Thursday is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The theme for this day of awareness is "Let's talk about drugs," in an effort to get more families and caring people to communicate to our planets future, our children, about the true dangers of substance use and abuse.

According to Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, "'Let's talk about drugs' underlines the need for children, families, peers, teachers and communities to talk about drug abuse, admit that it is a problem, and take responsibility for doing something about it. The support of caring and listening parents has proven to be one of the most important protective factors against drug abuse. But for the many young people around the world who do not have the advantage of a supportive home environment, we all have a special responsibility."

"Probably the most difficult thing to overcome regarding substance abuse is the amount of false information on the subject," says Luke Catton, President of Narconon Arrowhead. "That is why Narconon centers across the planet give thousands of educational lectures to all ages on the subject and distribute the booklet '10 Things Your Friends May Not Know About Drugs.'" The program has made free downloads of the booklet available at www.narconon-drug-education.com.

Narconon Arrowhead is the center of an international network of extremely effective non-traditional drug rehabilitation and education programs. Using the drug-free methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the Narconon® program is one of, if not the most successful programs in the world for helping someone overcome addiction and preventing others from starting.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is Mr. Antonio Maria Costa, who stated, "Let's talk about the effects drug abuse has on one's health and psyche, about WHY people abuse drugs, HOW we can tackle these root causes and, of course, about WHAT we can do to stop drug abuse," in a message regarding this international event. To find out more about this day and its history, log on to www.unodc.org.

To get help for a loved one battling addiction call 1-800-468-6933 or visit www.stopaddiction.com.