Author Archives: Foundation for a Drug-Free World

Drug-Free World at the Paris Olympics and a Million Reasons to Not Do Drugs

PARIS, France /ScoopCloud/ -- With the eyes of the world on Paris, and some 6 million gathered in the city and other host venues for the 2024 Olympics, Foundation for a Drug-Free World organized a massive distribution of drug education booklets. Hundreds of volunteers from Non à la Drogue, Oui à la Vie (No to Drugs, Yes to Life Association) were delighted to find broad-based support from individuals and groups eager to contribute to the cause.

"Drugs are at the root of immeasurable human suffering," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message on the International Day Against Drug Abuse this year. "Evidence-based drug prevention programmes can protect people and communities alike, while taking a bite out of illicit economies that profit from human misery."

"This is what has driven the Foundation's work since its inception," says Foundation for a Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman, "providing fact-based education to empower youth and adults to make the informed decision to live drug-free."

"Reaching out with a million Truth About Drugs booklets was a huge challenge," said one Non à la Drogue volunteer. "But we were welcomed by fans at Olympic venues and people we met on the streets. Shopkeepers saw the importance of sharing these booklets with their customers and were eager to take part in our outreach. We took on the challenge and hitting that target was amazing."

"I heard so many poignant stories from people of all ages and backgrounds. Nearly everyone we spoke to suffered personally or experienced the devastating effects of drug abuse on a loved one or friend," said another volunteer. "It was empowering to see how many people took our booklets seriously and wanted to contribute to our campaign."

Noting the 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."

Foundation for a Drug-Free World was formed in 2006 to serve as a primary distributor of educational materials and to develop new materials to meet the challenge of continually changing drug trends. The Foundation has grown to a network of some 200 chapters around the world. Thanks to the support of the Church of Scientology and Scientologists, it provides the Truth About Drugs secular program and materials free of charge to anyone wishing to take action to address this urgent issue.

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 and live drug-free. Through a worldwide network of volunteers, millions of drug prevention booklets have been distributed, and tens of thousands of drug awareness events have been held in some 180 countries. These materials and activities have helped people around the world learn about the destructive side effects of drugs and thereby make the decision for themselves not to use them. The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

For more information or to take the Foundation's free online drug education course, visit drugfreeworld.org/course/.

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https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

https://www.nonaladrogue.fr/

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https://youtu.be/rvgb28J8OeY?si=6_jdgPkm_TLIp7Oo

With the eyes of the world on Paris, and some 6 million gathered in the city and other host venues for the 2024 Olympics, Foundation for a Drug-Free World organized a massive distribution of drug education booklets. Hundreds of volunteers from Non à la Drogue, Oui à la Vie (No to Drugs, Yes to Life Association) were delighted to find broad-based support from individuals and groups eager to contribute to the cause.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Empowering Youth and Adults with the Truth About Drugs

CITY OF MARKHAM, Ontario /ScoopCloud/ -- Each summer, thousands of visitors pour into the City of Markham, Ontario, for the Taste of Asia Festival. The vibrant event features performances, art, crafts and food representing dozens of nations from China to Japan and India to Indonesia-each unique and special. And every year since 2004, the Toronto chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World has reached out at the festival with its drug education and prevention campaign. Drug-Free World volunteers distribute the Foundation's acclaimed Truth About Drugs booklets, encouraging young and old to sign a pledge to live drug-free and to help families and friends make the same commitment.

As always, this year's festival was a dynamic tapestry of the best of Asian food and culture. But it played out against the stark reality of a serious threat to the lives and happiness of festival-goers from across the province. Ontario is in the midst of a drug overdose crisis. According to Drug-Free World volunteers, prevention has never been more important. City of Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti agreed. He presented a proclamation to Foundation for a Drug-Free World volunteers, marking the city's adoption of the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse, whose motto for 2024 is The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention.

"Drug abuse is very serious," said Melanie Dickson-Smith, who heads the Toronto chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World which is supported by the Church of Scientology Toronto. "Now more than ever, youth need to be informed of the short- and long-term effects of drugs. We are very gratified to have the support of Mayor Scarpitti and Markham City Council in raising awareness of this issue."

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Thanks to the support of Churches of Scientology and Scientologists, the Foundation makes its acclaimed secular drug education and prevention materials and programs available free of charge.

For decades, Scientologists have engaged in drug education and prevention in their communities, inspired by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, "Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs."

