Italy Youth Safeguarding: 300 Volunteers Deliver 500,000 “Truth About Drugs” Booklets

MILAN, Italy — 12 February 2026 — Around 300 volunteers have been active since January nationwide in a prevention-through-information campaign, handing out educational materials titled “The Truth About Drugs”. The organisers state that the distribution has already surpassed 500,000 booklets, starting in Milan and expanding to additional cities.

The initiative is supported by the European Office of the Church of Scientology in the context of its support for prevention and youth safeguarding work 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 Register, signalling support for youth-focused prevention messaging. According to organisers, sport offers a credible setting for prevention messaging 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: “Protecting young people is a public-health priority and a civic responsibility across Europe. Verified, accessible information strengthens informed decision-making, and it news europe helps communities limit the conditions in which exploitation can take root.”

Full details: Scientology Europe report on Italy’s youth safeguarding outreach.