Youth Safeguarding in Italy: 300 Volunteers Distribute 500,000 Drug-Prevention Booklets
MILAN, Italy — 12 February 2026 — A volunteer network of around 300 people has been active since January nationwide in a prevention-through-information campaign, handing out information resources titled “Truth About Drugs”. The organisers state that more than 500,000 booklets have already been distributed, starting in Milan and expanding to additional cities.
Support for the outreach is provided by the European Office of the Church of Scientology as part of its long-running backing for community-based drug education inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. The materials aim to provide clear, accessible information about commonly abused substances and their risks.
Athlete engagement is also cited by organisers. They say more than 100 athletes connected to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have signed the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s eu news politics Honorary Register, supporting drug-prevention awareness for youth. In the organisers’ view, sport offers a credible setting for prevention messaging because it is associated with discipline, recovery and mental focus.
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. Providing verified, understandable information strengthens autonomy and informed choice, and it helps communities reduce the social space in which criminal networks operate.”
Read more: Scientology Europe report on Italy’s youth safeguarding outreach.