Using the Momentum of the Super Bowl to Tackle Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is not just a threat, it is a fact—a pandemic that affects the entire country and the world.

Miami, the international gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, is an important target for drug traffickers. And with Miami hosting Super Bowl LIV, Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW) volunteers from across the country came to the city to get out their drug-free message throughout the region and the entire country.

The Church of Scientology Miami was the coordination point for the campaign. A constant flood of volunteers arrived from churches of all denominations, nonprofits and those who simply heard about the activity from social media and drove up to the church. They packed their trunks with boxes of drug education booklets so they could distribute them to stores and community groups or hand them out to friends, neighbors and those in Miami to celebrate Super Bowl LIV.

NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, Foundation for a Drug-Free World national spokesperson, took the message everywhere with radio and TV interviews, reaching an estimated 48.5 million people, sharing free drug education resources and saying, “Drugs are something that is someone else’s problem until it’s your kid and by then it’s too late.”

Drug-Free World took its campaign to the Wounded Warrior charity football game where retired NFL Safety, sports commentator and Drug-Free World ambassador Nick Ferguson participated. The Drug-Free World tent and a Drug-Free World Mustang drew attention to the initiative.

So far, volunteers have distributed some 700,000 copies of Truth About Drugs booklets and they are carrying on until they hit their target of 750,000.

Drug-Free World Florida President Julieta Santagostino says, “We are immersed in a drug culture and no matter where you look, you’re likely to see something related to drugs. Most of the time it is glamorized, giving the illusion that drugs are something normal and acceptable. To change this, we must educate ourselves and our community with real facts. It’s an honor to be able to empower people by giving them the tools to help youth, and even adults, make an educated decision about drugs.”

Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit, international drug education program supported by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard noted the role substance abuse plays in the disintegration of the social fabric, stating, “Research has demonstrated that the single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs.” The Foundation was formed in 2006 to serve as the primary distributor of educational materials and to develop new materials to meet the challenge of continually changing drug trends.