Church of Scientology Amsterdam Sponsors 2nd Annual Anti-Drug Marathon

Former drug addicts carry out 350 km (217 mile) run to raise awareness on the danger of drugs

Volunteers from the Church of Scientology of Amsterdam joined former addicts in a two-week 350 km (217 mile) anti-drug marathon through Holland to raise awareness of the dangers of drugs. The team kicked off their cross-country journey August 2 in the town of Den Helder with the mayor joining them for the first kilometer of the run.

Along the route, the runners are distributing booklets and flyers presenting factual information on the effects of drugs. The former addicts on the team know all too well the damage drugs cause—how drugs can lead to stealing, prostitution and other criminal activities. They also have firsthand knowledge of longterm physical, emotional and mental consequences of using drugs.

"It all seems so innocent at first," says one of the former addicts, "but if I had known how drugs would destroy my life I would absolutely never have started. If I can prevent even one youth from suffering the horrors of addiction through this marathon, then I'm happy."

According to a recent study, there is twice as much cannabis use among Netherland teens age 15-16 as the European average. The purpose of the marathon, co-sponsored by the Say No to Drugs—Say Yes to Life Foundation, the Church of Scientology, and Narconon, is to decrease teen drug use by raising awareness of the dangers of drugs.

For more information on the drug education and prevention initiative of the Church of Scientology, visit www.Scientology.org.

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The Church of Scientology sponsors the world's largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaign. 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.

AUSTRALIAN SCIENTOLOGISTS MARK TWO DECADES OF EFFECTIVE DRUG EDUCATION

The Church of Scientology in Australia conducts drug education activities to help the community.

According to the most recent Australia Crime Commission Illicit Drugs Report, clandestine drug laboratory detections in the country have risen by 245 percent in the last decade. The urgency of dealing with the drug problem was brought to the fore last week when Western Australia enacted its new drug policy, described by the media as the nation’s toughest drug laws, designed to target the growing number of drug labs manufacturing methamphetamine and other substances—177 busted last year and 44 found so far in 2012.

For the past two decades, the Church of Scientology has taken a practical and proactive approach to drug abuse, educating youth on the physical and mental effects of drugs. In that time, Australian Scientologists have:

• Distributed 2.5 million drug education booklets and fliers containing factual information about marijuana, Ecstasy, painkillers and other drugs of choice, in markets, fairs and through street events.
• Inspired 300,000 Australian youths to pledge to live drug-free lives.
• Translated drug education materials in Japanese, Indonesian and Korean to make this information available to Australian youth who speak these languages. They have also arranged for the translation of these booklets into Samoan, Tagalog and Malaysian.

To learn more about the drug prevention initiative sponsored by the Church of Scientology or to participate, visit the Scientology website.

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The Church of Scientology sponsors one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. When young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.