LEARNING TO AVOID SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Curricula adopted on risks of drugs, alcohol, tobacco

The Everett School District will try a new approach next year to teaching
middle school students about the health risks of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

Project Alert, a Los Angeles-based substance abuse prevention curriculum for
students in grades six through eight, has been adopted by the Everett
district for next year. It has been used in middle schools across the
nation.

A survey of Everett district eighth-graders has found 32 percent used
alcohol, 17 percent used marijuana and 22 percent used tobacco, according to
a district memo.

The Project Alert program matches well with the district's health and
fitness standards and can be integrated into other lessons, said Michael
Power, the district's executive director of curriculum and assessment.

Four out of the five Everett middle schools used the Project Alert program
on a one-year trial basis. It was evaluated in the spring and, on the
recommendation of school district staff, the school board adopted the
curriculum last week.

The program has two main goals:

To prevent teen-age non-users from experimenting with drugs, alcohol and
tobacco.

To prevent teen-age "experimenters" from becoming regular users. Power said
there is flexibility built into the program where it can be taught by
teachers, counselors or both. It will be up to each middle school to decide
how the lessons will be offered.

The lessons are based more on interaction than "stand up and deliver"
lectures and present students with scenarios and opportunities for
discussion that might be relevant to their lives, Power said.

"Making the Grade," a guide to school drug prevention programs, reviewed 47
of the most widely used substance abuse programs across the country. Project
Alert was one of six to be given an "A" grade.

Project Alert records show that 24 educators in Snohomish County have
received training from the company, including 10 from the Everett district.
Staff in eight other districts within the county have also received training
from the company.

You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446 or send e-mail to
stevick@heraldnet.com .