Beyond Dents and Scratches: Body Shops Bear Witness to Preventable Tragedies

Bridge Publications shares the Truth About Drugs initiative with dozens of East L.A. autobody shops.

The mangled frame of a silver sedan gleams under the overhead lights in a local body shop, a testament to human capacity for error. Replacing crumpled fenders and shattered windshields is a body shop’s stock in trade, but the owners know these broken cars aren't just metal and plastic. They represent shattered dreams, lost limbs, and families ripped apart. They also suspect that all too often, these wrecked vehicles were the result of driving drugged or drunk. So when volunteers from Bridge Publications approached body shop owners and managers about displaying sets of The Truth About Drugs from the drug education initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, it not only piqued their interest, it gave them a way to save lives.

Their suspicions are borne out by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which states that some 31 percent of all U.S. traffic crash fatalities involve drunk drivers. And a recent Canadian study following the legalization of non-medical cannabis found a 94 percent increase in the rate of traffic injuries involving the use of this drug. 

 

One of the books published by Bridge Publications, Inc., City of Commerce-based publisher of the nonfiction works best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard, is Clear Body: Clear Mind. In the book, Mr. Hubbard wrote: “Research demonstrates that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.” 

In 2023, concerned about the recent spike in drug overdoses in Los Angeles, Bridge launched a local drug prevention campaign. Last Thursday, January 18, they visited auto body shops, tire shops, and other automotive businesses on nearby East Olympic Boulevard with sets of The Truth About Drugs in Spanish and English. These illustrated booklets contain the physical and mental effects of the most commonly abused drugs.

Shop owners and managers placed displays of these booklets on their counters for customers to take. Many shared personal stories of friends or relatives struggling with drugs and were happy to have something they could do to help. 

To learn more about this campaign, schedule a seminar or training session, or participate in future drug prevention activities organized by Bridge Publications, contact Lucia Winther at (323) 888-6200 or lwinther@bridgepub.com.

For more information on Foundation for a Drug-Free World, watch its public service announcements and The Truth About Drugs—Real People, Real Stories documentary on the Scientology Network, or episodes of Voices for Humanity to see the program in action. And to learn more about Bridge Publications, watch an episode of Inside Scientology.

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 with an introduction by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in March 2018, the Scientology Network has been viewed in 237 countries and territories in 17 languages.