Volunteers Strike Back at

Drug Abuse and Crime

Volunteers worldwide participated in a global strike against drugs this weekend August 23-24 by getting hundreds of thousands of Truth About Drugs educational booklets into the hands of residents in Paris, London, Sydney, Los Angeles, Johannesburg and 100 other cities. The massive international drug education blitz is part of the international “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” drug prevention campaign.

Australia itself has seen some of the largest drug busts in recent times, mainly Ecstasy and Methamphetamine, some of the most common party drugs, leading endless youth to ruin. The tragedy of Anabel Catt over a year ago sparked a wave of support for more and better education and prevention efforts.

“The most powerful weapon we have to help youth with drug abuse is education," said Cyrus Brooks, President of Drug Free Ambassadors Australia. “Today, the problems of drugs hit us wherever we turn, but the Truth About Drugs booklets cut through the drug hype kids hear in the streets.”

The Truth About Drugs is a series of pocket-sized, research-based booklets refined through two decades of experience by members of Scientology churches and other volunteer organizations participating in the “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaign activities. The booklets are available in 22 languages.

“The beauty of The Truth About Drugs is that it provides a lot information in a concise way,” said Brooks. “It is factual and hard-hitting and tells why people take drugs, how drugs work and the short- and long-term effects of the most commonly abused drugs. This is information people need.

“Saturday and Sunday we got thousands of booklets out around Sydney in just a few hours and it shows how interested people are. It’s great to get out and make a difference in your community. It’s also very encouraging to know that so many people are working together to spread the truth about drugs in their area. By getting this information out there, we can save many lives.”

The long-running “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaign has been carried out in 60 counties over the past 20 years, including 51,247,843 handouts (with 21 million Truth About Drugs booklets), 280,000 billboards and posters, 98,000 public events and 3.4 million individuals pledging to be drug-free.

To find out more about “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” activities in Sydney and Australia-wide, contact Cyrus Brooks at info@drugfreeambassadors.org.au.

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