A Study of Community Responses to Drug Problems

Abstract

Many programs which are now being developed across the nation are in direct response to community and legislative pressures concerning the abuse of drugs in their jurisdictions. Much of the effort is made toward developing drug education programs for schools, with little regard for total community involvement of adults and youths. Ways must be found to bridge the gap between comprehensive health instruction based on sound principles of curriculum planning and those efforts frequently demonstrated in drug education “crash programs.” A series of workshops held in various regions of a southwestern state may identify logical approaches to bridge this gap. The reactions of workshop participants and the interpretations and impressions of the directors of the programs have provided foundations for developing a total community effort to solve the complex problems related to drugs.

The experiences gained from these sessions which have been conducted during the past five years may serve as guidelines for other communities.