Community workers in nation’s capital attend Truth About Drugs seminar at Church of Scientology National Affairs Office. 

Religious leaders and directors of community betterment foundations immersed themselves in drug prevention training in November at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in the newly restored Fraser Mansion in Washington, D.C.

Coming on the heels of National Red Ribbon Week, the seminar was conducted by Jesse Morrow, National Affairs Office Social Reform Director, who began with an overview of the church-supported Truth About Drugs  curriculum covering the most commonly abused drugs: marijuana, alcohol, Ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, inhalants, heroin, LSD, prescription drugs, painkillers, and Ritalin.

“The Truth About Marijuana booklet was emphasized in the seminar for two reasons,” said Morrow: “There are a lot of mixed messages about the effects of marijuana, making it one of the most misunderstood drugs, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study of August 2011 ranked the District alongside the 10 states whose residents most frequently use the drug.”

Several of those attending are former addicts who have turned their lives around and are now drug prevention activists, helping youth avoid the grip of addiction they once suffered.  They discussed their own drug dependency having begun with marijuana and each spoke of the accuracy of The Truth About Marijuana booklet.

After studying and discussing The Truth About Marijuana booklet, the attendees watched the public service announcement on marijuana and section of the Real People—Real Stories documentary on the drug.

At the close of the three-hour seminar, each participant presented with a Truth About Drugs Educator toolkit, containing the full array of The Truth About Drugs educational resources.

“I go away from here with a tool that can save my students and my church family,” said one attendee. Another found the program “full of useful information that can be readily applied.” One minister, initially concerned that his lack of personal experience with drugs would limit his credibility and effectiveness, left the seminar saying he felt “empowered,” now confident he could help his congregation with this important issue.

The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, dedicated in September 2012, was established to serve as a central point for coordinating solutions to society’s greatest challenges. Occupying the fully restored Fraser Manson in the Dupont Circle area, the historic building is configured to host a wide range of functions, from human rights symposiums and drug education workshops to panel discussions, press conferences and awards ceremonies.

The Church of Scientology has published a new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, to meet requests for more information about the drug education and prevention initiative it supports. To read a copy of the brochure or to learn more about the drug education program supported by the Church of Scientology, visit the Scientology website at 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.