Camden School for Girls

AN anti-drugs charity linked to Scientology visited two Camden schools to talk to children as young as 11 about the dangers of addiction.

The guest speaker from the group Narconon was at Camden School for Girls and Brecknock Primary in Camden Town on Monday morning to give presentations on the long-term effects of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis.

The registered charity says it is secular but states its approach is directly adapted from the teachings of science fiction writer and founder of the controversial Church of Scientology L Ron Hubbard.

Both schools have said they were unaware of the charity’s links with Scientology and that teachers supervised the talks, which focused entirely on drug awareness.

Narconon promotes a number of theories and treatments, including claims that drugs stay in a user’s fatty tissue for years but can be flushed away through a “detoxification” regime of vitamins and saunas.

Its rehabilitation methods have been disputed by drug experts. Narconon claims its methods have a 75-80 per cent success rate and help addicts to rebuild their lives.

A 17-year-old present at the sixth-form assembly presentation at Camden School for Girls, in Sandall Road, said some pupils were alarmed when the speaker quoted L Ron Hub­bard and described him as a “great humanitarian”.

“Although the talk did rightly talk about the suffering experienced by addicts, it was interwoven with sauna treatments to remove ‘drug toxins’ from the body’s fatty tissue,” he said.

Questions have now been asked about how Camden schools chose the charity to speak to pupils about drugs. The council has said it is not a group it recommends. Harry Shapiro, Director of DrugWise, which calls for evidence-based information on drugs, said that there was “no excuse” for schools being unaware.

“They [Narcanon] are attractive to schools as they don’t charge but their organisation has millions and they don’t need to,” he said. “They don’t follow what is recognised and what is good drug education and prevention practice.”

In a statement, Elizabeth Kitcatt, headteacher at Camden School for Girls, said students had found the talk “very useful”. The presentation was based on the speaker’s own personal experiences with drug addiction.

“We needed the speaker on Monday to focus on the long-term dangers of tobacco, alcohol and can­nabis addiction and the harmful effects the drugs have on physical and mental wellbeing,” she said. “The visitor was an individual who had experienced these addictions himself and his talk was based on his own life, concentrating solely on these issues.

“A number of students thanked him personally at the end of the talk, which they found very useful.”

Ms Kitcatt added: “We pride ourselves on organising a programme of speakers from a range of backgrounds to give short talks.”

A spokeswoman for Brecknock Primary said: “The school’s deputy head was in the room for the whole drug awareness talk and at no point was there any mention of Scientology or any religious connotations. It was marketed as an anti-drug talk and that’s exactly what it was.”

Noel Nile, president of Narconon UK, said the charity was “in the business of saving lives” and that its presentations to schools on drug prevention were well received by teachers and pupils.

He said: “Residues of drugs stay in the system for short or long periods of time, and one sees this in the continuing detrimental effect they can have on people’s health. Our message is that there are adverse physical and mental effects from abusing drugs.”

When asked about the links to Scientology, Mr Nile said: “Scientology is a recognised religion in this country, and the Church of Scientology has long supported workable drug prevention efforts, including the work of Narconon.

“School lectures are not concerned with religion. They are popular and successful because they communicate a clear message, which is easily understood by young people.”

Asked if Camden Council would be warning schools about inviting Narconon to talk to pupils, a step taken by the East London borough of Tower Hamlets, a council spokesman said: “They are not a group we recommend or include in our external agencies directory for schools on organisations that support health and wellbeing.”