Narconon Charity Golf Tournament Means More Youth Learn Dangers of Drug Abuse
(PRWEB) August 21, 2013 -- Every August for the last six years, the Narconon drug rehabilitation center located near Watsonville, California has held a charity golf tournament to benefit the youth in the area. On August 11, 2013, another successful tournament was held at the Tilden Park golf course in Berkeley. This year’s success means that the Narconon drug educators will be able to reach a record number of young people with a drug-free message.
Drug education specialists from Narconon Vista Bay travel from Monterey to South Lake Tahoe, and from Santa Rosa to Sacramento, visiting middle schools and high schools. In the last couple of years, the number of youth who heard the anti-drug message have increased from 11,000 to 22,000 and this year, the group is on target to reach 30,000.
"Without the support of our sponsors, we would not be able to reach this many children to educate them on the dangers of abusing addictive drugs," said Alex Matthews, Narconon spokesperson. "Every time we change a young person’s mind about starting to use drugs, we may have saved that person from addiction, trips to rehab or even an overdose death. That’s why we reach out to schools and civic groups all year round."
Sponsors for the event came from the families of individuals who had gone through the Narconon program and found lasting sobriety, or businesses in Northern California that want to support efforts to prevent drug abuse and addiction among the young.
This year for the first time, there were three Junior teams with players from 11 to 18 years of age. They were recruited from high schools and a local club that uses golfing as a way of teaching the young people about integrity and sportsmanship. In all, there were 69 players in this year’s tournament.
The Narconon drug education curriculum consists of eight lessons that teach young people why drug abuse has such devastating effects and how they can chart a safe path in life, free from drugs. "We have found that when young people gain an understanding of the problems that result from using drugs, they more often make their own decisions to stay sober," said Matthews. "This system has proven more effective than scare tactics or simply ordering youth not to use drugs. We’re grateful to our sponsors for enabling us to continue our drug education program."
The annual Narconon Vista Bay Drug Education Golf Tournament Benefit is the major funding event for the entire year’s drug education activities. For more information about the Narconon drug education program, call 1-800-775-8750.
Clark Carr, Narconon International, 323-962-2404, [email protected]
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