Shaping a Drug-Free Future for Hungary’s Youth
Growing up in Budapest, Hungary, with an alcoholic father who left the family when Gergő Németh was only six, he learned at an early age the harmful effects drugs and alcohol can have—and he vowed to make a difference.
“In school, I witnessed the effects of drugs on my classmates,” says Németh. “They only tried lighter drugs, but the changes in their personalities and the sudden degradation of their morals hit me. I realized that if I had followed this road, my life wouldn’t be what I wanted it to be.”
Németh channeled his energy into training as a stuntman, which gave him motivation and a real “high” from performing the stunts. At 16, he found the Marathon for a Drug-Free Hungary, an annual 2,000-km, 42-day marathon around the country with the sole purpose of educating people with the Truth About Drugs. He participated annually, reaching 320 cities with the message of living a drug-free life.
In 2012, Németh became Executive Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World (DFW) Hungary. He led his team to distribute drug education booklets in the streets and at festivals. He also reached local businesses, shops and restaurants across Hungary with the booklets, totaling 1,500 establishments each year.
“I understood the significance of the Truth About Drugs booklets,” says Németh. “For the first time, I felt that I had found the tools to fulfill the promise I made to save kids from drugs.”
Németh and his team then launched a mission to reach as many schools as possible. “When a local school requests a lecture, we offer to go free of charge—but we expand it further,” he explains. “We create a list of around 50 nearby schools and organize a full ‘Drug-Free Day,’ where we deliver interactive lessons, distribute booklets and engage students in activities that show them the benefits of living drug-free. By connecting multiple schools in one region, we maximize our impact and ensure that no child is left out.”
By doing so, they have educated thousands of students in over 1,300 schools.
“Every time I see the realizations on the faces of the kids we educate, I feel it’s worth it. Every time a kid tells me that he feels more responsible for his druggie friends or alcoholic or drugged parents, I feel—this is it. And every time a parent, a teacher, a police officer or a kid tells me a story about how drugs negatively influence the lives of young people around them, I am reminded that we have to do more.”
To see how Németh and his team have expanded their activities across Hungary, watch his TV episode at Scientology.TV/GNemeth.
TAKING ACTION
Make Every Awareness Day Count
Key awareness days are a perfect opportunity to take action and reach communities with the facts about drugs. From World Health Day on 7 April to the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June, US National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on 21 August, International Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August and Red Ribbon Week in October—each date is a chance to make a real impact.
Plan your activities now—deliver seminars in schools, organize runs or bike and motorcycle tours, host art or break dancing contests or distribute Truth About Drugs booklets while encouraging people to sign the drug-free pledge. Every action, large or small, helps spread knowledge and protect youth from the dangers of drugs.
Gather your team, order your materials and map out your events. Let’s take action and show that living drug-free is the way to be.
SAVE YOUNG LIVES
Support the Foundation for a Drug-Free World and help protect young lives from the destructive effects of drugs. Your contributions enable us to make our educational materials available free of charge to schools, youth organizations and other groups and individuals. Your support helps empower people with the facts they need to live healthy, drug-free lives.
