ABCs OF DRUGS SHOULD BE A PART OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM

The time to hear about the hazards of drug abuse is in the early
years. The place to do so is where other learning happens: first in
the home and then at school.

Drug abuse among preteens and adolescents is particularly dangerous
because it tends to accompany a constellation of destructive behavior.
Youngsters who abuse drugs are more likely than drug-free peers to
exhibit poor academic performance, truancy, violence and theft;
premature sexual activity, pregnancy out of wedlock and sexually
transmitted diseases; auto accidents and other forms of recklessness;
risk taking and thrill-seeking; suicide or homicide; and a wide range
of health problems.

We aren't sure which came first, the chicken or the egg: whether
depression over bad grades leads to substance abuse or drugs lower
achievement because drugged students can't pay attention. Undoubtedly,
the progression moves in both directions. Substance abuse is both a
sign that something is wrong and a cause of other problems.

The fact that drug use now starts among younger kids than in the past
is bad for a number of reasons. The most important learning invariably
happens earliest. Fundamentals of reading, grammar, mathematics,
language and memory, scientific observation, inductive and deductive
reasoning, creativity and organization may well be lost for good if
missed in primary and secondary grades.

Furthermore, adolescence is a time when identity formation combines
with competence -- laying the foundation for later
achievement.

Psychoactive drugs allow youngsters to take a leave of absence from
the psychological agenda of maturation. Diminished social and
intellectual capacity, lost opportunity, medical problems and
isolation are just a few side-effects of drug abuse for youth.

Ideally, drug education can be integrated into the rest of the
curriculum. What drugs do to the body falls under biology; how
different drugs interact with one another is part of chemistry; the
rise of multinational drug syndicates can be studied in world history,
economics or criminal justice; and the role of mind-altering
substances in various cultures is an aspect of sociology.

Whether concentrated in a multidisciplinary course or sprinkled
throughout various classes, drug education should be expanded because
students are surprisingly ignorant about this subject.

Research proves that school-based prevention works when properly
designed and administered. A Cornell University study of 6,000
students found that the odds of drinking, smoking and using marijuana
were 40 percent lower among seventh-through ninth-graders who
participated in substance-abuse programs. Perhaps more surprising was
a Department of Education study which revealed that positive school
experience and more time spent on academic activities in general "were
associated with less drug use, more desirable attitudes toward drugs
and higher self-esteem."

These findings, in conjunction with research that consistently
documents a strong correlation between drug use and all forms of
anti-social behavior, including violence, show that substance abuse is
not an isolated problem.

All this information points toward the fact that drug-abuse prevention
goes beyond imparting data about the effects of each drug. Reliable
statistics have taught us that minimizing an assortment of risk
factors and increasing prevention factors can reduce the rate of
substance abuse along with other destructive practices.

Risk factors include chaotic home environments plagued by substance
abuse and/or mental illness, ineffective parenting, lack of mutual
attachments with adults, school failure, poor social skills,
affiliation with deviant peers and peer approval of drugs.

The most important prevention factors are: strong family bonds
supplemented by clear rules of conduct and parental involvement with
children; success in school; involvement with positive institutions
like school, religious, athletic, and charitable groups; difficulty
obtaining drugs (low drug availability); and intolerance of drug abuse
among peers and adults.

In the past, some school-based prevention programs didn't adequately
rely on scientific studies of what works. The Office of National Drug
Control Policy has developed measures of effectiveness that schools
can apply to their efforts.

Money previously spent on T-shirts with anti-drug slogans or one-time
speakers might better be spent on mentoring, family involvement or
community reinforcement using local media. Some schools received too
little money for effective programs. In the future, spending must be
tied to achievement. Monies should be tracked and programs monitored.

Only effective approaches will be funded. This competitive feature
ensures that proven methods will outstrip marginal approaches. A corps
of trained professionals is being made available to assist in
developing a prevention infrastructure that addresses risk and
prevention factors and produces positive change on an on-going basis.

Parental and communal involvement is critical. These changes, among
others, are featured in the current Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities bill now before Congress.

The city of Houston is to be commended for the partnership it has
established with ONDCP to accomplish these goals. With federal
support, Houston and Harris County will be focusing their resources to
rid the community of drugs. Treatment options are being expanded, and
education will be coordinated through in-school programs linked to the
criminal justice system, the corporate community, policy-makers, mass
media and law enforcement.

The first federal-city alliance of its kind, this partnership entails
a steering committee composed of private drug-control experts and a
data committee to handle the targeting and evaluation process. Such
oversight can guarantee, for example, that youth programs are properly
geared for each age group because research indicates that "one size
does not fit all" when it comes to drug education.

In 1998, the Society for Prevention Research honored Texas with an
award for high standards in drug prevention. Texas can be proud that
it is leading the way nationally in implementing a system to reduce
drug abuse and violence among young people.