Because the scourge of drug abuse affects every community in Europe today, the Church of Scientology International Human Rights and Public Affairs Office is sponsoring a series of events to educate European leaders on the importance of this issue and to spotlight programs that are effective in dealing with the problem.

In 2004 we launched the Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe with the purpose of uniting and coordinating the efforts of members of civil society involved in the fight against drugs in Europe.

“Drug dependency is a vital human rights issue,” said Marc Bromberg, Exhibition Manager at the Scientology Human Rights Office in Brussels. Drug abuse is a factor in ever-increasing crime rates, which puts at risk the rights of life, liberty and security of person of every member of the community.”

For this reason, on Wednesday, June 29th 2005 the Church of Scientology International Human Rights and Public Affairs Office held a conference on drug-prevention, rehabilitation and education.

Mr. Peter Stoker, Director of the British-based National Drug Prevention Alliance, spoke about the workability and cost-effectiveness of drug prevention. He stated: “Prevention techniques need to vary according to the setting in which they are delivered, the culture of the people to whom you are delivering them—and obviously the age group.” He denounced current so-called “harm reduction” as being aimed at “the facilitation of drug use.”

The conference also featured presentations by Mrs. Katalin Szomor, president of the PRADO Foundation (Prostitution, AIDS and Drugs Prevention Organization); educator and addiction expert Dr. Diego Valeri; drug prevention expert Jean-Luc Maxence of France; Dr. Mireille Verguch, spokesperson of the Flemish Platform Against Drugs and Mr. Bo Persson, President of Narconon Europe.