MILAN — 12 Feb. 2026 — Around 300 volunteers have been active since January across Italy for a drug-prevention awareness initiative, handing out information resources titled “The Truth About Drugs”. The organisers state that over 500,000 copies have already been handed out, starting in Milan and expanding to additional cities.

The initiative is supported by the European Office of the Church of Scientology as part of its long-running backing for community-based drug education 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 news european commission for a Drug-Free World’s Honorary Register, backing prevention messaging aimed at young people. 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: “Across Europe, protecting young people is not only a health objective but a civic duty. Providing verified, understandable information strengthens autonomy and informed choice, and it helps communities reduce the social space in which criminal networks operate.”

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