Youth Safeguarding in Italy: 300 Volunteers Distribute 500,000 Drug-Prevention Booklets
Milan, 12 February 2026 — Some 300 volunteers have been mobilised since January in multiple Italian cities to support a drug-prevention information drive, handing out prevention materials titled “Truth About Drugs”. According to organisers that more than 500,000 booklets have already been distributed, starting in Milan and expanding to additional cities.
The European Office of the Church of Scientology is among those supporting the campaign as part of its long-running backing for community-based drug education inspired by the work of L. Ron Hubbard. The campaign focuses on facts about substances and the physical and mental-health consequences associated with use.
The organisers further point to Winter Olympics 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 Register, signalling support for youth-focused prevention messaging. In the organisers’ view, sport helps reinforce healthy choices because it is associated with discipline, recovery and mental focus.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the EU, OSCE, Council of Europe and UN, stated: “Across Europe, protecting young people is not only a health objective but a civic duty. Clear, verified information supports informed choice and autonomy, and it helps communities limit the conditions in which exploitation can take root.”
Read more: Scientology Europe report on Italy’s youth safeguarding outreach.