This is my investigation on Narconon filed with the regional office of Government, as an effort to put a stop to a new Narconon establishment. It has been successful this far. Earlier permission given has been revoked by administrational court. Narconon has appealed to higher court, wich has not decided yet if there is legal grounds trying the case in higher court.

Informed readers will recognize parts of my investigation from other sources. Without these sources, http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/ and http://www.xenu.net/ , I would not have very much to file. So great thanks to Chris O and Andreas H-L. and others for your work.

This file and apps can be read at:

http://ulf.ing-steen.se/~ulf/narconon_investigation_by_.htm

--- ------- ------ ------- 00000000000 -------------

Regarding the application 702-16143-03 requesting permission according to law of wellfare kap 7 =A71, to start a treatmentcentre

The purpose with me contacting the local office of governmental authorities in this form , is to bring some important relevant historical facts to the knowledge of this authority and at the same time request that authorities denies application mentioned above.

Assigned has the function of managing and medically coordinate health and wellfare interventions to those individuals with addiction and / or psychiatric problems in the city of N=E4ssj=F6. The outpatient psychiatric clinic and the office of wellfare in the community of N=E4ssj=F6 has a joint project for several years on directed at the problems with addiction in the community , and we are now alarmed of the Narconon plan of relocating their activities to our community. My commission in this project is part of my function as assistant chief psychiatrist at the psychiatric clinic in the district of Eksj=F6.

I am also appointed expert in psychiatry by the National Board of Health and Wellfare since the year 2000 , to serve in courts as such in cases regarding unwillful commitments to psychiatric clinics.

Statements in application are in part factually wrong , in part incomplete and in part grossly and willfully misleading

It is stated in application that Narconon was founded by William Benitez , an US intern in 1966. Left out is the fact that Narconon had two Co-founders : Henning Held and Arthur Maren,superior officers in the security branch of the Church of Scientology , named the Guardians Office. In 1976 Held and the wife of L Ron Hubbard, Mary Sue Hubbard together with 11 other high leveled officers of the Church of scientology, was condemned to several years of inprisonment , after been found guilty to a massive international campaigne of spying, burglaring, illegal tapping and harassments of different governments, newspapers, business companies and private individuals critical to the Church of Scientology.

Narconon has from the start to present days allways been and still are a scientology inspired , permeated and governed activity with a phony front of being a charity inspired help organisation , the true motifs with the activity is simply to recruit new paying members. ( app 1-18) to the Church of Scientology , an internationally organized cult , founded , according to himself (app 29) mentally ill, medioker science-fiction writer, L Ron Hubbard.

Applicant is also unaware of the true derivation of heir own name , Narconon. Narcosis is not a latin word as stated in application , it is greek . It does not mean drugs, as stated in application, it means anesthesia.

Does the fact that Narconon is a frontorganisation to the Church of Scientology matters?

Yes , because:

Truthfulness. If Narconon is lying about its links with Scientology, why is that and what is it trying to achieve by doing so?

Legality. activities funded by public bodies shall be performed according to law

Fairness. Drug addicts are amongst the most vulnerable individuals in society, who by definition are not in full control of their faculties. They may often be unable to make fully rational decisions about their futures; a particular concern if they are potentially exposed to the often high-pressure recruiting tactics of Scientology wich must be regarded as totally unacceptable.

Factual evidens showing that Narconon and the Church of Scientology are parts of and in fact one and the same organization.

The organisation registered as taxpayer (app.19) to Narconon is Church of Scientology International (CSI) through its branch ABLE ( Association for Better Living and Education) wich in fact is a toporganisation that licenses and controls those who uses Hubbards methods in social settings like education and drugrehabilitation (app.30). According to their propagandamaterials , staff at the international office of ABLE, consists only of SEA Org-members, eg people that has promised to serve and work on realizing Hubbards will one billion years. These people is consequently deeply rooted in the scientology movement. From an overwhelming body of facts and documents ( can be completed on request) regarding the true motifs behind the frontorganisation Narconon , I choose one:

Narconon routinely claims that it is wholly non-religious - as it has to, if it is not to fall foul of the U.S. Constitution's prohibition of state support for religious activities. However, a close examination of Narconon's doctrines and written materials proves otherwise. When the Californian State Department of Health considered the matter in 1974, its reporting team concluded that:

[A]ny connection between Narconon and Scientology other than coincidental was usually vehemently denied ... Theoretically it is a patchwork of Freudian, Gestalt, Pavlovian, science fiction and Eastern (reincarnation) ideas unequivocally sutured together with L. Ron Hubbard's terminology. Indeed, the initial exercises require in addition to a standard English dictionary, a special Narconon dictionary enabling the "student" to understand the Narconon/Scientology terminology ...

