Japanese Athletes Make a Clean Play
University athletes in Japan are proving that real strength means standing up for what’s right.
In 2023, a student from Nihon University’s American football team was arrested for marijuana use, receiving widespread media coverage and leading to the disbandment of Japan’s most prestigious club. In 2024, a player from Hosei University’s American football team tested positive for drugs.
Determined to be part of the solution, Drug-Free World Japan launched a campaign to save Japan’s beloved sport.
“Blaming students who use drugs or disbanding the football team is not the solution,” said one DFW volunteer. “Effective education is available, enabling individuals to make the choice not to take drugs.”
Their first major action took place at the famed Koshien Bowl—the annual Japanese college football championship game—where DFW volunteers distributed thousands of Truth About Drugs booklets. Visitors thanked them, saying, “Let’s all protect football together.”
University football players approached DFW: “Can we join your activity? We want to take responsibility by taking action.”
American football teams from Tokyo University, Hosei University and Kwansei Gakuin University joined the movement, distributing booklets at stadiums across Tokyo, Kobe and Kawasaki.
From university grounds to national stadiums, Japan’s young athletes are proving that the true spirit of the game is integrity, teamwork and living drug-free.
Victory begins with staying clean.
WE REALLY WANT TO hear FROM YOU
Educators, drug-prevention specialists, drug rehabilitation specialists and more are using The Truth About Fentanyl and the Truth About Drugs materials to educate others on the dangers of fentanyl.
DRUG PREVENTION ACTIVIST, KENYA
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PREVENTION SPECIALIST, USA
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DRUG REHABILITATION SPECIALIST, USA
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EMPLOYEE, PENITENTIARY SERVICES, ARGENTINA
“In the prevention campaigns we are developing, each piece of material that reaches the community becomes an opportunity for dialogue, reflection and awareness. These are not just pieces of paper with information; they are tools that open doors, raise questions and, in many cases, make the difference between misinformation and the possibility of choosing a healthier path. These materials allow us to accompany and guide our members and their loved ones through a problem that affects not only individuals, but also entire families and the social fabric.”
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FACTS
FENTANYL IN NUMBERS
Fentanyl is claiming lives every day across the world—here’s what the numbers reveal:
50
TIMES
stronger than heroin.
100
TIMES
stronger than morphine.
2
MILLIGRAMS
can be fatal.
48
THOUSAND
deaths caused by synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, in 2024.
60
PERCENT
of overdose deaths in the US involved fentanyl in 2024.
E-COURSES
ON THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS
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Find out what drugs are, what they are made of and their short- and long-term effects, and watch real stories from real people about each of the most popular drugs of choice.
