| News and Events |
- September 1985 - Narconon Belgium dissolved
and replaced with Church of Scientology anti-drugs campaign.
- April 1997 - Belgian parliamentary committee
reports on sect activities, including Narconon's:
"The speaker [J.A. Fisch, of the "Circle of Defence
of the Individual and Family" organisation] knows a young
man from Vianden who paid 250,000 francs with Narconon for a
cure of detoxification which finally lasted only three days:
he fled and died of an overdose ... the witness affirms that
too high amounts of products, like niacin and [Oxadylène],
are given to certain people so as to break their resistance
and to convince them to remain [with Narconon]...
The [Narconon] organisation, a scientologist association providing
assistance to drug addicts, was dissolved in September 1985.
It seems to have been replaced by a new structure, "Yes
to life, not to drugs", under the direction of Flavio Spirito
and Ludo Vermeulen. From now on, Scientology launched a "fight
against drugs" campaign [apparently the "Drug Free
Marshals" campaign known in the US] in primary school classes
in the three areas of the country [Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels].
Small sheriffs' stars are distributed to the children who commit
themselves to not taking drugs. Within the framework of this
programme, representatives of the Church of Scientology tried,
on several occasions, to obtain the collaboration of the communal
authorities and the gendarmerie... Thus, they contacted representatives
of the legal district of Arlon, asking to come into contact
with the burgomaster [mayor] and the aldermen.
The state prosecutor was however alerted in good time. They
also tried to give conferences to Saint-Léger, Couvin
and Dison. By deceit, they succeeded in ensnaring a gendarmerie
squad from Leuwen which, ignorant as to with whom it was dealing,
took part in the programme in Flemish schools.
Taken at face value, the goal of this programme is very positive
but its true outcome would be to conduct a promotional campaign
of information on Scientology in order to recruit new members.
According to a witness, true anti-drug associations declare
their opposition to this approach and want this field to be
entrusted to genuine specialists and not to organizations such
as the Church of Scientology. If the program of weaning developed
by R. Hubbard can give results for certain drug addicts, it
makes these detoxificated easy prey, more vulnerable to mental
manipulation."
[Chamber of Representatives, Belgium - Ordinary Session
1996-97, April 28 1997 - "Parliamentary Enquiry to work
out a policy to combat illegal sect activities and the danger
they represent, particularly to minors"]
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