court, just as they did when they sent letters to the Florida drug court in Patrick's case. (Bates Nos. 10122 - 10137). In short, the missing Taylor filed proved that the fraud perpetrated on the Florida drug court was not an isolated event. That is precisely why Plaintiffs believed it had not been produced.
Pages 15 and 16:
Quote
On April 11th , NNGA produced yet another new set of documents, consisting of 105 pages of critical information relating to the Board of Investigation, including housing surveys completed by students, graphs reviewed by the Board of Directors, and meeting minutes concerning the investigation into housing. (Bates Nos. 10012 - 10016). Like the initial set of Board of Investigation Documents, this newest set of documents provided further evidence of critical concerns about NNGA's housing, such as:
…
• When asked what NNGA could do to help new students, another student responded by writing: "Keep them away from (names redacted.)" The student then notes: "[T]hey" (presumably the individuals whose names are redacted) "still use drugs or alcohol." (Bates No. 10023). Another student responded to the same question by saying: "Don't treat them like dollar signs. Don't lie. Don't promise things that you know aren't true." (Bates No. 10092).
• Another student wrote that he felt hopeless when he got to NNGA because he saw "a lot of drinking, drug use, and general madness." (Bates No. 10025).
…
So sad... To be hopeful about a new future without substance abuse, and then to feel "hopeless when he got to NNGA because he saw 'a lot of drinking, drug use, and general madness.'" Emotional roller coasters are never good for people, but I imagine extremely less so for someone wanting to kick drugs and/or alcohol.

Again sorry for the length, but this appears to be standard operations, not isolated incident.

[Sock Puppy]

I will be in Oklahoma for several days, including the day of the scheduled protest on
August 25th from 1pm to 6pm.

To date there are 71 Confirmed Going AND 38 Maybes!

[Mimsey Borogrove]

Well, thank you for clarifying about NN GA and Mary Reisner. Your points are well taken. My point about using ex druggies, while they are probably "high ARC terminals" for druggies trying to beat their addictions, and have more understanding than a non druggie of the culture etc, I question their value if you have to keep them tested to keep them straight.

It would seem, to me, an indication of the failure of NN's efficacy as a drug program if they can't / won't stay straight. It seems that the drug program needs really tough standards, checks / balances, policies if it is to deal successfully with drug rehab, and the lengths the addicted go through to remain so.

(and a more workable curriculum / technology)

Mimsey

PS another problem NN has is that they frequently get their reserves ripped off for dono's for IAS etc, so they are underfunded to effectivly deal with such problems.

[Auditor's Toad]

At one tine NN Arrowhead was located on Native American controlled property & buildings. Is that still true or did they move to another location in OK ?

[NoName]

Well, thank you for clarifying about NN GA and Mary Reisner. Your points are well taken. My point about using ex druggies, while they are probably "high ARC terminals" for druggies trying to beat their addictions, and have more understanding than a non druggie of the culture etc, I question their value if you have to keep them tested to keep them straight.

It would seem, to me, an indication of the failure of NN's efficacy as a drug program if they can't / won't stay straight. It seems that the drug program needs really tough standards, checks / balances, policies if it is to deal successfully with drug rehab, and the lengths the addicted go through to remain so.

(and a more workable curriculum / technology)

Mimsey

PS another problem NN has is that they frequently get their reserves ripped off for dono's for IAS etc, so they are underfunded to effectivly deal with such problems.

I respect that point completely, but testing employees (both recovering addicts and otherwise) is common practice is legitimate treatment facilities. And employees have to adhere to standards for outside contact with clients because of potential for sexual exploitation. Many states' professional licensing boards also have codes of conduct for that sort of thing. It's less about not trusting individuals and more about setting standards of conduct from the get go so that there are no misunderstandings. Non-addicts working in those types of places have personal issues too, and who the hell knows what's gonna make any one individual go over the edge and do something new and spectacularly stupid.

Most recovering addicts also understand that they have to earn trust back. They deserve a fair chance like anyone else. But remember that thread about the "Scientology cha-cha"? For some people, addiction is just like that. Every day they wake up with good intentions, but something happens and they go back to the comfortable (but destructive) old thought process.

[Sindy]

Good article:

http://www.news9.com/story/19325010/...g-rehab-center

[OperatingSP]

Good article:

http://www.news9.com/story/19325010/...g-rehab-center

Oklahoma News 9: Protest Planned At Scientology Based Drug Rehab Center In OK

http://www.news9.com/story/19325010/...g-rehab-center

Excerpt:

SAYRE, Oklahoma -

The heat continues to build against a Scientology based drug rehab center on Lake Eufaula.

A protest is planned for the facility this weekend, as a State Senator says he will try to shut down the controversial program.

All that is addition to lawsuits from all three families of those who recently died at the facility that could be filed as early as this week.

Gabriel Graves, Hillary Holton and Stacey Murphy were all under the care of Narconon's Arrowhead facility within the last nine months when they died.

"The bottom line is three deaths in nine months is unacceptable, if this was a state run facility they would have been shut down immediately," said Sen. Tom Ivester (D) Sayer.

[NoName]

Tony Ortega linked to this article on Sunday:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/artic...1_StateD435534

Seems that they've had a problem with a high death rate all along. I suppose that time will tell if this recent batch of deaths is abnormally high or not. But since I raised the issue, I'm posting this article because my assumption that the recent death rate was abnormally high turned out to be pretty questionable.