Saluting the Drug-Free Hungary Marathon 2007

Children attending a drug education event held by the Marathon for a Drug-Free Hungary pledge to live drug-free lives.

For most runners, the marathon is the longest run they will ever attempt. But the Marathon for a Drug-Free Hungary team will probably never look upon a mere marathon as a challenge again, after completing their 7-week-long annual trans-Hungarian run, to promote drug free living and bring the truth about drugs to the youth of their country.

The Church of Scientology of Hungary is proud to support and be one of the co-sponsors of this campaign.

Receiving a hero’s welcome in town after town, welcomed by mayors, city councilmen, members of parliament, and community leaders for the past 45 days, they made thousands of new friends and introduced hundreds of thousands of children to factual information on drugs, swearing them in with the Drug-Free Marshals pledge to live drug-free lives and help their friends and families make the same commitment.

And the runners were not alone. Every place they went they were joined by people of all ages and backgrounds who believe in their cause, donned running shoes and accompanied them on their way to their next destination.

The Hungarian government announced this week that more than 11 percent of adults and an estimated 200,000 youth in their country have used illegal substances, and that as many as 25,000 youngsters use them regularly.

But with so much grassroots support for a drug-free Hungary, so many contributing to the success of the marathon, so many cities holding their own anti-drug events to coincide with the marathon’s visit, the runners are confident these statistics will change in short order. And just as they wrapped up the final leg of this year’s run, they were overjoyed to learn that the Hungarian Government has now decided to step up its national drug education offensive with 7.5 billion forints (30 million euros/over 4 million US dollars) over the next seven years to go toward a major national drug information campaign to reach all the youth of Hungary.

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, wrote. "...drugs set you up to get into situations which are truly disastrous and keep you that way," and the Scientologists of Hungary are proud to be working alongside so many dedicated people who are helping the youth of their country live happy, productive lives, free from the effects of drugs.