Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology of Europe shares just how important drug education and prevention is in the face of rising drug abuse among children and teens.

A drug education and prevention forum at the Church of Scientology in Brussels brought together community and religious leaders and neighbors to discuss rising drug abuse among youth and solutions to this urgent problem. The highlight of the evening was personal stories of drug prevention advocates who described how and why they became involved, and a simple program anyone may use to reach out to youth on this vital subject.

The first speaker, simply calling himself Omar, spoke of the misery of his 20-year addiction to cocaine and other drugs. He described how he got involved in drug use, the way they influenced his way of thinking, and how hard it was for him to stop. In the end, he realized that quitting was the only way he would survive. Omar now visits prisons and uses the Truth About Drugs booklets of Foundation for a Drug-Free World to educate inmates about the effects of drugs and help them come to terms with and decide to cease using drugs. 

Melia learned about the Truth About Drugs initiative a year ago when she attended a lecture at the Brussels Scientology Church. She was in a relationship with an abusive partner. “The lecture opened my eyes to the world of drugs and their effects,” she said. “Thanks to The Truth About Crack booklet, which is very detailed and clearly written, I could understand the situation that was going on in my life. My partner used crack almost every day. After reading these materials I was able to say ‘no’ when he invited me to smoke crack with him.” It also helped her leave him, which she describes as “the best decision of my life. . . If I’d stayed with him, he would have dragged me down.”

The final speaker was Steve, a nurse at a local hospital. 

“I often see the disastrous effects of drugs on patients. Drug addicts come to the hospital and we see that those under the influence of drugs are not themselves…. Helping a drug addict can be very complicated because they often do not want to help themselves. Getting someone off drugs is not impossible, but it is far from easy. That is why I really want to emphasize the importance of prevention. When a person is properly informed on the subject, he will not fall into the drug trap.” 

According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Belgium is among the top five countries in Europe for deaths directly attributable to the use of drugs. And the World Drug Report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime finds an increase in crack use in the country. The Belgian government lists demand reduction as a key element in its anti-crime strategy.

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Recognizing the crucial role substance abuse plays in the disintegration of the social fabric, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.” This sobering observation led to the development of the Truth About Drugs program of Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

A volunteer-based organization with a global network of over 200 chapters, Foundation for a Drug-Free World is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through the dissemination of the truth about drugs.

Drug-Free World volunteers from all corners of the globe reach out to their neighbors, local businesses, schools, religious leaders and nonprofits, equipping them with the knowledge necessary to help young people make informed decisions about substance abuse.

By making the resources of the Truth About Drugs available free of charge, the Church of Scientology International seeks to tackle this pressing issue head-on and provide communities with the tools they need to combat drug abuse effectively. Scientology Churches sponsor local chapters of the Foundation and hold seminars, drug prevention community open houses and forums, and provide free training on the Truth About Drugs curriculum. For more information on these programs, contact the nearest Church of Scientology.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World also provides drug education eCourses free of charge through the Drug-Free World website.