Before visiting the school, Santa was whisked away to five local daycare centers by their helpers from Narconon Arrowhead who had arranged the outing: DannaSue Pruett and Shelly Paden. The role of Santa was capably played by Max Jones, all Narconon Arrowhead staff members. The daycare centers visited by Santa and crew were the Busy Bee Learning Center in Eufaula, the Creek Nation Development Center in Eufaula, the Creek Nation Head Start in Eufaula, Ms. Nancy’s Helping Hands in Longtown and Ms. Jennifer’s Daycare in Longtown.

In all, Santa heard the Christmas wishes of more than 420 children. As Santa left each group he asked, “Now will you children do me a favor? I need you to leave me milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. Oh, and a few carrots too. If you don’t leave me any carrots, Rudolph will eat all my cookies! Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!”

For more information about effective drug education or to find help for a loved one in need, contact Narconon Arrowhead by calling 1-800-468-6933.  

Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the holiday season where family and friends get together to celebrate and reminisce about the past year. Most people would not believe that a fully stocked refrigerator and bar could precede an alcohol or drug addiction later in life. Thanksgiving evening is a big night for under-agers because older siblings and college friends are home for the holidays and refrigerators are stocked for family parties.

A survey by SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in June 2008 revealed that 650,000 underage drinkers in May 2008 were given alcohol by their parents or guardians. “In far too many instances parents directly enable their children’s underage drinking,” said Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service in June 2008. “Proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem but it is a critical part,” Dr. Galson stated.

“Many parents of our clients who come to rehab to battle an addiction to alcohol or drugs never imagined that a holiday tradition such as beer while watching football, a hot toddy before dinner, wine with dinner or rum spiked eggnog to sip on throughout the day could be the precursor for their loved ones journey in addiction,” said Mike Kent, Admissions Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s premier drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.  

According to Narconon’s Kent, most parents are not aware of the fact that they may be contributing to their loved ones addiction by making alcohol too easily accessible.   Making them aware of this is the first step.  Helping their loved one get the help to end their addiction is the next most important thing they can do.  Addiction is only lethal when it is allowed to continue and not successfully treated.

If you are concerned that your loved one or friend is showing signs of substance abuse or already is addicted to alcohol or drugs, call Narconon Arrowhead today at 1-800-468-6933 and speak with one of our counselors. Our counselors will answer questions and do free assessments and referrals to get your loved one the help they need.

Most experienced drug and alcohol rehabilitation experts across the country know that the number of drug and alcohol related overdoses, emergency room admits, suicides and deaths increase significantly during the holiday season over any other time of the year.  Danna Sue Pruitt, CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) and supervisor over a national drug information hotline managed by Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation and education centers says that “…each year during the holidays the number of calls from addicts or their loved ones, in one crisis or another, just skyrockets.”

The holidays are traditionally a time to spread good will and spend time with family, friends and relatives, and to share food, gifts and fond memories with them.  According to Gary W. Smith, a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor (CCDC) with 30 plus years experience in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, most addicts want to join in these activities and may even try to, but they feel too alienated and uncomfortable around the people they love.   “As far as finding fond memories to share, well, there aren’t too many unless of course they are high,” says Smith.  “This is why an addict tends to seem worse in their pattern of substance abuse over the holidays.  They attempt to remove unpleasant memories and problems to ‘be happy.’  The more they use, the shorter the periods of relief get and the greater the problems and discomfort become when they are not high.  Family and friends are reaching out more for them to be involved in the various holiday activities which just brings more unpleasant memories and situations to mind.  They use greater quantities of drugs and/or alcohol and use them more often.  This is why more end up in the hospital, jail or the morgue at this time of year.”
 
Narconon Arrowhead’s Pruitt said, “We are gearing up our hot line already.  We are adding more personnel to the phone lines doing everything we can to have trained people available to contact during the holidays.  We are also encouraging other drug information hotline agencies to prepare to help more people in need this year than last.  We know that every person who gets enrolled into a good rehab program before the holiday season is over is one less person headed for the hospital, jail or the morgue in the New Year.”

If you are in trouble with drugs or alcohol and know you need a treatment program or if you are a family member who is trying to get an addicted loved one help, begin contacting rehab centers now. If you don’t know where to begin, call 1-800-468-6933. In your search for a rehab center find one whose staff truly understands how critical this time of year can be for the addicted and will work ceaselessly with you however long it takes to lock in a treatment bed in a proven rehab facility.