SAY NO TO DRUGS, SAY YES TO LIFE
Introduction
The Guest Speaker at the Westville community Police Forum meeting on the 19th August 2008, will be Allan Wohrnitz who is the KZN Representative and Regional Co-ordinator in the Leadership Training and Drug Education to the Youth. Mr Wohrnitz will be speaking on Drug Education and Drug Awareness amongst the youth and to help the youth to become informed on the harmful effects of Drugs. Parents attending the CPF meeting are urged to bring their children along to this very informative meeting. 

Foundation for a Drug-Free World 
INTERNATIONAL “SAY NO TO DRUGS, SAY YES TO LIFE”
DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION
· The International “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” drug prevention program was launched officially in 1993 with the formal establishment of the Drug-Free Marshals in the United States
· The campaign is active in 60 countries from Argentina to South Africa with 140 drug prevention groups in 130 cities worldwide.
· The Truth About Drugs educational booklets on the most abused drugs (i.e. marijuana, ecstasy, crystal meth, cocaine, crack, heroine, LSD, prescription stimulants and painkillers) are available in some 20 languages so as to reach every cultural center. 
· There have been more than 3,238,490 anti-drug booklets distributed in the last year, bringing the cumulative total to 19,589,027
· The Drug Free Marshals have empowered more than 3.2 million people to live their lives drug-free. For instance, they have:
- Received drug-free pledges from students at 212 schools in Taiwan
- Sworn in 65,000 youth in Canada as Drug Free Marshals
- Sworn in 70, 000 in Japan and
- 270,000 in Mexico, where the Marshals were made part of the board of an Addiction-Free Network funded by the Mexican government.
· An example of the effectiveness of the program is the Taiwan Tai Dong High School, where after distribution of the Truth About Drugs booklets and education lectures, they experienced a 45% drop in morphine based drug use and a 65% drop in ecstasy usage.
· In order to fulfill the escalating demand for the “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” educational materials and programs, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World was established in October 2006
· The Foundation has partnered with government and law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and other organizations, which have printed and distributed Foundation publications. The Foundation trained educators and drug enforcement specialists, including the Dangerous Drugs Board in the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
· The Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe, the sister organization of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, is a member of the Vienna NGO Forum on Narcotic Drugs, which is a partner of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe is also a member of the Civil Society Forum on Drugs in the European Union. 

For more information, contact Allan Wohrnitz, KZN Representative and Regional Co-ordinator.
Contact details 073 3149545 or email on awohrnitz@eca.co.za. 
Visit the website www.drugfreeworld.org

RE: Leadership Training and Drug Education to the Youth
My name is Allan Wohrnitz and I am the KZN Representative and Regional Co-ordinator for The Foundation for a Drug Free World. Our aim is to bring about Drug Education and Drug Awareness amongst the youth and to help them become informed on the harmful effects of drugs so they can Say No to Drugs and are able to help others also Say No to Drugs.
   I have been involved in a number of Leadership Training sessions with a number of organizations, namely the SAPS in KZN, Communications Officers of the Midlands, trained a group of 120 Youth Leaders in May 2007 which included the Youth Parliament and Youth Ambassadors (fully sponsored by the Office of the Rights of the Child in the Office of the Premier KZN), trained 170 Youth Volunteers in Johannesburg (City Year) for 2 years in a row – May 2007 and May 2008, trained the Social Crime Prevention unit of the Alexandra (Jhb) Police Station and the Youth Desk of the Jeppe Police Station in Jhb.
   My task in KZN is to train the youth and school children how to get the message of “Say No to Drugs and Say Yes to Life” to all children and youth. This activity is being supported by the Safer Cities Program and some SAPS Police stations in Wentworth, Tongaat, Westville, the Interfaith Forum of Reservoir Hills. 
   I would like the participation of the Youth and Volunteers in KZN to be able to take part in this program. I would like to train them on Leadership Skills and Public Speaking so they know how to form a group, lead it and carry a message to a chosen audience.
   We are rich in training know-how and materials to carry the message. In materials, we have DVD’s on each drug – a 30 to 45 sec ad that communicates the dangers and bad effects of drugs, a website to refer to the information and watch the DVD’s, a lesson plan any teacher can take and educate the school children on the information they need to know about drugs, booklets that can be distributed to those who need the information, A4 fliers on information on drugs, posters and banners. 
   I look forward to hearing from you and form a partnership to work together as a team and get a very effective message to the youth in KZN and make progress on the War on Drugs.

Sincerely

Allan Wohrnitz, 

KZN Representative and Regional Co-ordinator.
Cell 073 3149545
email awohrnitz@eca.co.za. 
www.drugfreeworld.org

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