PROGRAM OFFERS REWARDS TO DRUG-FREE KIDS

CHAMBERSBURG -- Illicit drug use among 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade
students declined 19 percent between 2001 and 2005, according to a
recent survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

To help local students lead drug-free lives, Summit Health and
Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce officials continue their
six-year program offering incentives to those who "just say no."

Sixteen students from Dickinson College assistant professor Margaret
Davis' class traveled Monday to Chambersburg from Carlisle to learn
more about the "Teens Resisting Unhealthy Choices Everyday" program,
which is geared toward reducing the demand for drugs and alcohol
among adolescents. TRUCE, an affiliate of the Greater Chambersburg
Chamber Foundation, is funded by a $21,000 grant from Summit Health.
"We've identified three different community organizations throughout
Cumberland County promoting drug-free awareness for our students to
research. We're thrilled about this opportunity to become more
familiar with the TRUCE program," Davis said.

TRUCE, which began in February 2000, was modeled after a similar
drug-resistance program in Little Rock, Ark.

Students who wish to participate take a voluntary urinalysis for drug
use, program coordinator Pat Massa said. Test results are kept
confidential and are not reported to school officials or the police.
Students who test positive for drug use are referred for counseling
services.

TRUCE also offers school assemblies to promote self-esteem and
healthy choices.

Although the program is open to students in grades 6 through 12,
Massa said, the goal is to reach out to students at Chambersburg Area
Middle School and J. Frank Faust Junior High School.

"Our emphasis has been on the middle school. The program may be too
soft for high school students," Massa said.

Students who pass the TRUCE drug test are issued an ID card that
entitles them to discounts on products at more than 100 businesses in
Chambersburg,

although those who fail drug tests are ineligible for discounts.
About 1,700 students are participating this year.

A 2005 "Monitoring the Future" survey -- funded by the NIDA and
conducted by the University of Michigan with 49,347 students from 402
public and private schools -- showed lifetime use of methamphetamines
fell 1.2 percent among 10th-graders and 1.7 percent among
12th-graders. Since 2001, marijuana use has fallen by 28 percent
among eighth-graders and by 23 percent among 10th-graders.

The study also showed that alcohol use declined 2.7 percent among
eighth-graders, 1.5 percent among 10th-graders and 2.1 percent among
12th-graders in 2005, compared to 2004.

Still, program coordinator Charlie Schlichter says, "the nation is
losing the war against drugs."

"The drug problem is a demand problem. Even the bad guys can figure
out that if there is no one buying drugs, there's no point in selling
them," Schlichter said.

Chambersburg Area Senior High School Principal Barry Purvis said he
has not seen an increase in drug use among students at the high school.

Still, "I'm concerned about alcohol and drinking among our students,"
Purvis said. "The TRUCE program is more effective in the middle
school. It helps us reach out to the kids a lot earlier."