With International Day Against Drug Abuse and Human Trafficking one week away, Scientology Churches across the world rededicate themselves to handling “the other pandemic”—drug abuse and addiction.

Drug overdose deaths of youth age 14–18 nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020 and the numbers continue to climb. The cause: counterfeit pain and anxiety medications laced with fentanyl or similar synthetic opioids.  The motto of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is #CareinCrisis, highlighting the urgency of this “other pandemic” affecting our youth.

 

A global problem, drug abuse demands a global solution. And the Church of Scientology and its members are dedicated to reversing drug abuse, addiction and overdose casualties by addressing this crisis through education.

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists sponsor the Truth About Drugs program, one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention initiatives.

Because young people presented with the unvarnished facts about what drugs can do are far more likely to reject them on their own, Truth About Drugs is in high demand as an educational tool in schools, law enforcement units and community-based settings.

In preparation for International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Scientology Churches have scheduled drug education conferences and open house events where officials and community leaders will brief those attending on the crisis as it affects their communities and coordinate effective action to tackle the problem.

Working with local chapters of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Scientology Churches provide drug education specialist training, work with educators and school resource officers to reach youth through school presentations and set up information stands in high-traffic areas.

The materials present:

• A factual and concise overview of exactly what drugs are, how they work and what they do
• Their street names
• The long- and short-term side effects of the most commonly abused substances.

As to getting through to children and teens on this crucial subject, Truth About Drugs booklets and videos are presented in youth-friendly terms. Youth learn about drugs from those who lived through addiction and survived to tell their stories.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World also offers interactive Truth About Drugs courses designed for anyone to learn this information at their own pace.

Learn more about the Truth About Drugs initiative and Foundation for a Drug-Free World on the Scientology Network, where drug prevention advocates creating change with the program are featured in episodes of the original series Voices for Humanity. Watch them on DIRECTV Channel 320 or stream them at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a volunteer-based organization with a network of 200 chapters around the world. Thanks to the support of the Church of Scientology and Scientologists, the Foundation provides the Truth About Drugs secular program and materials free of charge to drug educators worldwide.