/24-7PressRelease/ - WEST SUSSEX, UK, January 20, 2006 - In response to the latest debate ongoing about whether or not to re-upgrade marijuana to the Class B drug category, the UK Church of Scientology has called upon all sectors of society to unite in the fight against drugs.
Pointing out that the most important single aspect in the war on drugs is to educate potential users as to the actual facts and consequences of taking drugs, Churches of Scientology around the UK are holding open houses to help bring all like-minded groups and individuals together.
The Church of Scientology East Grinstead at Saint Hill Manor, Saint Hill Road is holding an open house day on Saturday the 28th January, inviting all concerned groups and individuals to visit the Church, share ideas and successes on how to tackle the problem effectively, and to sign a Drug Free Pledge, which pledges that one will stay drug free and also encourage others to be drug free. This will become a regular event.
The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes World Drug Report, issued last year, noted:
• Over the last decade, ATS (amphetamines) abuse has seen the greatest increase, followed by cannabis (marijuana).
• Cannabis is the most prevalent illicit drug of abuse at 160 million people, followed by amphetamine type stimulants (34.1 million), opiates (15.9 million) and cocaine (13.7 million).
• An estimated 200 million people, or 5% of the worlds population age 15-64, consume illegal drugs - an increase of 15 million drug users over that of a year ago.
"These figures show the urgent need to take all possible effective action to reverse the trend, and the need for people to join together in order to really make a difference," said Graeme Wilson, Public Affairs Director of the Church of Scientology in the UK.
Carina Wilson, Community Affairs Director of the Church in East Grinstead said
"It is easy to overlook the problem of drugs in today's society, but the figures are inescapable. With real education, we can do something about it."
The Public Awareness Campaigns sponsored by Scientology churches utilize effective drug awareness booklets, with more than eight million copies distributed so far. Supplementing them have been 224,220 anti-drug billboards and posters, over 45 million drug-prevention fliers, 89,000 public awareness events and more than 10,200 newspaper and television stories promoting the live drug-free message - all financed exclusively by the Church of Scientology and its members.
Last year, close to 50,000,000 people were reached through the Church's campaign. One hundred thousand children and teenagers were sworn-in as Drug Free Marshals or Drug Free Ambassadors. More than 525,000 anti-drug booklets and 5,600,000 fliers against drugs were distributed internationally through street events, lectures against drugs, marathons against drugs and many other types of events.
For more information, see http://www.saynotodrugs.org.uk, and http://www.scientology.org.uk
Church of Scientology is a world-wide religion, which runs programs on education, rehabilitation and working in the community.
CONTACT:
Carina Wilson
Phone: 07749 939 578
E-mail: carinajoanne@tiscali.co.uk
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