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Corporate and governmental supporters of Narconon and the Hubbard drug rehabilitation method are strikingly thin on the ground. Although Narconon's official website claims that it "has received federal, state and local funding assistance in many countries", it cites few specific examples. One example that it does name is of "the Ministry of Health in England" (but there is no such organisation). The only other such examples cited are of Narconon Colombia receiving "funding for services to youth" and Narconon Utah receiving state funding for "non-residential services for juveniles on probation for misdemeanor drug charges who are then court-ordered to the program". ["Support for Narconon", <http://www.narconon.org/narconon_support.htm>]
A number of US states have funded or considered funding Narconon programmes, usually in penal contexts, but have ended up abandoning or terminating them in the wake of public controversies or poor results. The US Federal government has never funded Narconon, as far as is known, although the organisation is reported to be angling for grants from President George W. Bush's "faith-based initiative". Despite the fact that Narconon has includes two staff from the US Environmental Protection Agency on its list of supporters, the EPA has been explicit in stating that it does not endorse Narconon. For its part, Narconon does not mention this fact, and there is evidence that the prominent mentions of the EPA have had the effect of misleading Narconon sponsors into thinking that it had the blessing of the agency. ["Church Seeks Influence In Schools, Business, Science" - Los Angeles Times, 27 June 1990]
One important thing to note is that official sponsorship and permission to operate are two quite separate things, although Narconon's publicity materials tend to blur this difference. In the United Kingdom it operates as a registered charity (the only Scientology-related body to have achieved this status), but this is a far cry from saying that it has been endorsed by the Government. Similarly, it is allowed to operate widely in the United States even where officially-sponsored Narconon programmes have been terminated. See the Narconon Watch for detailed information on Narconon's activities in specific states, provinces and countries.
Corporate support - including that from companies and other non-profit organisations - is described in similarly vague terms. Notably, no names are mentioned; a "Taiwanese Buddhist social betterment group" (what group?), Catholic sisters in Holland (what order?), "Indigenous Maori organizations in New Zealand" (what, where and when?). As with the EPA, the presence of a health officer from Boeing is cited on various occasions, but the company itself does not support Narconon. A handful of other corporate entities, all with strong links to Scientology, have associated themselves with the Hubbard detoxification programme.
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