SCHOOLS WITHOUT DRUGS
A Plan for Us All
CONTENTS
WHAT CAN WE DO?
CHILDREN AND DRUGS
Extent of Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Fact Sheet: Drugs and Dependence
How Drug Use Develops
Fact Sheet: Youth and Alcohol
Effects of Drug Use
Fact Sheet: Cocaine: Crack
Drug Use and Learning
A PLAN FOR ACTION
What Parents Can Do
Instilling Responsibility
Supervising Activities
Fact Sheet: Signs of Drug Use
Recognizing Drug Use
What Schools Can Do
Assessing the Problem
Enforcing Policy Seeing Policy
Teaching About Drug Prevention
Fact Sheet: Tips for Selecting Drug Prevention Materials
Enlisting the Community's Help
Fact Sheet: Legal Questions on Search and Seizure
Fact Sheet: Legal Questions on Suspension and Expulsion
What Students Can Do
Learning the Facts
Helping to Fight Drug Use
What Communities Can Do
Providing Support
Involving Law Enforcement
CONCLUSION
SPECIAL SECTIONS
Teaching About Drug Prevention
How the Law Can Help
Resources
Specific Drugs and Their Effects
Sources of Information
References
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WHAT CAN WE DO?
A Plan for Achieving Schools Without Drugs
PARENTS:
1. Teach standards of right and wrong, and demonstrate these
standards through personal example.
2. Help children to resist poor pressure to use alcohol and
other drugs by supervising their activities, knowing who
their friends are, and talking with them about their
interests and problems.
3. Be knowledgeable about drugs and signs of drug use. When
symptoms are observed, respond promptly.
SCHOOLS:
4. Determine the extent and character of alcohol and other
drug use and monitor that use regularly.
5. Establish clear and specific rules regarding alcohol and
other drug use that include strong corrective actions.
6. Enforce established policies against drug use fairly and
consistently. Ensure adequate security measures to
eliminate drugs from school premises and school functions.
7. Implement a comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for
kindergarten through grade 12, teaching that drug use is
wrong and harmful, and supporting and strengthening
resistance to drugs.
8. Reach out to the community for support and assistance in
making the school's anti-drug policy and program work.
Develop collaborative arrangements in which school
personnel, parents, school boards, law enforcement
officers, treatment organizations, and private groups can
work together to provide necessary resources.
STUDENTS:
9. Learn about the effects of alcohol and other drug use, the
reasons why drugs are harmful, and ways to resist
pressures to try drugs.
10. Use an understanding of the danger posed by alcohol and
other drugs to help other students avoid them. Encourage
other students to resist drugs, persuade those using drugs
to seek help, and report those selling drugs to parents
and the school principal.
COMMUNITIES:
11. Help schools fight drugs by providing them with the
expertise and financial resources of community groups and
agencies.
12. Involve local law enforcement agencies in all aspects of
drug prevention: assessment, enforcement, and education.
The police and courts should have well-established
relationships with the schools.
"I felt depressed and hurt all the time. I hated myself
for the way I hurt my parents and treated them so cruelly
and for the way I treated others. I hated myself the most,
though, for the way I treated myself. I would take drugs
until I overdosed, and fell further and further behind in
school and work and relationships with others. I just
didn't care anymore whether I lived or died. I stopped
going to school altogether .... I felt constantly
depressed and began having thoughts of suicide, which
scared me a lot! I didn't know where to turn..."
--Stewart, a high school student
CHILDREN AND DRUGS
When 13- to 18-year-olds were asked to name the biggest
problem facing young people today, drug use led the list. In
1987, 54 percent of teens cited drugs as their greatest
concern--up from 27 percent only 10 years earlier.
Eighty-nine percent of teens oppose legalization of
marijuana, and 77 percent believe it would be wrong to
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Drugs and alcohol rank high on the list of topics that
teens wish they could discuss more with their parents--42
percent want more discussions with parents about drugs, and 39
percent feel the need to talk about drinking.
--The Gallup Youth Surveys, 1987 and 1988
Adult's share this concern, ranking student drug use as
the most serious problem facing our nation's schools for the
third consecutive year.
--20th Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward
Public Schools, 1988
Children and Drugs
Americans have consistently identified drug use as being
among the top problems confronting the nation's schools. Yet
many do not recognize the degree to which their own children,
their own schools, and their own communities are at risk.
Research shows that drug use among children is 10 times
more prevalent than parents suspect. In addition, many students
know that their parents do not recognize the extent of drug
use; as a result, some young people believe that they can use
drugs with impunity.
School administrators and teachers often are unaware that
some of their students are using and selling drugs on school
property. As Ralph Egers, former superintendent of schools in
South Portland, Maine, put it, "We'd like to think that our
kids don't have this problem, but the brightest kid from the
best family in the community could have the problem."
The facts are:
* Drug use is not confined to young people in certain
geographic areas or from particular economic backgrounds;
drug use affects young people throughout the nation.
* Drugs are a serious problem not only among high school
students but among middle and elementary school students
as well.
* Heavy drinking, defined as five or more drinks on one
occasion, is reported by 30 percent of high school
seniors, and more than one-half are occasional users of
alcohol.
* All illegal drugs are dangerous; there is no such thing as
safe or responsible use of illegal drugs.
* Although drug trafficking is controlled by adults, the
immediate source of drugs for most students is other
students.
Continuing misconceptions about the drug problem stand in
the way of corrective action. The following section outlines
the nature and extent of the problem and summaries the latest
research on the effects of drugs on students and schools.
