Prevention
Media Campaign. Congress created the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign in 1998 with the goal of preventing and reducing youth drug use. Unprecedented in size and scope, the campaign is the most visible symbol of the Federal government's commitment to youth drug prevention. It is a strategically integrated communications effort that combines advertising with public communications outreach to deliver anti-drug messages and skills to America's youth, their parents, and other influential adults. The FY07 budget requests $120 million to fund this important outreach program.
Programs focused on methamphetamine prevention: Media campaign. In November 2005, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, in conjunction with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, launched a campaign targeting methamphetamine. The advertisements are shown in 23 cities that have been particularly hard hit by methamphetamine. Designed to mobilize individuals and local community groups to reduce methamphetamine use at the local level, the campaign combines real-life stories of people impacted by methamphetamine with scenarios that depict the threat methamphetamine poses to communities at large.
Programs focused on methamphetamine prevention: Media campaign for Hispanic communities. In June 2005, a campaign aimed at preventing illicit methamphetamine use in the Hispanic community was launched. The research-based prevention campaign targets two audiences: Hispanic young adults, the demographic most likely to use methamphetamine, and adults, especially parents and family influencers in extended families. The young adult messages, available in both Spanish and English, paint a graphic portrait of the devastating physical and psychological consequences of methamphetamine use. The adult-targeted messages, available only in Spanish, appeal to parents and family influencers to be proactive in learning and talking to teens and young adults about the dangers of methamphetamine.
Student Drug Testing. The President stated in his 2004 State of the Union Address that drug testing is an effective part of a community-based strategy to reduce the demand for illegal drugs. When implemented in combination with other drug abuse prevention measures, this non-punitive public health tool can reduce the number of youth using drugs illicitly and, by preventing or deterring early-initiation, can also decrease the likelihood of adult drug use. Student drug testing is also an important screening tool that can identify youth who have initiated drug use so that parents and counselors can intervene at an early stage as well as those with a drug dependency so that they can be referred to appropriate treatment. The Office of National Drug Control Policy works closely with the Department of Education to help interested schools and communities learn more about how to develop and implement a comprehensive, considerate, and safe random student drug testing policy. Regional and State summits with experts in the field and other outreach activities help spread model program elements and increase awareness about this prevention program.
Grants from the Department of Education in 2003 and 2004 in the amount of $2 million and in 2005 in the amount of $9.9 million have afforded 373 schools around the nation the opportunity to enhance and implement student drug testing programs. Many more schools have added this strategy to their existing drug prevention programs. These schools recognize the benefits of stopping drug use before it starts and in promoting a safe and drug-free community.
Programs focused on methamphetamine prevention: Student Drug Testing. Most schools with student testing programs test for alcohol, marijuana, opiates, and stimulants, including methamphetamine. Initial reports from these schools indicate that student drug testing can be a powerful prevention and screening tool.
The President’s Budget requests $15 million for student drug testing grants for Fiscal Year 2007, an increase of $4.6 million over the 2006 enacted level.
Drug–Free Communities. Recognizing that local communities are in the best position to identify the challenges they face, the Drug-Free Communities program provides grants of up to $100,000 per year for up to five years to community coalitions working to reduce substance abuse locally using multiple strategies across multiple community sectors. Drug-Free Communities program currently funds over 700 coalitions located throughout the country.
The two goals of the program are 1) to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse and 2) to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, State, local and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.
These coalitions are raising public awareness through media campaigns and town hall meetings; educating schools, businesses, the faith community, and law enforcement through information dissemination and trainings; restricting access through MethWatch programs; and monitoring trends through collecting information from hospitals, law enforcement, and treatment centers.
The Administration supports the efforts of these communities to change community norms and has requested $79.2 million for FY07.
