Nashville to Celebrate International Day Against Drug Abuse

Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and is planning a series of events for the 2018 International Day Against Drug Abuse.

Recently four police officers were charged with bringing drugs into Tennessee jails; 43 people were arrested in a Sevier County drug roundup; and a man and woman in Murfreesboro were found with 1.3 million dollars in Xanax pills, and arrested.

“When it comes to people’s lives being ruined by drugs and addiction, the news is just non-stop,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, regional coordinator for Drug-Free Tennessee. “We need to spread a positive drug-free message and educate as many people as possible and as fast as possible,” he says.

For this very reason, Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT) has been working to organize a series of events in honor of International Day Against Drug Abuse, which takes place each year on June 26. Fesler says his group has high goals to educate people and intends to meet them.

International Day Against Drug Abuse was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is leading a global campaign to raise awareness about the major challenge that illicit drugs represent to society as a whole, and especially to the young. The goal of the campaign is to mobilize support and inspire people to act against drug use, according to unodc.org.

DFT is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW), which is based in Los Angeles and has as its mission to educate people about the dangerous effects of drugs so they understand and can make informed choices on the subject. Fesler says, “There is a need in our communities to educate everyone on drugs, drugs impact all our lives in one way or another. That’s why we work with others so people can get a complete overview.” For more information on Drug-Free Tennessee, visit drugfreetn.org.

Nashville to Celebrate International Friendship Day

Friendship Day takes place each year at the Church of Scientology in Nashville.

The Church of Scientology will host its fourth annual Friendship Day open house at the end of July, with participation from many of the ethnicities and nationalities that make up the city of Nashville.

The International Day of Friendship was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 in the belief that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.”

“The whole point of our open house is to bring a diverse group of people together and demonstrate the power of friendship,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. “Most of life’s problems come from our basic misunderstanding of each other—a misunderstanding of intentions. Getting along with one another starts with getting to know each other.”

The Church of Scientology will partner in this effort with The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee, which provides a community betterment program based on the book The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard. The initiative is predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness is attainable. Several precepts in the book promote dialogue and friendship, among them “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others,” “Be Worthy of Trust,” and “Try to Treat Others As You Would Want Them to Treat You.”

For more information on the Church of Scientology, its programs or upcoming events, visit scientology-ccnashville.org.

Nashville Celebrates World Health Day

Drug-Free Tennessee joined with community partners for the event “Nashville Celebrates World Health Day,” on at the Church of Scientology.

“Health for All” was the theme for World Health Day this year. In Nashville, the community came together at the Church of Scientology to recognize leaders who are working for a healthier city and helping people lead healthy lives.

It was the inaugural event “Nashville Celebrates World Health Day,” which began with a concert and continued with a program geared towards healthy living.

Vendors from several health related organizations shared information and delivered health screenings, musicians Keith Floyd and Norez performed, and speakers gave audio-visual presentations that highlight healthy living.

The event was co-organized by Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT), which has worked with the community to celebrate World Health Day since 2015. DFT is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW), which has as its mission to educate people about the dangerous effects of drugs so they understand and can make informed choices on the subject. The Tennessee chapter provides educational materials free of charge to anyone working on drug prevention, and observes World Health Day as a vital point of awareness on the hazards of illegal and dangerous drugs.

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church of Scientology and regional coordinator for Drug-Free Tennessee, says, “There is a need in our communities to educate everyone on how to be healthy - this includes staying away from illegal drugs, and there are many other aspects to health that people should know.”

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate April 7 of each year as World Health Day. World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. This year is the 70th anniversary.

For more information about the event or to view the educational materials available, visit DrugFreeTN.org.

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee Makes Plans for Summer 2018

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee is preparing for a summer of events, beginning in June for World Environment Day.
 
"True joy and happiness are valuable," begins the common sense guide, The Way to Happiness, written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s. Since then, the book has sparked a movement and has been reprinted and passed hand to hand to a wide variety of cultures and peoples.

In Tennessee, The Way to Happiness Association has been on an all-out effort to spread its message even further. The reason? Organizers say where it is distributed crime rates plummet, as proven by statistics.

"This book spreads a calmness that is unparalleled by anything else. It contains common sense moral messages that anyone can agree with and apply," says Rev. Brian Fesler, the regional coordinator for the program.

The Way to Happiness booklet details 21 precepts predicated on the fact that one's survival depends on the survival of others. According to thewaytohappiness.org, "This code of conduct can be followed by anyone, of any race, color or creed and works to restore the bonds that unite humankind." The Way to Happiness aims at giving people back a sense of what is right and wrong in a way that is easy to understand. In the three decades since it was authored, some 80 million copies of the book passed hand to hand.

The Tennessee Association launched its campaign to distribute the booklet in 2009. Since that time, the group has visited local health fairs, festivals and community gatherings. It is currently gearing up for events in June and July, where the booklet will be distributed and its messages spread.

For more information, visit thewaytohappiness.org.

Drug-Free Tennessee Prepares for Summer of Events

Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, and is planning a series of events during the summer.


Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT) is committed to ending the drug problem in the state. That is why each year, volunteers organize and participate in a series of events to bring awareness to this issue and combat usage. “If we can delete the demand, we can erase the problem,” says Regional Director of Drug-Free Tennessee, Rev. Brian Fesler.

In 2018, DFT volunteers are determined to reach more people than ever. This weekend, the chapter is hosting an event for World Health Day to bring awareness to this issue to the community, in addition to other health-related topics. Then over the summer, volunteers will distribute booklets at festivals, fairs and other events including International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, around the CMA Music Festival, and at National Night Out Against Crime.

“We need to go to all people, to get everyone this information on the truth about drugs,” says Fesler, “Drugs don’t discriminate -- they affect everyone, everywhere. It’s time to end this epidemic.”

Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California, with a focus on the elimination of drug and alcohol abuse and its resulting criminality. It distributes the Truth About Drugs booklet, which covers all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer. To learn more or to order booklets, visit drugfreesouth.org.

Drug-Free Tennessee Joins Community Partners for ‘Nashville Celebrates World Health Day 2018’

Drug-Free Tennessee joins with community partners for the event “Nashville Celebrates World Health Day,” to be held April 7 at the Church of Scientology.

On April 7^th, the Nashville community comes together for “Nashville Celebrates World Health Day.”  The theme of the event this year as put forth by the World Health Organization is “Health for All,” and the city will celebrate with a program and concert from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Church of Scientology, 1130 8^th Avenue South. Vendors from several health related organizations will have information and health screenings available, Keith Floyd and the Music City Band will perform, and speakers and audio-visual presentations will highlight healthy living.

This is the fourth year Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT) has worked with the community to celebrate World Health Day.  DFT is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW), which has as its mission to educate people about the dangerous effects of drugs so they understand and can make informed choices on the subject. The Tennessee chapter provides educational materials free of charge to anyone working on drug prevention, and observes World Health Day as a vital point of awareness on the hazards of illegal and dangerous drugs.

Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Nashville Church of Scientology and regional coordinator for Drug-Free Tennessee, says, “There is a need in our communities to educate everyone on how to be healthy—this includes staying away from illegal drugs, and there are many other aspects to health that people should know.”

Rev. Fesler says the event will feature video, music, interactive presentations and more to keep the audience engaged. “We’re helping people learn about being healthy in a fun, upbeat way,” he says.

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate April 7 of each year as World Health Day. World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. This year, the theme is #HealthForAll.

For more information about the event or to view the educational materials available, visit DrugFreeTN.org.

The Way to Happiness Association Announces Third Annual ‘Green It Up’ Event

The Way to Happiness Association is observing World Environment Day on June 2nd with a networking meeting on behalf of the environment.

It’s Your City – Green It Up. This has been the slogan for a series of meetings for World Environment Day, organized by the Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee, since 2016.

The Way to Happiness Association wants this event to bring people together who care about the environment so they can connect and do bigger things. The Way to Happiness Association was formed around the book The Way To Happiness, written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

The Way to Happiness is filled with twenty-one precepts based on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others. One of these precepts is “Safeguard and Improve the Environment,” which takes to heart care for the planet. In applying this precept, the local Association has organized cleanup projects of all sorts, and now the local chapter wants to branch out and include all environmental organizations in a discussion to make an even bigger impact.

Volunteers also plan to do cleanups around World Environment Day under this same banner.

World Environment Day occurs each year on June 5th and is celebrated by the United Nations. According to unep.org, World Environment Day “…has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.”

For more information on “Green It Up,” or if you would like to participate, visit twthtn.org. 

Drug-Free Tennessee to Host Workshop on Education Materials

Drug-Free Tennessee is preparing for International Day Against Drug Abuse with several educational events culminating in a training workshop about keeping young people away from drugs.

Keeping Youth off Drugs has long been the message of Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT). The group has promoted a drug-free life with education and prevention materials for young people. According to drugfreetn.org, it has reached more than 18,000 people across Tennessee in the last five years. But now DFT is going full throttle ahead and wants to get this message out to the masses.

So throughout the month of June, the group will be hitting the streets passing out the Truth About Drugs booklets, which enlighten all ages on the dangers of common street drugs. Then, on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the group will be having a training workshop titled “Making Drugs a Bad Deal: How to Keep Our Youth Off Drugs.” During the free workshop, attendees will get information on exactly what to say and show to their kids to help steer them clear of a life of addiction. This is the third year the group has done events under the heading “Making Drugs a Bad Deal.”

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking takes place on June 26 each year and was created by the UN General Assembly in December 1987 to encourage all sectors of society to work together to tackle drug abuse and addiction.

DFT is the local chapter for the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit organization aimed at providing children the truth about drugs so they are equipped with correct information and won’t become a victim to dealer’s lies. DFT has visited over 30 counties across Tennessee providing informational seminars and lectures for school children and other groups.

For more information on Drug-Free Tennessee, visit DrugFreeTN.org.