Figure 1
Percentage of 6th Graders Who Report Peer Pressure to Try Drugs
Source: 1987 Weekly Reader Survey on Drugs and Drinking
Figure 2
Percentage of High School Seniors Who Have Used Cocaine
Source: Institute for Social Research 1991
Extent of Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Drug use is widespread among American schoolchildren.
Although a national study of high school seniors in 1991 shows
that drug use among young people is declining, the figures
remain unacceptably high (see Figure 2). The United States
continues to have the highest rate of teenage drug use of any
nation in the industrialized world. Forty-four percent of high
school seniors have tried an illicit drug by the time they
graduate. Alcohol is the most widely used drug. By their senior
year, 88 percent of students in the class of 1991 had used
alcohol; 78 percent had used alcohol in the past year and 54
percent had used it in the month prior to the survey. Thirty
percent of seniors surveyed reported at least one occasion of
heavy drinking in the two weeks prior to the survey--an
occasion in which they had five or more drinks in a row.
Twenty-four percent of 1991 seniors reported using marijuana in
the past year, and 14 percent said they had used it at least
once in the previous month. Three and one-half percent of
seniors indicated that they had used cocaine in the past year.
Three percent of seniors had used crack, and 1.5 percent had
used it within the last year.
The drug problem affects all types of students. All
regions and all types of communities show high levels of drug
use. Thirty percent of 1990 high school seniors in
nonmetropolitan areas reported illicit drug use in the previous
year, while the rate for seniors in large metropolitan areas
was 33 percent. Although higher proportions of males are
involved in illicit drug use, especially heavy drug use, the
gap between the sexes is closing. The extent to which high
school seniors reported having used illicit drugs is higher for
whites than for blacks.
Initial use of alcohol and other drugs occurs at an
increasingly early age. Nineteen percent of seniors report they
had initiated cigarette use by sixth grade and 11 percent had
used alcohol. Forty-four percent of 8th graders have tried
cigarettes, and 70 percent have at least tried alcohol.
Twenty-seven percent of 8th graders have gotten drunk at least
once, and 13 percent report they have consumed five or more
drinks in a row. Of the illicit drugs, marijuana and inhalants
show the earliest pattern of initiation; about 2.8 percent of
seniors had begun using both of these substances by the 6th
grade. The peak initiation rate is reached by 9th grade. Peak
initiation rates for cocaine and hallucinogens are reached in
10th and 11th grade with the initiation rate for nearly all
drugs falling off by 12th grade.
Fact Sheet
Drugs and Dependence
Drugs cause physical and emotional dependence. Users may
develop a craving for specific drugs, and their bodies may
respond to the presence of drugs in ways that lead to increased
drug use.
* Regular users of drugs develop tolerance, a need to take
larger doses to get the same initial effect. They may
respond by combining drugs, frequently with devastating
results. Many teenage drug users calling a national
cocaine hotline report that they take other drugs just to
counteract the unpleasant effects of cocaine.
* Certain drugs, such as opiates, barbituates, alcohol, and
nicotine, create physical dependence. With prolonged use,
these drugs become part of the body chemistry. When a
regular user stops taking the drug, the body experiences
the physiological trauma known as withdrawal.
* Psychological dependence occurs when taking drugs becomes
the center of the user's life. Among children,
psychological dependence erodes school performance and can
destroy ties to family and friends, as well as cause the
child to abandon outside interests, values, and goals. The
child goes from taking drugs to feel good, to taking them
to keep from feeling bad. Over time, drug use itself
heightens the bad feelings and can leave the user
suicidal. More than half of all adolescent suicides are
drug-related.
* Drugs can remain in the body long after use has stopped.
The extent to which a drug is retained in the body depends
on the drug's chemical composition, that is, whether it is
fat-soluble. Fat-soluble drugs such as marijuana and
phencyclidine (PCP) seek out and settle in the fatty
tissues. As a result, they build up in the fatty parts of
the body such as the brain. Such accumulations of drugs
and their slow release over time may have effects on the
mind and body weeks or even months after drug use has
stopped.
How Drug Use Develops
Social influences play a key role in making drug use
attractive to children.
The first temptations to use drugs may come in social
situations in the form of pressures to "act grown up" by
smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or marijuana.
A 1987 Weekly Reader survey found that television and
movies had the greatest influence on fourth through sixth
graders in making drugs and alcohol seem attractive; the second
greatest influence was other children.
The survey offers insights into why students take drugs.
Children in grades four through six think that the most
important reason for using alcohol and marijuana is to "fit in
with others," followed closely by a desire "to feel older."
Students also have incomplete or inaccurate information. For
example, only 44 percent of sixth graders polled in a national
survey think alcohol should be called a drug. This finding
reinforces the need for prevention programs beginning in the
early grades--programs that focus on teaching children the
facts about drugs and alcohol and the skills to resist peer
pressure to use them.
Students who turn to more potent drugs usually do so after
first using cigarettes and alcohol, and then marijuana. Initial
attempts may not produce a "high"; however, students who
continue to use drugs learn that drugs can change their
thoughts and feelings. The greater a student's involvement with
marijuana, the more likely it is the student will begin to use
other drugs in conjunction with marijuana.
Drug use frequently progresses in stages--from occasional
use, to regular use, to multiple drug use, and ultimately to
total dependency. With each successive stage, drug use
intensifies, becomes more varied, and results in increasingly
debilitating effects.
But this progression is not inevitable. Drug use can be
stopped at any stage. However, the more deeply involved
children are with drugs, the more difficult it is for them to
stop. The best way to fight drug use is to begin prevention
efforts before children start using drugs. Prevention efforts
that focus on young children are the most effective means to
fight drug use.
