Treating someone with an addiction problem like a criminal not only inhibits rehabilitation, but often leads to harder and harsher drug use, as the primary factors that impede detox are fear of severe withdrawal symptoms and fear of judgment.
New Port Richey, FL (PRWEB) October 21, 2013
America has been immersed in a war against drugs, with heroin and other narcotics making a return after law enforcement targeted “pill mills” illegally selling prescription drugs. Despite the manpower being used to curb rampant drug abuse, a recent study shows that illegal drugs are still more accessible than ever before. Novus Medical Detox, one of the only Florida-based detox centers serving high-dosage drug abuse patients, says that the current response to drug offenders has proven to be ineffective—the best strategy is to offer treatment and rehabilitation that help offenders get their lives back.
A new study from the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy shows that illegal substances are getting more concentrated and less expensive, suggesting that the world’s drug supply is increasing—heroin, cocaine and cannabis have become cheaper over the past two decades, even as those drugs have generally become more pure and potent. (1) In a world with rampant crime and immorality, rehabilitating individuals struggling with addiction is in question in the culture of modern society. Although the war on drugs has now lasted for several decades, U.S. tactics for prevention and treatment efforts have largely failed to eliminate substance addiction—in the 25 years since the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, the United States’ penal population has risen from around 300,000 to more than two million. (2) Likewise, prescription drugs alone are currently costing nearly 15,000 American lives each year. (3)
The problem, per Kent Runyon, Executive Director of Novus Medical Detox, lies in the fact that individuals afflicted with addiction are viewed as criminals needing punishment rather than people needing treatment. Runyon says the propensity of the U.S. to view addicted individuals as criminals often leads them to refuse detox and hide their addictions. And many forego seeking treatment due to the fear of being judged which, in some individuals, can be as painful as the physical manifestations themselves.
Runyon also maintains that individuals afflicted with addiction are no longer predominantly “street people” or “hardcore addicts”—but were once contributing members of society who unwittingly got into trouble after being prescribed schedule II medications by after surgeries or injuries.
Runyon states that not only are safe and effective detox centers critical in ending the drug abuse epidemic, but that they are the best option for anyone struggling with addiction.
“Treating someone with an addiction problem like a criminal not only inhibits rehabilitation, but often leads to harder and harsher drug use, as the primary factors that impede detox are fear of severe withdrawal symptoms and fear of judgment,” said Runyon.
Novus utilizes a combination of medical protocols with a proprietary I.V. vitamin cocktail as an effective means of weaning addicted individuals off drugs with minimal distress. Novus opened its doors with the purpose of fixing the detox process to ensure that anyone could overcome addiction comfortably. The detox center handles the toughest of drug and alcohol cases, many of whom are rejected from other facilities as “too high a risk.” Novus’ I.V. vitamin integration is tailored to each individual’s needs to replenish nutrients lost during drug abuse, allowing Novus to effectively treat high-dose patients. By paying particular attention to strengthening patients’ bodies during the detox process via proprietary medical protocols, medical staff members at Novus say that this aspect is the difference between detox being “too fearful to confront” and returning to a life of sobriety.
Novus advises those who are dependent on any abusive substance(s) to seek out safe, medically-supervised detox programs, and to use those with integrated medicine that allows the detox process to be as comfortable as possible. Otherwise, per Runyon, the door is barred by the “fear of withdrawal” before it is ever opened.
To learn more about the Novus Medical Detox center and its addiction and detox programs, visit http://www.NovusDetox.com.
About Novus Medical Detox Center:
Novus Medical Detox Center offers safe, effective alcohol and drug treatment programs in a home-like residential setting. Located on 3.25 tree-lined acres in New Port Richey, Fla., Novus is licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families as an inpatient medical detox facility. Novus is known for minimizing the discomfort of withdrawal from prescription medication, drugs or alcohol by creating a customized detox program for each patient, incorporating medication, natural supplements and fluid replenishment—putting the dignity and humanity back into drug detoxification. Patients have 24/7 medical supervision, including round-the-clock nursing care and access to a withdrawal specialist, and enjoy comfortable private or shared rooms with a telephone, television, DVD player and high-speed Internet access. For more information, visit http://www.novusdetox.com.
1.Knafo, Saki. “Yet Another Study Proves The War On Drugs Is Failing.” Huffingtonpost.com. The Huffington Post, 01 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/study-drug-war_n_4025500.html.
2.Alexander, Michelle (2010). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press. p. 6.
3.“Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the U.S.” Cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. cdc.gov/Features/VitalSigns/PainkillerOverdoses/index.html.