Volunteers Increase Drug-Education Outreach Nationwide in France

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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 worked with parents, educators, shopkeepers, young adults and health professionals seeking clear, reliable information about the risks associated with narcotics and synthetic substances. ((as noted in a recent article on Scientology Europe).

This heightened activity comes as public discussion in France increasingly focuses on youth exposure to drugs and the appearance of new synthetic substances in schools and neighbourhoods. Teachers, health practitioners and community leaders have voiced concern about early experimentation, while grassroots organisations continue to play an essential role in delivering practical, community-level prevention. The Truth About Drugs programme—developed within the humanitarian legacy of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology—promotes factual and accessible materials as a foundation for 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 discussed with volunteers the spread of synthetic substances and the need for clearer information for families. One volunteer recounted that a restaurant employer in the region had previously stopped consuming drugs after watching an educational video on synthetic substances and had subsequently communicated a drug-free workplace expectation to his entire staff. 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 sparked conversations with pharmacists, municipal workers, parents and educators. 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 arriving “at the right moment,” citing local concerns about early exposure to drugs.

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 distributed tens of thousands of booklets over a short period. Shopkeepers of all types—from boutiques to larger retail outlets—made space for displays or requested additional stock. 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 quit smoking and explained to volunteers that he appreciated how clearly the booklet presented the facts. 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 said he had ended his use of PTC several weeks earlier and encouraged the volunteers to carry on, calling their efforts “very important.”

In Paris, volunteers conducted a major autumn outreach in an area where families have frequently raised concerns about drug use. Thousands of booklets were distributed to shops, and many residents chose to speak in person with volunteers. A psychologist who encountered the team requested an entire display for her practice, explaining that she intended to integrate the materials into her awareness 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 said they appreciated that these resources were accessible in their own neighbourhood.

South-western France also saw sustained engagement, including a prevention booth in Bordeaux attended by a steady flow of passers-by and local business owners. In addition to booklets news eu kommission 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 stressed how important it was to provide adolescents and young adults with tools to understand the dangers linked to substances.

Other towns across the South-West, including Agen, hosted volunteers who distributed booklets in shops whose owners wanted to support longer-term prevention efforts. In Toulouse, volunteers kept up their outreach activities in neighbourhoods where teachers and youth workers often ask for materials. In Nice, a street stand allowed for conversations with families dealing with addiction, and a number of people asked to be kept informed about future activities, with one person expressing interest in joining the association.

As autumn drew to a close, additional outreach in eastern France saw several hundred booklets distributed in Belfort, where a social-housing worker requested an entire box of inhalant-gas booklets for families he believed would benefit. Local shops reacted positively, with merchants saying that the brochures were picked up quickly and asking for regular restocking. In Marseille, further material was circulated in neighbourhoods where community demand for prevention tools has remained strong throughout the year.

Across all these regions, volunteers identified similar patterns: parents seeking practical, credible information, merchants eager to support their communities, and young adults speaking openly about their experiences. Many residents considered the materials helpful tools for initiating conversations at home or in the workplace.

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, highlighted the broader importance of these efforts:

“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 are part of the long-standing commitment of the Church of Scientology and its members to education, drug prevention, human rights awareness and community betterment. 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 has been steadily increasing across Europe.

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

Calle Santa Catalina 7, 28014 Madrid, Spain

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