NCJ Number
223702
Journal
Strategies for Success: New Pathways to Drug Abuse Prevention Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer/Fall 2008 Pages: 1-11
Date Published
August 2008
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This issue presents several articles examining avenues to drug abuse prevention focusing on the issues of drug abuse and drug testing.
Abstract
First, results are presented from an October 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey containing questions related to student drug testing. Findings indicate that the number of schools conducting random testing may be closer to 4,000. Out of an estimated 59,364 middle and high schools in the country, results indicate that 11.4 percent of middle schools and 19.5 percent of high schools include some type of drug testing as part of their drug prevention programs. Second, important points are presented for ensuring the privacy and accuracy of the drug testing process as the sample moves along the chain, from collection to analysis: guard against tampering, label the sample, confirm sample identification, restrict access, minimize participating staff, provide safe delivery, and document each step. Third, the biology of addiction is discussed in relation to adolescent behavior and avoiding initiation as the key to preventing addiction and the role genetics plays in addiction. Fourth, two approaches to protecting student privacy during the random drug testing process in school are described. Lastly, one in a series of articles on how specific drugs affect the brain and body is presented on the origins, effects, and prevention efforts of methamphetamine and MDMA. These articles represent the featured contents of this issue of the Strategies for Success: New Pathways to Drug Abuse Prevention.