The [Narconon] terminology is strikingly similar and presumably parallels, if not merging, the Scientology hierarchy. The latter presumption was underscored by a lengthy conversation with "members" - "employees" at the Scientology/ Westwood office where it was stated that Narconon was simply the application of Scientology "technology" to the problem of drug addiction. Additionally two patients interviewed on a local methadone program reported that their unsuccessful treatment for heroin use at Narconon was by the application of Scientology techniques and was essentially directed at eventually attaining a "clear" state. Again, any connection with Scientology other than coincidental was vigorously denied by Dr. Gibson and his principal assistants ...

All of the literature and books are directly derived from Scientology .=2E. ["Outline for recovery, House Evaluation" - by Forrest S. Tennant, Jr., M=2ED., Dr.P.H., Jane Thomas, R.N., Mike Reilly, and Joseph Shannon, M=2ED., M.P.H. Submitted to Don Z. Miller, Deputy Director, Health Treatment System, State Department of Health, Sacramento, CA, on 31 Oct 1974.]

The Narconon "treatment"

The "courses" given within the Narconon program are in fact the preparation to and introduction to scientology and are aimed at making the client susceptible and uncritical. In the application these courses are called "8 steps in treatment" but are in fact pure courses in scientology adjusted to the Narconon clientel. Courses contents and mutual order are identical to the obligatory courses new members in the Church of Scientology are exposed to (app.20). Some concepts and terms eg "thetans" (bodyspirits), scientology and so forth , has been exchanged to make content more "digestable" to the uninitiated. The courses was developed by Hubbard during the 1950-60 decades as trainingtools to scientologyaspirants and preceeds Narconon with several years.

The "treatment" at Narconon are in other words lacking all information and education in matters of addiction, drugs or all information relevant to the client in treatment. In fact Narconon does not deal with any physical or mental aspect on problems connected with addiction.

Regarding the lack of quality

The activity at Narconon are not in accordance with chapter 7 =A7 2 law on welfare and what this law says about good quality and safety because of the following reasons:

The statements about working in a close relation with staff from the socialservices is a flattering description of the truth. ( see statement in application from governmental authority staff , Helene Christiansson, stating that Narconon has a permission to manage drugrehab since 1985, but not until lately begun to cooperate with the socialservices after repeated and extremely grave critique)

The centre at Skarhult outside he town of Esl=F6v, has through the years been submitted to repeated and sharp critique on several issues eg intake of drugaddicts directly from the streets without contacting social services, drugabuse amongst staff, staff being unqualified and recruited directly from Narcononrehabprogram,staff not present at facility when supposed to. Furthermore that staff is trained within the Church of Scientology founded by public means. Despite the fact of earlier remarks regarding lack of documentation, lacking documentation on decisions of social aid and treatmentplans, these shortages remains on supervision from authorities (app 22-23)

The Detoxification program has been reviewed and scrutinized by the appointed scientific expert advisor to he National Board of health and Wellfare, Professor Folke Sj=F6qvist ( file nr: 00-10129/95)(app 24). After going through the latter 30 years of international scientific publications in search for scientific evidence on the detoxification rundown, he concluded that the Narconon treatment program was in total lack of scientifical or evidencebased clinical experience supporting the method , that the risks and sideeffects with the program had not been investigated properly and that the method was not to be used in the Swedish health and/or welfare care. Documents provided by Narconon eg different kind of certificates and other documentation, was without any relevance and substance to the case. He also stated that any treatment with vitamins should follow the recommendations from the National food administration.

It may be prudent to mention that Sj=F6qvist noted in his report that a representative from Narconon (H=E5kan Larsson) had tried to gain illegal access to his office at work , through his secretary in an effort to find out what the National Board of Health and Wellfare had given him with his assignment.

There are only one official Swedish evaluation on results from the Narcononprogram , the "Gerdmanreport", May 1981(app 21)

Despite the fact that the method used in this evaluation has serious flaws due to the fact that the investigator was not allowed to personally interview the clientgroup or to do any investigations of his own, ( done by Narconon staff) results were discouraging to the group in question. Only 14 of the 16 individuals completed the program ,13 of these were contacted a year after completion. 7 had relapsed in drugabuse , 2 did not know if they relapsed or not, 4 said they had no relaps. This leads to the following conclusion:

77% did not complete the treatment.

50% of those who completed the program , relapsed within a year to drugabuse (14% could not give an answer on relaps)

6,6% of completers stated that they did not relapse on the followup

( 6,6% is in gross in accordance to spontaneous withdrawel from drugaddiction - eg without any treatment or professional support ) In official Narconondocuments and scientology documents (Ron the Humanitairian http://drugrehab.lronhubbard.org/page50.htm) it is stated that 84,6% of the clients from Narconon are drugfree one year after completion of treatment. This information is thus grossly and deliberate false.

Fraud and falsification of documents and information , has occurred on a number of occasions in information materials from Narconon (app 26).

