Brussels Scientologists Make Drug Prevention a Priority—Bringing the Truth About Drugs to their City

Scientologists work to raise public awareness of the dangers of drug abuse and addiction in a country whose capital has been dubbed the cocaine capital of Europe.

Determined to fight a significant drug abuse problem that plagues their country, Belgian Scientologists hold street events, distribute booklets to shops and set up information booths in busy locations year-round. They use the booklets and videos of the Truth About Drugs initiative, a campaign supported by the Church of Scientology.

The Truth About Drugs provides cold hard facts, because youth who are given factual information about drugs are far less likely to fall prey to peer pressure to experiment with these dangerous substances.

Belgium has one of the most severe drug problems in Europe. Some 25 percent of the cocaine moving from South America into Europe passes through Belgium, according to The Guardian, which also dubbed Antwerp the cocaine capital of Europe. That damning description was also based on a survey conducted by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction that found higher levels of cocaine in Antwerp’s wastewater than any city in Europe. The Global Drug Survey, released last spring, found nearly 20 percent of local respondents admitted to using cocaine in the past year.

Intent on reversing this scene and helping young people avoid the tragedy of a life ruined by drug abuse and addiction, Belgian Scientologists have adopted the Truth About Drugs initiative, and hold drug prevention events throughout the year.

Parents, community leaders and youngsters come to these drug information stands for booklets and DVDs they can use to help others. A typical example was a teacher who spoke to one of the volunteers at their stand at the De Brouckere metro station in Brussels. He faces a sordid situation daily in his classroom.

“I sometimes feel like I have a class of zombies when I see how some students arrive completely stoned,” he said. “This week, two students were expelled because they were dealing drugs on the school premises—and many of them openly smoke cannabis.”

The teacher believes the Truth About Drugs initiative is enormously important and enthusiastically accepted the program’s educators package along with additional drug education booklets.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote: “The drug scene is planet-wide and swimming in blood and human misery. Research demonstrates that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.”