To mark the annual International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Drug-Free World South Africa goes all out each June to reverse the country’s deadly drug abuse epidemic. This year the Scientology-sponsored group plans to break all previous drug prevention records.

Drug-Free World South Africa is organizing the resources to carry out 150 drug education and prevention events in the month of June. The urgent need for drug prevention is spotlighted by a study released last year that found nearly 10 percent of South Africans began experimenting with drugs at age 13.

“South Africa is among the top 10 narcotics and substance abusers in the world,” said a spokesman for Soul City Institute that carried out the study, “and for every 100 people, we do know that 15 have a drug problem, and for every R100 [Rand] that is in circulation, R25 are linked to some form of substance abuse.”

Committed to reversing this deadly epidemic, Drug-Free World South Africa aims to reach youngsters before the dealers do. Passionate advocates of drug-free living, they rally their troops in June for an all-out offensive, timed with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime annual World Drug Report and International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In June 2014 they carried out 37 events; in 2015 it was 57; last year they nearly doubled that; and this year they have organized 150 drug education and prevention events for the coming month.

Anyone wishing to join them is invited to contact the Foundation Coordinator, Mr. Mauritius Meiring, Public Affairs Director of the Church of Scientology Pretoria. The Foundation will provide, training and direction. The motto of Drug-Free World South Africa is “Together we can create drug-free communities.”

The 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 to live drug-free. It is one of the humanitarian campaigns supported by Scientologists and the Church of Scientology.

Through its worldwide network of volunteers and partnerships, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World has distributed more than 80 million drug education booklets since 2006.