Berg's specific advice on how to hype up the drug issue to the media

Berg's specific advice on how to bullshit (why I use "bullshit" will be apparent at the end of this post) and play up the idea they were helping kids get off of drugs can be seen in Mo Letter #142: "PUBLIC RELATIONS" written November 24, 1971. It was designated "LTA" meaning it was for leadership training -- Berg was training his leadership to bullshit.

http://www.exfamily.org/pubs/ml/b4/ml0142.shtml

"DON'T FORGET TO TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU'RE HELPING OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE get out of drugs."

If you do a search for the word "drug" you'll see that Berg mentions it about 15 times, specifically that his followers should promote the idea.

From Wikipedia:

"After 1971 the hippie movement gradually became less visible as a distinct social phenomenon, especially in the United States. Many hippies moved to rural locations out of a desire to pursue more simple lives; they were no longer the focus of urban mainstream media attention. And the conclusion of U.S. involvement in Vietnam after the 1973 peace accords meant that many hippies felt less compelled to engage politically."

Media attention had died, and hippiedom was becoming mainstream:

"Many Americans who had once accepted the 'hippie' label chose to adopt more conventional outer personae, while holding fast to the timeless ideals that had fueled the hippie movement from its beginnings. By the early 1970s much of hippie style had been integrated into mainstream American society."

Regardless of when exactly it fizzled out, by 1973, when Berg moved his followers en masse out of the US, they had already stopped targeting the hippies as recruits for some time. Drug addicts were considered to bring too much luggage and problems along with them.

In Mo Letter #334A: "WHO TO!"--PUSHERS OR PROBLEMS?" Berg advised against spending time on rehabilitation efforts:

"26. WE TALK ABOUT REHABILITATION FROM DRUGS AND CRIME, BUT WE SPECIALISE IN THE KIND WHO GET INSTANT DELIVERANCE through Jesus Christ right on the spot before they join!--Not those we have to fiddle around with for years after they join trying to get them to get the victory."

"133. SO DON'T TAKE PEOPLE IN THAT ARE SICK IN MIND, BODY OR SPIRIT, or pretty soon their sickness is going to be so contagious that everybody's catching it, and pretty soon the whole Colony's sick and unable to do anything because of one God-damned clever fiendish little devil that got in though somebody that you were sorry for! A lot of kinds we sent home!"

"WE'RE NOT A DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE!"

"134. THE KIDS HAVE GOT TO GET OVER THIS IDEA THAT WE'RE LIKE THE DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRES that we've talked about in our literature and our PR brochures, because we're not! We are nothing like any drug rehabilitation centre that I know of!"

Conclusion: Berg asked his followers to hype the issue. When they started believing their own lies and trying to help, he got mad. Berg never really cared about hippies or drug addicts. It was just hype for the media. He only cared about getting easy problem-free slaves for his movement.