|
|
|
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
By Clark Carr
President, Narconon
International
|
 |
Narconon International is justifiably proud of
its superb rehabilitation results--75% living stably drug-free, ethical,
productive lives one year or longer after graduation. But we and all in the
world who are serious about reducing the spread of drug abuse place an even
higher value on our drug prevention efforts. Simply compare figures of how many
youth and young adults are starting or experimenting with drugs to how many
now-addicted drug users are under treatment or actually
rehabilitated.
But even in
drug education, some people work to undermine the efforts of those of us of
good will. |
There has been a recent spate of press articles, radio and television
media trumpeting the increasing use of steroids or human growth hormones by
sports figures at the highest level. This is indeed a serious matter and a
trend that must be reversed (with better drug education of athletes and their
coaches, by the way!). Insinuated, however, by these stories is a false, very
negative idea that there are no more sports heroes, that maybe we should just
give up on sport, assume that "they're all drugged, and what difference does it
make, anyway?"
It makes a
big difference. From the most ancient times, men and women have shown that the
individual can rise to great heights of personal physical achievement in sport
and athletics. They have been revered by all civilizations. Athletes may be the
last real "heroes" that young people can look up to today. Almost every other
field of endeavor has been denigrated in the press. But read any newspaper or
listen to almost any radio station--it is sport and sports men and women who
are all the rage. And well they should be. Sports heroes can and should
represent the ideal of physical health, personal concentration and dogged
persistence toward future goals. Not just in the Olympics, but in all our
favorite sports we still see the finest example of individual achievement. They
should be role models which children should admire. We must not let ALL that is
best in national and international sport be dragged through the mud because of
the actions of a few.
Bob
Adams, former NFL player (Steelers and Patriots) and longtime supporter of
Narconon® drug education, speaks to this issue:
"Sport with honor, sportsmanship, honesty, and high moral standards have
everything to do with true success. Sportsmen must continue to expect it of
themselves and each other, and we must not let anyone tell us or our children
that we should expect anything less of sport."
|
|
|
|
