Success deserves recognition. And when you help more than 1,000 people to kicktheir drug and alcohol habits for good, that recognition deserves something special.Which is why in February 2009, VistaBay Watsonville, which has been curing drugand alcohol patients since it opened in 1992, was recognized by the Santa CruzCounty Board of Supervisors with an official proclamation. The proclamationcited

and its “crucial role in educating youth and eradicating drug use byparticipating in local events and activities.” The proclamation also cited Vista Bay Santa Cruz (Watsonville) and its involvementin assisting the Santa Cruz County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. Thisincluded the presentation of drug education lectures to over 2,500 children in theCentral Coast and Northern California regions. VistaBay Watsonville alsoparticipated in the Watsonville High School Sober Graduation Night. If that wasn’tenough, Vista Bay also presented a series of testimonials by program graduates tothe Santa Cruz Meth Project. This was not the first time that VistaBay Watsonville had been so honored. In 2005,then-mayor Ana Ventura Phares issued a proclamation commending Vista Bay andNarconon for its dedication in helping thousands to overcome their addictions, andto allow them another chance at becoming productive members of society. Similarcommendations have been issued from other northern California cities as well:Monterey, Capitola, Marina, Santa Cruz…the list goes on.Perhaps the icing on this ever-rising cake for VistaBay Watsonville is the Certificateof Special Congressional Recognition issued in 2004 for outstanding and invaluableservice to the community.Of course, all of this recognition may lead one to wonder why, especially if you aresomeone who is not familiar with Vista Bay Santa Cruz or with the Narcononprogram. Narconon treatment focuses on a combination of cognitive therapy andphysical purification to achieve success with its patients. This is in direct oppositionto more traditional rehab treatments, such as “12-step” and drug-for-drug therapy. Traditionally, 12-step, which is essentially an elaborate “cold-turkey” combination of abstinence and support, reports a success rate of 2 to 20 percent. Similar numbersare reported for drug-for-drug therapy, such as methadone-for-heroin. Theseprograms frequently get the user addicted to the replacement drug, which thenbecomes even harder to quit than the heroin. The therapy offered at Vista Bay Santa Cruz uses a dry sauna detoxificationprogram to sweat drug residues from the body. These residues can lodgethemselves in muscle tissue for years until they are finally released back into thebloodstream, frequently causing urges and relapse. The sauna treatments sweatthese residues out. Once the client is detoxed, education begins. The client is giventhe life skills needed to avoid drugs and alcohol even in the most intense life