Neighbor News
Truth Saves Lives
Volunteers distribute 30,000 drug education booklets across Florida to combat misinformation.
Clearwater, Florida – In a world filled with misinformation, education is more than a tool: it’s a vital necessity. Too many people, both young and old, are unaware of the real dangers of drugs. They hear things like “fentanyl is just a strong painkiller” or “marijuana isn’t addictive” and take them at face value. But the facts tell a very different story.
Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. [1] And according to research, nearly all people who’ve used cocaine or heroin—between 95 and 97%—started with marijuana. [2]
In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics reported approximately 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. Nearly 60% of those—48,422—were linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. [3]
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Volunteers from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Florida are hitting the streets every week to share the facts. Just in the last month, they’ve handed out nearly 30,000 educational booklets—The Truth About Drugs, The Truth About Fentanyl, and The Truth About Marijuana—across Clearwater, Tampa, Orlando, and Miami.
“Spreading the Truth About Drugs means telling others what fentanyl and other drugs really are—that they won’t make you cool, but can make you dead,” said Julieta Santagostino, President of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Florida. “That’s why we distribute these materials every week, and we will continue to do so to protect our communities from dangerously misleading information.”
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The Foundation’s free Truth About Drugs series includes 15 different booklets, each focused on a specific drug, available at drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts-booklets. These resources are designed to help individuals, parents, teachers, and community leaders educate others and push back against the tide of misleading information.
Anyone interested in learning more can visit the Foundation for a Drug-Free World Information Center, located at 41 N. Fort Harrison Ave, Clearwater. Free tours are available, and visitors can pick up copies of the booklets to share in their communities.
Center Hours:
- Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM & 2:00 PM–7:00 PM
- Saturday & Sunday: 2:00 PM–7:00 PM
Education is power. With the right information, we can turn the tide on drug abuse.
About the Foundation for a Drug-Free World:
The Foundation for a Drug-Free World is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. Through a worldwide network of volunteers, 50 million drug prevention booklets have been distributed, and tens of thousands of drug awareness events have been held in some 180 countries. The Foundation's "Truth About Drugs" public service announcements have aired on over 500 television stations. Supported by the Church of Scientology internationally, the materials and activities in 20 languages have helped people around the world learn about the destructive side effects of drugs and thereby make the decision for themselves not to use them. For more information, visit drugfreeworld.org.
[1] Source: The Truth About Fentanyl information booklet, page 5, available online at [https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/fentanyl/how-is-fentanyl-used.html]
[2] Source: The Truth About Marijuana information booklet, page 24, available online at [https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/on-the-road-to-drug-abuses.html]
[3] Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2025/20250514.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