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

https://www.scientology-toronto.org/how-we-help/truth-about-drugs.html

VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/SFaNBezJPc8?si=74Sg7gSPWiLtqRiu

Each summer, thousands of visitors pour into the City of Markham, Ontario, for the Taste of Asia Festival. The vibrant event features performances, art, crafts and food representing dozens of nations from China to Japan and India to Indonesia-each unique and special. And every year since 2004, the Toronto chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World has reached out at the festival with its drug education and prevention campaign.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

The UN Acknowledges Foundation for a Drug-Free World With Consultative Status

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has granted the Foundation for a Drug-Free World consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

This new status enables the Foundation to share decades of experience and expertise with those most dedicated to implementing effective drug prevention. Drug-Free World can now organize conferences and participate in events at the UN in Geneva, Vienna and New York.

"On behalf of all Drug-Free World chapters and millions of drug-prevention volunteers in countries around the world, we would like to express our appreciation for this recognition," said Foundation for a Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman. "We pledge to not only continue our commitment but to redouble our efforts to bring about a drug-free world."

Each June, the UN issues its annual World Drug Report along with a theme for the year's activities. This year's message aligns exactly with the purpose and activities of the Foundation and its acclaimed drug education materials: "The evidence is clear: invest in prevention."

"We congratulate the Foundation for a Drug-Free World International and its volunteers, partners and supporters," said Olivia McDuff of the Church of Scientology International Public Affairs Office.

Thanks to the support of Churches of Scientology and Scientologists, the Foundation makes these acclaimed secular materials and programs available free of charge.

For decades, Scientologists have engaged in drug education and prevention in their communities, inspired by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, "Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs."

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has granted the Foundation for a Drug-Free World consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Drug-Free World can now organize conferences and participate in events at the UN in Geneva, Vienna and New York.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Promoting the Value of Drug-Free Living at the UEFA Championship Games

BERLIN, Germany /ScoopCloud/ -- For an entire month, from June 14 to July 14, Drug-Free World volunteers from Scientology Churches and Missions throughout Germany and their partners reached out to fans at the UEFA European Championship games. They promoted the importance of drug-free living and shared their drug education and prevention campaign. They reached out and encouraged everyone they met to choose the drug-free, active lifestyle that is the basis of athletic success-one particularly important in the face of alarming drug trends.

While Europe has been spared the spiraling overdose deaths opioids have caused in America and Canada, the most recent European Union Drug Agency report warns of increased availability and use of cocaine, opioids, synthetics and psychoactive substances on the continent, along with a rise in homelessness, drug-related corruption and violent crime, and the importance of countering it with evidence-based drug prevention.

The drug-prevention initiative sponsored by the Scientology Churches and Scientologists of Germany is called the Sag Nein zu Droge (Say No to Drugs) campaign of Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Over the course of a month, at stadiums throughout the country, volunteers handed out hundreds of thousands of the Foundation's Truth About Drugs booklets.

Volunteers set up stands and mobile exhibits and held impromptu concerts. They walked people through the booklets and encouraged them to sign their drug-free pledge. They shared the unvarnished truth about the most commonly used drugs one-on-one with everyone they met. And they were gratified with the response they received.

Shopkeepers were eager to take stacks of the booklets for their customers. Many commented that with increased drug use in their neighborhood, there has also been more crime. They were happy to do something effective to counter what they see as an alarming trend.

A woman asked for several copies of the booklet. She knew some of her daughter's friends had begun experimenting with drugs and the booklet gave her the confidence she needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter.

A high school student said he was concerned about major mood shifts he's seen in some of his friends who are taking drugs. Reading the booklet, he realized drugs were probably behind this change and he wanted copies to give to his classmates.

And so it went in city after city, day after day, with local residents, people from out of town, from other European countries, and enthusiasts from abroad who timed their vacations to spend the month in Germany for the games.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Thanks to the support of Churches of Scientology and Scientologists, the Foundation makes its acclaimed secular drug education and prevention materials and programs available free of charge.

For decades, Scientologists have engaged in drug education and prevention in their communities, inspired by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, "Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs."

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

https://www.sag-nein-zu-drogen.de/

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

IMAGE link for media:

https://bit.ly/4d8hWlD

Photo caption: Volunteers distributed Truth About Drugs booklets at the UEFA Championship Games throughout Germany.