Fact Sheet
Youth and Alcohol
Alcohol is the number one drug problem among youth. The
easy availability, widespread acceptability, and extensive
promotion of alcoholic beverages within our society make
alcohol the most widely used and abused drug.
* Alcohol use is widespread. By their senior year of high
school nearly 90 percent of students will have tried
alcoholic beverages. Despite a legal drinking age of 21,
junior and senior high school students drink 35 percent of
all wine coolers sold in the United States. They also
drink an estimated 1.1 billion bottles and cans of beer
each year.
* Drinking has acute effects on the body. The heavy,
fast-paced drinking that young people commonly engage in
quickly alters judgment, vision, coordination, and speech
and often leads to dangerous risk-taking behavior. Because
young people have lower body weight than adults, youth
absorb alcohol into their blood system faster than adults
and exhibit greater impairment for longer periods of time.
Alcohol use not only increases the likelihood of being
involved in an accident, it increases the risk of serious
injury in an accident because of its harmful effects on
numerous parts of the body.
* Alcohol-related highway accidents are the principal cause
of death among young people ages 15 through 24. Alcohol use
is the primary cause of traffic accidents involving teenage
drivers. Furthermore, about half of all youthful deaths in
drowning, fires, suicide, and homicide are alcohol-related.
* Any alcoholic beverage can be misused. Contrary to popular
belief, drinking beer or wine can have effects similar to
drinking "hard" liquor. A bottle of beer, a glass of wine,
or a bottle of wine cooler have about the same amount of
ethyl alcohol as a drink made with liquor. Those who drive
"under the influence" are most likely to have been drinking
beer.
* Early alcohol use is associated with subsequent alcohol
dependence and related health problems. Youth who use
alcohol at a younger age are more likely to use alcohol
heavily and to experience alcohol-related problems
affecting their relationships with family and friends by
late adolescence. Their school performance is likely to
suffer, and they are more likely to be truant. They are
also more likely to abuse other drugs and to get in trouble
with the law, or, if they are girls, to become pregnant.
Effects of Drug Use
The drugs students are taking today are more potent, more
dangerous, and more addictive than ever.
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of
drugs. Drugs threaten normal development in a number of ways:
* Drugs can interfere with memory, sensation, and
perception. They distort experiences and cause a loss of
self-control that can lead users to harm themselves and
others.
* Drugs interfere with the brain's ability to take in, sort,
and synthesize information. As a result, sensory
information runs together, providing new sensations while
blocking normal ability to understand the information
received.
* Drugs can have an insidious effect on perception; for
example, cocaine and amphetamines often give users a false
sense of functioning at their best while on the drug.
Drug suppliers have responded to the increasing demand for
drugs by developing new strains, producing reprocessed,
purified drugs, and using underground laboratories to create
more powerful forms of illegal drugs. Consequently, users are
exposed to heightened or unknown levels of risk.
* The marijuana produced today is from 5 to 20 times
stronger than that available as recently as 10 years ago.
Regular use by adolescents has been associated with an
"amotivational syndrome," characterized by apathy and loss
of goals. Research has shown that severe psychological
damage, including paranoia and psychosis, can occur when
marijuana contains 2 percent THC, its major psychoactive
ingredient. Since the early 1980s, most marijuana has
contained from 4 to 6 percent THC-two or three times the
amount capable of causing serious damage.
* Crack is a purified and highly addictive form of cocaine.
* Phencyclidine (PCP), first developed as an animal
tranquilizer, has unpredictable and often violent effects.
Often children do not even know that they are using this
drug when PCP-laced parsley in cigarette form is passed
off as marijuana, or when PCP in crystal form is sold as
lysergic acid (LSD).
* Some of the "designer" drugs, slight chemical variations
of existing illegal drugs, have been known to cause
permanent brain damage with a single dose.
Further information about drugs is presented in the
Resources Section, pages 61-71.
Fact Sheet
Cocaine: Crack
Cocaine is readily available. Fifty-one percent of seniors
say it would be easy for them to get cocaine. Most alarming is
the ready availability of cocaine in a cheap but potent form
called crack or rock. Crack is a purified form of cocaine that
is smoked.
* Crack is inexpensive to try. Crack is available for as
little as $5. As a result, the drug is affordable to many
potential users, including high school and even elementary
school students.
* Crack is easy to use. It is sold in pieces resembling
small white gravel or soap chips and is sometimes pressed
into small pellets. Crack can be smoked in a pipe or put
into a cigarette. The visible effects disappear within
minutes after smoking, so detection is difficult.
* Crack is extremely addictive. Crack is far more addictive
than heroin or barbiturates. Because crack is smoked, it
is quickly absorbed into the blood stream. It produces a
feeling of extreme euphoria, peaking within seconds.
Repeated use of crack can lead to addiction within a few
days.
* Crack leads to crime and severe psychological disorders.
Many youths, once addicted, have turned to stealing,
prostitution, and drug dealing in order to support their
habit. Continued use can produce violent behavior and
psychotic states similar to schizophrenia.
* Crack is deadly. Cocaine in any form, including crack, can
cause sudden death from cardiac arrest or respiratory
failure.
Drug Use and Learning
Drugs erode the self-discipline and motivation necessary
for learning. Pervasive drug use among students creates a
climate in the schools that is destructive to learning.
Research shows that drug use can cause a decline in
academic performance. This has been found to be true for
students who excelled in school prior to drug use as well as
for those with academic or behavioral problems prior to use.
According to one study, students using marijuana were twice as
likely to average D's and F's as other students. The decline in
grades often reverses when drug use is stopped.
