ERIC Number: ED543053
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Schools and the Community Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Environment: Opportunities for Prevention
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Schools have long been central to community-based alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention programs. Yet research consistently shows that school programs have only a marginal effect on student substance use and community ATOD problems. Schools are only one of the many influences on young people, and even the best curriculum will fail if not supported by the community through policies, norms, and attitudes that discourage ATOD use. In this context, change in community policies, norms, and attitudes is the key to successful school-based prevention programs. This document is divided into three sections. The first discusses the importance of community institutions generally and schools specifically in developing and implementing environmental strategies of substance abuse prevention. The second examines the potential role of schools in implementing specific policies for change, focusing on the environments that directly affect schools and students. The third outlines the roles school boards, administration, faculty, parents, and students can play in the implementation process. [This paper was derived from an original written in 1998 by James F. Mosher.]
Descriptors: Prevention, Substance Abuse, Smoking, Alcohol Abuse, Drinking, Drug Abuse, School Role, Community Programs, Change Strategies, Environmental Influences, Boards of Education, Educational Administration, Teacher Role, Parent Role, Administrator Role, Student Role
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. 11710 Beltsville Drive Suite 125, Calverton, MD 20705-3102. Tel: 301-755-2700; Fax: 301-775-2799; e-mail: info@pire.org; Web site: http://www.pire.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A