TAGS: #UEFAChampionshipGames #DrugFreeWorld #TruthAboutDrugs #ChurchOfScientology #Germany

For an entire month, from June 14 to July 14, Drug-Free World volunteers from Scientology Churches and Missions throughout Germany and their partners reached out to fans at the UEFA European Championship games. They promoted the importance of drug-free living and shared their drug education and prevention campaign.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Foundation for a Drug-Free World Drug Prevention Nonprofit Earns Consultative Status to the UN

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Drug-Free World has achieved a significant milestone. "We are thrilled to announce that the Foundation for a Drug-Free World has been granted Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council," posted the Foundation's executive director Jessica Hochman on X (formerly Twitter) on July 4. "Consultative Status allows the Foundation to formally contribute to the work of the United Nations by participating in conferences, providing expert advice on drug prevention strategies, and collaborating with other NGOs on shared goals. This amplified platform strengthens our ability to advocate for a drug-free world on a global scale."

The evidence is clear: invest in prevention

This new status provides the Foundation with an even greater ability to carry out its mission, in keeping with the UN's International Day Against Drug Abuse motto for this year--"The evidence is clear: invest in prevention."

"This is what has driven the Foundation's work since its inception," says Hochman. "Providing fact-based education to empower youth and adults to make the informed decision to live drug-free."

To take effective action, visit the Foundation for a Drug-Free World website, take the free online drug-education course or join or open a chapter of the Foundation.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

VIDEO:

https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/the-truth-about-drugs.html

IMAGE link for media: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRqqeqNbYAAeVJD?format=jpg&name=900x900

Photo caption: Foundation for a Drug-Free World is awarded Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a significant milestone in its global mission to empower youth with factual drug education and prevent drug abuse.

TAGS: #DrugFreeWorld #ECOSOC #UN #DrugPrevention #Education #Empowerment

Drug-Free World has achieved a significant milestone. "We are thrilled to announce that the Foundation for a Drug-Free World has been granted Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council," posted the Foundation's executive director Jessica Hochman on X (formerly Twitter) on July 4.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Drug-Free Czech ‘Cyclo-Run’ Celebrates 20 Years of Racing Throughout the Country to Reach Youth With the Truth About Drugs

PRAGUE, Czech Republic /ScoopCloud/ -- "Drug manufacturers, drug pushers and drug distributors are becoming more sophisticated," says Lukáš Bechyně, executive director of the Say No to Drugs-Say Yes to Life Association, an affiliate of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. He and his team of drug prevention activists have just finished their 12-day Drug-Free Czech Cyclo-Run, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The team cycles and runs throughout the Czech Republic with the Foundation's Truth About Drugs campaign to reach youngsters before they begin to experiment with toxic substances.

This year, the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse theme is "The evidence is clear: Invest in prevention," a motto the Drug-Free Czech Cyclo-Run volunteers are deeply committed to. They invest their time, energy and passion into reaching youth with the Truth About Drugs fact-based drug education initiative. In each town, they introduce mayors, educators and community leaders to the campaign. They then deliver drug education to the local youth, who run with the cyclists as they take off for the next stop in their nationwide campaign.

Bechyně says the need for drug education and prevention has never been more urgent. "There are more and more drugs on the market, and they have become accessible to younger and younger children," he says. "We used to give lectures to sixth and seventh graders, but today we begin two years earlier. We are finding some start using drugs as early as age ten." He and Vlastimil Špalek, Cyclo-Run founder and chairman of Drug-Free World Czech Republic, are committed to reaching all the youth in the country with the campaign.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, "Prevention strategies based on scientific evidence working with families, schools, and communities can ensure that children and youth, especially the most marginalized and poor, grow and stay healthy and safe into adulthood and old age. For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs."

The Drug-Free Czech Cyclo-Run volunteers are optimistic. They know the Truth About Drugs initiative works. Each year, people they have introduced the campaign to on earlier Cyclo-Runs share their success in using their drug education curriculum. As an ever-increasing number of towns adopt the program, they know they are on track to achieving their goal: a Drug-Free Czech Republic.

Noting the 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."

Foundation for a Drug-Free World was formed in 2006 to serve as a primary distributor of educational materials and to develop new materials to meet the challenge of continually changing drug trends. The Foundation has grown to a network of some 200 chapters around the world. Thanks to the support of the Church of Scientology and Scientologists, it provides the Truth About Drugs secular program and materials free of charge to drug educators worldwide.

The Cyclo-Run for a Drug-Free Czech Republic is featured in an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network. Voices for Humanity is an original series of short documentaries introducing changemakers from all faiths, cultures and nations as they extend help to their communities through Scientology-sponsored humanitarian programs.

