Church of Scientology International Unleashes Global Assault on Drug Abuse

LOS ANGELES, CA — Bolstering UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s call to "arm people with the information they need to say no to drugs," the Church of Scientology International today announced a major step-up in its two-decade-long "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" worldwide drug awareness campaign.

Just one week after the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its 2006 World Drug Report on the International Day against Drug Abuse at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology International [http://www.whatisscientology.org]has unveiled 10 new drug information booklets for use in the world’s largest-ever grassroots anti-drug initiative.

The Church is sponsoring the production and distribution of ten million booklets of this new series in 20 languages. Each details the life-threatening effects of the world’s most abused street and prescription drugs, including "crystal meth," the treatment demand for which has grown dramatically in the United States, according to the UNODC.

"The UN’s global studies over the past two years make it clear: drugs today are a greater peril to human life than war, famine and human trafficking," said the Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International. "The illegal drug trade generates between $320 billion and $400 billion a year. Last week’s UN report shows headway is being made in the war on drug cultivation and addiction, but now it’s time we deal a real blow to drug abuse with effective drug prevention."

Providing factual information about the world’s most abused drugs has proven successful in countries around the world, documented results show. As part of the Church-sponsored "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" campaign, Scientologists began passing out booklets on the harmful effects of marijuana, speed, cocaine and other street drugs in 1995.

The campaign has earned wide recognition from concerned citizens and both governmental and non-governmental organizations. Today "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" chapters are active in 53 countries, with anti-drug events taking place in 545 cities in just the past year. All told, "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life" volunteers have distributed 8,351,537 booklets and 48,991,236 drug education fliers, put up 280,223 billboards and posters, and held 88,970 public awareness events.

International distribution of the 10 new booklets to children, teens, parents and families, youth organizations, schools, community centers, and companies squarely supports the aims of UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa, who launched the UN’s "Drugs are Not Child’s Play" campaign on Monday, June 26. Worldwide, the Church’s stepped-up offensive for 2006 can count upon the manpower of an estimated 3,000 volunteers in more than 150 chapters on five continents.

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, set the tone for the Church’s anti -drug efforts when he wrote, "Scientology has no interest in the political or social aspects of the various types of drugs or even drug-taking as such. The whole interest of Scientology is concentrated on those who want to 'get unhooked' and 'stay unhooked.'"

The booklets are now online at the Church's anti-drug web site http://www.drugsalvage.org.

For more information on this campaign, including details on each of the 10 new “Truth About Drugs” booklets, contact the Church of Scientology International’s Media Relations Office at 323-960-3500.