Some schools will hold mandatory meetings only for the topic of drug and alcohol education and other schools will combine this topic with other concerns, including an overview of counseling services. We believe that parent education is a critical and often neglected element of successful drug and alcohol programs. Often faculty are unaware of patterns of student alcohol and drug use. The adoption and distribution of this book and resulting appraisals of our drug and alcohol programs is an opportunity to improve all aspects of our drug and alcohol programs including faculty education. To wait until sophomore and junior years to engage students and their parents in drug and alcohol education significantly reduces our chances of influencing student drug and alcohol use.
Different schools have different patterns of drug use.
Ethnic and gender diversity in our schools mask varying patterns of drug and alcohol abuse for different groups of students. Any school with zero tolerance must offer mandatory help to students. Our faculties, parents, and students need more information on mental health. Often students abusing drugs or alcohol may be self-medicating or simply masking symptoms like depression . There is widespread ignorance among faculty, parents, and students about drugs such as ecstasy and GHB, and the mixing of these drugs with heroine, cocaine, and other drugs.