A drug program run by Scientologists and labelled dangerous by medical authorities is being given free rein at dozens of Melbourne schools. The controversial Narconon group gave a speech at Melbourne High on Sunday and has made classroom presentations at Melbourne schools including MacRobertson Girls High. The group – which does not disclose its Scientology background to schools – gives students booklets that condemn prescription drugs and equate coffee with heroin. "All drugs are basically poison . . . Two or ...

In response to the July 24 Post-Gazette news articles "Scientology Comes to Town": As a 60-year resident of Pittsburgh and a 20-year member of the Church of Scientology, I am compelled to set the record straight on your July 24 articles about Scientology. The article missed the help the church and its members are extending to millions around the world, including residents of Pennsylvania. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were a rude awakening for everyone. For many of ...

Why was there a Scientology tent on the set of War of the Worlds? Boyd Farrow explains how this cult religion, whose followers believe that people are immortal spiritual beings, is gaining ground thanks to support from Hollywood's biggest stars The summer blockbuster season has been dominated by an evil galactic ruler who, 75 million years ago, blew up 178 billion abducted alien souls with hydrogen bombs planted in earth's volcanoes and bundled them into clusters that now cling to every ...

In the 1900 block of East Carson Street on the South Side, there's an unassuming storefront that marked its first anniversary last month. It's the Pittsburgh office of the Church of Scientology, the controversial religious movement that recently captured international headlines when celebrity disciple Tom Cruise became increasingly public and, at times, combative, about his beliefs. Although the office opened here with little fanfare, Scientologists have high hopes for its growth as they try to regain a foothold in the region ...

The controversial church, whose founder called shrinks "terrorists" and which labels mental illness a fraud, is closer than you think to implanting its extreme beliefs in the nation's laws and schools. It may be easy to dismiss Tom Cruise's recent outbursts against psychiatry as the ravings of an egomaniacal celebrity. Comedians have certainly had a field day with Cruise, a fervent disciple of the Church of Scientology, ever since he scolded Brooke Shields for taking prescribed medication to treat her postpartum ...

May 9, 1950: "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" by L. Ron Hubbard is published. June 7, 1951: Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation established in Elizabeth, N.J. May 1952: The Wichita, Kan., Dianetics training center is moved to Phoenix. Hubbard publicly announces the formal establishment of the philosophy of Scientology and the formation of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International. July 1952: "Scientology: A History of Man" published. February 1954: Church of Scientology founded in Los Angeles. 1956: The church is ...

Tom Cruise has become a top proselytizer for Scientology. Is it because of a new private conviction, or a new public role for the church itself? In the course of just a few months, Tom Cruise has made an astounding public leap: He has transformed himself from one of the world's biggest movie stars into one of the oddest. It's not just his sudden romance with and engagement to actress Katie Holmes, which has not yet managed to shake the air ...

Actor Tom Cruise sparred with Today show host Matt Lauer last week over the merits of psychiatry. Although his ostensible reason for appearing on the morning show was to promote this week's release of War of the Worlds, Cruise got into a heated debate when Lauer brought up comments that Cruise has made in the past about depression. The on-air argument is the latest in a growing number of interviews in which Cruise, known for his roles in movies like ''Minority ...

Question: What ever happened to the Narconon anti-drug prevention program interested in holding presentations at Hawaii's public schools? Answer: State Department of Education officials are not allowing Narconon presentations at public schools. In February, state education officials stopped Narconon's drug prevention and education presentations at public schools on Oahu after Narconon received a negative evaluation by the California Department of Education. The California evaluation "found that the program offered inaccurate and unscientific information and was inconsistent with research-based practices." Based on ...

A packed council chamber erupted in applause Thursday as the Petoskey Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny a special use permit for TIA Corp. of Battle Creek. The company wanted to house a 63-bed residential Narconon alcohol and drug rehabilitation center in the former Rues Residential nursing center along Arlington Avenue, just east of MacDonald Drive. However, the request met great opposition from area residents who feared it would be too intensive a use for the site and would create health ...

Actor Tom Cruise talks about his 20-year membership in the Church of Scientology as he and Director Steven Spielberg discuss the filming of the soon-to-be-released "War of the Worlds." The film, coming out June 29, plays off Americans' fears about terrorism. Spielberg says he has always wanted to direct a "really mean invasion from outer space." Cruise insists, "I just want to help people." SPIEGEL: Mr. Spielberg, no other film director has done more image-building for aliens than you: in your ...

Petoskey planning commissioners will consider a controversial land use request that would allow a residential substance abuse treatment center to be established on the city's northeast side when they meet Thursday, April 21. The planning commission's regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at city hall, 101 E. Lake St. During the meeting, commissioners will take public input regarding Battle Creek-based TIA Corp.'s request for a special use permit. If the planning commission approves the permit, TIA expects to acquire the ...

