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June 6, 2001
Drug Education: A National Priority
Church Campaigns to Bring Truth About Drugs to Youth
Violence in schools and in youth gangs continues to figure heavily in the societal agendas of politicians and social groups.
Suggested causes and solutions are as varied as the individuals discussing them — but any review of the problem cannot overlook the influence of increasing drug use, both street drugs and prescription psychotropic drugs, among our nation’s youth.
In America, increased violence in schools has been linked with the nation’s infatuation with central nervous system stimulants — amphetamine-like drugs that have a reverse, calming effect — which are being prescribed to an estimated six million of their youth. In fact, 90% of the world’s consumption of Ritalin alone is in the United States. But research also shows that violence has less to do with the type of drug used, than simply the use of any drug that alters the mind or behavior. A long line of American students who have killed or attempted to kill their classmates have been found to be on a variety of these mind-altering drugs.
The link between mind-altering substances and violence has long since been established; reports abound of increased violent and aggressive behavior of individuals taking any one or more of a plethora of psychotropic drugs.
Drugs Increase Aggression
While America consumes stimulant drugs, Europeans are much bigger on tranquilizers. Last year, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) found that Europe “occupies first place when it comes to the medical use of hypnotics, sedatives or anxiolytics of the benzodiazepine type.” Among the INCB’s findings were that “A recent study revealed that doctors in France prescribe about four times more sedatives, hypnotics and tranquilizers than doctors in Germany or the United Kingdom.” The link between the sedative, anti-anxiety and hypnotic drugs and violence is a matter of record. One comprehensive study, entitled “Effect of Psychotropic Drugs on Aggression in a Prison Setting,” was conducted with prisoners in Canada and published in Canadian Family Physician in November 1975.
In the study, authors D.G. Workman, M.D., and D.G. Cunningham evaluated several classes of psychotropic drugs, finding that violent, aggressive incidents occurred significantly more often in inmates on psychotropic medication than when those same men were not on such drugs. When anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety agents were used in combination, the authors noted, there was a 280% increase in aggressive incidents. The most startling increases occurred when anti-anxiety, sedative and hypnotic drugs were combined, resulting in a nearly 500% rise in aggression.
“This seems to disprove any disclaimer that the aggressive incidents occurred because the inmate was anxious and unable to control his frustrations, or would have been aggressive regardless of drug ingestion, since the inmate was better able to control his aggression until he received the psychotropic medication, whereupon the aggressive incident rate almost triples,” the authors also noted.
Teen Suicides Influenced by Drugs
Many other studies have likewise found that psychotropic drugs increase violent, aggressive and also self-destructive behavior, and increased consumption of such drugs is showing itself in France in another way: the alarming rate of teen suicide attempts.
According to a study produced by Inserm, a health and medical research institute, and made known earlier this year, each year up to 200,000 teenagers in France attempt to kill themselves, with an average of 50,000 of those attempts each year being serious enough for hospitalization. Suicide is the second highest cause of death among 15- to 25-year-olds.
The report stated that among the distinguishing features of youth inclined to commit suicide was that they were more than twice as likely to take tranquilizers or sleeping pills, to drink alcohol, smoke or take drugs.
Other drugs being consumed in increasing quantities by French youth include cannabis derivatives. According to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) conducted in 1999, of 30 European countries France was second only to Britain with the highest percentage of students who had experienced cannabis-related drugs — 35% over a European average of 16%.
Increasing drug use, combined with such factors as a state-run school program to instill religious intolerance in students, spell social disaster far beyond the walls of our schools.
Drug Education Needed
Drug education for youth is paramount.
One of the most visible drug education and prevention campaigns is sponsored by the Churches of Scientology. Known as “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life,” the campaign has focused on distributing factual, informative brochures about drugs — so far on the subjects of marijuana, heroin and ecstasy.
Say No to Drugs volunteers are visible in a number of cities, with public information stands and in some locations with free concerts on an anti-drug theme.
The campaign is sponsored by Churches of Scientology throughout the world. Scientologists tackle the subject of drugs with some authority: the Church membership is 100% drug free. Further, the Churches and Scientologists support the non-religious, independent Narconon drug rehabilitation program, which has 70 centers in 29 countries. Narconon has enabled addicts to free themselves from their devastating, life-threatening addictions, including many hard-core heroin abusers. In all, 250,000 people have been freed from the affects of drugs through the drug rehabilitation technology of L. Ron Hubbard.
While Scientologists are not opposed to the use of medical drugs and antibiotics for the treatment of physical conditions, they use neither street drugs nor any of the dangerous pharmaceuticals pushed as a solution to everything from depression to being overweight. To Scientologists, the reason is simple: drugs not only threaten one physically but spiritually.
Volunteers of the Say No to Drugs campaign provide a clear and simple message to teens: Despite what you see on television or in magazines, drugs are not “chic.” They are deadly. That message is reaching thousands of youth, and many have told campaign volunteers that they changed their minds about drugs — deciding to not take them, or to help get their friends off them.
The Church invites public participation in the Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life campaign, and also urges that all churches, youth groups and social agencies that interact with youth give drug education and prevention chief importance.
“Without doubt, drug use is the most serious problem facing youth everywhere today. Without drugs, we would see far less violence, suicides and other problems,” said Agnes Bron, “Say No to Drugs” campaign coordinator. “These youth are the future of our entire culture. All concerned groups, agencies, government departments in all countries need to work together on this as a national priority.”
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