PARIS, France — November 2025 — Over the course of the autumn, 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 involved 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 is paying growing attention to youth exposure to drugs, as well as the spread of new synthetic substances in educational settings and neighbourhoods. 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—puts forward factual and accessible materials as a basis for informed decision-making and responsible choices.
In early October, volunteers in Brittany moved through a network of small shops, cafés and local businesses, distributing over a thousand Truth About Drugs booklets in areas where merchants showed interest and appreciation. 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 presented this as an example of how fact-based prevention can trigger positive changes.
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 stand and more booklets for use with her patients, stating that the materials had proved useful the previous year. A law-enforcement representative in the area also took materials for public distribution, underlining the practical importance of clear prevention tools in everyday work. In several cafés, owners remarked that prevention resources were coming “at the right time”, referring to local worries 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 observing that its use was becoming more visible among different age groups and social environments.
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—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 news eu law 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 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, calling them a practical tool for starting preventive discussions. 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 used glasses simulating the effects of alcohol and cannabis to run impairment exercises, which encouraged discussion about the risks of 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, saw volunteers distribute booklets to shops with owners keen to participate in ongoing prevention work. In Toulouse, volunteers maintained regular outreach in areas where educators frequently request 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 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 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 been consistently high during the year.
Across all these regions, volunteers noticed recurring trends: parents looking for practical and trustworthy information, shopkeepers keen to contribute to community wellbeing, and young adults willing to share personal experiences or concerns. Many residents described the materials as helpful for starting conversations within families or workplaces.
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:
“The growing participation of local communities shows how much people value factual and accessible prevention. When individuals receive clear information, they feel empowered to take responsibility for their families and their neighbourhoods. Effective prevention contributes not only to public health but also to the dignity and cohesion of our societies across Europe.”
These efforts fit within the long-standing commitment of the Church 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 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