Group Makes ‘Say No to Drugs’ into a Creative Celebration

Volunteers from the Churches of Scientology in Vienna make drug prevention a memorable experience for local families and help youth make the self-determined decision to live drug-free.

The Vienna chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, sponsored by the Churches of Scientology of Austria, goes out of its way to make drug prevention fun. Volunteers set up their tent around town at fairs, sports events and other popular locations. They invite kids and parents to contribute their own creativity to the message: “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life.”

Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s Truth About Drugs campaign is fact-based drug education that helps kids make their own decisions about how they want to live their lives. Foundation materials are based on the understanding that people—especially youth—don’t like to be told what they can or can’t do. 

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, “For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs.” The drug prevention initiative supported by the Church of Scientology reflects the conviction: When someone understands what drugs really are and what they do, they are far less likely to abuse them.

The volunteers have supplies of 14 kid-friendly booklets at their “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” display. These booklets present the unvarnished truth about the most commonly abused substances. Next to the tent, children and teens paint their own drug-free messages on a long roll of paper. Passersby admire the artwork and pick up booklets for themselves, their kids and their friends.

The Vienna volunteers also share their message on their Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life YouTube video channel and Drug-Free Austria Facebook page.

Scientology Churches provide drug education specialist training, sponsor chapters of Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and work with local educators, police, churches and nonprofits to reach youth on this vital subject.

To make these materials available to anyone wishing to tackle the drug crisis, the Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center in Los Angeles, California, produces and ships out Truth About Drugs booklets, DVDs and education packages in 20 languages, free of charge to parents, educators, law enforcement, community groups and nonprofits for their drug prevention activities. And the Scientology Network features drug prevention programming including The Truth About Drugs—Real People, Real Stories documentary, public service announcements, and Voices for Humanity episodes on drug-prevention heroes making a difference in their own communities worldwide.