Narconon

Article summary

Narconon International (commonly known as Narconon) is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which is owned and controlled by the Church of Scientology. Headquartered in Hollywood, California, United States, Narconon operates several dozen residential centers worldwide, chiefly in the U.S. and western Europe. The organization was formed in 1966 by Scientologist William Benitez with Hubbard's help, and was incorporated in 1970. The Scientology organization and Narconon state that Narconon is a secular program independent of Hubbard's writings about Scientology, and that it provides legitimate drug education and rehabilitation. The organization has been described by many government reports and former patients as a Scientology front group. Hubbard's writings, which underlie the program, assert that drugs and their metabolites are stored in the body's fatty tissue, causing the addict's cravings when partially released later on, and can be flushed out through a regimen known as Purification Rundown, which involves exercise, sauna and intake of high doses of vitamins. This hypothesis is contradicted by experimental evidence, and is not medically accepted.…

Key claims

1. date of death: 2008-06-11 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 2012-07-19 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of death: 2009-03-03 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of establishment: 1966-02-19 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. date of formation: 1966 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of death is "2008-06-11". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "2012-07-19". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of death is "2009-03-03". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of establishment is "1966-02-19". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the date of formation is "1966". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
8. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1375001599