Narconon Blog

On December 12th, 2009, at the Hotel Milano Brun, Narconon South
Europe celebrated the 28th anniversary of Narconon® in Italy

In the presence of 300 guests and Narconon International executives, Phil Hart and Clark Carr, the Executive Director of Narconon South Europe Giovanni Citterio presented the achievements of the past year and gave the Felice Cantù International Award to those who had contributed significantly to the fight against drug abuse.

One important attainment was the registration of Narconon drug rehabilitation centers in the website of the Department of Anti-Drug Policy by the President’s Council of Ministers, and Narconon’s participation in the 5th National Conference on Drugs in Trieste.

This year’s award recipients were Vittorio Potì, Mayor of Melendugno, Massimo Esposito of Narconon Rome and Salvo Siracusano, a Narconon graduate. They received awards for, respectively, “Narconon and Society,” “Narconon Prevention,” and “Narconon Rehabilitation”.

Mayor Potì discussed the evolution of the relationship between Meledugno and Narconon Gabbiano: “As the Regional Councilor and Mayor of a Salerno town with an agricultural and tourist economy, Narconon’s arrival challenged us. We were in the middle of the nineties, and our thoughts about the world of drug addiction were not free from prejudice and superficial evaluation, even to the point of intolerance. The community and I had a distorted view. But after initial distrust and worries about possible conflicts with the center, we developed a climate of real respect, trust, and active mutual collaboration.

“Our most recent collaboration was an agreement between Narconon and the Municipal Administration to use Narconon students for combined civic activities to preserve the environment. This, along with many other instances, has made all the difference.
mayor of Melendugno

“Today, Narconon in Melendugno is not a foreigner viewed with suspicion, but a part of our community. Because of their dedication to their mission, Narconon has gained our support and esteem.”