Foundation For a Drug-Free World Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary: 2006 –2021
Founded in 2006 in response to the worldwide drug epidemic, the Foundation’s mission is: to empower youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.
Since then, the Foundation has:
- Grown to a network of thousands of volunteers in some 200 chapters around the world
- Formed partnerships with 1,800 organizations
- Educated 13 million students in 30,000 schools and institutions in 196 countries with the Truth About Drugs materials
- Reached more than 900 million people with this vital information.
“Education on drugs is vital to empower youth and ensure the success of future generations,” says Foundation for a Drug-Free World Executive Director Jessica Hochman. “Teaching kids the truth about drugs before some dealer or peer tells them lies is what it is all about. We provide resources to do just that and in language kids listen to.”
Milestones of the past 15 years include:
- In 2012, volunteers distributed 1 million Truth About Drugs booklets at the UK Olympics.
- A coalition of more than 5,500 volunteers from Christian churches of diverse denominations, law enforcement and nonprofits distributed 2 million Truth About Drugs booklets during the 2016 Rio Olympics, led by Drug-Free World activists from the United States, Colombia and Venezuela. The result was a 39% decrease in drug trafficking in the area—the first decrease since 2008.
- In 2017, the State of Mexico, one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States, adopted the Drug‑Free World program for all secondary schools with 2,500 teachers trained on the Truth About Drugs program.
- The Foundation for a Drug-Free World partnered with the Philippines National Police and trained more than 1,000 police officers to use the program in its community outreach.
- 32,000 military personnel and 3,600 teachers were trained on the Truth About Drugs program in Colombia, resulting in over 2.2 million students educated on the dangers of drugs.
- In the border town of Pharr, Texas, where police were concerned about drugs flooding their community, the Truth About Drugs booklets were distributed to 48% of the population, resulting in a 30% drop of marijuana usage.
“Through our 200 volunteer chapters internationally we are everywhere,” says Hochman. “Our website has free resources and we welcome anyone to come on board and help create a drug-free world by reaching youth with the Truth About Drugs.
“The Foundation acknowledges its many volunteers and chapters around the world that have made the past 15 years so rewarding, with a special thanks to its main sponsor, the Church of Scientology.”
