MILAN — 12 Feb. 2026 — Some 300 volunteers have been mobilised since January in multiple Italian cities in a prevention-through-information campaign, handing out educational materials titled “The Truth About Drugs”. According to organisers that the distribution has already surpassed 500,000 booklets, with Milan leading the effort and other cities increasingly involved.
Support for the outreach is provided by the European Office of the Church of Scientology within its broader support for drug education and prevention initiatives inspired by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The booklets present straightforward information on substances, short- and long-term effects, and health risks.
The organisers further point to sports-community involvement. They say more than 100 athletes connected to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have signed the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s Honorary news eu economy Register, supporting drug-prevention awareness for youth. Organisers argue, sport offers a credible setting for prevention messaging because it is associated with discipline, wellbeing and long-term performance.
Ivan Arjona, the Church of Scientology’s representative to the EU, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN, said: “Protecting young people is a public-health priority and a civic responsibility across Europe. Verified, accessible information strengthens informed decision-making, and it helps communities reduce the social space in which criminal networks operate.”
More information: Scientology Europe report on Italy’s youth safeguarding outreach.