QUARTER OF MILLIONS OF EUROS REQUESTED BY SCIENTOLOGY CHURCH FOR ANTI-DRUG PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

TODAY IN AMSTERDAM, IN COOPERATION WITH THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE, THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY OF AMSTERDAM REQUESTED A QUARTER OF A MILLION EUROS FROM THE HOLLAND GOVERNMENT FOR THE PUBLICATION OF 4 MILLION COPIES OF THEIR ANTI-DRUG BOOKLETS AND DISTRIBUTION OF IT TO ALL SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY.

IN A LETTER SENT TO THE PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH CARE DIRECTORATE OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, THE SCIENTOLOGISTS OFFERED THEIR ANTI-DRUG PREVENTION CAMPAIGN TO HELP RESOLVE THE ESCALATING DRUG PROBLEM THAT PLAGUES HOLLAND AND MOST SPECIFICALLY AMSTERDAM.

THEY BASE THEIR DECISION ON STATISTICS. PER RESEARCH DONE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM, THE AMSTERDAM POPULATION WHO HAS USED HASHISH WENT FROM 23.2% IN 1987 TO 38.1% IN 2001. THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS BETWEEN AGES 12 AND 15 WHO USE CANNABIS HAS ALMOST DOUBLED IN THE SAME YEARS WHILE THE NUMBER OF ADULTS BETWEEN AGES 20 AND 24 WHO ARE USING COCAINE HAS ALMOST TRIPLED. AND ECSTASY USE HAS INCREASED BY 600% OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. 

THEY SAY THAT SUCH DRUG USAGE IS POTENTIALLY BEHIND THE HIGH MURDER RATE AND PROSTITUTION IN THE COUNTRY.

"IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CHURCHES HAVE TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT ON THIS MATTER.  WE CAN NOT JUST DUMP THE ENTIRE RESPONSIBILITY ON THEM. AND WE ARE VERY WILLING TO HELP", SAID JULIA RIJNVIS, SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY AMSTERDAM.  "SO FAR, THE 400,000 COPIES OF THE BOOKLETS DISTRIBUTED IN HOLLAND HAVE BEEN FINANCED BY SCIENTOLOGISTS. BUT AT THIS POINT AND WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION, WE NEED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A  SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE."

ACROSS EUROPE INCLUDING HOLLAND, SCIENTOLOGISTS SAY THAT FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS, THEY HAVE DISTRIBUTED 10 MILLION ANTI-DRUG BOOKLETS ON HASHISH, ECSTASY, HEROINE AND A GUIDE BOOKLET FOR PARENTS ON DEALING WITH DRUGS - ALL FINANCED BY SCIENTOLOGISTS.  ACCORDING TO THEM, HUNDREDS OF EUROPEAN TEENAGERS HAVE DECIDED TO NOT TAKE DRUGS OR TO STOP TAKING DRUGS AFTER READING THEIR INFORMATIVE BOOKLETS. TEACHERS HAVE USED THIS IN SCHOOLS TO BRIEF THEIR STUDENTS ON THE DANGER OF DRUGS AND POLICE OFFICERS IN SOME EU COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN SEEN USING THESE BOOKLETS OR DISTRIBUTING THEM.

"WE NOW WANT THE GOVERNMENTS OF EUROPE TO STEP IN AND USE A PREVENTIVE CAMPAIGN WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVEN TO WORK", SAYS FABIO AMICARELLI, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE.  "AND WE ARE OFFERING OUR HELP FIRST TO HOLLAND, ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN REGARDS TO ITS WAY OF DEALING WITH THE DRUG PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF ITS COFFEE SHOPS AND ITS EXPORTATION OF ECSTASY".

DUTCH SCIENTOLOGISTS FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEIR REQUEST, BEING SUPPORTED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION. THEY SUPPORT THE PRIME MINISTER'S POSITION AGAINST DRUGS.

"WE DO NOT LIKE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO IN OUR COUNTRY ABOUT DRUGS.  BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FURTHER OR BE TOLD AGAIN TO CHANGE IT.  WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW", SAYS MRS RIJNVIS.

UNTIL THEY GET AN ANSWER, THE SCIENTOLOGISTS WILL CONTINUE THEIR ACTIONS AGAINST DRUGS.  SCIENTOLOGISTS FROM ACROSS EUROPE DONATE THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK ON THIS CAMPAIGN EVERY WEEK.