AUSTRALIAN SCIENTOLOGISTS MARK TWO DECADES OF EFFECTIVE DRUG EDUCATION

The Church of Scientology in Australia conducts drug education activities to help the community.

According to the most recent Australia Crime Commission Illicit Drugs Report, clandestine drug laboratory detections in the country have risen by 245 percent in the last decade. The urgency of dealing with the drug problem was brought to the fore last week when Western Australia enacted its new drug policy, described by the media as the nation’s toughest drug laws, designed to target the growing number of drug labs manufacturing methamphetamine and other substances—177 busted last year and 44 found so far in 2012.

For the past two decades, the Church of Scientology has taken a practical and proactive approach to drug abuse, educating youth on the physical and mental effects of drugs. In that time, Australian Scientologists have:

• Distributed 2.5 million drug education booklets and fliers containing factual information about marijuana, Ecstasy, painkillers and other drugs of choice, in markets, fairs and through street events.
• Inspired 300,000 Australian youths to pledge to live drug-free lives.
• Translated drug education materials in Japanese, Indonesian and Korean to make this information available to Australian youth who speak these languages. They have also arranged for the translation of these booklets into Samoan, Tagalog and Malaysian.

To learn more about the drug prevention initiative sponsored by the Church of Scientology or to participate, visit the Scientology website.

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The Church of Scientology sponsors one of the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. When young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

21st Annual Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic Draws 55% More

Tampa Bay Informer

The 21st Annual Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic 5K, 10K and Children's 1 mile fun-run drew an extensive crowd on December 19th, exceeding all expectations with the number of participants running to forward the message – including myself, a first time 5K runner.

I arrived early, the crisp morning air jolting me out of my weekend sleepiness. I knew the event would be popular, but I did not expect the sea of people assembled in front of the Harborview Center. According to an event coordinator's estimate, 1,700 runners participated this year, 600 more than in previous years – an increase of nearly 55%.

With a final turn-out of nearly twice the number that early-registration figures had suggested, it was understandable that I found myself among the few runners still receiving their numbers even as Hana Li Winters sang the Star Spangled Banner and a small army of runners waited for Lt. Dimmer of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to blow the starting whistle. Event coordinators Chris Alexander and Sue Minkoff assure me that with this year's experience, they will be fully prepared to handle the enormous crowds next year – including the opportunity to pre-register and receive numbers the day before the race in addition to the morning of.

This being my first race, I paced myself along the course, from the starting line in Coachman Park to the steep incline of the Memorial Causeway leading to Clearwater Beach. Pushing myself up the arch of the Causeway was a challenge; it is no surprise that it features in many other races throughout the year, including both Ironman and Iron Girl. The course doubled back just after the bridge for the 5K runners, while the 10K continued out to the beach.

Participants represented all levels of the running scene: From the professional competitors leading the pack, to amateurs like myself who enjoy running for fun and fitness, to those who chose to walk the course, many coming out just to support the Say No to Drugs theme of the event. I found it to be an excellent race for a first-timer like myself, with a friendly and very supportive field. As the first of the 10K runners overtook some of us just rounding the bend on the 5K, words of encouragement met the athlete: “Finish it man! Finish it!”

Crossing the finish line, we were greeted with an all-you-can-eat breakfast of homemade organic spelt pancakes courtesy of volunteers led by Kitty Magness, and complimentary massages from Sun State Massage Academy and adjustments by Family Life Chiropractic – welcome rewards after the morning's exertion.

As the name implies, the Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic aims to raise awareness and spread a drug-free message. At the post-race breakfast in the Harborview Center, children pledged to live their lives drug-free and were sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals by the Youth for a Drug Free Florida, while runners viewed the DVD “The Truth About Drugs” or read the accompanying educational pamphlets.

Nathan Holden from Jacksonville and Melissa Todd from Kansas City won the men's and women's 10K, respectively. Daniel Geilman and Christa Benton of St. Petersburg took the men and women’s 5K races. Awards were also presented to top finishers in a range of age groups; including 90 year old Jane Bussman of Clearwater, in the 5K.

The Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic was started 21 years ago by world class runner and local resident Sandra Johnson, member of the Dianetics Athletics Association of the Church of Scientology. The idea was to promote an anti-drug message by raising awareness through a road race. From there it has become one of the premier races in the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, including race-times and results, visit www.saynotodrugs.com.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion