NCJ Number
118004
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (1988) Pages: 185-199
Date Published
1988
Length
15 pages
Annotation
For many years the main support of the private sector for drug abuse prevention programs came through money resources channeled through general agencies of community assistance, such as the United Way.
Abstract
In the 1970s, the approach began to change and diversify as the negative social impact of drugs became more visible and far-reaching. Throughout all strata of society and within the workplace itself, more lives than ever before were affected by the abuse of drugs. A national problem was identified, highlighted by deaths owing to overdose of celebrities, respected community members, and/or their children. The abuse of dangerous drugs, no longer confined to the nation's slums and minority communities, proliferated with the more tolerant social attitudes of the 1960s and 1970s. On a different front, studies of manpower productivity revealed that the abuse of chemicals by employees was costly. In response, some companies designed and implemented Employee Assistance Programs, while others insisted on broader insurance coverage to support the in- and outpatient treatment of chemically dependent employees and their families. Still others looked for ways they could become involved in preventing the problem in the first place. Employee health or fitness centers were one result of this growing interest. Active support of projects designed to prevent drug use among young people was another. (Author abstract modified)