FUND THE SAFE AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS PROGRAM

"Zeroing Out."

That's budgetary language for describing an existing line item that is
totally erased from a future budget.

And "zeroing out" is exactly what the Bush administration is proposing for
the state-grant portion of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
money for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2005.

Translated into real dollars, this means reducing the currently allocated
$441 million dollars to $0.

On a more complex level -- compromising the right of our nation's kids to
learn in a safe and secure school environment and to receive critical drug
and violence prevention activities -- the price of zeroing out this program
is incalculable.

The presidential rationale for eliminating state-level safe and drug-free
schools funding is that it has not proven effective in the short-term.

I believe this rationale is seriously flawed.

Not only are the evidence-based prevention programs used by many safe and
drug-free schools grantees based on proven effectiveness, but the very
nature of "prevention" is that many outcomes are long-term in nature.

In his laudable goal to spend taxpayers' money responsibly, the president
has lumped the state portion of the safe and drug-free schools and
communities program in with 150 other domestic programs that are said to be
"wasteful, duplicative or ineffective."

Someone must have given President Bush inaccurate information about safe
and drug-free schools.

Reaching more than 37 million youth, safe and drug-free schools provides a
core of effective drug prevention and intervention efforts through youth
programs such as Project Alert, a drug prevention curriculum for
middle-school students that is recognized as an "exemplary program" by the
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, as well as by the U.S.
Department of Education.

Individual states have documented positive impacts from the use of safe and
drug-free schools and communities monies. For example:

Pennsylvania reports a significant decrease in the number of students who
violate drug-and-alcohol school polices -- from 11 percent in 1996-1997 to
4 percent in 2001-2002.

Minnesota reports an impressive increase in middle-school students who
report they never have smoked and are committed to not smoking -- from 50.5
percent in 2000 to 56 percent in 2002.

Kentucky reports a dramatic increase among 12th-graders who indicate they
never have used marijuana -- from 44 percent in 2000 to 57 percent in 2003.

Maine reports a marked decrease among students in grades 6 through 12 who
admit to past-month alcohol use -- from 38 percent in 1995 to 30.3 percent
in 2002.

Hawaii reports the perception of harm associated with the "occasional use
of inhalants" among 12th-graders increased from 48.5 percent in 1998 to
76.8 percent in 2002.

Most importantly, Bush clearly does not understand the nature of prevention
with regard to our nation's alcohol, drug and violence issues.

The creation of safe and drug-free environments for our kids involves
planting seeds -- offering alternatives to violence and drug use -- during
pre-school years and nurturing them during the teen and young adult years.

It also involves including all sectors of society in this process --
families and such community members as educators, police, clergy and local
merchants.

Long-term success of today's prevention efforts will be measured by the
creation of a new value system that permeates and guides all aspects of
society; one that abhors violence and applauds alternatives to
self-medicating emotional pain with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Such an effort takes time and the unconditional participation of all levels
of government, from federal to state to local governances, including school
boards.

And these results, in teen parlance, will be "so worth it."

Fortunately, today's technology makes it easy for concerned citizens to
have a voice with regard to critical federal budget items, such as the
proposed zeroing out of the state-grant portion of the safe and drug-free
schools and communities funds.

For example, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Web site --
www.cadca.org/ -- has a list of senators and representatives, as well as a
sample letter on this issue that you can send to them.

Fax numbers for the chairs and ranking members of the appropriations
subcommittees also are available for those citizens who wish to communicate
with elected officials in this way.

And it certainly can't hurt to drop the president an e-mail or to phone the
White House with your input regarding safe and drug-free schools at
president@whitehouse.gov or (202) 456-1111.

I urge you to act today. Today's kids -- and the generations yet to be born
- -- certainly deserve more than a zero.

JUDY SHEPPS BATTLE,

Kendall Park