Church of Scientology Distributes Drug Abuse and Addiction Facts Internationally

Los Angeles, California — April 26, 2009 — Members, friends and allies of Scientologists and Church of Scientology missions and churches in countries around the world are carrying out an all-out international effort this month to do something effective about drug abuse and addiction in their communities.

Treating April as “Drug Information Month,” volunteers distribute copies of 13 separate drug education booklets, which give simple and direct facts about drugs. These free booklets cover the effects of drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine, heroine, crystal meth, crack, painkillers, LSD, Ecstasy, and Ritalin (known as “kiddie cocaine”), and show how these substances destroy a person’s health, creativity, family and relationships.

Scientologists distributed over 3,000 drug facts booklets in Hamburg, Germany, and thousands more in Berlin and Dusseldorf. Volunteers in Cagliari, Italy helped several hundred people learn the truth about drugs, many of whom asked for more booklets to pass on to their friends.

Teams in Marseilles, Angers, Clermont, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon, France passed out more than 10,000 booklets.  In Paris, volunteers went right to the most notorious neighborhoods in the city, passing out booklets to at-risk teenagers and youth while local police quietly stood by to guard against retaliation from drug dealers.

“Our booklets were in such high demand,” said one of the volunteers. “We had teachers coming up to us to ask for copies for their students, two medical doctors wanted them for their waiting rooms and a professor liked them so much he grabbed some booklets and joined us.”

In Amsterdam, where the sale of so-called “soft drugs” is legal and “coffee shop” is a code name for a hash bar, volunteers passed out over 500 drug education booklets.  In Auckland, New Zealand volunteers handed out some 1,200 copies at a marketplace.

Countless lives are lost to drugs. Newspapers and TV news shows spotlight the famous artists who die from drug overdose, but most people have experienced personally the loss of a friend or family member through drug abuse.  Many of those who resort to selling sex are supporting their habits. Our prisons are full of men and women who are there because they dealt drugs or are drug addicts who committed crimes to support their habits. Governments, nonprofit organizations and private individuals spend billions every year in an attempt to combat this tragedy.

Scientologists and Scientology churches, missions and groups partner with people from all faiths, professions and walks of life to do something effective to counter drug abuse.   For more information visit the Scientology video channel at www.scientology.org or www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology

New documentation: Scientology recognized in Europe and the World

(from scientologyandme.wordpress.com)

Download the booklet Scientology Recognitions in Europe and the World (english)

Since 1954, when the first Church of Scientology was founded, the religion as grown to approximately 10 million members and is present through its churches, missions or groups in over 150 countries around the world.

Wherever the church exists, it endeavours to register as some form of non-profit ssociation with religious purposes, according to the laws of that country, with the exception of countries where such registration is not possible. The legal systems of each country often differ significantly. Some have official registries of religions here all groups are obliged to register and meet certain criteria. Others take the opposite view and specifically prohibit keeping official lists of ‘accepted’ religions onsidering that this is not a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the State. Governments and courts of many different countries recognize the religious character of Scientology. This booklet is intended to give some understanding of how Scientology is seen in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

Europe

The majority of countries in the European Union do not have a religious registry system within their legal framework (or even a form of official religious recognition). In those countries that do have a form of registry procedure (including countries who are not part of the EU), Scientology has been recognized as a religion in the following – Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania.

The majority of States in the European Union have other forms of recognition. In many of these countries, Scientology has been recognized as a religion through administrative and judicial decisions, including decisions by the highest court in the country. These decisions include the following countries – Italy, Denmark, Austria, Germany, UK and Norway.

World

There are many other judicial, administrative and registry recognitions in other countries of the world too. Some examples are – USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Nepal, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil, India, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Courts have determined that Scientology must be treated the same as other religions throughout Europe, including decisions concerning Scientology rendered by the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission
on Human Rights which establish binding precedent in all 46 European countries that have signed and ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition to the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights decisions, Scientology has also been recognized as a religion through numerous judicial and administrative rulings in many European countries.

Finally Scientology has been recognized and registered as a religion in many countries that have a religious registry.

This booklet is currently available in english, spanish and russian.

Scientology in Durban

The Times South Africa

GOOD WORKS: The Church of Scientology plans to turn this
prime site in Durban into a centre for community project