Prevention Strategies for Schools. ERIC Digest 17. Prevention Strategies for Schools. ERIC Digest 17.
Drugs threaten our nation's youth.
Drug abuse can lead to physical problems, emotional damage, and a decline in educational achievement and productivity. This digest discusses the extent of drug abuse among youth, why drug abuse occurs, the effects of drug abuse, what schools can do to combat the problem, prevention programs, what teachers and principals can do, and future needs for drug abuse prevention programs. Sixty-one percent of high school seniors have used drugs. During the last decade the percentage of children using drugs by sixth grade has tripled. More males use drugs than females, but the gap between the two has become smaller.