Athletes Run from The Hague to Brussels

Last week marked the completion of a 180 km (112 mile) relay race from The Hague, Netherlands to Brussels, Belgium, conducted by the Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe, to call attention to the urgent need for increased drug education as a means of curtailing drug abuse among youth.

With the release last month of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2007 World Drug Report, UDODC Director, Antonio Maria Costa, stated "the runaway train of drug addiction has slowed down," but the report raises the concern that whereas there has been a substantial reduction in cocaine consumption reported in the United States, this has been offset by an alarming increase in the use of this drug in Europe.

Realizing that increased availability and temptation of drugs puts children at even greater risk in the summer than during the rest of the year, a group of concerned athletes took action during their own holidays to do something effective about this problem.

Their goal—make the truth about drugs available to all children, parents and educators in the Netherlands and Belgium, and increase the availability of effective drug rehabilitation.

At public events along the route the runners distributed drug education booklets, published by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The booklets present the facts and speak to youth in their own terms, and they also help parents and educators understand the issue, recognize the signs of drug abuse and communicate better with young people about the subject.

"Many parents today don't realize that when they send their children off on holidays they may be putting them at risk," said Paul Rood, spokesperson for the marathon. "Exposure to drugs and alcohol typically increases at holiday locations. Young people need factual information so they can make informed decisions about drugs."

The Marathon was organized by the Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe (FDFE), in partnership with the Narconon drug rehabilitation center in Zupthen, Netherlands and the "Say No to Drugs-Say Yes to Life" campaign, which is coordinated by Scientology Churches in the Netherlands and Belgium and the Church of Scientology International European Office in Brussels. FDFE is a partner NGO of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime.