Scientology Silicon Valley Exposes Myths About Marijuana

Church of Scientology of Silicon Valley observed International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with a community forum

What are the short- and longterm effects of marijuana on the health of a child or teen and how to communicate this to kids so they make their own decisions about the drug? This is an urgent issue in an era where commercial interests are seeking to profit at the expense of the health and wellbeing of youth, said Dr. Alexa Alborzi, public affairs director for the Church of Scientology Silicon Valley who organized a community forum and open house on this pressing subject.

 

 

The program was held at the Church’s Mountain View campus on International Day Against Drug Abuse to provide an important tool to parents, educators and community leaders concerned about the issue.

Dr. Alborzi presented the guide for the Truth About Drugs curriculum. It provides a full semester of lesson plans, essays and homework assignments. The Drug-Free World curriculum elicits student participation and can be used in middle schools, high schools, universities, and in after-school activities, churches and clubs throughout the community. Each of the most frequently abused drugs has its own facts booklet which describes how the substance affects the mind and the body. There is also a documentary DVD where former addicts open up about what they experienced, the damage drugs caused and how it changed their lives forever. Learning the truth helps youth make informed decisions to never take these drugs. 

She invited those attending to watch Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network, which has several episodes on humanitarians who have adopted the Truth About Drugs initiative.

• Vlastimil Špalek, an athlete and businessman, chairs Drug-Free World in the Czech Republic, where for 16 years his Drug-Free Czech Cyclo-run has brought the truth about drugs to the youth of the country.
• Darren Tessitore is a drug-prevention activist. As a teen, drugs claimed the lives of many of his friends. The father of three now dedicates himself to educating as many kids as possible on the dangers of drugs and delivers his anti-drug message to millions.
• Michael DeLeon’s meteoric rise in the business world came to a crashing halt when he suddenly found himself addicted to drugs and sent to prison. Now he’s found a greater purpose in life by educating youth across the country on the dangers of drugs.
• Vasu Yajnik started a movement to combat the culture of drug use in India. With over seventy million drug addicts in the country, her focus is on educating the population about the true dangers of drugs.
• Khai Aziz, a legendary punk rock musician in Malaysia, saw the devastation caused by widespread drug abuse and uses his celebrity to take on the drug culture and educate the at-risk youth throughout his country.

Copies of the materials were provided to those at the open house. Sets can be ordered free of charge at the Foundation’s website.

Guest speaker chiropractor Dr. Harry Wong spoke of the consequences of marijuana and other illicit drugs on the health and outlook of his patients and its negative impact on their lives. He said that nearly everyone he sees is affected by drugs personally or has a family member or friend whose life has been ruined or lost because of drugs. He invited everyone to participate in educating youth early enough to avoid tragic outcomes.

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a secular nonprofit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions to live drug-free. The Foundation’s Truth About Drugs campaign is the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention initiative. The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support the Foundation, making it possible to provide these materials free of charge to community leaders, groups and educators for their use in dealing with this vital subject.

For more information about the Church of Scientology Silicon Valley, watch Destination Scientology: Silicon Valley on the Scientology Network.