FIGHTING DRUG ABUSE IS COMMUNITY EFFORT

A new school year has begun. Many students may be excited by an array of
new classmates, teachers and experiences. Unfortunately, some students may
become overwhelmed by school and respond to peer pressure to try drugs.

Children and adolescents are our most vulnerable populations when it comes
to drug abuse. Deterring young people from using drugs is integral to their
development into healthy adults. Research studies show that kids who make
it past age 21 without trying alcohol, tobacco or other drugs are less
likely to progress to substance abuse in the future.

Drug prevention can and does work, but multiple strategies are needed to
ensure that kids hear consistent prevention messages again and again.

It is critical that parents tune in to their kids, turn off the TV and talk
to their children about the effects of drug use. It is equally important
that the community get involved in the conversation. Research shows that
marijuana use decreases when the perception of its harm within a community
increases. That's why community, parent, and student educational strategies
are crucial to the overall goal of reducing drug use and the acceptance of use.

From state-of-the-art laboratories to small businesses, from volunteers in
community coalitions to teachers in classrooms, we must continue to work
together to spread the truth about drugs and stop the devastation they
cause. Anyone who cares about kids owes it to himself or herself to get the
facts and pass them on. One kid at a time, one neighborhood at a time, we
can make a difference.

Maj. Gen. Arthur T. Dean (U.S. Army, Retired), Chairman and CEO, Community
Anti-Drug Coalitions of America