In observance of United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, volunteers from the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe dedicated a week to drug prevention activities.

In the European Union, an estimated 5 percent of youth ages 15-24 have experimented with one or more designer drugs according to the World Drug Report released June 26—a grave situation that Scientologists in Belgium, the de facto capital of Europe, take seriously.

To inform youth of the dangers of designer drugs and other substances and in honor of United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, volunteers from the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe organized and carried out a week of drug prevention activities.

On June 22, volunteers were out in force, distributing thousands of copies of The Truth About Drugs educational booklets at the Saint-Gilles Street Fair. The following day, the team brought their drug-free message to the Oostende seaside resort, where they shared this information in Flemish and French with tourists, residents and shop owners, many of whom eagerly accepted copies of the booklet to display for their customers to take.

June 26, United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, was the culmination of months of drug prevention activities the Church coordinates across Europe and around the world to promote drug-free living. The Church helped organize a Europe-wide drug prevention conference at the Cercle des Voyageurs in the center of Brussels, attended by drug prevention specialists from France, Belgium, Germany and Hungary. Each presented an overview of their work to address drug problems in their respective countries.

With the emphasis on helping youth avoid drug abuse and addiction, Scientologist Robert Galibert conducted a workshop on how to talk to young people about drugs.

For more than two and a half decades, Scientologists on five continents have been working in their communities to empower others with the truth about drugs. The Church and its members are dedicated to eradicating drug abuse through education.

The Church of Scientology has published a brochure, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, to meet requests for more information about the drug education and prevention initiative it supports. To learn more or read a copy of the brochure, visit the Scientology website.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress—drugs and other biochemical substances. These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”

The Church of Scientology supports the Truth About Drugs, one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. It has been conclusively proven that when young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.