Clearwater, FL: Gearing up for Red Ribbon Week – the national anti-drug and violence awareness week – Florida’s Foundation for a Drug Free World have been busy getting out key educational messages on the subject of drug abuse.
Utilizing the “Truth About Drugs” booklets and public service announcements, the group has helped youth learn about the dangers of drugs.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In the last few weeks, “They Said…They Lied” public service announcements have been airing on Estrella Spanish TV, Mundo Fox Miami TV, the five stations of KBEH TV, CT NI, Telemiami and the five stations of the Tampa Bay Community Network.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
These public service announcements are targeted to junior high and high school level youth. There are 16 public service announcements in the series, showing string depictions of the destructive effects of drugs such as crystal meth, cocaine, prescription drugs and painkillers. These public service announcements are a key component of the overall educational curriculum that the Foundations provides to educators free of charge.
Said one instructor from Utah, “I always use the PSAs to get their attention…the videos seem to start the discussions, and then student after student volunteers to share about their own lives and families. The impact is huge.”
Volunteers with the Foundation have also partnered with 165 businesses and retailers in Clearwater and Tampa to make the “Truth About Drugs” booklets available to their customers.
There are 12 booklets which cover the effects of the most commonly abused drugs, and an additional booklet which is an overview about drugs and their effects on one’s mind and body.
“These booklets speak to young people through facts, not scare tactics,” said Julieta Santagostino, the Foundation’s President.
Booklets were also distributed at a recent festival in Safety Harbor and on Clearwater Beach. “600 people were given copies of the booklets,” added Santagostino, “and several people said that they wanted to pass the booklets along to others they knew who needed the information.”
The volunteers will be participating in several Red Ribbon Week events throughout Florida.
The materials for this secular program, developed by the Church of Scientology in conjunction with medical experts in the field, are available free to educators, governmental agencies, community groups and educational institutions. The Foundation for a Drug Free World organizes the production and distribution of the above-mentioned educational materials. The program is now used by more than 1,200 organizations in 188 countries.
“The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress – drugs and other biochemical substances,” wrote Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. “These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”
His work in the field galvanized Scientologists to support initiatives such as the Foundation for a Drug Free World, a secular nonprofit corporation.
