Drug+and+Alcohol+Prevention

=What is being done to prevent the usage of drugs and alcohol in high schools? =

Jennie Flannery
SCHOLARLY Wyrick, D., Fearnow-Kenney, M., Wyrick, C., Orsini, M., Strack, R., Milroy, J. (2010, July-September). //Going the Distance: Delivery of High School Drug Prevention via Distance Education.// Retrieved from [|http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?sid=8b50cdf2-aec5-42d0-8115-5ad5cefd38da%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=53078871]

**__Su__****__mmary:__** The purpose of this article was to explain an drug and alcohol prevention program that was introduced in schools with limited resources and funds for prevention programs. A program called Distance Education via teleconferencing was introduced in schools with limited funds for prevention programs. This program ended up being extremely beneficial. It allowed students in less-fortunate school systems to be educated or instructed on drugs and alcohol prevention by specialized, highly qualified instructors. Health education teachers in high school lack qualification to teach drug education and this presents a huge problem when it comes to teenagers and drug and alcohol use. The high schools that tried the distance education saw great results. Drug abuse decreased in these schools and health teachers are becoming more qualified to teach drug education by sitting in on these distance education classes. These are huge steps that the schools took in order to prevent the use of drugs by their students. It shows that the administrators and educators of the school really care about their students and really try to make a difference in their lives. This is where it all starts. This is how we can really decrease the use of drugs in high schools.

**__Reaction:__** This article offered a lot of helpful information; however, some of it seemed unnecessary. The focus was on one specific drug education program and how it worked. Although I feel that this article is credible, I think that with a program like this there are great possibilities of problems arising. I'm surprised that the article didn't really focus on any possible problems. I think it's important to know and for authors to address the fact that the program they are describing is not flawless. Generally, I think that the distance education program could be extremely beneficial in schools that may not have the funds to hire highly qualified health education teachers. It was also interesting to see how technology was being used to launch a program like this.

Midford, Richard. (2007, November). //Drug Education and Other Prevention Programmes for Students.// Retrieved from [|http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?sid=fdff9a59-b5a9-4c97-bcd1-23b6440cc764%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=27217218]

**__Summary:__** This article focused more on possible drug prevention ideas for students who are drug abusers. Some ideas brought up included random drug testing, breathalizing at school events, searching students at random times, exclusion from activities, and school expulsion. These ideas are bound to work. Students will fear the consequences of getting caught using drugs and the use of drugs among high school students will surely decrease. High school administrators are hoping to see some major results and hoping that some of these methods will prove to be effective. They say they've got nothing to lose since simply educating their students on drugs, alcohol, and their effects does not seem to be working.

**__Reaction:__** I really thought that this was a great article. I thought the ideas presented in this article were actually very good and that they might end up preventing many students from abusing drugs. I think the reason why this article spoke to me was because clearly the authors are concerned about the students who are abusing drugs. They had the best interest of the students in mind while writing the article and that is so important. It makes educators really think and want to try these new ideas that were presented. Hopefully there are great results after these ideas are put into play.

ERIC Nelson, J., Rose, N., Lutz, D. (2011). //A Model for Random Student Drug Testing.// Retrieved from []

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Summary:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article focused on one method of drug prevention in a high school. A study was done to see how effective random drug testing of students would be. Athletes and students involved in many extracurricular activities were tested.This method was approved by the administration and the teachers, and even the parents, because drug use had gotten out of hand in this particular school. They thought that this would be a great way to prevent drug abuse in this school because it would scare the students out of using drugs at all. They would be too scared that their test would come back positive so they wouldn't use drugs at all. The administration was very confident that this idea would work and that was huge in its success. Less students ended up using drugs that year, which proves that this method was effective.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Reaction:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article was extremely interesting. I love to see ideas put into play and I love seeing the results. This article presented an idea and then showed the results. I think the method of random drug testing of students is extremely effective. I think that the students worry about getting in trouble so they just stop using drugs all together which is the purpose of any type of drug prevention.

<span style="color: #36db67; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">EDITORIAL <span style="color: #2cbcea; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">The editorial staff of The New York Times. //(2008, July 18). More Kids Dying.// Retrieved from []

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Summary:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article explained how only a small portion of the money set aside by the government for Substance Abuse and Prevention is going towards helping teenage drug abusers. For this reason, more and more teenagers are dying for reasons having to do with drugs. Very little priority is being placed on young drug abusers and it seems as though they are not really a concern of the government. Drug abuse by teenagers has significantly increased over the years and it almost seems as though the government is doing nothing about it.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Reaction:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">I found this opinion article to be very interesting. In the other articles I read it seemed as though the government was doing all that they could and that it was the educators who were to blame for the failed attempts at preventing drug abuse in high schools. In this article we see a different perspective. We see that the government really isn't placing much priority on these kids, which is terrible.

<span style="color: #36db67; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">NON-SCHOLARLY <span style="color: #2cbcea; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Mathias, Robert. (1997, May/June). //Specialized High School Prevention Programs Target At-Risk Adolescents//. Retrieved from []

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Summary:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">This article shows us what drug abuse is doing to high school students. They are dying and dropping out of school. Then there is a description of a project that is pushing for no drug abuse in schools. This project will hopefully help students live healthier, more successful lives. It also goes on to describe some other drug prevention programs that have actually been effective.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**__Reaction:__** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">I enjoyed this article because it really show that the well-being of United States high school students is important. I just have trouble understanding why some people don't see how important it is to prevent the use of drugs in high schools. Kids are throwing their lives away and resorting to drugs and not enough is being done about it.

<span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Name: Jennie Flannery** <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Score:**
 * <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Points awarded** || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**(Points Possible) Criteria** ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">(1) Research was summarized on the team's issue page. ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">(2) Five articles summarized, including: ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">• (1) At least one editorial or viewpoint essay. (From Opposing Viewpoints, CQ Researcher, or Op/Ed from reputable magazine or newspaper.) ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">• (1) At least one analysis article from a magazine or reputable newspaper. ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">• (1) At least two journal articles. ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">• (1) At least one related ERIC summary article or CQ Researcher Report. ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">(3) Article entries include a APA* citation, a summary paragraph, and a reaction paragraph. ||
 * || <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Total Points** ||

<span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Note:
 * <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">__Extra__ points may be awarded for exceptional work.
 * <span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Points may be __deducted__ if page is not proofread.

==<span style="color: #200606; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">**Comments:** ==