The Church of Scientology and the Mangere Maori Wardens begin 2013 by reaffirming their goal of a drug-free New Zealand

The Church of Scientology and the Mangere Maori Wardens reaffirmed their goals for a drug-free New Zealand and laid plans for the new year at a gathering at the Nga the Whare Waatea Marae—a gathering place for the community where the Maori culture is celebrated through tribal ceremonies, functions and sacred traditions.

Thomas Henry of Mangere, a suburb of Auckland, is manager of the Mangere Maori Wardens, a community volunteer organization under the Ministry of Maori Development that works to ensure the safety and security of youth and the community as a whole.

“We have been using the Truth About Drugs materials for six years now and we can see the results in our area,” said Henry. “South Auckland’s drug crimes have dropped by as much as 20 percent in the last year and we know these booklets are making the difference.”

Mereana Peka, manager of the marae and a former Maori Warden in Otara, was the next speaker. In 2006, the fear that her son would die of his drug addiction was a constant companion, until her granddaughter received a copy of a Truth About Drugs booklet, brought it home and began reading from the booklet to her father every night. Peka credits the booklet and her granddaughter’s persistence for her son being alive and drug-free today.

Next, Rita Peters, community affairs coordinator of the Church of Scientology Auckland, released the new brochure Scientology—How We Help: The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World. The publication presents a global overview of the Truth About Drugs program.

“With the support of many caring community groups that are concerned about the drug epidemic, we have been able to reach and help some of the most drug-ridden areas in the country,” said Peters.

The New Zealand Maori Wardens and numerous community and church groups around the country have helped distribute more than 450,000 Truth About Drugs booklets. There are now six active Truth About Drugs education centres in Rotorua, New Plymouth, Northland and West and South Auckland.

The Church of Scientology has sponsored drug education around the world for more than 30 years. In the late 1990s, European Scientologists began producing a series of youth-oriented booklets containing straight facts on the dangers of drugs. There was so much demand for the booklets, the Church undertook to publish them internationally, which resulted in the distribution of millions of booklets, fliers and posters in communities around the world.

“We have drawn on decades of experience to create a programme that solves the problem of effectively communicating the reality of drug abuse to teens and young adults. This makes it possible for young people to make their own decisions, uninfluenced by peer pressure and pro-drug propaganda,” said Peters.

The brochure, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, was released to meet requests for more information about the drug education and prevention initiative supported by the Church of Scientology. To learn more or to read a copy of the brochure, visit Scientology.org/antidrug.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress—drugs and other biochemical substances. These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”

The Church of Scientology supports the Truth About Drugs, one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. It has been conclusively proven that when young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.