Drug use is closely tied to being truant and dropping out
of school. High school seniors who are heavy drug users are
more than three times as likely to skip school as nonusers.
About one-fifth of heavy users skipped three or more school
days a month, more than six times the truancy rate of nonusers.
In a Philadelphia study, dropouts were almost twice as likely
to be frequent drug users as were high school graduates; four
in five dropouts used drugs regularly.
Drug use is associated with crime and misconduct that
disrupt the maintenance of an orderly and safe school
atmosphere conducive to learning. Drugs not only transform
schools into marketplaces for dope deals, they also lead to the
destruction of property and to classroom disorder. Among high
school seniors, heavy drug users were more than three times as
likely to vandalize school property and twice as likely to have
been involved in a fight at school or at work as nonusers.
Students on drugs create a climate of apathy, disruption, and
disrespect for others. For example, among teenage callers to a
national cocaine hotline, 32 percent reported that they sold
drugs, and 64 percent said that they stole from family,
friends, or employers to buy drugs. A drug-ridden environment
is a strong deterrent to learning not only for drug users but
for other students as well.
A PLAN FOR ACTION
To combat student drug use most effectively, the entire
community must be involved: parents, schools, students, law
enforcement authorities, religious groups, social service
agencies, and the media. They all must transmit a single
consistent message that drug use is wrong and dangerous, and it
will not be tolerated. This message must be reinforced through
strong, consistent law enforcement and disciplinary measures.
The following recommendations and examples describe
actions that can be taken by parents, schools, students, and
communities to stop drug use. These recommendations are derived
from research and from the experiences of schools throughout
the country. They show that the drug problem can be overcome.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO
* Teach standards of right and wrong, and demonstrate these
standards through personal example.
* Help children to resist peer pressure to use alcohol and
other drugs by supervising their activities, knowing who
their friends are, and talking with them about their
interests and problems.
* Be knowledgeable about drugs and signs of drug use. When
symptoms are observed, respond promptly.
Parents
Instilling Responsibility
Recommendation #1:
Teach standards of right and wrong and demonstrate these
standards through personal example.
Children who are brought up to value individual
responsibility and self-discipline and to have a clear sense of
right and wrong are less likely to try drugs than those who are
not. Parents can help to instill these values by:
* Setting a good example for children and not using drugs
themselves.
* Explaining to their children at an early age that drug use
is wrong, harmful, and unlawful, and reinforcing this
teaching throughout adolescence.
* Encouraging self-discipline by giving children regular
duties and holding them accountable for their actions.
* Establishing standards of behavior concerning drugs,
drinking, dating, curfews, and unsupervised activities,
and enforcing them consistently and fairly.
* Encouraging their children to stand by their convictions
when pressured to use drugs.
Central Elementary
Gulfport, Mississippi
Every afternoon after the last bell rings, the POP
(Parents on Patrol) Team springs into action. With their
T-shirts proclaiming "Drug-Free Body" and whistles at the
ready, their mission is to ensure that all children get off the
school grounds and on their way home safely. POPs are also
posted several blocks away from campus. They send a strong
signal to any dealers and drug users who may be in the
neighborhood (which has the highest rate of drug-related crime
in Gulfport), that these children have higher goals, healthier
aspirations.
The POP team is just one way parents are involved in the
drug prevention program at Central Elementary. Spurred, in
part, by the high rate of drug activity in the school's
surrounding neighborhood, the Central staff made an early
commitment to involving parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles
and other caregivers in all aspects of the program's
development.
The school helped train parents to go into the
community--to churches and social centers--to teach drug
awareness and provide child rearing classes. Newsletters and
home visits support Central's outreach.
Inherent in the school's drug prevention program is the
philosophy that the best prevention is providing healthy,
challenging activities for the mind. High on Checkers is just
one such program. Central checker players not only compete
within the school, they take field trips to the "checker
capital of the world" 70 miles from Gulfport. Central champions
have even played in tournaments in Russia and England. Parent
volunteers make travel possible by seeking donations, holding
fund-raising events, and serving as chaperons.
Teachers and parents also devote time and energy to other
activities such as the highly acclaimed Boys Choir, a
problem-solving club called the Think Tank, and the Central
Student Council, one of the few elementary councils in
Mississippi.
Parents may also volunteer to read to students, to help
with the physical education program, or to be a "buddy" in the
cafeteria. Several parents have acknowledged that the Central
drug-free efforts have made a positive difference not only in
the lives of their children, but in their own lives as well.
Parents
Supervising Activities
Recommendation #2:
Help children to resist peer pressure to use alcohol and
other drugs by supervising their activities, knowing who their
friends are, and talking with them about their interests and
problems.
When parents take an active interest in their children's
behavior, they provide the guidance and support children need
to resist drugs. Parents can do this by:
* Knowing their children's whereabouts, activities, and
friends.
* Working to maintain and improve family communications and
listening to their children.
* Being able to discuss drugs knowledgeably. It is far
better for children to obtain their information from their
parents than from their peers or on the street.
* Communicating regularly with the parents of their
children's friends and sharing their knowledge about drugs
with other parents.
* Being selective about their children's viewing of
television and movies that portray drug use as glamorous
or exciting.
In addition, parents can work with the school in its
efforts to fight drugs by:
* Encouraging the development of a school policy with a
clear no-use message.
* Supporting administrators who are tough on drugs.
* Assisting the school in monitoring students' attendance
and planning and chaperoning school-sponsored activities.
* Communicating regularly with the school regarding their
children's behavior.
