Scientologist, Dr. Joel Benk, DDS, Combats Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic
Scientologist and dentist Joel Benk is a drug prevention activist helping to curb soaring prescription drug abuse by making the Truth About Drugs available to colleagues, educators and law enforcement professionals
It was no surprise to Dr. Joel Benk, DDS, that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is calling prescription drug abuse “the nation's fastest-growing drug problem.”
He has seen the devastation firsthand. A dental surgeon in private practice for 32 years, Benk says prescription drug abuse among patients in his Atlanta, Georgia, practice has soared in recent decades.
“It would be hard to find someone who doesn’t have a friend, family member or co-worker who abuses prescription drugs,” he says.
A Scientologist, Benk learned that the Church of Scientology of Atlanta supports the Truth About Drugs prevention program and he received copies of the drug education booklets and watched the Truth About Drugs public service announcements and documentary. He began using the program to help his patients, friends and colleagues.
“These are the highest quality and most effective drug education and prevention products available today,” he says.
Seeing the program’s effectiveness with his patients, he disseminated it to those who deal with drug abuse and provide drug prevention professionally—local police departments, school systems and drug courts.
“Three years ago, I presented the program to the Cobb County Juvenile Drug Court. The judge and her aide immediately recognized its value,” says Benk.
Benk says the judge, who observes offenders returning to court time and again, was eager to implement the program and share it with her colleagues. She invited Benk to the annual meeting of Georgia drug court professionals, which he has attended every year since.
“Every person who comes to our booth is impressed with the booklets and videos,” he says. “Anyone in the health care or criminal justice system is aware of the prescription drug abuse problem. The Truth About Drugs resources work and they are available free of charge. They are exactly what we need.”
The Church of Scientology has published 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 learn more or read a copy of the brochure, 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.