Dr. Berg’s Opinion on Scientology’s Drug Education Program
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QUESTION FOR DR. BERG:
WHY DO YOU SUPPORT SCIENTOLOGY’S DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM?
- BERG:
Drug abuse is a huge problem in the US and worldwide. Anyone who has recovered from drug or alcohol addiction can tell you what a personal hell it is. And if you want to know the extent of the damage, just speak with someone who has lost a loved one to an overdose.
In 2021, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), over 98,000 people died from preventable drug overdoses in the United States, up 58% from 62,000 in 2019. That 2021 statistic is an increase of 780% from 1999.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that 70,000 of the overdose deaths in 2021 involved the drug fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
What became known as the “opioid crisis” got its start in the 1990’s with fraudulent marketing by drug companies and rampant prescription of opioids (such as OxyContin and Vicodin) for “pain management.” The epidemic has come in waves with the availability of cheap heroin (also an opiate) and in more recent years, powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
But the drug problem is not limited to opioids. With cannabis (marijuana) legalization, entrepreneurs have created increasingly potent strains of cannabis, containing higher and higher amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. In other words, this is not the “backyard weed” of the 1970’s. Concentrated THC is now available as oil, sticky resin, and edibles packaged like candy for kids. The long-term outcomes of these THC drugs are not yet fully known, but recent studies have found dependency, delusory episodes, and psychosis to be among the effects.
The 1980’s gave us the “crack epidemic,” and now we’ve seen communities devastated by methamphetamine abuse. In short, you need only look a few blocks – or in your own backyard – to see what drugs can do to families and society.
In another article, I went into detail about Scientology’s Purification Program and its effectiveness in helping rid the body of the harmful effects of drugs and toxins. But how do we reach the youth so they don’t get mixed up in drugs in the first place? This has been a question asked by parents, teachers, clergy and governments ever since anyone was aware of the problem.
JUST SAY NO was a campaign in the 1980’s, and no doubt it worked for some, but it never answered WHY one would say no. It also could have the reverse effect. What is a teenager likely to do when ordered NOT to do something? That’s right – they DO that exact thing!
We also have the controversial WAR ON DRUGS. Are arrests the answer? Incarceration? Stiff penalties? “Three strike” laws? The illicit drug trade, as we know, is linked to violence and human misery.
Also, WHY do people start using drugs in the first place? What problem are they trying to solve? Why is the demand for drugs so high?
A primary answer involves DRUG EDUCATION. When a young person knows the effects of drugs, when they are educated, they are much less likely to turn to drugs. When they understand WHY people turn to drugs – and are given practical solutions – they are far less likely to seek drugs as a “solution” to their problems.
The TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS campaign has been a Scientology sponsored program for over two decades. It is a non-religious program. Teachers, parents, councilors, students, law enforcement – all are welcome to join in the campaign to educate our youth.
The campaign includes written materials, booklets, educator packages, free online courses, multimedia elements, and live lectures for schools and other institutions in at least 17 languages.
We live in an audio-visual age, so the campaign features public service announcements (PSAs) to demonstrate the effects of drugs – cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, cannabis, alcohol, crack, meth, inhalants, Ritalin abuse, synthetic drugs, prescription drug abuse, LSD, and painkillers. The PSAs have a series of companion booklets that can be handed out in massive quantities at schools, concerts, parades, anywhere people gather.
More than 100 million TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS booklets have been distributed worldwide, more than 24,000 education kits have been distributed to educators worldwide, more than 400 law enforcement agencies have used TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS materials, and a total of 1200 private and governmental organizations have utilized the program globally.
The website drugfreeworld.org goes into detail on the program and how anyone can easily obtain free materials to help educate our youth.
My experience has been that when children and teens are educated on the facts regarding drugs and what they do to the body, mind and spirit, they are far less likely to use drugs. When you add to that a real understanding of WHY people turn to drugs in the first place, and what real solutions look like, you have the right elements for a happy and fulfilling life.
We’ve passed the 8 billion mark for the number of human beings.
Our youth are the future.
When it comes to educating them, I’m 100% on board.
LINKS:
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/
https://www.scientology.org/how-we-help/truth-about-drugs/
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/public-service-announcements.html
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts-booklets.html