Fact Sheet
Signs of Drug Use
Changing patterns of performance, appearance, and behavior
may signal use of drugs. The items in the first category listed
below provide direct evidence of drug use; the items in the
other categories offer signs that may indicate drug use. Adults
should watch for extreme changes in children's behavior,
changes that together form a pattern associated with drug use.
Signs of Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia
* Possession of drug-related paraphernalia such as pipes,
rolling papers, small decongestant bottles, eye drops, or
small butane torches.
* Possession of drugs or evidence of drugs, such as pills,
white powder, small glass vials, or hypodermic needles;
peculiar plants or butts, seeds, or leaves in ashtrays or
in clothing pockets.
* Odor of drugs, smell of incense or other "cover-up"
scents.
Identification with Drug Culture
* Drug-related magazines, slogans on clothing.
* Conversation and jokes that are preoccupied with drugs.
* Hostility in discussing drugs.
* Collection of beer cans.
Signs of Physical Deterioration
* Memory lapses, short attention span, difficulty in
concentration.
* Poor physical coordination, slurred or incoherent speech.
* Unhealthy appearance, indifference to hygiene and grooming.
* Bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils.
Dramatic Changes in School Performance
* Marked downturn in student's grades--not just from C's to
F's, but from A's to B's and C's; assignments not
completed.
* Increased absenteeism or tardiness.
Changes in Behavior
* Chronic dishonesty (lying, stealing, cheating); trouble
with the police.
* Changes in friends, evasiveness in talking about new ones.
* Possession of large amounts of money.
* Increasing and inappropriate anger, hostility,
irritability, secretiveness.
* Reduced motivation, energy, self-discipline, self-esteem.
* Diminished interest in extracurricular activities and
hobbies.
Parents
Recognizing Drug Use
Recommendation #3:
Be knowledgeable about drugs and signs of drug use. When
symptoms are observed, respond promptly.
Parents are in the best position to recognize early signs
of drug use in their children. To inform and involve
themselves, parents should take the following steps:
* Learn about the extent of the drug problem in their
community and in their children's schools.
* Learn how to recognize signs of drug use.
* Meet with parents of their children's friends or
classmates about the drug problem at their school.
Establish a means of sharing information to determine
which children are using drugs and who is supplying them.
Parents who suspect their children are using drugs often
must deal with their own emotions of anger, resentment, and
guilt. Frequently they deny the evidence and postpone
confronting their children. Yet, the earlier a drug problem is
detected and faced, the less difficult it is to overcome. If
parents suspect that their children are using drugs, they
should take the following steps:
* Devise a plan of action. Consult with school officials and
other parents.
* Discuss their suspicions with their children in a calm,
objective manner. Do not confront a child while he or she
is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
* Impose disciplinary measures that help remove the child
from those circumstances where drug use might occur.
* Seek advice and assistance from drug treatment
professionals and from a parent group. (For further
information, consult the Resources Section, pages 61-81.)
WHAT SCHOOLS CAN DO
* Determine the extent and character of alcohol and other
drug use and monitor that use regularly.
* Establish clear and specific rules regarding alcohol and
other drug use that include strong corrective actions.
* Enforce established policies against alcohol and other
drug use fairly and consistently. Ensure adequate security
measures to eliminate drugs from school premises and
school functions.
* Implement a comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for
kindergarten through grade 12, teaching that drug use is
wrong and harmful, and supporting and strengthening
resistance to drugs.
* Reach out to the community for support and assistance in
making the school's anti-drug policy and program work.
Develop collaborative arrangements in which school
personnel, parents, school boards, law enforcement
officers, treatment organizations, and private groups can
work together to provide necessary resources.
Schools
Assessing the Problem
Recommendation #4:
Determine the extent and character of alcohol and other
drug use and monitor that use regularly.
School personnel should be informed about the extent of
drugs in their school. School boards, superintendents, and
local public officials should support school administrators in
their efforts to assess the extent of the drug problem and to
combat it.
To guide and evaluate effective drug prevention efforts,
schools need to take the following actions:
* Conduct anonymous surveys of students and school personnel
and consult with local law enforcement officials to
identify the extent of the drug problem.
* Bring together school personnel to identify areas where
drugs are being used and sold.
* Meet with parents to help determine the nature and extent
of drug use.
* Maintain records on drug use and sale in the school over
time, for use in evaluating and improving prevention
efforts. In addition to self-reported drug use patterns,
records may include information on drug-related arrests
and school discipline problems.
* Inform the community, in straightforward language, of the
results of the school's assessment of the drug problem.
Roncalli High School
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Before Roncalli, a Catholic coed high school, initiated
its no-use drug policy in the early 1980s, it was not uncommon
after athletic events to see a parking lot full of empty beer
cans and to hear reports of students charged with driving while
intoxicated.
After an alcohol-related teenage traffic fatality jolted
the community, a district-wide survey was taken that showed
widespread drug and alcohol use by high school students. The
Roncalli student body was no exception. In response, an action
plan was developed by students, parents, and the community that
calls for referral and treatment on the first offense for any
student found in the possession of or under the influence of
alcohol or drugs at any Roncalli High School activity. The
consequence for a second offense is dismissal.
Since this program's inception 13 years ago, only one
student has declined referral and treatment choosing instead to
leave school. Tracking surveys each year help the faculty and
students to monitor progress in achieving the school's
drug-free goal.
Positive peer pressure and team spirit are important
ingredients in Roncalli's anti-drug program. The student group
RADD (Roncalli Against Drinking and Drugs) operates as an arm
of the Student Senate to organize and coordinate drug-free
activities through the year. More than 90 percent of the 650
students at Roncalli High participate in RADD's activities that
include dances, open gym, Trivial Pursuit contests, Pictionary
night, video screenings, and other after-school events.
