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.

Although students are the primary victims of drug use in the schools, drug use cannot be stopped or prevented unless students actively participate in this effort.

Students can help fight alcohol and other drug use in the following ways:

* Participating in discussions about the extent of the problem at their own school.

* Supporting a strong school anti-drug policy and firm, consistent enforcement of rules.

* Setting a positive example for fellow students and speaking forcefully against drug use.

* Teaching other students, particularly younger ones, about the harmful effects of drugs.

* Encouraging their parents to join with other parents to promote a drug-free environment outside school. Some successful parent groups have been started as a result of the pressure of a son or daughter was concerned about drugs.

* Becoming actively involved in efforts to inform the community about the drug problem.

* Joining in or starting a club or other activity to create positive, challenging ways for young people to have fun without alcohol and other drugs. Obtaining adult sponsorship for the group and publicizing its activities.

* Encouraging friends who have a drug problem to seek help and reporting persons selling drugs to parents and the principal.

WHAT COMMUNITIES CAN DO

* Help schools fight drugs by providing them with the expertise and financial resources of community groups and agencies.

* 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.

Communities

Providing Support

Recommendation # 11:

Help schools fight drugs by providing them with the expertise and financial resources of community groups and agencies.

Law enforcement agencies and the courts can take the following actions:

* Provide volunteers to speak in the schools about the legal ramifications of alcohol and other drug use. Officers can encourage students to cooperate with them to stop drug use.

* Meet with school officials to discuss alcohol and other drug use in the school, share information on the drug problem outside the school, and help school officials in their investigations.

Social service and health agencies can take the following actions:

* Provide volunteers to speak in the school about the effects of drugs.

* Meet with parents to discuss symptoms of drug use and to inform them about counseling resources.

* Provide the schools with health professionals to evaluate students who may be potential drug users.

* Provide referrals to local treatment programs for students who are using drugs.

* Establish and conduct drug counseling and support groups for students.

Business leaders can take the following actions:

* Speak in the schools about the effects of alcohol and other drug use on employment.

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