PARIS, France — November 2025 — During the autumn months, Drug-Free World France volunteers intensified their presence across the country, carrying out a broad series of drug-prevention actions that reached thousands of residents in both large cities and smaller towns. From the western coast to the Rhône-Alpes region, from Paris to the South-West, the initiative engaged parents, educators, shopkeepers, young adults and health professionals interested in clear, trustworthy information about the risks of narcotics and synthetic drugs. ((as noted in a recent article on Scientology Europe).
This heightened activity comes as public discussion in France is placing more and more attention on young people’s exposure to drugs and the emergence of new synthetic substances in schools and local communities. Teachers, health practitioners and community leaders have expressed concern about early experimentation with drugs, while grassroots groups continue to fulfil an essential role in providing practical prevention at the community level. The Truth About Drugs programme—developed within the humanitarian legacy of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology—is built on factual and accessible materials designed to support informed decisions and responsible choices.
In early October, volunteers in Brittany visited a network of small shops, cafés and businesses, providing more than a thousand Truth About Drugs booklets in areas where merchants expressed both interest and appreciation for the materials. Several shop owners engaged volunteers in conversations about the spread of synthetic drugs and how families were seeking clearer information. One volunteer recounted that a restaurant employer in the region had previously given up drugs after watching an educational video on synthetic substances and later informed his staff that the workplace would be drug-free. The volunteer highlighted this as an example of the positive ripple effects that fact-based prevention can produce.
As the month progressed, additional outreach in western France led to further conversations involving pharmacists, municipal staff, parents and teachers. A pharmacist running an addiction-support clinic requested a display and extra materials for her patients, noting that she had used the booklets successfully the year before. A law-enforcement representative in the area also obtained materials for use with the public, stressing the usefulness of clear prevention tools in daily contacts. In several cafés, owners remarked that prevention resources were “right on time”, given the concerns they had about early exposure to drugs in their area.
Further east, in towns in the Loire and Rhône-Alpes regions, volunteers visited dozens of merchants who willingly displayed the materials for customers and employees. Many discussions revolved around copyright, with several residents noting that its use had become increasingly visible across age groups and social settings.
A notable rise in engagement occurred in Reims, where volunteers brought many thousands of booklets into circulation within a brief timeframe. Shopkeepers of all types—from boutiques to larger retail outlets—set aside space for displays and, in many cases, requested extra booklets. One young manager recognised the booklet from a distribution he had encountered during his student years in another city. After reading it at the time, he had stopped smoking and told volunteers he remained grateful for the clarity it provided. Another business owner raised concerns about the presence of substances such as PTC among local youth, describing the effects as particularly destabilising. During street outreach, a young adult told volunteers that he had stopped using PTC a month earlier and encouraged them to continue their work, calling it “very important.”
In Paris, volunteers carried out one of their most extensive autumn activities in a neighbourhood where families have often expressed concern about drug-related issues. Thousands of booklets were distributed to shops, and many residents took the opportunity to speak directly with volunteers. A psychologist who encountered the team took a complete display for her practice and indicated that she would include the materials in her work with clients. A couple picked up booklets for their daughter, who often travels with friends, saying the booklets offered a practical basis for initiating preventive conversations. Several local residents expressed appreciation that such resources were being made available at street level.
South-western France also saw sustained engagement, with a prevention booth in Bordeaux that attracted a steady stream of passers-by and local shopkeepers. In addition to booklets distributed in surrounding shops, volunteers completed impairment-simulation exercises using glasses that mimic the effects of alcohol or cannabis, prompting discussions about the risks associated with recreational consumption. Merchants in the region underlined the need for tools helping young people understand the dangers of substance use.
Other towns across the South-West, including Agen, welcomed volunteers who distributed booklets in shops where owners expressed interest in supporting longer-term prevention. In Toulouse, volunteers continued a rhythm of outreach in districts where educators have regularly requested materials. In Nice, a street stand created opportunities for dialogue with families affected by addiction; several people asked to be contacted for future activities, and one expressed interest in joining the association.
As autumn drew to a close, additional outreach in eastern France involved the distribution of several hundred booklets in Belfort, where a housing employee took a full box of inhalant-gas booklets for families he identified as needing them. Local shops showed strong support, with several shopkeepers explaining that the brochures were taken rapidly and requesting more copies. In Marseille, further material was circulated in neighbourhoods where community demand for prevention tools continued to be strong across the year.
Across all these regions, volunteers observed consistent trends: a desire among parents for practical, trustworthy information; eagerness from shopkeepers to participate in community wellbeing; and openness from young adults who often shared personal experiences or concerns. Many residents saw the materials as useful starting points for discussions in families or at work.
Reflecting on the recent activities, Ivan Arjona, the representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe and United Nations, stressed the broader significance of these initiatives:
“What we see in these activities is that local communities truly value factual and accessible prevention. When people are provided with clear information, they feel empowered to take responsibility for their families and their neighbourhoods. In this way, effective prevention supports public health as well as the dignity and cohesion of our societies across Europe.”
These efforts fit within the long-standing commitment of the Church news european commission of Scientology and its members to promoting education, drug prevention, human rights and community improvement. Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, Scientology is recognised as a religion in various European countries, and its churches, missions and affiliated groups take part in non-sectarian programmes designed to encourage informed decisions and safer communities. Recognition of these contributions is continuing to expand across the continent.
For additional information:
https://www.scientologyeurope.org/2025/11/20/volunteers-intensified-drug-prevention-france-october/
European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
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