A Peer Helpers program matches all 120 incoming freshmen
with peers who provide information throughout the year on
Roncalli's anti-drug policies and program.
Concerned Persons Groups also meet at Roncalli to offer
extra peer support to students who have a friend or family
member using drugs or who may need a place to talk and find
assistance in confidence. The groups meet during the school day
on alternating schedules so that all may have the option to
attend.
Parents, too, are actively involved in the school program.
The Roncalli Parents Communication Network has commitments from
more than 60 percent of the Roncalli parents to keep their
homes drug-free and to be present when students visit.
Schools
Setting Policy
Recommendation #5:
Establish clear and specific rules regarding alcohol and
other drug use that include strong corrective actions.
School policies should clearly establish that drug use,
possession, and sale on the school grounds and at school
functions will not be tolerated. These policies should apply
both to students and to school personnel, and may include
prevention, intervention, treatment, and disciplinary measures.
School policies should have the following characteristics:
* Specify what constitutes a drug offense by defining (1)
illegal substances and paraphernalia; (2) the area of the
school's jurisdiction, for example, the school property,
its surroundings, and all school-related events, such as
proms and football games; and (3) the types of violations
(drug possession, use, and sale).
* State the consequences for violating school policy;
punitive action should be linked to referral for treatment
and counseling. Measures that schools have found effective
in dealing with first-time offenders include the
following:
-- A required meeting of parents and the student with
school officials, concluding with a contract signed by
the student and parents in which they both acknowledge
a rug problem and the student agrees to stop using and
to participate in drug counseling or a rehabilitation
program.
-- Suspension, assignment to an alternative school,
in-school suspension, after-school or Saturday
detention with close supervision, and demanding
academic assignments.
-- Referral to a drug treatment expert or counselor.
-- Notification of police.
Penalties for repeat offenders and for sellers may include
expulsion, legal action, and referral for treatment.
* Describe procedures for handling violations, including the
following:
-- Legal issues associated with disciplinary actions
(confidentiality, due process, and search and seizure)
and their application.
-- Circumstances under which incidents should be reported
and the responsibilities and procedures for reporting
incidents, including the identification of the
authorities to be contacted.
-- Procedures for notifying parents when their child is
suspected of using drugs or is caught with drugs.
-- Procedures for notifying police.
* Enlist legal counsel to ensure that all policy is in
compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws.
* Build community support for the policy. Hold open meetings
where views can be aired and differences resolved.
Schools
Enforcing Policy
Recommendation #6:
Enforce established policies against alcohol and other
drug use fairly and consistently. Ensure adequate security
measures to eliminate drugs from school premises and school
functions.
Ensure that everyone understands the policy and the
procedures that will be followed in case of infractions. Make
copies of the school policy available to all parents, teachers,
and students, and publicize the policy throughout the school
and community.
Impose strict security measures to bar access to intruders
and to prohibit student drug trafficking. Enforcement policies
should correspond to the severity of the school's drug problem.
For example:
* Officials can require students to carry hall passes,
supervise school grounds and hallways, and secure
assistance of law enforcement officials, particularly to
help monitor areas around the school.
* For a severe drug problem, officials can use security
personnel to monitor closely all school areas where drug
sales and use are known to occur; issue mandatory
identification badges for school staff and students;
request the assistance of local police to help stop drug
dealing; and, depending on applicable law, develop a
policy that permits periodic searches of student lockers.
Review enforcement practices regularly to ensure that
penalties are uniformly and fairly applied.
* Consider implementing an alternative program for students
who have been suspended for drug use or possession. Some
districts have developed off-campus programs to enable
suspended students to continue their education in a more
tightly structured environment. These programs may be
offered during the day or in the evening, and may offer
counseling as well as an academic curriculum. Other
districts have successfully used a probationary
alternative that combined a short-term in-school
suspension with requirements for drug testing and
participation in support groups as a condition of
returning to the classroom.
Lawrenceville Middle School
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Ten years ago, Lawrenceville, Georgia, was a rural
community outside Atlanta. Today it is a full-fledged suburb,
and one of the nation's fastest-growing. Lawrenceville Middle
School, responding to rapid changes in the community, did not
wait for a crisis to begin thinking about the drug education
needs of its 1100 students. It conducted a survey in 1981 to
use as a benchmark to measure drug-free progress in subsequent
years and to help define an appropriate program--the first in
Gwinnett County--for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.
The Lawrenceville program emphasizes five prevention
strategies: education, life and social skills, healthy
alternatives, risk factor reduction, and environmental change.
While annual surveys help the faculty and parents assess its
effectiveness, they are not the only way they measure
effectiveness. Regular informal assessments and day-today
faculty observation help to fine tune the program from year to
year and suggest any immediate changes required. A case in
point: when teachers began to observe an increase in tobacco
use, particularly smokeless tobacco use, they formed a
committee that included parents and administrators and came up
with a plan to include more information in the curriculum on
the harmful effects of tobacco and more up-to-date materials in
the media center. They also decided to implement a no-tobacco
use policy for the school staff. The following year, incidents
of student tobacco use decreased dramatically.
Parents, students, and teachers attribute much of
Lawrenceville's drug education success to its alternative
program, STRIDE, (Student/Teacher Resource Institute for Drug
Education), a unique concept that has captured the
attention--and drug-free pledges--of more than 80 percent of
Lawrenceville's students.
