The National Coalition of Human Rights Activists request the United States' various Federal healthcare oversight departments and State boards of health to investigate NarConon for alleged dangerous and worthless health care practices.
NCHRA's concern came to a head when it was learned that New York City Councilwoman Lopez was apparently paid nearly US$115,000 in what might have been a quid pro quo payment for her routing city funds to Scientology's "detox" facility.
"The United States government has a duty to the citizens to protect them from dangerous or fraudulent health care scams," said NCHRA President David Rice. "If the apparent facts about NarConon are true, then the US government is grossly failing to meet that duty."
NarConon, the public relations "detox" program of Scientology Inc., was created by L. Ron Hubbard via the business' "Guardians Office" in the year 1972 to route people onto Scientology's "bridge to total freedom." [0] This is the same department within Scientology Inc. that was convicted of dozens of felonies including the infiltration and theft of documents from a number of prominent private national and world organizations, law firms and newspapers; the execution of smear campaigns and baseless law suits to destroy private individuals who had attempted to exercise their First Amendment rights to freedom of expression; the framing (of crimes) of private citizens who had been critical of Scientology, including the forging of documents which led to the indictment of at least one innocent person; violation of the civil rights of prominent private figures and public officials; the burglary of Government offices; the theft of Government property; the interception of private Governmental communications; the obstruction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Grand Jury investigation into those burglaries; thefts, and electronic "buggings" of government offices and private citizen's residences and business offices; the harboring and concealment of a fugitive from justice; and the making of false declarations to the federal Grand Jury. [2]
"I have personally asked NarConon to provide evidence for their claims that their 'detox' treatment is both safe and effective; in every instance they have answered with deafening silence." said Mr. Rice. "All the evidence I have so far been able to accumulate shows NarConon's treatment is both dangerous and worthless. I would very much like to see evidence otherwise, but NarConon refuses to provide this evidence to me even when I told them I would pay $100 for that evidence."
James J. Kenney, Ph.D., RD, of the National Council Against Health Fraud who said of the NarConon program "Health professionals who subject troubled people (many with psychiatric illnesses and / or severe emotional problems) to this unproven detoxification program are at best unethical and at worst guilty of health fraud."
"It is a matter of public safety," said the NCHRA President. "People who need to cease substance abuse, often to save their lives, need to acquire treatment that is both safe and effective; judging by the evidence I have been able to examine, NarConon customers might run the risk of not being able to afford real treatment afterwards when they discover NarConon did not help them. If NarConon has evidence to the contrary, I very much wish they would provide it to me and health care professionals."
NarConon has never submitted its program to peer review, nor published its data in peer reviewed medical journals.
James J. Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., a member of the board of directors of The National Council Against Health Fraud and a diplomat of The American Board of Nutrition, wrote "To make matters worse, large doses of niacin are hepatotoxic and can cause serious liver damage. It may also trigger gout, raise blood sugar into the diabetic range, cause itching, flushing and a rash. Nausea and gastritis are other side effects of large doses of niacin. To subject people to these potentially serious side effects on the pretense that they are being 'detoxified,' 'cleared' or 'purified' is quackery." He went on to add " It would also be very inappropriate for any public funds to be used to pay for a religious ritual which is potentially harmful and of no proven benefit." [2]
"Scientology Inc. claims its NarConon program has a success rate variously from 70% to 86%. The evidence, however, suggests a 'success' rate of from zero to 6.6%. [3]" said David Rice.
The NarConon program has been universally condemned by the medical community throughout the world as both dangerous and worthless. The Oklahoma State Board of Health stated: "Moreover, the multiple findings of fact heretofore entered by the Board establish that Narconon's program is not safe. [....] The Board determines that the Narconon Program is not effective in the treatment of chemical dependency. The Board concludes that the program offered by Narconon-Chilocco is not medically safe. The Board has reviewed the proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law submitted by the Department and Narconon. Any proposed finding of fact and / or conclusion of law inconsistent with those entered by the Board is denied. Certification is denied."
Michigan Corrections Department psychologist John Hand called NarConon "So misleading as to be termed a 'con.'" Hand said, "They are phony, a front for the Church [sic] of Scientology. We found out in Michigan that most of the money that we were paying NarConon was laundered back into the Church of Scientology." [4] The study of NarConon in the Michigan penal system concluded, "graduates of the NarConon program do not do as well as our [prison] population in general."
Doctor Wolfgang Heckmann, the "Drugs Delegate" of Berlin, performed a study of NarConon's "success" and found that at its best, NarConon's "success" is "at most 10%." His report stated: "Finally, the question of the program's success is also of importance to assessing the quality of the institution. Looking at earlier statements by NarConon according to which the institution's average rate of success is far above the average, the list of names provided does not paint a very favorable picture. From their own figures, the rate of success is calculated to be, at most, 10%. In addition to that, the idea of social reintegration is understood differently by NarConon than elsewhere in that a not inconsiderable number of the people named as successes work as staff at NarConon, and some of those even live in the building. In addition, there are justified misgivings as to the credibility of the chances of success." Dr. Heckmann found that in his study of 145 people subjected to the NarConon "treatment," only 10 claimed they were "off drugs" during a follow-up visit after "treatment." Dr. Heckmann also mentioned in his report to the Berlin Senate that Narconon is owned, run, and part of Scientology Inc.
"Clearly all of these facts could be shown to be incorrect if only NarConon would provide evidence their treatment is both safe and effective," David Rice added. "I am at a loss to explain why the Scientology organization has refused to do so. All anyone ever gets out of NarConon are assertions of safety and effectiveness, along with piles of glossy literature and propaganda; where is the hard data that shows NarConon is safe and effective? I for one would love to see it. But as far as I can tell, there isn't any such data and the Scientology business is mute on the subject."
Survivors of NarConon may share their stories at NCHRA@hotmail.com
[0] http://holysmoke.org/narconon/narconon-is-scientology.jpg
[1] USA Vs Mary Sue Hubbard et al, Criminal Case No. 78-401
[2] Personal letter by Dr. Kenney to Dr. John Chelf, who was appointed by the Oklahoma State Mental Health Board to evaluate the Purification Rundown.
[3] Studies such as the West Berlin government study; the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare study; and the evaluation by Peter Gerdman at Vårby Gård, near Stockholm. See also http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/studies.htm
[4] Detroit News Feb. 11 1980
