​​In small towns around Sardinia, where cultural, recreational or other youth-oriented activities are rare, drinking in clubs and bars is a way of life for young people and is often their only outlet.

Authorities and professionals confronted with the problem are concerned that more and more young people of the province of Nuoro are seeking the buzz of easy-access low-cost alcohol to add distraction and something to do into their lives.

But local authorities warn that in adolescents, alcohol can cause serious harm to vital organs, especially the liver and neurological system and this lifestyle goes hand in hand with failing and dropping out of school and subsequent difficulties in the job market.

I was only sixteen but my liver was badly damaged and I was close to killing myself from everything I was drinking
— SAMANTHA, FORMER TEEN ALCOHOLIC

The volunteers of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World and the Church of Scientology of Sardinia, concerned about this trend, have launched a campaign to inform youth of the truth about alcohol. They are distributing copies of The Truth About Alcohol booklets to teens, targeting the towns of Nuoro, Galtellì and Orosei for their distribution efforts.

Alcohol is so readily available, teens can get the idea that it is a harmless form of entertainment. Not so. In the award-winning The Truth About Drugs—Real People, Real Stories documentary, young people reveal the insidious way casual alcohol use can lead to addiction.

A young woman named Samantha tells how she began drinking when she was 13. “Friends would make fun of me if I didn’t have a drink. I just gave in because it was easier to join the crowd,” she says. “I was really unhappy and just drank to escape my life. I went out less and less, so started losing friends. The more lonely I got, the more I drank. I was violent and out of control. I never knew what I was doing. I was ripping my family apart.

“Kicked out of my home at age sixteen, I was homeless and started begging for money to buy drinks. After years of abuse, doctors told me there was irreparable harm to my health. I was only sixteen but my liver was badly damaged and I was close to killing myself from everything I was drinking.”

Scientologists on six continents work in their communities throughout the year to empower others with the truth about drugs. The Church and its members are dedicated to eradicating drug abuse through education.