Entrepreneur Invests in Community
with Truth About Drugs
New publication released November 13 describes drug education initiative supported by Church of Scientology and Scientologists such as Jim Mathers of Clearwater, Florida
Determined to put an end to drug abuse, Scientologist Jim Mathers is leveraging his personal and company resources to bring the truth about drugs to the community.
A licensed engineer, retired U.S. Navy officer and entrepreneur, Mathers is co-founder and president of an energy supply company. But he also devotes time to eradicate drugs through education.
“Drug abuse is bankrupting our nation economically and morally,” says Mathers. “A 2007 Justice Department study estimates illegal drug use costs America some $193 billion annually. And the human suffering is inestimable.”
A resident of Clearwater, Florida, where he lives with his wife, Fumei, and their two young sons, Mathers is committed to help Clearwater and Tampa Bay area youth avoid the ravages of drug abuse. Three years ago, Mathers and his employees formed teams of volunteers to organize Truth About Drugs booths at business fairs, community gatherings and chamber of commerce-sponsored events, where they have distributed thousands of Truth About Drugs booklets.
The Truth About Drugs educational materials include a series of 13 booklets that dispel drug myths with factual information about the most commonly abused drugs; 16 “They Said, They Lied” public service announcements; and the award-winning documentary The Truth About Drugs: Real People, Real Stories that features former users who survived addiction.
“The booklets and videos are so effective, all you have to do is make them available,” says Mathers.
Mathers’ company has a Truth About Drugs section on their website, and their own Truth About Drugs Facebook page where visitors can watch the documentary. Two staff members are employed full-time to promote the campaign through newsletters and other activities.
Mathers conducts drug education seminars to colleagues, law enforcement officers and religious leaders to introduce them to the program. He arranged equipment so 14 Florida county jails can play The Truth About Drugs documentary to inmates. This year, his company co-sponsored a booth at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals annual training conference in Nashville, Tennessee, to introduce the Truth About Drugs program to the 4,300 participating judicial and law enforcement professionals from around the U.S. And whenever the occasion arises, he shares the materials with friends and business contacts.
Mathers points to a recent incident to illustrate the effectiveness of the program. At a business mixer in Tampa, Mathers gave an executive The Truth About Drugs: Real People, Real Stories documentary for her teenage daughter. That weekend, after watching the DVD with friends, the daughter confided that kids at school had encouraged her to experiment with five of the drugs she had just learned about. She and her friends have now made a firm decision never to take drugs.
The Church of Scientology sponsors distribution of The Truth About Drugs booklets, banners, posters, information packets and educator kits, making them available free of charge to health educators, law enforcement officers and other drug prevention specialists.
“I am so proud of being part of this program,” says Mathers. “By getting the Truth About Drugs out everywhere, we can create a drug-free world.”
On November 13, the Church of Scientology released a new brochure, Scientology: How We Help—The Truth About Drugs, Creating a Drug-Free World, to meet requests for more information about the drug education and prevention initiative it supports. To read a copy of the brochure or to learn more about the program, visit the Scientology website.
Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress—drugs and other biochemical substances. These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”
The Church of Scientology supports the Truth About Drugs, one of the world's largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. 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.