STRIDE's leadership team--composed of seventh-and
eighth-graders-meets during the summer to plan activities for
the upcoming year. A program featuring 10 to 12 major events is
outlined at the summer planning session. STRIDE leaders meet
regularly during the school year to implement the program and
delegate responsibilities. STRIDE events--held after school
from 2:00 to 5:00--are widely publicized by STRIDE members.
Events include programs by visiting athletes who qualify as
role models, dances, videos, plays, speakers from the
community, and special sports events.
Schools
Teaching About Drug Prevention
Recommendation # 7:
Implement a comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for
kindergarten through grade 12, teaching that drug use is wrong
and harmful, and supporting and strengthening resistance to
drugs.
A model program would have these main objectives:
* To value and maintain sound personal health.
* To respect laws and rules prohibiting drugs.
* To resist pressures to use drugs.
* To promote student activities that are drug free and offer
healthy avenues for student interests.
In developing a program, school staff should take the
following steps:
* Determine curriculum content appropriate for the school's
drug problem and grade levels.
* Base the curriculum on an understanding of why children
try drugs in order to teach them how to resist pressures
to use drugs.
* Review existing materials for possible adaptation. State
and national organizations--and some lending
libraries--that have an interest in drug prevention make
available lists of materials.
In implementing a program, school staff should take the
following steps:
* Include students in all grades. Effective drug education
is cumulative.
* Teach about drugs in health education classes, and
reinforce this curriculum with appropriate materials in
classes such as social studies and science.
* Develop expertise in drug prevention through training.
Teachers should be knowledgeable about drugs, personally
committed to opposing drug use, and skilled at eliciting
participation by students in drug prevention efforts.
(For more detailed information on topics and learning
activities to incorporate in a drug prevention program, see
pages 44-49.)
Fact Sheet
Tips for Selecting Drug Prevention Materials
In evaluating drug prevention materials, keep the
following points in mind:
Check the date of publication. Material published before
1980 may be outdated; even recently published materials may be
inaccurate.
Look for "warning flag" phrases and concepts. The
following expressions, many of which appear frequently in
"pro-drug" material, falsely imply that there is a "safe" use
of mind-altering drugs: experimental use, recreational use,
social use, controlled use, responsible use, use/abuse.
Mood-altering is a deceptive euphemism for mind-altering.
The implication of the phrase mood-altering is that only
temporary feelings are involved. The fact is that mood
changes are biological changes in the brain.
"There are no 'good' or 'bad' drugs, just improper use."
This is a popular semantic camouflage in pro-drug
literature. It confuses young people and minimizes the
distinct chemical differences among substances.
"The child's own decision."
Parents cannot afford to leave such hazardous choices to
their children. It is the parents' responsibility to do
all in their power to provide the information and the
protection to assure their children a drug-free childhood
and adolescence.
Be alert for contradictory messages. Many authors give a
pro-drug message and then cover their tracks by including
"cautions" about how to use drugs.
Make certain that the health consequences revealed in
current research are adequately described. Literature should
make these facts clear: The high potency of marijuana on the
market today makes it more dangerous than ever. THC, a
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is fat-soluble, and its
accumulation in the body has many adverse biological effects.
Cocaine can cause death and is one of the most addictive drugs
known. It takes less alcohol to produce impairment in youths
than in adults.
Demand material that sets positive standards of behavior
for children. The message conveyed must be an expectation that
children can say no to drugs. The publication and its message
must provide the information and must support family
involvement to reinforce the child's courage to stay drug free.
A fuller discussion of curriculum selection is offered in
Drug Prevention Curricula: A Guide to Selection and
Implementation. The guide is published by the U.S. Department
of Education and is available from the National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information, Box 2345 Rockville MD 20852.
Schools
Enlisting the Community's Help
Recommendation #8:
Reach out to the community for support and assistance in
making the school's anti-drug policy and program work. Develop
collaborative arrangements in which school personnel, parents,
school boards, law enforcement officers, treatment
organizations, and private groups can work together to provide
necessary resources.
School officials should recognize that they cannot solve
the drug problem by themselves. They need to enlist the
community's support for their efforts by taking the following
actions:
* Increase community understanding of the problem through
meetings, media coverage, and education programs.
* Build public support for the policy; develop agreement on
the goals of a school drug policy, including prevention
and enforcement goals.
* Educate the community about the effects and extent of the
drug problem.
* Strengthen contacts with law enforcement agencies through
discussions about the school's specific drug problems and
ways they can assist in drug education and enforcement.
* Call on local professionals, such as physicians and
pharmacists, to share their expertise on drug abuse as
class lecturers.
* Mobilize the resources of community groups and local
businesses to support the program.
Fact Sheet
Legal Questions on Search and Seizure
In 1985, the Supreme Court for the first time analyzed the
application in the public school setting of the Fourth
Amendment prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures.
The Court sought to craft a rule that would balance the need of
school authorities to maintain order and the privacy rights of
students. The questions in this section summarize the decisions
of the Supreme Court and of lower Federal courts. School
officials should consult with legal counsel in formulating
their policies.
What legal standard applies to school officials who search
students and their possessions for drugs?
The Supreme Court has held that school officials may
institute a search if there are "reasonable grounds" to
believe that the search will reveal evidence that the
student has violated or is violating either the law or the
rules of the school.
Do school officials need a search warrant to conduct a search
for drugs?
No, not if they are carrying out the search independent of
the police and other law enforcement officials. A more
stringent legal standard may apply if law enforcement
officials are involved in the search.
How extensive can a search be?
The scope of the permissible search will depend on whether
the measures used during the search are reasonably related
to the purpose of the search and are not excessively
intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student being
searched. The more intrusive the search, the greater the
justification that will be required by the courts.