The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. Since launching, Scientology Network has been viewed in 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

https://rekninedrogam.cz/

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/series/voices-for-humanity/vlastimil-spalek.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

"Drug manufacturers, drug pushers and drug distributors are becoming more sophisticated," says Lukáš Bechyně, executive director of the Say No to Drugs-Say Yes to Life Association, an affiliate of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. He and his team of drug prevention activists have just finished their 12-day Drug-Free Czech Cyclo-Run, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Start Your Engines and Join the Race: Help Create a Drug-Free World

BERGAMO, Italy /ScoopCloud/ -- Bikers throughout Northern Italy are getting their bikes ready for the race for a Drug-Free Italy. Held to promote the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse, the 7th annual national Say No to Drugs Motogiro Nazionale (motorbike tour) races in support of the UN's theme for 2024: "The evidence is clear: Invest in prevention." The race is organized by Dico No Alla Droga (Say No to Drugs) Italy-the national chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

This year's UN campaign emphasizes the need "to raise awareness about the devastating consequences of drug use, including physical and psychological harm, overdose deaths, and societal problems," and "the need for evidence-based policies based on science, human rights, compassion, and knowledge." It is for exactly this reason that the Foundation's Truth About Drugs initiative exists.

"People are not well informed about what drugs are and what they do," says the campaign's national executive director for Italy, Oreste Depaoli. "There are active campaigns in our society that make it look like drugs do no harm," he says. But if people understand what drugs are and what they really lead to, they can make their own decisions on this vital subject and opt to live drug-free.

The world's largest nongovernmental drug education program, active in 196 nations, the Foundation's Truth About Drugs initiative has been filling the need for evidence-based drug education for more than 25 years. Experience has proven that scare tactics don't work, but factual, specific, and well-documented information does, which is exactly what the Foundation's Truth About Drugs initiative provides.

The Say No to Drugs Motogiro Nazionale is one of many drug prevention events taking place this month throughout Italy. The work of Oreste Depaoli and Dico No Alla Droga Italy to save youth throughout the country from the devastating effects of drugs is featured in an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network.

Scientology Churches and Scientologists support the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, whose materials are provided free of charge to schools, civic groups, governments, law enforcement, and individuals and institutions in the private sector. The Truth About Drugs program is inspired by author, humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who found that "the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs."

To learn more, take the free drug education course on the Foundation for a Drug-Free World website, watch the Drug-Free World public service announcements and The Truth About Drugs-Real People, Real Stories documentary on the Scientology Network, and episodes of Voices for Humanity to see the program in action. The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps, and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.

For more information or to get involved, visit the Drug-Free World website, or contact the nearest Church of Scientology.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

https://www.facebook.com/ASDDICONOALLADROGA

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/series/voices-for-humanity/oreste-depaoli.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

Bikers throughout Northern Italy are getting their bikes ready for the race for a Drug-Free Italy. Held to promote the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse, the 7th annual national Say No to Drugs Motogiro Nazionale (motorbike tour) is organized by Dico No Alla Droga (Say No to Drugs) Italy-the national chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Athlete Uses His Own Life as an Example to Help Kids Decide to Live Drug-Free

PRAGUE, Czech Republic /ScoopCloud/ -- Lukáš Bechyně is no stranger to challenging situations. At 19, he qualified to compete as a pole vaulter in the International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships. But after an injury sidelined him, he began to experiment with drugs, and that nearly defeated him. Now, as executive director of the Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life Association of the Czech Republic, an affiliate of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, he is engaged in another kind of competition - reaching Czech youth with the truth about drugs before they begin to experiment with harmful substances.

He began with an occasional drink, but soon segued into marijuana. By the time his injury healed, weekend partying had become what he looked forward to most in life. At his first techno party, a friend offered him ecstasy. Then another suggested he try crystal meth.

"It was a trap," he says.

Drugs assumed greater and greater importance in his life. He didn't like school, argued often with his parents and girlfriend, started experiencing mood swings and developed health problems, including liver pain.

"I decided to quit using drugs after a party where I combined several types of drugs," he says. "I couldn't control my body. I couldn't see anything. I was feeling terribly sick and was literally dying. I felt like it was really over and I wanted to die."

The next day, Bechyně stopped cold turkey. Thanks to his years in competitive sports, he was able to withdraw from drugs by simply forcing himself to endure the physical discomfort, fatigue and pain to achieve the goal.

