Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2003
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2003 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

SCIENTOLOGIST DRUG CLAIM ON POSTER IS CENSURED

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against the 
Church of Scientology, which stated in a poster that it had rescued 250,000 
people from drug addiction.

The council said that the worldwide religious movement had not proved its 
claim that as many as a quarter of a million addicts had stopped using 
drugs as a direct result of Scientology's intervention.

The Church of England's Birmingham diocese and several members of the 
public had objected to the poster, which was produced by the Scientologists 
to publicise a tour of parts of the country.

The poster read: "Scientology: applied religious philosophy. 250,000 people 
salvaged from drugs." There was also a free telephone number and a website 
address.

The council said it accepted that many people had stopped taking drugs with 
the help of Scientology, but the movement had not proved that they had all 
been addicts.
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