An East Grinstead youth group called the Saint Hill Lions shared the truth about drugs with a nearby town on a rainy March day

Despite forecasters predicting rain, young Scientologists gathered at Saint Hill in East Grinstead, slipped on their signature teal Foundation for a Drug-Free World T-shirts over hoodies, unfurled their “brollies,” and took off for the nearby town of Crawley to share the truth about drugs with local families. They handed out youth-friendly Truth About Drugs booklets to help other kids make the self-determined decision to live drug-free. 

 

What has recently come to light is just how important their drug education campaign really is.

Until now, the UK has been spared the ravages of the opioid epidemic that has devastated the United States and Canada. But in December 2023, The Guardian reported that drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales have risen “to the highest level since records began 30 years ago, with nearly half of deaths now involving an opiate.”

According to a March 20 news release on the Gov.uk website, the UK government has issued a ban on new synthetic opioids. “We are determined to ensure these destructive and lethal drugs do not take hold in our communities in the UK,” said Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp in the article. 

But in America, simply banning these drugs has not been enough: Illicit opiates are responsible for the spike in the country’s overdose deaths. This is why drug education is a vital part of any drug-prevention strategy.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, “For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs.”

“The only solution is to educate youth, so they don’t start taking drugs in the first place,” says Jessica Hochman, Executive Director of Foundation for a Drug-Free World. “Teaching kids the truth about drugs before some dealer or peer tells them lies is what it is all about. We provide resources to do just that, and in language kids listen to. Our purpose is to empower youth with the confidence that they are doing the right thing by living drug-free.”

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. 

Noting the increase in substance abuse and the role this played in the disintegration of the social fabric in the 1960s and ‘70s,  Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.”

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support Foundation for a Drug-Free World, making it possible to provide these materials free of charge to campaigns like this and to schools, civic groups, governments, law enforcement, and institutions in the private sector. 

Watch the Drug-Free World public service announcements and The Truth About Drugs—Real People, Real Stories documentary on the Scientology Network, and episodes of Voices for Humanity to see the program in action. The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps, and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. Since launching with a special episode featuring Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige, Scientology Network has been viewed in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages.

For more information, visit the Scientology website, the Drug-Free World website, or contact the nearest Church of Scientology, where staff stand ready to help youth and adults make the self-determined decision to live drug-free.