"My girlfriend and I both decided to stop using drugs and going to parties. It wasn't easy," he says. "Most of our friends were into parties and drugs at that time. I struggled for about a year. My friends would offer me drugs for free. But I'd made up my mind."

Some time later, he was introduced to the Say No to Drugs - Say Yes to Life Association of the Czech Republic by an athlete who was cycling and running through the country to reach kids with the truth about drugs. This sports initiative was called the Cyclo-Run for a Drug-Free Czech Republic.

"I decided to support it," he says. "I remember the first Truth About Drugs lecture I attended on the Cyclo-Run, watching the public service announcements through my own tears and learning many important things about drugs that I'd never known."

At the lecture, Bechyně realized so much about himself: Why he took drugs, what they did to him, how drugs really work.

"Many things in my past drug life suddenly made sense to me," he says. "I decided to be a lecturer because I wanted to help children decide not to take drugs, and I could use my own bad experiences for something good."

He attended a Say No to Drugs training seminar for police, social workers, and lecturers and delivered his first anti-drug lecture at the elementary school in the town where he grew up.

"Since I started helping and delivering drug education, my life has turned 180 degrees in the right direction," he says. "I have personally trained more than 25,000 children."

In 2012 Bechyně agreed to be executive director of Say No to Drugs-Say Yes to Life Czech Republic.

"I've done many TV and radio shows, I have the Drug-Free World logo on my athletic uniforms when I perform pole vault exhibitions in town squares. I deliver lectures, organize events, and I lead our Cyclo-Run team along with my colleague Vlastimil Špalek, my wife and other key players. My purpose is very simple: to help children with drug education to allow them to make the informed decision not to take drugs. My goal is to have drug-free kids in a drug-free society."

Say No to Drugs Czech Republic is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World and uses its Truth About Drug materials to help young people achieve their goals and their full potential by helping them make the firm decision to live drug-free.

Noting the 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."

Foundation for a Drug-Free World was formed in 2006 to serve as a primary distributor of educational materials and to develop new materials to meet the challenge of continually changing drug trends. The Foundation has grown to a network of some 200 chapters around the world. Thanks to the support of the Church of Scientology and Scientologists, it provides the Truth About Drugs secular program and materials free of charge to drug educators worldwide.

The Cyclo-Run for a Drug-Free Czech Republic is featured in an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network. Voices for Humanity is an original series of short documentaries introducing changemakers from all faiths, cultures and nations as they extend help to their communities through Scientology-sponsored humanitarian programs.

The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. Since launching, Scientology Network has been viewed in 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

https://www.scientology.tv/series/voices-for-humanity/vlastimil-spalek.html

Lukáš Bechyně is no stranger to challenging situations. At 19, he qualified to compete as a pole vaulter in the International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships. But after an injury sidelined him, he began to experiment with drugs, and that nearly defeated him. Now, as executive director of the Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life Association of the Czech Republic, an affiliate of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, he is engaged in another kind of competition - reaching Czech youth with the truth about drugs before they begin to experiment with harmful substances.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Foundation for a Drug-Free World Reaches Out at the 79th Annual National PAL Training Conference to Empower Youth With Effective Drug Education

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drug overdoses are killing young Americans in unprecedented numbers. To help turn the tide on this epidemic, Foundation for a Drug-Free World reached out to those attending the annual National Police Athletic and Activities League (PAL) Training Conference at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside Hotel May 7 - May 10. Drug-Free World volunteers and staff introduced those attending the conference to their acclaimed Truth About Drugs drug education and prevention initiative, which they provide free of charge to anyone wishing to help kids on this urgent subject.

National PAL's mission and activities are based on the conviction that young people, reached early enough, are more likely to become productive adults and agents of positive change.

The Truth About Drugs youth-friendly booklets and videos help accomplish this purpose. They get through to young people, keeping them interested and engaged. The Truth About Drugs documentary drives home the message, as former addicts share harrowing stories of how they were trapped in the dwindling spiral of addiction.

"Truth About Drugs materials can also contribute to PAL's mission to provide youth with leadership opportunities to help others," said Foundation for a Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman. "Our program not only helps young people make the firm decision not to experiment with drugs, it also helps them take responsibility for their peers, their siblings - even their parents - and gives them the confidence that they can set an example for others. With your commitment to helping youth and our drug-prevention campaign and free online courses, we can truly save lives."

The Truth About Drugs program is the largest and most comprehensive nongovernmental drug education and prevention program of its kind. It is spearheaded and coordinated by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, a secular nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. The program is used by teachers, school counselors, drug education specialists and law enforcement officers around the world. Its drug-free message reaches millions of people each year.

