Youth Drinking Prevention Less Effective in Urban Community

Source: Jointogether.org Research Summary, 3/19/2008
A model prevention program that worked well in rural communities did not achieve the same results in curbing drinking among middle-school students in an urban area, a new study finds.

Science Daily reported March 17 that researchers said that Project Northland, a prevention program that reduced alcohol use 20-30 percent over three years in rural Minnesota, had no impact on middle-schoolers in Chicago who took part in the program versus those who did not.

Study lead author Kelli A. Komro of the University of Florida College of Medicine said the negative findings in Chicago surprised researchers. “This is an important finding to realize this program was not enough,” said Komro. “The bottom line is this: Low-income children in urban areas need more, long-term intensive efforts.”

The program stressed three main messages: that drinking is unacceptable in school, at home, and in the community. The project was student-led in schools, family oriented at home, and spearheaded by neighborhood volunteers at the community level. But project leaders had difficulty getting urban community leaders engaged on the issue of youth alcohol use.

“People in these areas are concerned with housing, they’re concerned with gangs and other drug use,” Komro said. “There was a whole upfront effort where we had to educate people about how alcohol was related to those other issues, and that it was an important issue to think about with their young people.”

There was at least one positive result from the Chicago study, however: after community teams visited alcohol stores and urged owners not to sell to minors, local youth reported a 64-percent decline in their ability to buy alcohol.

The study was published online in the journal Addiction.

This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

Report: Schools Can’t, Shouldn’t Shoulder Prevention Burden

Source: Jointogether.org News Feature, 9/17/07
Most American kids receive some drug education in the classroom, but a new report contends that schools should not be relied upon to prevent early use of alcohol and other drugs and its consequences.

The report, “Prevention Education in America’s Schools: Findings and Recommendations from a Survey of Educators,” noted that 37 states require schools to teach students about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. However, “Teachers don’t have the time, training or other resources needed to do the job effectively, regardless of what the state-mandated standards say,” according to the report by Join Together and Communitas Online.

For example, the report noted that 26 percent of educators who actively teach prevention in the classroom said they have had no training to do so.

Read the News article here.
Access the full report here.

New Online: Truancy Reduction Program Tool Kit

Source: Office of Juvenile Justice Programs News @ a Glance, March/April 2007

OJJDP is offering an online resource for communities interested in instituting a truancy reduction program. The Tool Kit for Creating Your Own Truancy Reduction Program provides comprehensive information and resources to guide communities, schools, and parents in addressing the problem of truancy.

Grants Fund Student Drug Testing Programs

Source: NCJRS Justice Information, 12:2, 11/15/2006

The U.S. Department of Education and ONDCP announce awards totaling $8.6 million in federal grants for schools to implement random student drug testing programs. Drug testing emphasizes early intervention, treatment, community action, and prevention efforts in keeping youth away from the damaging effects of drugs.

See also:
The original ONDCP 10/2/200 Press Release
Student Drug Testing: Compassion or Punishment? JTO Online, 2/6/2006.
PRO: ONDCP’s Random Student Drug Testing site.
CON: Drug Policy Alliance’s Drug Testing Fails Our Youth site.

Evaluation shows National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Was Not Effective in Reducing Youth Drug Use

According to a recent CESAR Fax report, ” An evaluation of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign provides credible evidence that the campaign was not effective in reducing youth drug use, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accounting Agency (GAO). The GAO has recommended limiting appropriations for the campaign until the ONDCP can provide either credible evidence that the campaign impacts youth drug use outcomes or provides options for a new media approach.

CESAR Fax Authors note that this evaluation does not include the current campaign, which needs to be evaluated separately.

Read the complete Cesar Fax overview.
See NIDA reports evaluating the campaign (c.2000-2006).
Order the full GAO report ant ONDCP response from GAO.

FREE ADAD Forum on Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine: Effects of Abuse and Treatment Strategies
Thursday, July 27, 2006 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan
Main Auditorium
3550 West Oxford Avenue (at South Lowell Blvd.)
Denver, Colorado
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, CDHS and The Rocky Mountain Institute

AND live video broadcast at several locations.

See the registration form for more information.

$3.3 Million Available for Prevention of Methamphetamine Abuse

SAMHASA Advisory, 3/31/06
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announces the availability of FY 2006 funds for grants to support expansion of methamphetamine prevention interventions and/or infrastructure development. The grants will help communities expand prevention interventions that are effective and evidence-based with the goal of reducing or delaying the use of methamphetamine abuse. It is expected that $3.3 million will be available to fund 9-11 awards. The annual award is expected to be from $300,000 to $350,000 per year for up to 3 years.

For the full text of the news release and more information on who can and how to apply, please see: http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/060331_meth.htm

March Media Campaign Roundup

As if in response to the recent (January) Drug and Alcohol Research Findings article “Boomerang ads”, in which the authors argue that the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s “National Youth Anti-Drug Campaign” had zero or negative impact on actual drug use, the last month has seen a slew of articles outlining the benefits of successful media campaigns.

Media Campaign Found to Cut Teens’ Marijuana Use
A NIDA funded study has found that an in-school anti-marijuana and alcohol campaign, “Be Under Your Own Influence,” cut usage by one half compared to communities that did not have the program. The study was published in the February 2006 issue of Health Education Research.

For more information:
New Anti-Drug Program Shows ‘Phenomenal’ Success by Focusing on Positives - AScribe Newswire (02/28/06)

Montana Meth Project Ads Getting Wide Publicity: Will They Work?
The Montana Meth Project has launched a series of graphic and credible TV, radio, and poster ads targeting youth ages 12-17. The campaign has received national coverage in a New York Times article (02/26/06) as well as on NPR’s All Things Considered radio show (02/27/06), where the ads were described as “visceral and less parental.” Listen to the 5 minute NPR interview with Paul Venables, founder of ad company that created the ads, here.

View the Ads at http://www.montanameth.org/ads_television.aspx

TV Ads Help Many Smokers Quit
Source: JoinTogether.org (02/23/06)

TV antismoking ads helped more people quit than any other intervention, including nicotine-replacement therapy and telephone help lines, according to a new study.

View the full JoinTogether.org News Story

February Agency Highlight

The following ADAD funded agencies provide family support services for substance abuse prevention. Both are intended to provide support statewide.

Children of Addicted Parent Educational Supportive Services
   Description:
Housed at the San Juan Basin Health Department in Durango, this program provides training and technical assistance on conducting support groups for children of addicted parents.
   Contact Information:
For more information contact Ken Puhler (ken@coclassroom.org) or (970)247-5702 x229.

Colorado Family Education,Resources, and Training (CFERT)/Partners in Parenting
   Description:
CFERT provides family strengthening and support services through parent training, technical assistance to educators, speakers, newsletters, and the Parenting Information Clearinghouse & Resource Center.
   Contact Information:
For more information visit http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/PIP/ or contact Christine Cerbana-Whaley (christine.cerbana-whaley@colostate.edu) or (970)491-2101.