NCJ Number
15394
Date Published
1974
Length
103 pages
Annotation
LOOKS AT HOW REPORTED DRUG USAGE, DRUG KNOWLEDGE, AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS CHANGED OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD COMPARED WITH THE CHANGES FOR STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL SCHOOLS.
Abstract
FOURTEEN SCHOOLS, DESIGNATED 'EXPERIMENTAL,' PARTICIPATED IN A DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY THE CHARLOTTE DRUG EDUCATION CENTER. DRUG USAGE, DRUG KNOWLEDGE, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN HIGH-RISK STATES BELIEVED TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF DRUG USAGE WAS MEASURED IN THESE SCHOOLS IN 1972 AND AGAIN IN 1974. THE CHANGES IN THESE FACTORS WERE COMPARED WITH CHANGES IN TWELVE SCHOOLS, DESIGNATED 'CONTROLS,' THAT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. GENERALLY, A HIGHER PROPORTION OF STUDENTS IN BOTH THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL SCHOOLS REPORTED USING DRUGS IN 1974 THAN IN 1972, BUT THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS REPORTED A LOWER INCREASE THAN THE CONTROL SCHOOLS. IN TERMS OF STUDENTS REPORTING THAT THEY HAD NEVER USED DRUGS, THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS DID BETTER FOR ALL DRUG TYPES EXCEPT ALCOHOL. FOR THOSE REPORTING THAT THEY HAD USED DRUGS WITHIN THE PAST MONTH, THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS DID BETTER FOR ALL DRUG TYPES EXCEPT ALCOHOL (WHERE BOTH EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL SCHOOLS CHANGED BY THE SAME AMOUNT) AND HALLUCINOGENS (WHERE THE CONTROL SCHOOLS DID BETTER). FOR FREQUENT USAGE WITHIN THE LAST MONTH THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS AGAIN DID BETTER FOR ALL DRUG TYPES EXCEPT HALLUCINOGENS. EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS ALSO DID BETTER WITH STUDENTS REPORTING THAT THEY HAD ACCESS TO DRUGS BUT HAD NOT USED THEM WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. FOR STUDENTS WHO REPORT USING DRUGS BUT NOT WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, HOWEVER, THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS DID WORSE IN HALLUCINOGENS, AMPHETAMINES, BARBITURATES, AND INHALANTS. THE PERCENTAGE OF DRUG KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY CHANGED LITTLE FROM 1972 TO 1974 IN EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL OR CONTROL SCHOOLS. THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS WAS 39 PERCENT. EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLS IMPROVED RELATIVE TO CONTROL SCHOOLS BY 0.9 PERCENT. THE DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN SEVERAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES BELIEVED TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT A PERSON USES DRUGS. THESE 'HIGH-RISH' STATES WERE LACKS COMMITMENT, LACKS ATTACHMENT TO SCHOOL, POOR PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP, HOPELESSNESS AND INABILITY TO COPE, BOREDOM, REBELLION, POOR SELF-IMAGE, AND PEER PRESSURE. CHANGES IN THE PERCENTAGE OF EXPERIMENTAL-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THESE STATES COMPARED FAVORABLY WITH CHANGE FOR THE CONTROL SCHOOLS ONLY FOR REBELLION AND POOR PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP. THE LONG-RANGE PROGRAM IMPACT MAY BE DEFINED AS THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF HEROIN AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION PREVENTED. UNDER THIS DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE COST OF PREVENTING A YEAR OF ADDICTION IS ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 200 AND 300 DOLLARS. THIS COST COMPARES FAVORABLY WITH SEVERAL POSSIBLE DRUG TREATMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS ANALYZED, WHOSE ESTIMATED COSTS FOR PREVENTING A YEAR OF HEROIN ADDICTION RANGED FROM 700 DOLLARS TO 9000 DOLLARS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT) MECKLENBURG COUNTY (NC)