KINGNEWSWIRE / Press Release / PARIS — In contrast to France’s focus on “harm reduction” policies such as supervised injection sites and cannabis decriminalization debates, a unique drug prevention effort is taking place across the country’s public spaces.
Organized by Church of Scientology volunteers under the Drug-Free World initiative, this nationwide campaign in August distributed over 10,500 educational booklets, involved numerous merchants and educators, and received youth pledges — all promoting the straightforward message of Just say no to drugs.
The campaign spanned throughout August, reaching locations such as Marseille, Brittany, Toulouse, and Paris, transforming ordinary areas into prevention zones.
This initiative operates without state funding and institutional backing. Yet, with drug-induced deaths hitting 614 in 2022 and emergency room visits for cocaine doubling between 2011 and 2021, the campaign is seen as addressing gaps in official policies, according to the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) and Santé Publique France.
A Campaign Built on Boots, Not Bureaucracy
The August campaign was methodical, decentralized, and local.
On August 19 in Marseille, 600 booklets were distributed, and agreements with seven local shops were secured for material display. A week later in La Flèche, 847 booklets were handed out, with 30 businesses participating, and a schoolteacher took three copies for prevention sessions.
In Sochaux, 400 booklets were distributed on August 24, a town experiencing rising substance use alongside economic decline.
By August 28, volunteers placed 1,000 booklets with 53 merchants in southwestern France, turning storefronts into drug education hubs.
In Marseille on August 30, 750 booklets were distributed, with several signing “Drug-Free Ambassador” pledges. A woman shared how encountering the material as a teenager impacted her: “My mother left the booklet in the bathroom. I read it out of curiosity. That was 15 years ago — but it stayed with me.”
The “Impaired Vision Goggles” simulating cannabis effects proved effective. A couple who initially dismissed them, experienced the simulation, and reconsidered their perspective. “We couldn’t walk straight or catch a ball,” one shared.
In Toulouse, at Place Jeanne d’Arc, 280 booklets were given out, engaging educators, retired ambulance drivers, and those with personal drug-related loss experiences, including a man who lost a friend to suicide after early cannabis use.
A tattoo artist and YouTuber pledged to use the materials to create content for her studio and channel.
Paris: Where Policy Meets the Public
On August 30, outside the Opéra Garnier, a mobile exhibit led by Nadine Vigneron from Drug-Free World France facilitated discussions, distributed booklets, and provided DVDs and educator kits.
A criminal lawyer, special education teachers, and a psychologist expressed interest in the materials for professional use.
The psychologist noted, “Around 90% of cases developed mental health issues after drug use. Your work is essential.”
Mothers shared stories of children struggling with addiction, while young adults sought information and left impacted.
Vigneron remarked on the inspiration of the work, planning to bring the exhibit to Nantes on September 20.
The Final Push: 7,000 Booklets in One Day
The campaign culminated on August 31,
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