Around the World
GERMANY
In Germany, volunteers have mailed and
distributed more than 450,000 booklets on the
dangers of cannabis. Affiliated drug education
associations work daily to supply a steady stream
of vital information about drugs and workable
rehabilitation programs to the general public, as
well as to government, business and community
groups. Concerts, rallies and broad-scale
distribution of drug education literature have
mobilized thousands of German citizens to pledge
their support for the campaign, to lead drug-free
lives and to encourage others to do the same.
FRANCE
The “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaign
has been operating in France for over 15 years and
has become that country's largest public anti-drug
initiative. And the need has never been greater.
According to the European Monitoring Centre
for Drugs and Drug Addiction, one in every three
French teenagers has smoked cannabis at least
once.
In response, volunteers organize weekly street
events and man information stands across the
country, promoting the “Say No to Drugs, Say
Yes to Life” message in Paris, Lyon, Saint-Etienne,
Clermont, Angers, Marseilles, Nice, Bordeaux,
Toulouse, Avignon and other cities. Volunteers
have distributed millions of drug education
booklets and fliers, reaching throughout France with their message. Magazines carry “Say No
to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” advertisements, while
radio stations promote the campaign with public
service announcements and guest interviews on the
dangers of cannabis.
And the message is being heard. In June 2004,
a law was passed that made driving under the
influence of cannabis an offense similar to driving
under the influence of alcohol. In February 2005,
the French government began its own national
campaign against cannabis.
ITALY
Italian volunteers also donate their time and
energies to the program — with more than 500,000
hours of community action each year. To help
curb the drug problem, neighborhood events are
held weekly, including sports events and concerts
with the message “Say No to Drugs” to encourage
young people and adults to pledge to live drug free.
In addition, more than one million copies of Italian
drug education booklets have been distributed.
The Say No to Drugs campaign in Italy has been
publicly endorsed by a diversity of individuals
and groups. For example, the editor of the Torino
Cronaca newspaper inserted copies of the booklets
in his newspapers and appeared on television to
endorse the campaign. Say No to Drugs volunteers throughout the country organize teams to collect
up discarded syringes in city parks, removing a
potential source of infection. They also participate
in annual drug awareness events in Milan, working
with other organizations to end the drug scourge.
