15th Annual Drug-Free Hungary Marathon Launches April 9

Budapest, Hungary, April 7, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Why would a team of volunteers devote 42 days to running 2,000-km in a drug prevention marathon? And why hold this marathon year after year for 15 years? Because those running in the Drug-Free Hungary Marathon know that one in three 16-year-olds in Hungary has experimented with illicit drugs and 92 percent of those who use ecstasy go on to consuming other addictive drugs. Drug abuse is a pandemic affecting all levels of society. And according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs.”

Every April since 2001, those running in the Drug-Free Hungary Marathon have brought their message to the youth of the country.  They have reached nearly 1/4 million youth with drug education and have carried out thousands of drug prevention events with local youth pledging to live drug-free.

Drug abuse is a pandemic affecting all levels of society. And according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), "For every dollar spent on prevention, at least ten can be saved in future health, social and crime costs."

This year’s Marathon, which launches April 9, will bring the message of drug-free living to youth in 300 towns and cities. Town mayors, city counselors, educators and parents welcome them to their cities and organize drug education events to coincide with the arrival of the Marathon. The athletes swear kids in on their drug-free pledge and hundreds of youth run along with the athletes as they head to the next town or city—an average of seven towns each day.

The Drug-Free Hungary Marathon is supported by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World and uses the Foundation’s The Truth About Drugs booklets and videos in their drug education activities. A secular nonprofit corporation, the Foundation for a Drug-Free World was formed in 2006 to serve as the primary distributor of these educational materials and to develop new materials to meet the challenge of continually changing drug trends.

The Foundation oversees the Truth About Drugs campaign and coordinates an international network of volunteers brought together by their common purpose to create a drug-free world. Materials are made available free of charge to educators, mentors, law enforcement and community groups.

Source: Foundation for a Drug-Free World