From: sdb@ssr.com (Scott Ballantyne)
Subject: Report by former Narconon Patient
Organization: ScotSoft Research
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 02:10:05 GMT

Here's some stuff from Newkirk OK., July 5 1990, which
includes first hand testimony by someone who was treated at the
Narconon Chilocco Treatment Center.  It certainly provides an
interesting perspective on how Narconon works. Don't miss the nifty
escape towards the end, with Narconon guards, billy clubs, the works!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
"NEWKIRK July 5, 1990-John Carraro is a bright, articulate, street
smart heroin junkie. Not at all what one would expect of a 12 year
needle veteran.

He's 33 years old and he tested positive for HIV virus 5 years ago. He
could develop AIDS symptoms at any time, but so far he has been lucky.

[...]

...He says he wanted to get off the daily methodone routine, and a
customer at his parent's record and book store suggested he try
Narconon.

[...]

Carraro says one of the 20 patients at Narconon was an Indian. Of the
rest, he says a few were from foreign countries - Australia, for
instance. The others were non-Indian Americans just like him.

Carraro was planning his get-away from Narconon the same day that an
AP report appeared in the Ponca City News and other state papers
quoting Narconon attorneys as saying only Indian patients were being
treated at the facility.

"They said the only knowledge that they had about it was Indians at
the time (being treated, ... They said they didn't think the state had
any licensing power over Indian activities on Indian Lands." said
District Attorney Joe Wideman, who's comments were reported in a Daily
Oklahoman story last Thursday.

Carraro, who says he told Narconon officials he was HIV positive,
became concerned when he found out there were no trained doctors or
nurses at Chilocco.

"They did take me to a doctor in Arkansas City for a physical," he
said. "You know, the stethoscope on the chest, and we talked about my
hernia. They drew blood and did some of the blood work in his office.
But the HIV test they had to send off. I guess I won't be around here
long enough to find out the results, but it doesn't matter. I've been
tested before, and it always comes out positive." Carrao said.

Carraro doesn't know how he contracted the HIV virus. "I had some
surgery and a blood transfusion just before they started screening for
HIV. But it could have been needles, or it could have been some of the
women I used to hang out with. You'd think they would have somebody on
the (Narconon) staff who would be trained to deal with stuff like
that. All they did was tell me not to mention it to anyone.

Carraro, who said Scientology was never officially mentioned during
his short stay at Narconon, thumbed through copies of Hubbard
Communications Bulletins.

HCOBs, as they are called, are instructions written by Scientology
founder L. Ron Hubbard to his followers. One of the is called Training
and CCH Processes.

"Yeah, we did that," he said, referring to the training drills.

"I did up to about (drill number) six. It was insane. That stuff has
nothing to do with drug treatment."

He says they told him the drills were supposed to improve his ability
to communicate.

They gave him "Cal-Mag", a concoction of oil, vinegar, calcium and
magnesium. "Only we called it 'Cal-Gag'." He started on two glasses of
the stuff a day, then he said they wanted him to increase it to four
glasses a day. "All it did was give me the runs," he said.

Cal-Mag is described in an HCOB document called "The Purification
Rundown Replaces The Sweat Program," which bears a typed signature
reading "The Boards of Directors of the Churches of Scientology", but
says nothing about Narconon.

"Yeah, that's it." Carraro said, looking at the document. "They also
gave us vitamin pills. They called them Drug Bombs. And they do the
sauna thing for 5 hours a day. I didn't get that far."

The vitamin and sauna regimen is also described in the Purificaiton
HCOB.

[...] 

Carraro told of being offered "touch assists", which are Scientology
"physical therapy" routines that are said to relieve the pain and
anxiety of an unjury or other lamentable experience.

"I saw all that L. Ron Hubbard stuff when I first got there, and I
knew something was wrong." Carraro said Saturday morning. "He used to
do science fiction stories and started one of those 'new age'
religions or something. His picture is all over the place out there."

Friday, Carraro left Narconon by a back road. He took only a couple of
bottles of water, and one change of clothes in his backpack. "They had
these security guards with walkie-talkies chasing me all around in a
field. When they stopped me, they had their clubs out and one of them
said he had been told to handcuff me and bring me back, if he had to."

"A guy named Jeff, who is a staff member in training or something,
came by and told them to back off," Jeff tried to change Carraro's
mind, but finally dropped him off at EZ Mart in Newkirk. John met some
local people who put him up over night in the 77 Ranch Motel, and
Saturday morning, he contacted the Herald with his story.

John Carraro is home in Long Island now. And his parents are relieved.

"The literature we asked for on Narconon didn't arrive until the day
after we put him on the plane. When I read 'L. Ron Hubbard', my heart
sank. I thought, 'what have I done to my boy'. If I'd known about that
L. Ron Hubbard stuff before, I would have never put him on the
airplane."  his mother said.

The Carraros paid $6,000.00 in advance, with another $4,000.00 due
later for John's treatment at Chilocco. The money was in an envelope,
sealed inside John's luggage. The Carraros say the intend to press for
a refund, and the return of John's belongings.