Americans have consistently identified drug use among the top problems
confronting the Nation's schools. Yet many do not recognize the degree
to which their own children, their own schools, and their own
communities are at risk.
Research shows that drug use among children is 10 times more prevalent
than parents suspect. In addition, many students know that their
parents do not recognize the extent of drug use, and this leads them to
believe that they can use drugs with impunity.
School administrators and teachers often are unaware that their
students are using and selling drugs, frequently on school property.
School officials who are aware of the situation in their schools admit,
as has Ralph Egers, superintendent of schools in South Portland, Maine,
that "We'd like to think that our kids don't have this problem, but the
brightest kid from the best family in the community could have the
problem."
The facts are:
. Drug use is not confined to certain population groups or to
certain economic levels in our society; it affects our entire
Nation.
. Drugs are a serious problem not only in high schools, but now in
middle and elementary schools as well.
. All illegal drugs are dangerous; there is no such thing as safe
or responsible use of illegal drugs.
. Although drug trafficking is controlled by adults, the immediate
source of drugs for most students is other students.
Continuing misconceptions about the drug problem stand in the way of
corrective action. The following section outlines the nature and extent
of the problem and summarizes the latest research on the effects of
drugs on students and schools.
[Illustration: _Chart 2_