Scientology Church Helps 100 Tokyo Youth Learn the Truth About Drugs

The Church of Scientology of Tokyo promotes drug-free living

The Church of Scientology of Tokyo held a presentation for Tokyo youth on the dangers of drug abuse and addiction.  On a sunny afternoon in Arakawa, Tokyo, the Church helped 100 students learned the truth about drugs.

“The problem of drugs is no longer ’somebody else’s’ problem,” said the Public Affairs Director of the Church of Scientology of Tokyo.  “Everyone knows someone with a drug issue.”

Japan has long held a hard line on drug abuse.  But over the past ten years international drug trends have impinged to a greater and greater extent and their influence on Japanese youth has not been positive.  As pointed out by an editorial in the Japan Times, “Until recently, Japan has not needed much of a drug policy, but recent headlines about ‘university pot busts’ indicate one is overdue.” The editorial goes on to say, “there will be no way to restrict Japanese students from reading about marijuana on the Internet and becoming curious. Many students encounter marijuana when traveling or studying abroad. Still, the use of marijuana inside a country with strict intolerance to drug use is a sign of incredibly bad judgment, at best, and remains a crime with real consequences.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “drug use prevention programs are effective when they respond to the needs of a community, involve all the relevant sectors and are based on evidence.”  UNODC further points out that “such programs are also cost effective. It has been shown that, for every dollar spent, good programs for the prevention of drug use among youth can save up to 9 dollars! If other costs to society were to be counted, such as the costs resulting from crime, unemployment and ill-health, the cost effectiveness of good drug use prevention programs is likely to be even greater.”

Churches of Scientology around the world, committed to helping youth live drug-free lives, work with students to provide them with facts about the harmful effect of drugs using the Truth about Drugs series of drug education booklets and other educational materials

For more information on the drug education and prevention activities of the Church of Scientology visit the Scientology web site.