[...] Clarification: A story in Sunday's Chronicle about the California Medical Association adopting a resolution supporting schools that have dropped "factually inaccurate approaches" to anti-drug instruction should have more fully explained how the organization arrived at its decision. The process began with the San Francisco Medical Association drafting a resolution supporting school districts that have dropped an anti-drug program provided by Narconon, an organization with ties to the Church of Scientology. The resolution, which concluded that Narconon's program was based on ...

The California Medical Association has declared unanimous support for school districts that have dropped Narconon and other "factually inaccurate approaches" to antidrug instruction from their classrooms, and will urge the American Medical Association to do the same. Nearly 500 California doctors also endorsed "scientifically based drug education in California schools" at the association's annual meeting in Anaheim on Monday. Narconon, a drug education program with links to the Church of Scientology, is offered free to schools and has been used in ...

It boasts an 80 per cent success rate, the rock star Beck is a fan, and schools are inviting the Narconon centre into the classroom. So why are some people worried? Jamie Doward reports The following clarification was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday April 3 2005 In the article below we state that 'The use of ear [auricular] acupuncture in treating acute drug withdrawal began in Hong Kong in 1972.' We should clarify that in 1972 surgeons ...

Narconon program has proven success For years an enemy has insidiously attacked us in Hawaii – drugs and drug abuse. Our keiki, neighbors, co-workers, our ohana have been grabbed by this monster and dragged down into the depths of human experience. No one is immune. It is hard to confront. Confronting a family member strung out on meth, I would not wish on anyone. Watching children get lured by advertising into the clutches of "innocent drugs" such as alcohol or marijuana ...

THE ISSUE California schools are being urged by the state superintendent to banish an anti-drug program planned for Hawaii schools. PRIVATE organizations are encouraged to join government agencies in the war against drugs, but their inaccurate or misleading proselytizing can make the problem worse. California's schools are being urged to drop one allegedly faulty program that has plans in Hawaii's schools. The Department of Education should step back and scrutinize that program and others that could add to the credibility problem ...

State Department of Education officials are expected to review a negative evaluation of an anti-drug program that wants to serve Hawaii public school students. Kendyl Ko, educational specialist with the department's Safe and Drug-Free Schools, said he had sent the evaluation on the Narconon Drug Abuse and Prevention Program to Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto and Deputy Superintendent Clayton Fujie. Ko noted that he was concerned about the findings in the evaluation by the California Health Kids Resource Center. He said he was ...

A drug prevention program interested in helping students at Hawaii's public schools received a negative evaluation by a California organization yesterday. An evaluation led by the California Healthy Kids Resource Center reports that Narconon Drug Abuse and Prevention Program's curriculum offers inaccurate and unscientific information. The report was posted yesterday on the California Department of Education's Web site. "We'll get a letter out to every school district today, saying this program is filled with inaccuracies and does not reflect widespread medical ...

Hawaii-born movie actor Kelly Preston said a rehabilitation program called Narconon International saved her life after a decade of drug use. A former drug addict introduced Preston – who started experimenting with drugs at age 15 – to the program after she abused marijuana, Quaaludes, Ecstasy and cocaine until her mid-20s. Preston stopped using drugs through the program. "I just got off all of them through this," she said. Through Narconon, Preston wants to help drug users in Hawaii combat their ...

Newports Balboa Peninsula has become the place to go when youve got no place else to go. Longtime residents say theyre fighting for their way of life. Addicts struggling to get clean say theyre fighting for their lives The "convicts" and "liars" don'tagree on much, but they seem to agree on this: the tension started early in 2003. That's when Narconon opened a second rehabilitation house for recovering substance abusers behind the oceanfront rehab house it already operated at 18th Street ...

The Church of Scientology is 50 years old this year, having survived its skeptics and detractors, an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and John Travolta's box-office flop, "Battlefield Earth," based on a science fiction novel by the church's founder L. Ron Hubbard. The church's 50th anniversary makes it a young religion as far as religions go but also attests to its staying power. According to Scientology headquarters in Los Angeles, the church now claims more than 8 million members in ...

For obvious reasons, the lauding of religious leaders isn’t supposed to be practiced in U.S. public schools, at least not as a class activity. Yet one widely used school program concludes by having students applaud Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The program is called Narconon, and it has notable Scientology links. The state of California is now in the midst of a three-month investigation of the Narconon Drug Prevention and Education program with an eye to possibly barring it from the ...

An anti-drug program with ties to the Church of Scientology will be barred from San Francisco classrooms because of concerns about its scientific accuracy, city schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said Tuesday. Ackerman's decision followed a review of the Narconon Drug Prevention & Education Program by school health officials, who found that some of its teachings were not "100 percent accurate." "We are going to withhold the opportunity for Narconon to be in our schools," Ackerman said as thousands of students prepared ...

A local lawyer and political consultant are hired to help break down barriers for Scientology. It was a sticky decision and everyone in the room knew it. Bennetta Slaughter, the charismatic businesswoman whose tireless committee work had impressed so many, was being nominated to the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "Do we really want one on the board?" several asked. By "one" they meant: a Scientologist. Board members worried that the chamber's rank and file might quit in ...