PRESS RELEASES
NEW ZEALAND •
The Church of Scientology partners with the Maori Wardens of New Zealand to help slash drug use and possession offenses as much as 22 percent over two years.
Alarmed by soaring drug use in New Zealand, Rita Peters, Public Affairs Officer of the Church of Scientology of Auckland and coordinator of the Truth About Drugs drug education initiative, teamed with Maori Wardens to take action.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM •
Reacting to recent binge drinking incident that nearly took the lives of two boys, the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe mobilized volunteers, using drug education materials described in new publication released November 13.
“Say No to Drugs” volunteers from the Churches of Scientology of Europe in Brussels were quick to respond when they learned two children, ages 10 and 11, were hospitalized from alcohol-induced comas.
OCALA, FLORIDA •
Released November 13, 2012, a new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—the Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug Free World, describes the inroads made daily against drug abuse and addiction in cities around the world. This story of how the program helped a Florida high school student is typical of the program’s effectiveness.
UNITED KINGDOM •
Featured in the newly released brochure, British Scientologists carried out the largest anti-drug operation in history, organizing the distribution of one million Truth About Drugs booklets during the London 2012 Olympics.
If there were an Olympic event in drug education and prevention, London Scientologists would have taken gold. As people flocked to the Olympic and Paralympics July 27-September 9, they distributed 1 million copies of Truth About Drugs education booklets.
SOUTH LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
Church of Scientology Community Center commemorates its one-year anniversary November 5 with renewed commitment to create a Drug-Free South L.A.
Once known as South Central, and made famous by the lyrics of gangsta rap, South Los Angeles has risen from the ashes of the 1992 riots—determined, stronger, and committed to positive change. But the specter of drug abuse still threatens to ruin dreams, especially those of promising young people, and cut short efforts to build safe and prosperous neighborhoods.
LA CRESCENTA, CALIFORNIA •
A new Scientology publication, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, was released November 13, 2012 to make stories like those of Dr. Alf Garbutt commonplace the world over.
Winner of 19 world martial arts titles, Dr. Alf Garbutt had met his match. The La Crescenta, California, chiropractor and sports medicine specialist was looking for ways to counter the plague of drug abuse and the social chaos it causes, finding the challenge daunting.
VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA •
Church of Scientology working with inmates at Victorville Prison to reduce prison population through effective drug education
Effective drug education is critical if society is to reduce its prison population, representatives of the Church of Scientology stressed at the third annual reentry summit at the Victorville Federal Prison Complex in California.
MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA •
Gail Carroll’s education and prevention efforts shows the commitment of those spreading the truth about drugs during National Substance Abuse Prevention Month
In declaring October National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, President Obama wrote, “Every day, far too many Americans are hurt by alcohol and drug abuse.” He paid tribute to “all those working to prevent substance abuse in our communities,” and encouraged rededication “to building a safer, drug-free America.”
KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA •
A Scientology publication released November 13, 2012 describes grass-roots action against cannabis in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where alarming levels of student use of the drug prompted Scientologists to take action.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
Released November 13, “Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World,” details how Los Angeles County law enforcement uses the Church of Scientology’s Truth About Drugs program to fight addiction scourge.
Through Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies, more than 2,000 at-risk youth have completed Truth About Drugs education.
ISFIYA, ISRAEL •
Every week, in cities around the world, Scientologists work in their communities to bring about a drug-free world, as described in the brochure released November 13, 2012, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA •
The new Church of Scientology Inglewood and its Community Center celebrate first anniversary with gala awards event
The Church of Scientology of Inglewood and the Scientology Community Center of South Los Angeles marked the anniversary of their first year of service to parishioners and the local community with a gala celebration November 10.
ITALY •
Released November 13, 2012, the brochure, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, features a drug education and prevention campaign that was instrumental in causing a 25 percent decrease in drug use in Italy.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
The Truth About Drugs initiative, supported by the Church of Scientology, makes highly effective drug education and prevention available to communities everywhere.
PADUA, ITALY •
More than 7,000 Scientologists and their guests gathered from across Italy and Europe to celebrate the grand opening of the Church of Scientology Ideal Organization (Ideal Org) of Padova on Saturday, October 27. Church officials presided over the opening joined by national, provincial and city dignitaries.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA •
To address unprecedented worldwide demand, Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, L. Ron Hubbard’s first book on the theory and practice of Scientology, is now available as a groundbreaking 90-minute book-on-film. The film was produced and released in response to the overwhelming interest in Scientology, manifested by the more than 160 million visitors to the Church’s official Internet site asking the question: “What is Scientology?” The film, available in English and 15 other languages, provides the answer in an entirely new way.
WASHINGTON, DC •
Honoring Red Ribbon Week and its message of prevention and education, The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. co-hosted the first annual anti-drug forum of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World on October 22.
EAST GRINSTEAD/SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM •
Sunday October 21st, an audience of over 1500, including mayors, dignitaries and other special guests, attended a musical spectacular hosted by the Church of Scientology at Saint Hill Manor. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charitable institution founded in 1824 to save lives at sea, was the beneficiary of this 16th annual Gala Charity Concert staged in the Grand Marquee—one of the largest marquees in Europe.
UNITED STATES •
The video interview of Lisa Cummins, released October 22, is the latest “Meet a Scientologist” video on www.scientology.org.
Growing up, Lisa Cummins had her eye on a very important career—being a mother.
“I decided very young I was going to have four kids and a boy first,” she says. “That’s what I have, and they’re best friends.”
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA •
In the “Meet a Scientologist” video published on www.scientology.org on October 18, 2012, Sandra Poveda of Bogotá, Colombia, tells why she’s almost always smiling.
Dentist Sandra Poveda has a philosophy of life that drives her work. From the time she entered Universidad del Bosque at age 16, she knew what she really wanted to do was to make people smile.