An Impact Worthy of Celebration

A young Drug-Free Marshal signing the pledge

The impact of the Drug-Free Marshals campaign was most vividly described by spokesman Luis Gonzales, Hispanic Affairs Coordinator for Lead the Way to a Drug Free LA and a Drug-Free Marshals supporter since day one.

“Picture, as the pioneer Drug-Free Marshals did, a scene in a corrupted old West town in which a new Marshal gains legions of moral supporters as he walks down Main Street ‘clearing out the vermin,’” Gonzales said. “Such has been the accomplishment of the Drug-Free Marshals on the modern-day streets, where until the pledge came along, the peer pressure to try drugs was far greater than the ‘Say NO’ forces. A key weapon is one-on-one drug education, and that is the hallmark of our Drug-Free Marshal program.”

Since the Church of Scientology International has taken its anti-drug campaigns worldwide, programs such as the Drug-Free Marshals have reached 330 million people in 150 countries, Gonzales reports. More than 80,000 posters and billboards, nearly 6 million drug education booklets, 12.5 million educational fliers and 30,000 public information events have created a wake of public support for making communities drug-free.

In the U.S., the number of sworn-in Drug-Free Marshals climbs daily with events and activities taking place in 21 states. Since 1993, more than 3,150,000 children have been sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals in schools, cultural centers, parks, community groups and city halls.

All the while, recognition from public officials and community leaders grows.

“It is very rewarding to see the hope in your eyes and the smiles on your faces,” said County Marshal Captain Steve Day. “You truly are the future.”

LA County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke concurs. “I encourage you to continue reaching out to your friends with the message that ‘drugs are dangerous,’” she stated in a County proclamation. “Your positive leadership is a beacon of hope for all young people in the County.”

The encouragement of these Southland community leaders is echoed nationwide by such notables as Dr. Georgette Watson, Martin Luther King Jr. Award recipient and former executive director of the Massachusetts Governor’s Alliance Against Drugs. “The youth in Massachusetts who have gone through this program did not only receive drug education,” she said, “but have come out with a feeling of self-worth and I remember the big smile behind the little badge that said, ‘I’m a Drug-Free Marshal.’”

Carlos Moorhead, former U.S. Congressman from the greater LA area, has been a long-time Drug-Free Marshals supporter and was sworn in while in office by young Marshals 10 years ago. “Drugs ruin promising lives before they ever have a chance to begin,” he stated at the time. “You Drug-Free Marshals are going to save lives and allow your friends to appreciate this wonderful world and contribute positively to it.

“It is quite gratifying to see children coming together from all walks of life in this diverse city and enthusiastically working together to play a role in spreading the word about the scourge of drugs in our society.”