Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Sacramento take action to reverse the overdose crisis that is claiming the lives of local teens.

The Sacramento chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, sponsored by the Church of Scientology, brought its drug education and prevention campaign to the annual Pig Bowl Health and Safety Fair last week. They are on a mission to reach youth before they begin to experiment with drugs. And for good reason.

According to an analyst from the Sacramento District Attorney’s crime lab, Sacramento County saw a 133 percent increase in the number of fentanyl-related cases between 2021 and 2022. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths among California’s youth age 10-19 had already increased from 36 to 261 in 2020—a 625 percent increase.

In response to this crisis, Sacramento City Unified School District was among the first in California to provide Naloxone to schools—a medication that can save lives by reviving victims of opioid overdose. 

Educating kids and parents plays a very vital role in saving lives and preventing overdoses, says Sacramento Drug-Free World Chapter Director Nathan Johnson. “We focus on kids and parents to impart the knowledge they need about these drugs so they can identify the dangers and stay away from drugs.”

As they have for many years, Drug-Free World Sacramento brought its Truth About Drugs initiative to the Pig Bowl, an annual football competition that began in 1974. Sacramento Law Enforcement Officers (the Pigs) have been playing against the Greater Sacramento Area Firefighters (the Hoses) in this sports event every year. It’s a fierce rivalry and a great place to get out the drug-free message to youth.

The festivities include a health and safety fair featuring community programs of the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and the Sacramento Fire Department. Local charities, schools, and nonprofits also set up booths to reach out for the greater good of Sacramento. 

Foundation members provide youth-friendly drug education booklets and videos to educators, law enforcement, community leaders, parents and kids. A free drug education course on the Drug-Free World website is available in 20 languages. These materials cover the long- and short-term effects of drugs. Based on the Foundation’s booklets, public service announcements, and award-winning feature-length Truth About Drugs: Real People—Real Stories documentary, these courses are also perfect for youth and help them make their own decisions about how they want to live their lives.

Volunteers handed out hundreds of booklets and DVDs and greeted visitors to their booth throughout the event.

Churches of Scientology support the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote: “Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.”

Humanitarian groups and individuals who have adopted the Foundation’s Truth About Drugs initiative are featured in episodes of the original series Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network. From the Czech Republic to India and from Colombia to the streets of Los Angeles, the program speaks to youth the world over.

The Church of Scientology Sacramento was dedicated by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in January 2012. It is configured to service Scientologists in their ascent to spiritual freedom and serve as a home for the entire community—a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all cultures and denominations.