Do school officials have to stop a search when they find the
object of the search?
Not necessarily. If a search reveals items suggesting the
presence of other evidence of crime or misconduct, the
school official may continue the search. For example, if a
teacher is justifiably searching a student's purse for
cigarettes and finds rolling papers, it will be reasonable
(subject to any local policy to the contrary) for the
teacher to search the rest of the purse for evidence of
drugs.
Can school officials search student lockers?
Reasonable grounds to believe that a particular student
locker contains evidence of a violation of the law or
school rules will generally justify a search of that
locker. In addition, some courts have upheld written
school policies that authorize school officials to inspect
student lockers at any time.
(For a more detailed discussion of legal issues, see pages
50-60).
Fact Sheet
Legal Questions on Suspension and Expulsion
The following questions and answers briefly describe
several Federal requirements that apply to the use of
suspension and expulsion as disciplinary tools in public
schools. These may not reflect all laws, policies, and judicial
precedents applicable to any given school district. School
officials should consult with legal counsel to determine the
application of these laws in their schools and to ensure
compliance with all legal requirements.
What Federal procedural requirements apply to suspension or
expulsion?
* The Supreme Court has held that students facing suspension
or expulsion from school are entitled under the U.S.
Constitution to the basic due process protections of
notice and an opportunity to be heard. The nature and
formality of the "hearing" to be provided depend on the
severity of the sanction being imposed.
* A formal hearing is not required when a school seeks to
suspend a student for 10 days or less. Due process in that
situation requires only that:
-- the school inform the student, either orally or in
writing, of the charges and of the evidence to support
those charges.
-- the school give the student an opportunity to deny the
charges and present his or her side of the story.
-- as a general rule, the notice to the student and a
rudimentary hearing should precede a suspension unless
a student's presence poses a continuing danger to
persons or property or threatens to disrupt the
academic process. In such cases, the notice and
rudimentary hearing should follow as soon as possible
after the student's removal.
More formal procedures may be required for suspensions
longer than 10 days and for expulsions. In addition, Federal
law and regulations establish special rules governing
suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities.
* States and local school districts may require additional
procedures.
Can students be suspended or expelled from school for use,
possession, or sale of drugs?
Generally, yes. A school may suspend or expel students in
accordance with the terms of its discipline policy. A
school policy may provide for penalties of varying
severity, including suspension or expulsion, to respond to
drug-related offenses. It is helpful to be explicit about
the types of offenses that will be punished and about the
penalties that may be imposed for particular types of
offenses (e.g., use, possession, or sale of drugs).
Generally, State and local law will determine the range of
sanctions permitted.
(For a more detailed discussion of legal issues, see pages
50-60.)
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
* Learn about the effects of drug use, the reasons why drugs
are harmful, and ways to resist pressures to try drugs.
* Use an understanding of the danger posed by drugs to help
other students avoid them. Encourage other students to
resist drugs, persuade those using drugs to seek help, and
report those selling drugs to parents and the school
principal.
Students
Learning the Facts
Recommendation #9:
Learn about the effects of alcohol and other drug use, the
reasons why drugs are harmful, and ways to resist pressures to
try drugs. Students can arm themselves with the knowledge to
resist drug use in the following ways:
* Learning about the effects and risks of drugs.
* Learning the symptoms of drug use and the names of
organizations and individuals available to help when
friends or family members are in trouble.
* Understanding the pressures to use drugs and ways to
counteract
* Knowing the school rules on drugs and ways to help make
the school policy work.
* Knowing the school procedures for reporting drug offenses.
* Knowing the laws on drug use and the penalties--for
example, for driving under the influence of alcohol or
other drugs--and understanding how the laws protect
individuals and society.
* Developing skill in communicating their opposition to
drugs and their resolve to avoid drug use.
R.H. Watkins High School of Jones County, Mississippi, has
developed this pledge setting forth the duties and
responsibilities of student counselors in its peer
counseling program.
Responsibility Pledge for a Peer Counselor
R.H. Watkins High School
As a drug education peer counselor you have the
opportunity to help the youth of our community develop to their
full potential without the interference of illegal drug use. It
is a responsibility you must not take lightly. Therefore,
please read the following responsibilities you will be expected
to fulfill next school year and discuss them with your parents
or guardians.
Responsibilities of a Peer Counselor
* Understand and be able to clearly state your beliefs and
attitudes about drug use among teens and adults.
* Remain drug free.
* Maintain an average of C or better in all classes.
* Maintain a citizenship average of B or better.
* Participate in some club or extracurricular activity that
emphasizes the positive side of school life.
* Successfully complete training for the program, including,
for example, units on the identification and symptoms of
drug abuse, history and reasons for drug abuse, and the
legal/economic aspects of drug abuse.
* Successfully present monthly programs on drug abuse in
each of the elementary and junior high schools of the
Laurel City school system, and to community groups,
churches, and statewide groups as needed.
* Participate in rap sessions or individual counseling
sessions with Laurel City school students.
* Attend at least one Jones County Drug Council meeting per
year, attend the annual Drug Council Awards Banquet, work
in the Drug Council Fair exhibit and in any Drug Council
workshops, if needed.
* Grades and credit for Drug Education will be awarded on
successful completion of and participation in all the
above-stated activities.
________________________ ____________________________
Student's Signature Parent's or Guardian's Signature
Students
Helping to Fight Drug Use
Recommendation # 10:
Use an understanding of the danger posed by alcohol and
other drugs to help other students avoid them. Encourage other
students to resist drugs, persuade those using drugs to seek
help, and report those selling drugs to parents and the school
principal.
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