Controversial drugs charity gave talk at school

A drugs charity with links to the controversial Church of Scientology has been allowed to give a lecture at the Arts Educational School according to a report in the Sunday Times.

Narconon offers schools lectures on the danger of drugs and was reportedly invited to the school to speak to their pupils. Although the organisation makes no reference to Scientology in the literature that it gives out its web site makes clear that its philosophy on drugs is based on the teachings of the founder of Scientology L Ron Hubbard. He believes that drugs need to be cleansed from the system by a prolonged course of vitamins and saunas. Most experts in the field believe that his views have no scientific basis.

Critics of Narconon accuse it of attempting to draw people into Scientology by targetting the vulnerable. Schools in California, were it is based, are advised not to use it and the UK prisons ombudsman has warned governors to ban it from jails.

John Gummer, the former cabinet minister, was quoting as saying “Scientology is a dangerous organisation. It doesn’t stand up intellectually and scientifically. It is rather bad science fiction. If Scientologists have been getting into schools under the guise of a drug charity it is very worrying. Schools must know exactly who they are letting in and should not have anything to do with Scientologists.”

Scientology has been accused of being a cult and using hard-sell techniques and mind control to make people join and donate money to the organisation. The group believes in the writings of science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and has 10 million members worldwide including Tom Cruise. They believe that many millions of years ago a galactic warlord called Xenu brought 13.5 trillion beings from across the galaxy and dumped them in volcanoes whilst vapourising them with nuclear bombs. He implanted their radioactive souls with false ideas such as other religions and these became 'thetans' which attached themselves to human beings. Only through being a Scientologist can you become cleansed of these 'ruins' or vulnerabilities.

The report in the Sunday Times suggests that the Arts Ed were unaware of the links of the charity to Scientology when the invitation was given. The Arts Ed was one of 500 schools in the country which allowed Narconon to address their pupils.

January 7, 2007