Scientologists enlist police to push antidrugs drive in UK schools

[Rrose Selavy]

From The Sunday Times
January 20, 2008









POLICE officers across the country have been used by the Church of Scientology to promote its antidrugs campaign in schools.
Officers have been handing out booklets that praise the science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, the church’s founder, and describe both prescription and illegal drugs as “poison”.
Scientologists say they are so trusted by the police that they have been asked to act as adult representatives for young people arrested on drugs offences.
One of the booklets handed out by Metropolitan police on behalf of the church’s Say No to Drugs campaign said Hubbard was creator of “the safest, most effective - and only - detoxification procedure of its kind”.



The booklets recommend the controversial charity Narconon as the best way to recover from drug abuse. Last year The Sunday Times revealed Scientology’s links with the charity, which had been using Hubbard’s methods to tackle drug abuse.
Last autumn the City of London police carried out an inquiry after some 20 officers accepted Scientology hospitality that included tickets to the Leicester Square premiere of Mission Impossible III, and a £500 a head charity dinner at the church’s British headquarters, both of which were attended by Tom Cruise


Still at it - report here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article3216965.ece

[RevKelly]

Well I have to say that is one way to increase your followers..while they're going through withdraw. Since I'm not from the UK, I must admit my strong feelings of this is just wrong could be inappropriate.

[Big Les]

Well, I AM from the UK, and it damn well is wrong. The Met needs to wake up and smell what they're shovelling here.

[LazyPint]

While I'm all for the police talking to students about the dangers of illegal drugs, they have no right to warn people off prescription drugs.

This is just dangerous, and I hope it stops right away.

[Kiosk]

As someone who considers both Scientology and the overprescription of antidepressants very worrying, stuff like this makes me sick.

I mentioned this on another thread, but scientologists are always sniffing round the forums for people trying to get off antidepressants. Symptoms of a severe SSRI withdrawal / post-withdrawal syndrome can include complete loss of confidence and severe loss of identity - as well as utter desperation to find anything that could help relieve the hell - so it's not surprising they see easy pickings there. The "church" itself is so far beyond the pale that very few people actually join up, but organisations like CCHR are doing a very good job at worming their way in. It's pretty sickening. You can find plenty of "I'm not a Scientologist, but..." posts from people lambasting the "evil" of psychiatry.

On the other hand, in everyday life, reasonable critics of antidepressants are routinely dismissed as Scientologists or people who've been "got at" by Scientology, because the connection is so strong in the public mind. It closes down the debate horribly. Then there are the people who genuinely need psychiatric medication to survive, of course, and who would be swayed from that by the CoS message. Nothing good can come from idiots like these attaching themselves to a controversial issue.

Connections between Scientology and the London police force are very well documented. It's only a few people, but it's a few rather high-up people, and it's kind of scary.

[bethanythemartian]

This is the kind of stuff that is worrying. I find drugs (prescription and otherwise) a bad choice, but if someone said I had to do coke or get into Scientology... I'd take the coke.

And I've never done anything heavier than alcohol.

I don't think the religion in and of itself is as harmful as the cult-like mentality the organization (I've never been much for organized religion, though.)

This is utterly frightening. I hope parents object.