NCJ Number
112863
Journal
Educational Leadership Volume: 45 Issue: 6 Dated: (March 1988) Pages: 4-8
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines the 'epidemic' of alcohol and other substance abuse among children and youth, and discusses school and community drug prevention efforts.
Abstract
Statistics are cited to indicate the seriousness of the problem. For example, the average age for beginning alcohol use is 12.5 years (Horton 1985). Approximately 4 million youth under age 17 are alcoholics, teen drinkers account for 50 percent of all fatal auto accidents, and 80 percent of high school seniors have used marijuana. Reports indicate that two-thirds of American children will have used an illicit drug other than marijuana before they graduate from high school. Nine guidelines for action by schools in prevention of drug and alcohol abuse are presented. These include concentrating drug prevention efforts on the 'gateway' drugs, particularly alcohol; mobilizing the total community in efforts to prevent alcohol use; sending a strong message to young people that use of alcohol and other drugs is neither expected nor accepted in schools and communities, and beginning prevention efforts in the school and community early. 3 references.