In August, volunteers from the Church of Scientology’s Drug-Free World campaign carried out a nationwide grassroots effort across France, distributing over 10,500 educational booklets, engaging hundreds of shop owners and educators, and gathering youth pledges to stay drug-free. Operating without government funding, the initiative reached major cities and rural towns alike — from Marseille and Toulouse to Brittany and Normandy — at a time when drug-related deaths and emergency visits are on the rise. By bringing prevention directly to streets, schools, and communities, the campaign filled a critical gap in France’s drug strategy, offering a clear and urgent message: “Just say no to drugs.”

PARIS — While French health officials continue to prioritize “harm reduction” policies — from supervised injection sites to cannabis decriminalization debates — a different kind of drug prevention intervention is unfolding on sidewalks, in shops, and outside schools across the country.

Led by volunteers from the Church of Scientology under its Drug-Free World banner, a nationwide august campaign distributed more than 10,500 educational booklets, engaged hundreds of merchants and educators, and collected dozens of youth pledges — all centered on a simple, unfashionable message: Just say no to drugs.

The campaign, which ran throughout August, reached Marseille’s northern neighborhoods, Brittany’s coastal towns, Toulouse’s public squares, and Paris’ Opera Garnier — turning everyday spaces into impromptu prevention zones.

It is an effort that operates largely outside state funding or institutional endorsement. Yet in a country where drug-induced deaths reached 614 in 2022 — a figure described by the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) as “continuing an upward trend since 2010” — and where emergency room visits for cocaine use nearly doubled between 2011 and 2021, according to Sante Publique France, the campaign’s persistence — and its reception among educators, health professionals, and local merchants — suggests it is filling a gap that official policy has yet to fully address.

A Campaign Built on Boots, Not Bureaucracy: The August rollout was methodical, decentralized, and hyper-local.

On August 19 in Marseille, volunteers distributed 600 booklets and secured agreements with seven local shops to display materials. A week later in La Fleche, in western France, 847 booklets went out — 30 businesses signed on, and a schoolteacher took three copies to use in classroom prevention sessions.

In Sochaux, a former industrial town in eastern France where economic decline has coincided with rising substance use, 400 booklets were handed out on August 24.

By August 28, volunteers in southwestern France had placed 1,000 booklets with 53 merchants — pharmacists, cafés, tobacco shops — effectively turning storefronts into community outposts for drug education.

The campaign’s centerpiece in Marseille on August 30 drew 750 booklet distributions, with dozens signing the “Drug-Free Ambassador” pledges — including two girls, ages 8 and 10, whose father walked them through each commitment point — and two recorded audio testimonials. One woman, now in her 30s, told volunteers she first encountered the material as a teenager: “My mother left the booklet in the bathroom. I read it out of curiosity. That was 15 years ago — but it stayed with me.”

The campaign’s “Impaired Vision Goggles,” which simulate the motor and cognitive effects of cannabis use, proved particularly effective. A young couple who initially dismissed them as a gimmick tried the exercise — and left shaken. “We couldn’t walk straight or catch a ball,” one admitted. “It made us rethink everything.”

In Toulouse the same day, at Place Jeanne d’Arc, volunteers distributed 280 booklets and engaged specialized educators, retired ambulance drivers, and young adults with direct experience of drug-related loss — including one man whose friend began smoking cannabis at 14 and later died by suicide.

A tattoo artist and YouTuber took a full set of materials for her studio and her channel. “I’m going to make videos about this,” she told volunteers. “Thank you for being here.”

Paris: Where Policy Meets the Public

The most resonant stop came on August 30 in front of the Opera Garnier, where a mobile exhibit — organized by Drug-Free World France coordinator Nadine Vigneron — drew a good number of substantive conversations, distributed hundreds of booklets, and handed out DVDs and educator kits.

Among those who stopped: a criminal lawyer and president of a social association who requested bulk orders; special education teachers seeking classroom tools; and a psychologist from Sainte-Anne Hospital.

Speaking with volunteers, he said: “In my clinical experience, around 90% of the cases I treat developed mental health challenges after using drugs. Your prevention work is not just valuable — it’s essential.”

Mothers shared stories of children trapped in addiction without access to treatment. Young adults — some current or former users — asked questions, listened, and left visibly affected.

“A very inspiring work” Vigneron said. “This exhibit is high quality. Very noticeable. We’re bringing it to Nantes on September 20.”

The Final Push: 7,000 Booklets in One Day

The campaign’s largest single-day effort came on August 31, when volunteers blanketed Brittany and Normandy with 7,000 booklets distributed across 131 businesses — embedding prevention materials in rural pharmacies, seaside boutiques, and village cafés. Just door-to-door, hand-to-hand delivery.

The Data Behind the Drive

The campaign’s urgency is grounded in measurable trends:

According to the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), 13.4 million adults in France have tried cannabis. Of those, 1.6 million use it regularly. Cocaine-related emergency room visits nearly doubled between 2011 and 2021, per Sante Publique France. France recorded over 600 drug-induced deaths in 2022, with opioids involved in the majority, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Globally, 296 million people used drugs in 2021, and only one in five with drug use disorders received treatment, per the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Why It Matters

“On the ground, this campaign, inspired by the works of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, creates an impact that is neither abstract nor marginal“, said Ivan Arjona-Pelado, Scientology representative to the EU and the UN. “Teachers are using the materials. Shop owners are displaying them. Psychologists are endorsing them. Young people — including those who have already experimented — are stopping by to ask questions.“

In a policy environment where “harm reduction” dominates thanks to vested interests, and prevention is often relegated to after-school PSAs, this campaign offers something increasingly rare: a direct, unapologetic message that drug use carries serious, irreversible risks — and that avoiding it entirely is not only possible, but preferable.

“Whether that message scales beyond pamphlets and goggles it is up to each citizen and government officials, but I can guarantee you that Scientologists are putting their energy, time and passion so that it happens“, stated Arjona, “and now, in towns and cities across France, it’s being heard“.

Here’s a revised closing paragraph, smoothly bridging from a press release focused on drug prevention activities to a broader message about Scientology’s religious recognitions and humanitarian impact:

These recent drug prevention initiatives are part of the Church of Scientology’s longstanding commitment to creating a better world through practical solutions. Across the globe, Scientology-sponsored programs address some of society’s most urgent issues — from substance abuse and criminal rehabilitation to literacy, human rights education, and disaster response. This work, spearheaded and boosted by Scientology’s Ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige, has earned the Church and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, numerous humanitarian recognitions for their tangible contributions to the well-being of communities worldwide. At the same time, Scientology’s religious status has been officially recognized by governments and courts in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Australia, Mexico, Colombia, Macedonia, among many others (scientologyreligion.org). Together, these acknowledgments reflect both the spiritual mission and the real-world impact of Scientology — a faith dedicated not only to spiritual advancement, but to practical action for a drug-free and ethical society.

Media Contact

Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights

Contact Person: Ivan Arjona

Website: https://www.scientologyeurope.org

Email: Send Email

Address:Boulevard de Waterloo 103

City: Brussels

State: Brussels

Country:Belgium

Release id:33794

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