No other evaluation in accordance to basic scientific and/ or standards of objectivity exists regarding Narconon activities in Sweden.

None of the named staff in application meets the requested standards of education for the task in question - working with people. References to NBAE and PITA-Group gives only an apparent legitimacy ,but really says nothing on the questions on competence. It is stated in the CV of T.L. , that he had some kind of education in "caregiving" in Stockholm 19987-1988, without giving any references on the educational contants or level or institution / school etcetera.

Everything mentioned in the application on "internal education, instruction or supervision are in fact paraphrases of scientology courses , wich for the most part is founded by public means.

The "certfication" of G.L. as "Counselor on chemical addiction" from the NBAE- National Board of Addiction Examiners - is totally irrelevant. The NBAE is not - as insinuated by the name - a governmental US authority , but according to he NBAE itself, a (again) non-profit organization. Educations within Narconon are not educations in taking care of people , it is merely scientology courses.

Stated management staff in the application and consultants , are all deeply involved in the Church of Scientology , eg:

T=2EP. who was portrayed in the scientologymagazine "The Auditor" when he was completing a Class VI course on auditing (Saint Hill Special Briefing Course). This means that he is deeply rooted in scientology and that he is at OT level ( Operating Thetan) eg "cleared" from his bodythetans and that his spirit can leave and return to his body whenever he wants it to , according to the teachings in scientology. The average cost to reach the OT III level is 1 144 950 swedish cronas ( divide by 7,5 to get usd) with prices from 1995. Alternativly you could work for free within the church organization like Narconon for many years .

D=2EU. has for 14 1/2 years been working at managing levels within Narconon.

M=2EP, "consultant" former manager at Narcononfacility at Skarhult , receives a diploma in the US from the top leader of he Church of Scientology (D.M.) (app. 27) 2001.

About safety

"Student rules, rights and responsibilities" are not in accordance with the Swedish law . Restrictions put upon the "student" contents separation and isolation from society and the outside world, visitation including searching through private letters, postings etc. just to mention the most obvious. Having the client to sign these "rules" gives an apparence of legitimacy and consent , but clients choices in this situation are in reality a illusion because:

Drugaddicts are unable of practising true selfcontrol and are more or less lacking the capability of rational reasoning and decisionmaking regarding themselves and their future. When at Narconon, they are submitted to the good will from people in the nearby environment - social wellfare paying for their treatment , staff at Narconon, to mention the most obvious parties. To state that the drugaddict has full capability to uphold his / hers rights in such a vulnerable position, is to my opinion, grossly misleading.

Restrictions on Narconon clients , are not permitted to inflict on psychiatric patients involuntary committed according to law (LPT/LRV) due to the insult - violation to the individuals human rights. Opening of letters demands a search warrant issued by official prosecutor. To state that the client at any point during treatment , has the ability to refuse or question decisions regarding the treatmentplan , is to my opinion , also grossly misleading.

On page six in the application under the headline "complaints" you get a picture of how closely staff controls the clients , methods of control that are often seen in cults , aimed at earliest possible intervention of the astrayed. Staff has supervisors of their own , as does the manager and vice manager. A strictly hierarchic organization with clients at the bottom and where staff is monitoring staff.

It is stated in the Narconons =AE Rehabiliteringsprogram that they work with cognitive therapy - this is also a much grossly and deliberate misleading statement, apparently to give the reader the impression of quality - that is lacking . Cognitive therapy in the true sense of the term , is a special form of psychotherapy only performed by the specially trained and educated therapist. None of Narconon staff has these qualifications.

Medical safety

The type of physical medical examination performed on clients before entering the Narconon programs in Sweden , are from medical safety point of view, totally unsufficient. Compare the demands from The Swedish Standards Institute on medical evaluation, examination and hospital treatment to drugaddicts , before the can enter a rehab facility in a deemed safe way (app.28)

The risk of serious complications during the abstinencephase , demands observation in a hospital setting for at least three days maybe longer. Risks of seizures and delirium can not be ruled out from one simple physical examination. These complicatione can emerge late in the abstinencephase , a fact that is common knowledge amongst MD:s

The routines at Narconon are thus far beneath the demands formulated by law and the supervising authorities from the field of health-and wellfare caregiving. Clients are consequently submitted to unacceptable medical risks.

Miscellaneous

It should be noted that license fees, cost of coursematerials and som part of the staff salaries , goes straight into the Church of Scientology (app 30) Costs fro PR and Marketing are also beneficial to the church and Narconon. With 20 clients in treatment, according to the submitted economical report, at least 17 000 usd / month from public means (taxpayers money) goes straight into scientology activities. ( staffs personal costs for courses in scientology excluded)

Ulf Brettstam

Assistant Chiefpsychiatrist
Psychiatric clinic at
The Hoegland Hospital
Eskjoe