Keynote Speaker Akira Fujino

DFW Hungary Gregory Nemeth

Youth Sign Drug Free Pledge at Steered Straight Rally

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking - Foundation for a Drug-Free World held an international webinar -"Learn, Collaborate, Empower.”

LOS ANGELES, CA, US, July 8, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DRUG-FREE WORLD FOUNDATION WEBINAR AIMS TO HELP REVERSE 2021 UN WORLD DRUG REPORT TRENDS

To commemorate the June 26th, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World held an international webinar. Entitled, “The Truth About Drugs – Learn. Collaborate. Empower.” The Foundation brought together drug prevention experts who shared best practices with hundreds of concerned educators, parents and community leaders from 35 countries.

Held the day before the release of the 2021 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “Learn. Collaborate. Empower.” could not have been more timely in light of the reported statistics:
• A 22 percent increase in the number of drug users between 2010 and 2019.
• 275 million drug users worldwide, compared to 269 million from the previous report.
• Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more users have turned to the drug markets on the dark web, now a $315 million annual business.

Jessica Hochman, Executive Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, emceed the conference that was based on the UNODC theme of the 2021 International Day Against Illicit Drug Trafficking, “Share facts on Drugs, Save Lives”, emphasizing the vital role drug education plays in helping people make informed decisions concerning drug use.

The speakers, all experts in drug education and prevention, addressed the vital necessity of primary prevention to revert the UNODC 2021 World Drug Report trends. Mr. Akira Fujino, President of Drug Abuse Prevention Centre of Japan, a former 25 year UNODC executive, highlighted the need for the general public to receive accurate information on drugs. For example, most people are not informed that cannabis today has up to 15.6 percent THC—a four times increase in the past 24 years. Fujino stressed the importance of prevention and credits the recent containment of the drug rate in Japan to the implementation of the Truth About Drugs campaign in the country: an increase of only 1.8 percent.

Michael DeLeon, founder of the non-profit group, Steered Straight, Inc., and the #1 booked school presenter in America, has lectured to more than 10 million students in centers and schools across the United States since 2007. As a former drug addict, he decided to turn his life around and made it his life's goal to keep youth safe from the dead end of drugs through drug education. DeLeon spoke of the ravages of the painkiller fentanyl and stressed that the growth of THC and CBD are an American crisis. In answer to the question, "Which drug is the most dangerous?" DeLeon said, "The one you are addicted to." He sees drug prevention as vital to countering the drug epidemic.

Gregory Nemeth, Executive Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Hungary and the Foundation's Central European Coordinator, shared what he has learned through a decade of drug education and coordinating volunteers. Through the work of the Foundation volunteers, they have built an alliance of 520 member organizations dedicated to drug prevention across Central Europe.

Dr. Greg Londot, Parent Teacher Association Teacher of the Year awardee and experienced public school drug educator from Phoenix, Arizona, spoke of his use of The Truth About Drugs Education Package in a classroom setting. Dr. Londot shared stories from his students including one living with their crack-cocaine addicted parents and remembered the sadness of losing kids he personally knew to drug overdoses, driving his passion for drug education. He created "Drug-Free Fridays"—a day each week when students may safely share intimate experiences about drugs and learn about drug use through the Truth About Drugs curriculum.

In concluding the webinar, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Executive Director, Jessica Hochman, encouraged those attending to use the free online resources available at drugfreeworld.org. The popular Truth About Drugs eCourse, is a series of interactive courses providing basic facts about the most commonly used drugs. It includes stories from real people, and is designed to empower viewers with factual information. The Truth About Drugs eCourse is free to anyone at drugfreeworld.org/course and is available in 20 languages.

The Foundation is celebrating its 15th Anniversary of service devoting its resources to teaching the Truth About Drugs to youth around the world. The Foundation is proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and its members and provides the materials and program free of cost to educators and drug prevention advocates, schools, community groups, law enforcement and governmental institutions worldwide.

The webinar can be viewed on the Drug-Free World FB page: www.facebook.com/DrugFreeWorldInt.
For more information contact the Foundation for a Drug-Free World at news@drugfreeworld.org Phone: 818-952-5260

Jessica Hochman
Foundation For A Drug-Free World
+1 818-952-5260
email us here