Narconon Newsletter 23-09-2007

Welcome to the Narconon Newsletter.

One of our students has recently completed the Narconon Anti-Drugs Marathon, whose aim is to raise awareness of the growing drug problem in Holland and England. Here is what he had to say upon his return.

"I have been lucky enough to be given the chance to take part in the third Narconon Anti-Drugs Marathon which kicked off in Zutphen, Holland concluding three weeks later in Hastings, England. I am coming to the end of my programme at Narconon; the chance to travel to Holland with Barry (who recently completed the programme) to join the team of Dutch ex-addicts who have also regained their lives as a result of the Narconon programme has been immensely rewarding. Our task was to raise awareness of the growing drug problem which exists in Holland and England and is reaching epidemic proportions in both of these countries. Essentially and ideally the message is that prevention is better than cure; when this is not possible there is a solution and Narconon can be that solution and indeed has been for many people in many countries. In order to achieve this aim our Marathon run took place in major towns and cities across Holland and England. Our actions received over 15 separate items of media attention in Holland including local and national newspapers and TV news coverage. This continued into England where more newspapers and TV news stations tracked our progress. As a team we covered over 300km in three weeks of running. During this time many obstacles arose; misplacing the location of runners; picking up muscle injuries early in the event; finding safe and efficient routes to run through were just a few of these. There were many highlights to be remembered along the way; beach runs at sunset along the coast of Holland; being warmly received by town councillors and government officials in the places we ran through; the sense of camaraderie and team spirit endured by the challenge we faced as a group were just a few. The fact is that the problem of widespread drug abuse around the world is real. Our Marathon was a drop in the ocean when faced by such a reality. But, it was an action which had a product. The product was a small increase in awareness of Narconon, its uses, methods and importance. A personal side-effect of taking part was the experience of living in Narconon Zutphen House, meeting the staff and students who make up that house and understanding the essential similarities and differences in culture and lifestyle. These people were doing the same thing as those in Narconon England; learning how to live a drug free life and continuing to ensuring that others have the technology to do the same. Both Barry and I were welcomed warmly into this group by all and have much to thank the people we met during our stay for their friendship and hospitality.

The Marathon felt like a success at many levels; for each of the runners and individuals; for Narconon as a group and for the places we visited. It is a successful action that all involved intended to continue and I am proud to have been part of it."
Anthony

Best Regards,

Narconon London - Hastings Branch