Church of Scientology International Unleashes Global Assault on
Drug Abuse
Church's 10 million drug information booklets lend key
support to UN's "Drugs Are Not Child's Play" program
LOS ANGELES, CA — Bolstering UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's
call to "arm people with the information they need to say no to
drugs," the Church of
Scientology International (CSI) today announced a major step-up
in its two-decade-long "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" worldwide
drug awareness campaign.
Just one week after the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
released its 2006 World Drug Report on the International Day
against Drug Abuse at the National Press Club in Washington, DC,
the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology International has
unveiled 10 new drug information booklets for use in the world's
largest-ever grassroots anti-drug initiative.
The Church is sponsoring the production and distribution of ten
million booklets of this new series in 20 languages. Each details
the life-threatening effects of the world's most abused street and
prescription drugs, including "crystal meth," the treatment demand
for which has grown dramatically in the United States, according to
the UNODC.
"The UN's global studies over the past two years make it clear:
drugs today are a greater peril to human life than war, famine and
human trafficking," said the Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch, President of
the Church of
Scientology International. "The illegal drug trade generates
between $320 billion and $400 billion a year. Last week's UN report
shows headway is being made in the war on drug cultivation and
addiction, but now it's time we deal a real blow to drug abuse with
effective drug prevention."
Providing factual information about the world's most abused
drugs has proven successful in countries around the world,
documented results show. As part of the Church-sponsored "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life"
campaign, Scientologists began passing
out booklets on the harmful effects of marijuana, speed, cocaine
and other street drugs in 1995.
The campaign has earned wide recognition from concerned citizens
and both governmental and non-governmental organizations. Today
"Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" chapters are active in 53
countries, with anti-drug events taking place in 545 cities in just
the past year. All told, "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life"
volunteers have distributed 8,351,537 booklets and 48,991,236 drug
education fliers, put up 280,223 billboards and posters, and held
88,970 public awareness events.
International distribution of the 10 new booklets to children,
teens, parents and families, youth organizations, schools,
community centers, and companies squarely supports the aims of
UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa, who launched the UN's
"Drugs Are Not Child's Play" campaign on Monday, June 26.
Worldwide, the Church's stepped-up offensive for 2006 can count
upon the manpower of an estimated 3,000 volunteers in more than 150
chapters on five continents.
L. Ron
Hubbard
, the founder of the Scientology religion, set
the tone for the Church's anti-drug efforts when he wrote,
"Scientology has no interest in the political or social aspects of
the various types of drugs or even drug-taking as such. The whole
interest of Scientology is
concentrated on those who want to 'get unhooked' and 'stay
unhooked.'"
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