“Fight Back: Make Drugs a Bad Deal,” was the name of the community drug
prevention rally at the Church of Scientology Nashville October 28. Held in
honor of Red Ribbon Week, its purpose was to align actions across Nashville for
maximum impact on the drug crisis affecting the city.
The Church of Scientology and
Celebrity Centre Nashville hosted a multi-faith, multi-cultural drug prevention
forum October 28, on the theme “Fight Back: Make Drugs a Bad Deal.” The
program, held in the Public Information Center of the Church, was organized in
honor of Red Ribbon Week, a drug and violence prevention awareness campaign
observed annually in October in the United States.
The Church briefed those
attending on the very effective drug education program it supports—The Truth
About Drugs. Drawing on 25 years of experience in drug prevention, the program
has solved the problem of effectively communicating to teens and young adults
the reality of drug abuse, individually and through mass communication. It
includes a series of 14 fact-filled booklets, 16 public service announcements
that can effectively deter first-time drug use, and the award-winning
feature-length The Truth About Drugs—Real People, Real Stories documentary. The
Church has made these materials available free of charge to anyone wishing to
reach youth before the dealers do.
Attendees also heard from an
undercover narcotics officer who spoke about the drug trends in Middle
Tennessee and gave tips on how to detect and help loved ones who may be
becoming addicted to prescription painkillers, one of the current drugs of
choice.
Also presenting was Michael
DeCristoforo, a former drug addict who now has taken it upon himself to spread
the truth about drugs with informational seminars on the topic. The reason: he
never knew what he was getting into, and believes that if others knew they
would never fall into the trap.
Rounding out the program was a
representative from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services, who spoke to what faith communities are doing across the state
to handle the problem. He described churches that are being certified as
“recovery congregations” and how they are reaching into the community and
helping addicts.
The Church of Scientology and
Celebrity Centre Nashville joins Scientology Churches around the U.S. in drug
prevention activities each year for the Red Ribbon Campaign. Red Ribbon Week
began when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in
1985. To honor his sacrifice, a tradition was born of wearing red ribbons and
pledging to lead drug-free lives. According to redribbon.org, the mission of
the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards
the creation of a Drug-Free America. The Church of Scientology and Celebrity
Centre Nashville organizes programs such as this in coordination with Drug-Free
South (DFS), the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. For
more information on the Church’s drug prevention activities visit the website
of the Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Nashville.
The Scientology religion was
founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of
Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to
more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of
members in 167 countries.
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