Narconon Enlists Hip Hop to Launch Powerful Anti-Drug Message In Upcoming 25th Anniversary Kingdom Day Parade

LOS ANGELES, CA, January 01, 2011

A unique Martin Luther King anti drug kick-off event took place on December 18th enlisting LA's urban artists to use their art to help beat back the influence of drugs from our communities. The graffiti art battle held at Crewest Gallery, and hosted by well-known LA urban artist, Man One, was sponsored by Narconon Professional Drug Prevention.

"Looking at where we are today, we clearly need to speed up and intensify the effort if we are going to make Dr. King's dream a reality," says President of Narconon , Clark Carr. Narconon International decided the answer was to enlist help from LA-based Narconon Professional Drug Prevention, an organization that specializes in community events as well as drug prevention training. The result was a black Sharpie graff battle between LA's urban artists to secure a powerful youth message and image that will be used "to drive out the increasingly toxic influence of drugs that plagues neighborhoods oppressed by injustice and oppression." The artist creating the winning piece will see his art transformed into a powerful anti-drug tee to be introduced at the Kingdom Day Parade in January.

Carr personally has spent months working in the heart of Mexico, caught in the violence and oppression of warring drug cartels to bring Narconon solutions to methamphetamine and other drug addiction. "The real tragedy is the children," says Carr. "They have so little, and consequently, the lure of money and 'adventure' offered by violent cartels is powerful. American cities are not prepared for this kind of pressure from highly organized cartels. We need to reach our youth with solutions before drug traffickers do."

"Ridding communities of the negative influence of drugs is a vital component of achieving the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., envisioned decades ago," says Teddy Chambers, Executive Director of Narconon Professional Drug Prevention. "A society that has allowed its creative spirit to fall short of the challenges imposed by injustice and especially the injustice of economic oppression, is at serious risk. "We feel our winning artist totally captured that truth."

The winning anti-drug piece in the graff battle had to be created under time constraints and strict guidelines. The winning piece was by Tony Anguiano, a 23-year-old LA urban artist. "His art was selected as most ideal to reach young people at risk of trading their own creative spirit for a false sense of elation that will betray them and kill that spirit," says Chambers. "All the artists who competed did so because they endorsed the event's theme which will carry into the parade: "If we can create -- The Dream can be achieved." -- DRUGS RUIN CREATIVITY."

For more information about Narconon drug prevention and rehabilitation call 1 800-775-8750 or visit www.narconon.org.