Inspired by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who found drugs to be "the single most destructive element present in our current culture," Scientology Churches and Scientologists support Foundation for a Drug-Free World, making it possible to provide its materials free of charge to schools, civic groups, governments, law enforcement, and individuals and institutions in the private sector.

Visit VoicesforHumanity.tv to watch short documentaries introducing change makers of all faiths, cultures and nations who use this and other Scientology-supported humanitarian programs to better their communities and society.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drug overdoses are killing young Americans in unprecedented numbers. To help turn the tide on this epidemic, Foundation for a Drug-Free World reached out to those attending the annual National Police Athletic and Activities League (PAL) Training Conference at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside Hotel May 7 - May 10.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Former Addict Dedicates Himself to Paying Help Forward With Foundation for a Drug-Free World

VALENCIA, Spain /ScoopCloud/ -- No stranger to drug abuse and its toll, Alfredo Riaño, who heads the chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World in Valencia, Spain, shares his own story to help kids avoid the ordeal of addiction that he eventually escaped from. And he trains educators, law enforcement and other community partners who share his passion to reach youth with the truth about drugs before they fall prey to the dwindling spiral of drug abuse and addiction.

At first, life was a party, or so it seemed. When Riaño finished his military service, he found himself the perfect job, working as a PR for an alcohol company that sold to bars and clubs. Nights were a procession of discos and parties.

Then he discovered cocaine. Drugs were easy to come by in the circles he traveled. Night after night he'd get home around 4 a.m. after an entire gram of cocaine and a liter of gin. But the high he felt when he first tried the drug evaded him as he attempted to recreate the sensation by ingesting ever-increasing amounts. "The more I consumed, the worse I felt," he says. "I felt neurotic, unhappy, depressed."

Then he tried supplementing the cocaine with methamphetamine. "I was a human waste," he says. The final straw came with LSD. "It completely destroyed my life."

Riaño's luck only turned when a friend invited him to visit the Church of Scientology and introduced him to technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to free people from drugs. The friend also helped Riaño take stock of his life and his goals and set a new, ethical course for the future.

Drug-free and sober since then, Riaño has been paying forward the help he received by reaching out with Foundation for a Drug-Free World Valencia and its Truth About Drugs initiative, the drug education and prevention campaign supported by Scientology Churches and Scientologists. In addition to bringing the campaign to the classroom, Riaño trains educators, law enforcement and community groups so they too can reach youth with this vital information.

A natural showman, Riaño makes his drug prevention presentations fun. The youth-friendly booklets and videos of the Foundation's Truth About Drugs initiative make it easy to involve young people in the lessons. He invites their participation by having them create skits. His classes not only make a lasting impression, they also give young people the opportunity to examine their attitudes about drugs and alcohol at a critical time in their lives.

Studies show that the earlier youth begin abusing drugs, the greater the risk of lifelong dependency. Adolescent drug use is also tied to academic difficulties, health-related problems, poor peer relationships, and crime.

After his lessons, he has the classes fill out anonymous surveys, in which quite a few admit that they smoke marijuana, but now say they have decided never to smoke it again. More than 80 percent say they never understood what drugs really were before, but now they do. They often comment that what they thought about drugs before was based on false information. And they feel more confident now about explaining the truth about drugs to friends and siblings.

"Many of them come to tell me that I have changed their lives," says Riaño.

One teacher told Riaño that after his presentation, parents started calling, saying their children arrived home excited and told them all about what they had learned.

"A principal told me he had never seen anything like this. The entire class of 60 students spent an hour and a half totally attentive," he says. A 16-year-old girl told him she was going home to have a very serious talk with her mother. She decided to help her stop drinking because she realized that it was destroying her life. One boy came up to Riaño at the end of the class and said "I am at a point in my life where I was hesitating about whether to continue with sports or start going out drinking at night. Thanks to this class I have absolutely no doubt. I will continue with sports."

Riaño appoints students as Drug-Free Valencia ambassadors and encourages them to share the Truth About Drugs materials with others.

He has recently extended his campaign to the military and is training a corps of volunteers to expand its impact.

