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8/31/14: Herald Scotland Series on Scientology, Drug Free World. Children targeted.
Scientologists use anti-drugs campaign to target families
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...ti-drugs-campaign-to-target-families.25161764
Excerpts:
Scientology boss: we want to help
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scientology-boss-we-want-to-help.25168015
Excerpts:
Ex-member warns that Scientology church is sinister and avaricious
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...gy-church-is-sinister-and-avaricious.25163610
Excerpt:
Scientologists use anti-drugs campaign to target families
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...ti-drugs-campaign-to-target-families.25161764
Excerpts:
Members of the controversial religious group toured the country on an open-top bus, handing out booklets as a live band played.
However, the leaflets distributed by supporters of the Drug-Free World campaign do not reveal a link to Scientology and one former member of the group described it as "the cheese on the trap".
The head of leading drugs charity Addaction, Andrew Horne, has voiced fears that the Scientology-linked literature could undermine other lifesaving work being done.
He said: "I just don't trust people that don't make themselves public.
"I've seen it in the past, over and over again. You've been trying to get somebody sorted and then they're gone. They've gone off with somebody they've met on the street.
Hannah claimed dozens of volunteers were approaching young children. He said: "It seemed fairly obvious they were targeting young people and even children who were wandering away from their parents. The whole thing left a bit of a bad taste. There was no attempt to make it clear it was connected to religion and that really bothered me."
The council community centre is run by arms-length organisation Glasgow Life. A spokesman said: "Our staff were unaware until the Monday following the event that the group were allegedly Scientologists.
"The organisation using the stall is called Drug-Free World - who provide literature about the effects of drugs.
"We were informed that the information they would provide was to assist in ... drug reduction as well as detailing the effects of the misuse of drugs. The leaflets make no reference to Scientology."
Scientology boss: we want to help
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/scientology-boss-we-want-to-help.25168015
Excerpts:
The Sunday Herald approached Graeme Wilson, public affairs director for Scientology in the UK, as dozens of activists handed out booklets entitled The Truth About Drugs in the streets of Glasgow.
As we spoke, two people holding long-lens cameras circled us and flashbulbs went off in our faces. We were also filmed on a camcorder.
However, Wilson was also keen to distance Drug-Free World from Narconon. He said: "This campaign itself is funded by the International Association of Scientologists. It's a fully secular campaign itself.
"There is another programme called Narconon. It has centres all over the world and it's a drug rehab. But that's not directly part of The Truth About Drugs."
Ex-member warns that Scientology church is sinister and avaricious
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...gy-church-is-sinister-and-avaricious.25163610
Excerpt:
A former Scientologist has warned that the Drug-Free World campaign is aimed at encouraging people to sign up to what he terms a "sinister" organisation.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, was born into the religion.
He relocated from the USA to Scotland more than a decade ago and left the group five years ago. He said: "What made me finally walk away was when my mum was getting harangued for more and more money. She kept on giving more money when she was in dire straits financially." His mother was forced to "ex-communicate" her son. He also has concerns about the Drug-free World campaign and the Narconon programme.
"They want people to become Scientologists," he said. "Just below the surface the hope would be that if someone has gotten success from something that's tied to Scientology maybe now they'll be curious about Scientology."