In 1984-85, only three drug-related incidents were reported. Academic achievement has improved dramatically; student test scores have risen every year since the 1977-78 school year. Scores on standardized achievement tests rose to well above the national average, placing Northside among the top schools in the district for the 1984-85 school year.

Parents

Supervision 

Recommendation #2:

Help children to resist peer pressure to use drugs by supervising their activities, knowing who their friends are, and talking with them about their interests and problems.

When parents take an active interest in their children's behavior, they provide the guidance and support children need to resist drugs. Parents can do this by:

• Knowing their children's whereabouts, activities, and friends.
• Working to maintain and improve family communications and listening to their children.
• Being able to discuss drugs knowledgeably. It is far better for children to obtain their information from their parents than from their peers or on the street.
• Communicating regularly with the parents of their children's friends and sharing their knowledge about drugs with other parents.
• Being selective about their children's viewing of television and movies that portray drug use as glamorous or exciting.

In addition, parents can work with the school in its efforts to fight drugs by:

• Encouraging the development of a school policy with a clear no-drug message.
• Supporting administrators who are tough on drugs.
• Assisting the school in monitoring students' attendance and planning and chaperoning school-sponsored activities.
• Communicating regularly with the school regarding their children's behavior.

Fact Sheet 

Signs of Drug Use

Changing patterns of performance, appearance, and behavior may signal use of drugs. The items in the first category listed below provide direct evidence of drug use; the items in the other categories offer signs that may indicate drug use. For this reason, adults should look for extreme changes in children's behavior, changes that together form a pattern associated with drug use.

Signs of Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia

• Possession of drug-related paraphernalia such as pipes, rolling papers, small decongestant bottles, or small butane torches.
• Possession of drugs or evidence of drugs, peculiar plants, or butts, seeds, or leaves in ashtrays or clothing pockets.
• Odor of drugs, smell of incense or other "cover-up" scents.

Identification with Drug Culture

• Drug-related magazines, slogans on clothing.
• Conversation and jokes that are preoccupied with drugs.
• Hostility in discussing drugs.

Signs of Physical Deterioration

• Memory lapses, short attention span, difficulty in concentration.
• Poor physical coordination, slurred or incoherent speech.
• Unhealthy appearance, indifference to hygiene and grooming.
• Bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils.

Dramatic Changes in School Performance

• Distinct downward turns in student's grades—not just from C's to F's, but from A's to B's and C's. Assignments not completed.
• Increased absenteeism or tardiness.

Changes in Behavior

• Chronic dishonesty (lying, stealing, cheating). Trouble with the police.
• Changes in friends, evasiveness in talking about new ones.
• Possession of large amounts of money.
• Increasing and inappropriate anger, hostility, irritability, secretiveness.
• Reduced motivation, energy, self-discipline, self-esteem.
• Diminished interest in extracurricular activities and hobbies.

Parents

Recognizing Drug Use 

Recommendation #3:

Be knowledgeable about drugs and signs of drug use. When symptoms are observed, respond promptly.

Parents are in the best position to recognize early signs of drug use in their children. In order to prepare themselves, they should:

• Learn about the extent of the drug problem in their community and in their children's schools.
• Be able to recognize signs of drug use.
• Meet with parents of their children's friends or classmates about the drug problem at their school. Establish a means of sharing information to determine which children are using drugs and who is supplying them.

Parents who suspect their children are using drugs often must deal with their own emotions of anger, resentment, and guilt. Frequently they deny the evidence and postpone confronting their children. Yet the earlier a drug problem is found and faced, the less difficult it is to overcome. If parents suspect their children are using drugs, they should:

• Devise a plan of action. Consult with school officials and other parents.
• Discuss their suspicions with their children in a calm, objective manner. Do not confront a child while he is under the influence of drugs.
• Impose disciplinary measures that help remove the child from those circumstances where drug use might occur.
• Seek advice and assistance from drug treatment professionals and from a parent group. (For further information, consult the resources section, pages 59-73.)

WHAT SCHOOLS CAN DO

Schools

Assessing the Problem 

Recommendation #4:

Determine the extent and character of drug use and establish a means of monitoring that use regularly.

School personnel should be informed about the extent of drugs in their school. School boards, superintendents, and local public officials should support school administrators in their efforts to assess the extent of the drug problem and to combat it.

In order to guide and evaluate effective drug prevention efforts, schools need to:

• Conduct anonymous surveys of students and school personnel and consult with local law enforcement officials to identify the extent of the drug problem.
• Bring together school personnel to identify areas where drugs are being used and sold.
• Meet with parents to help determine the nature and extent of drug use.
• Maintain records on drug use and sale in the school over time, for use in evaluating and improving prevention efforts. In addition to self-reported drug use patterns, records may include information on drug-related arrests and school discipline problems.
• Inform the community, in nontechnical language, of the results of the school's assessment of the drug problem.