For more information, visit the Foundation for a Drug-Free World website, watch the Truth About Drugs documentary and Truth About Drugs public service announcements on the Scientology Network, or visit the nearest Scientology Church to learn more about the campaign and join or create a Drug-Free World chapter in your community.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

No stranger to drug abuse and its toll, Alfredo Riaño, who heads the chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World in Valencia, Spain, shares his own story to help kids avoid the ordeal of addiction that he eventually escaped from. And he trains educators, law enforcement and other community partners who share his passion to reach youth with the truth about drugs before they fall prey to the dwindling spiral of drug abuse and addiction.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Compton Kids Learn the Truth About Drugs Thanks to the Compton Unified School District and its Partnership With Foundation for a Drug-Free World

COMPTON, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- On average, 22 adolescents ages 14 to 18 died of overdose in the U.S. every week in 2022. Each was a tragedy. Reaching youth with effective drug prevention can save young lives. Looking for a program that would get through to kids on this vital subject, Compton Unified School District (CUSD) decided to partner with the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. They began using its Truth About Drugs curriculum last summer. And the results proved they were right.

The school district selected this program because it aligns with what local educators know from personal experience: Kids don't want to be told what to do, but they will listen to information.

A Kennedy Elementary School sixth-grade teacher told the Foundation why she finds the program "extremely effective," especially with kids her students' age. Many of her pupils have experienced drug-related problems at home. They are also exposed to false information on the subject from their friends, family members and social media.

"It's important that we discuss these things in the classroom," she says. "I tell them at the beginning of every class, 'it is not my job to tell you not to do drugs. That's the decision that you are going to ultimately make. My job is to give you the facts and the truth about drugs.'"

A sixth-grader spoke of how the program gave her a way to deal with a dilemma. She saw that with drugs she was faced with making choices that would affect her for the rest of her life: "If you choose drugs, it's going to lead to a very bad life," she said. And she saw that by not using drugs, she would have a much better chance to do well in school and have the kind of life she wants.

At another Compton elementary school, the principal brought Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman and some of the program's volunteers into a classroom to see the program in action. The teacher had students highlight what they thought was most important in the Truth About Marijuana booklet. They were engaged and involved, and they paired up to discuss what they learned.

"Our objective with the Truth About Drugs program is to empower kids with factual information so that they can make their own decisions," said Hochman. "We're not going to tell them to 'Just say no.' We believe that it's up to us and their parents and teachers to provide them with the truth so they can decide for themselves not to use harmful substances."

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a secular nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. The Truth About Drugs program is the largest and most comprehensive nongovernmental drug education and prevention program of its kind. Overseen by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, the program is used by teachers, school counselors, drug education specialists and law enforcement officers around the world. And its drug-free message reaches millions of people each year. Thanks to the support of Scientology Churches and Scientologists the Foundation can provide these materials free of charge to schools, civic groups, governments, law enforcement, and individuals and institutions in the private sector.

Watch the campaign in action on Voices for Humanity - short documentaries introducing change makers from all faiths, cultures and nations.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

https://www.compton.k12.ca.us/

VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/PkQmLViLKJI?si=fKnEVLyuHK7wQtYq

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

On average, 22 adolescents ages 14 to 18 died of overdose in the U.S. every week in 2022. Each was a tragedy. Reaching youth with effective drug prevention can save young lives. Looking for a program that would get through to kids on this vital subject, Compton Unified School District (CUSD) decided to partner with the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. They began using its Truth About Drugs curriculum last summer. And the results proved they were right.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Can We Reverse Record Overdose Deaths? Foundation for a Drug-Free World Says ‘Yes’ and the Key Is Prevention

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- This year's Rx and Illicit Drug Summit highlighted a grim fact of life: "Overdoses and deaths involving synthetic opioids have reached record rates, and every community across our nation is feeling the impact." According to the CDC, more than half of opioid overdose deaths in 10 states studied tested positive for fentanyl. It's time to slam the pedal down on prevention, says Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

"It's time to realize prevention is the only viable solution to the overdose crises," says Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman. "Fentanyl has changed the dynamic of drug abuse." The CDC reports that more than half of opioid overdose deaths in 10 states studied tested positive for fentanyl. A 2022 New York Times exposé pointed out "an alarming" portion of overdose deaths among youth came from "counterfeit pills tainted with fentanyl that teenagers and young adults bought over social media."

"The solution is to educate youth so they don't start taking drugs in the first place," says Hochman. "Empower them with confidence that they are doing the right thing in not taking drugs, period."

With more than 4,000 attending the 4-day Rx and Illicit Drug Summit for 2024 in Atlanta, Drug-Free World reached out with a booth to provide their drug education materials and curriculum free of charge to anyone wishing to take effective action.

