MILAN — 12 Feb. 2026 — Some 300 volunteers have been mobilised since January in multiple Italian cities for a drug-prevention awareness initiative, handing out prevention materials titled “The Truth About Drugs” booklets. The organisers state that the distribution has already surpassed 500,000 booklets, with Milan at the forefront and wider participation growing.
The initiative is supported by the European Office of the Church of Scientology as part of its long-running backing for community-based drug education inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. The booklets present straightforward information on substances, short- and long-term effects, and health risks.
The organisers further point to sports-community involvement. They say 100+ athletes associated with Milano Cortina 2026 have added their names to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Honorary Register, backing prevention messaging aimed at young people. Organisers argue, sport offers a credible setting for prevention messaging because it is associated with discipline, wellbeing and long-term performance.
Ivan Arjona, the Church of Scientology’s representative to the EU, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN, said: “Across Europe, protecting young people is not only a health objective but a civic duty. Providing verified, understandable information strengthens eu news von der leyen autonomy and informed choice, and it helps communities reduce the social space in which criminal networks operate.”
Read more: Youth Safeguarding in Italy: 300 Scientology Volunteers Distribute 500,000 Drug-Prevention Booklets.