Italian Scientologists Cycling for a Drug-Free Region
Bringing the truth about drugs to the 41st annual Pordenone Pedala bicycle tour
Volunteers from the Church of Scientology of Pordenone brought the truth about drugs to the 41st annual Pordenone Pedala (Pordenone Rides) bicycle tour in September, a 50-km ride through one of the most beautiful valleys of the Italian Alps. The tour began at Parco Galvani in the city of Pordenone and traveled north through San Quirino and San Martino di Companga to Montereale Valcellina and back to Pordenone through Marsure and Aviano.
Volunteers wearing their signature turquoise Truth About Drugs T-shirts were among the 5,000 cyclists queuing up at the starting line to ride in the tour, while others set up an information stand in the park and distributed copies of The Truth About Drugs booklets and invited attendees to sign a pledge to live drug-free.
They enjoyed the late-summer atmosphere and camaraderie, but the underlying purpose brought them to this event motivates their drug prevention activities throughout the year: Drugs present a serious and important challenge to cities throughout Italy. The 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) states, "Italy remains a significant European transit and consumer point for illegal drugs.” The report cited cocaine, synthetic drugs, hashish, and marijuana as those most frequently used.
Truth About Drugs volunteers believe the best time to handle drug abuse is before it begins—with effective drug education. 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.
Scientologists on five continents work in their communities throughout the year to empower others with the truth about drugs. The Church and its members are dedicated to eradicating drug abuse through education.
The Church of Scientology supports The Truth About Drugs initiative, one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns, and makes these materials available to educators, law enforcement and community programs.
The Church of Scientology has published a 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 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.”