Based on Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard's research finding "the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs," Scientology Churches and Scientologists support Foundation for a Drug-Free World whose materials are provided free of charge to schools, civic groups, governments, law enforcement, and individuals and institutions in the private sector.

Watch the Drug-Free World public service announcements and The Truth About Drugs-Real People, Real Stories documentary on the Scientology Network, and episodes of Voices for Humanity to see the program in action. The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps, and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

MULTIMEDIA:

https://www.drugfreeworld.org/news/

VIDEO:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

This year's Rx and Illicit Drug Summit highlighted a grim fact of life: "Overdoses and deaths involving synthetic opioids have reached record rates, and every community across our nation is feeling the impact." According to the CDC, more than half of opioid overdose deaths in 10 states studied tested positive for fentanyl. It's time to slam the pedal down on prevention, says Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/

Brazilian Gangsta Rapper, Once an Addict and Drug Dealer, Now Uses His Music and Passion to Reach Kids With the Truth About Drugs

CUIABA, Brazil /ScoopCloud/ -- Growing up surrounded by gangs, crime, and violence that plagued his neighborhood in Cuiabá, Brazil, in the '80s and '90s, Diogenes Luiz de Oliveira tried to escape from that life by using and trafficking drugs. Now, he uses his own story and the drug education materials of Foundation for a Drug-Free World to help keep kids out of the trap that consumed and nearly destroyed his life.

Oliveira and his brother were raised by a single mother. While she always put food on the table, childhood was a meager affair. "I remember going through the garbage in the richest neighborhoods to look for toys for my brother and me," he says.

He began using marijuana at 14. Then his uncle introduced him to cocaine. He would come home at dawn after a weekend of nonstop alcohol and cocaine abuse, and his mother would be waiting up for him. She tried to get through to him about what he was doing with his life. But to no avail.

At first, he confined himself to selling marijuana, but he soon graduated to trafficking cocaine and crack. And because he was selling, he always had access to drugs. He started out using cocaine twice a week, but it rapidly accelerated to a constant activity.

Oliveira began singing gangsta rap. "The songs I wrote spoke about my daily life on the streets and the violence on the outskirts of the city," he says. "I extolled crime and gangs in the lyrics and cursed the police." He and his group began opening major shows. It was a dream come true. With fame came increased police scrutiny, and in 2003, he was arrested and served time for drug trafficking and theft. But if prison was supposed to teach him a lesson, it failed. It was there that he began using crack.

"When I got out of prison, addicted to crack, with no future, and with only the streets to shelter me, I plunged headlong into the wrong things," he says.

As fate would have it, his mother had remarried, and her husband was a police officer. When she finally convinced him to go into rehab, it was her husband, a cop, who paid for it.

"It was the best decision I ever made," he says. "Life teaches you in surprising ways. I learned there are good cops and bad cops."

Olveira still raps. But his songs now focus on staying clean. He uses his music to speak his truth: that crime and drugs are not the way to solve the problems in life. He began visiting schools to share his story and to help kids make the decision to live drug-free.

In 2018, he teamed up with Mundo Sem Drogas, the Brazilian chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and has used its Truth About Drugs booklets and videos to educate some 40,000 local children.

"My dream is to continue rapping and bringing my story to schools to reach them with the truth about drugs," he says.

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 and live drug-free. Through the support of Scientology Churches and Scientologists, the Foundation offers its drug education resources free of charge to anyone wishing to use them to educate others about drugs. The program is inspired by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who noted the role substance abuse plays in the disintegration of the social fabric. Through his research, he found that "the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs."

The Foundation's Truth About Drugs materials and online drug education courses are available free of charge in 19 languages through the Foundation's website.

Watch the Drug-Free World public service announcements and The Truth About Drugs-Real People, Real Stories documentary on the Scientology Network, and episodes of the network's original series Voices for Humanity to see the program in action. The Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse, and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps, and via the Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV platforms.

LEARN MORE:

https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/

https://www.drugfreeworld.org

https://voicesforhumanity.tv

MULTIMEDIA:

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/the-truth-about-drugs.html

https://www.scientology.tv/documentaries/they-said-they-lied.html

https://voicesforhumanity.tv

Growing up surrounded by gangs, crime, and violence that plagued his neighborhood in Cuiabá, Brazil, in the '80s and '90s, Diogenes Luiz de Oliveira tried to escape from that life by using and trafficking drugs. Now, he uses his own story and the drug education materials of Foundation for a Drug-Free World to help keep kids out of the trap that consumed and nearly destroyed his life.

Related link: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/