Substance abuse prevention in Schools

 

There are a variety of actions schools can take aimed at prevention abuse of alcohol and other drugs among adolescents. Prevention is vastly preferable to treatment since it saves expense both in terms of both dollars and human suffering.

First, administrators need to establish clear and specific rules regarding alcohol and other drug use that includes strong corrective action. School boards also need to establish clear policies. and support administrators in implementing goal directed action in relation to this national crisis.

One thing schools can do early in the formation of a locally produced plan is to make time available when students may seek out school counselors at times when life stresses become heavy. Not only do students need to know counselors are. available to listen or help. but also have time allowed out from academic programming to permit them to make use of this availability. One way to arrange this could involve loosely structured study hall periods. Or a student drop-in center might provide a forum for informal counseling.

Training should be given to prepare teachers for their role in drug abuse prevention, since teachers have more contact with students than any other group of adults throughout the school day. Through formal education. teachers may familiarized themselves with the effects drugs have on adolescent behavior and learn to recognize early warning signs of possible substance abuse as well as indicators of intoxication. Teachers must realize that the conditions leading to drug use are largely social and psychological. and commit themselves to the belief that planned. cooperative prevention efforts can be effective in addressing these factors.

Students can also benefit from formal education about the effects of abuse and the nature of addiction. in the form of a comprehensive drug curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12. However. it is important to do more than merely provide accurate information about drugs. for obvious reasons this can be counterproductive. As "youth ghettos" school are the place where students can be most easily reached in a community, since they are lathered together in a structured environment. Many students alcohol andother drugs because they are dependent on the stimulation drugs offer. While "getting high" may not socially approved in connection with illicit substances, in the case of drugs like alcohol which are legal, it is unrealistic to preach abstinence. Teaching self-control strategies might be more beneficial and productive, particularly as students approach the age of legal consent. Students can also benefit from self-exploration and examination of their own substance abuse patterns including frequency and conditions of use. tolerance and family history of addiction. In addition to self-control. it is helpful to teach coping strategies for dealing with normal life stress, and how to develop ego-strength to say "no" and mean it. This ability can be generalized to a wide range of interpersonal circumstances including not just drug/alcohol use. but sexuality. dating. and not allowing one's self to be a doormat. Closely related to this is development of self-esteem. which research shows is particularly critical for adolescent girls (A.A.U.W., 1991).

Finally. students need to be presented with a variety of constructive alternatives to substance abuse. Simply exhorting teenagers to "just say no", without offering anything to take the place of the peer-acceptance or the fleeting emotional/physical "high" drug use can offer. will invariably lead to failure and further alienation. Some types of activities. such as community dances. roller-skating. or other social and recreational activities. can be organized with the help of an active PTA and involved community service organizations. Reaching out to the community for support and assistance can include collaborative arrangements in which school personnel. parents. school board members. law enforcement officers. treatment providers. and private groups can work together to create necessary resources (U.S.D.E.. 1989).

REFERENCES

American Association of University Women. (1991). "Shortchanging girls: Shortchanging America." a nationwide poll to assess self esteem. educational experiences. interest in math and science. ad career aspirations of girls and boys ages 9-15, 515 2nd Street NE. Washington DC.

U.S. Department of Education (1989). What works: Schools without drugs. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

 



Thomas S. Rue, M.A., NCC
September 7, 1991

The University of Iowa - College of Education
Psychological and Quantitative Foundations 31:163
The Adolescent and Young Adult

Thomas Rue 1991-1993.
All rights reserved.

 

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