NCJ Number
127996
Journal
America School Board Journal Dated: (August 1990) Pages: 24-28,31
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The involvement of youth in the drug trade is a problem in towns and cities across the United States. While knowledge and attitude often deters drug use, there frequently is a discrepancy in attitudes toward the drug dealers.
Abstract
The drug trade can appear more attractive to youth for a variety of reasons: low self-esteem, drug proximity, and the lure of easy riches. There are a number of steps that can be taken, however, to respond to these complex factors. Action taken in the District of Columbia, for example, has included development of a role model program where boys are paired with black, professional men. Programs promoting awareness and pride in African-American culture have also been successful. Schools are also broadening their educational efforts from the pharmacological aspects of drug use to "Say No" programs. To solve the drug problem, there must be an attractive alternative to the drug trade; recreational and employment opportunities must be expanded. Schools and community organizations must also provide support to parents in high-risk neighborhoods. The D.C. school system has devised a common framework of values which it hopes every program directed at children will embody. Its key principles are self-esteem, self-discipline, family belonging, moral and intellectual maturity, and responsibility to self and to others. It is hoped that the teaching of such values will help children to resist the temptations of the drug trade.