Teaming Up Against Drug Abuse.

Effective anti-drug groups keep young people away from bad choices by giving them good options.

For Abby, 15, who lives in a small Connecticut town, the decision not to use alcohol is simple. She's a soccer player, and drinking--even going to a party where other kids are drinking--means she could be kicked off the team. She doesn't want to let her teammates down, so saying no is no problem.

Fifteen-year-old Tracy, who lives in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Oakland, California, says staying away from drugs also means belonging to a team. Tracy is part of an anti-drug group called Youth Power (YP) that works to improve communities. The YP team was disgusted with conditions at Tracy's high school. They made videos of wrecked rooms, wrote complaint letters to the school board, and got the community behind them to raise money for repairing the school.

Staying free of drugs is also a team effort for the kids in SHOCK in New York City. The team's name stands for Saving the Health of Our Community and Kids, and members work for passage of laws that will keep tobacco billboards away from schools. They also go to schools in their district to talk to younger kids about the dangers of tobacco and other drugs.

For teens Anthony, Dexter, and Cynthia, saying no is an act. But they're not faking anything. They actually stage anti-drug plays. These Chicago teenagers are part of MTW--Musical Theater Workshop. MTW is a group of young actors that puts on anti-drug plays for other kids in some of Chicago's low-income neighborhoods.

Daniel, 16, belongs to the TIS A TAC (Tobacco Isn't Sexy And Tobacco Ain't Cool) program in northern California. He works with other teen members to create posters and produce public service announcements that point out the lies of tobacco companies.

Developing an Attitude

Do you see a theme developing here? The theme is teamwork. According to research, young people have the best chance of staying drug-free if they are involved in peer groups whose members have similar anti-drug stances.

But teams aren't all that works. Researchers have found that successful anti-drug programs share other features, as well. They have some adult input. Their members are active in their community or at a higher level--state or national. And they are part of an organization of people, young and older, who agree that drug use is dumb. In other words, these programs get kids to stay away from drugs by helping them get an attitude.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), most successful anti-drug programs share these five features:

1) They target all forms of drug abuse, including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, steroids, and inhalants. However, they concentrate on whatever their communities' primary drug problems are.

2) They use interactive methods, such as peer discussion groups skits, or public service projects.

3) They teach skills to resist drugs when offered, helping to strengthen commitments against drug use in general, and helping to build social skills such as communication, peer relationships, and self-evaluation.

4) They offer opportunities for family or caregivers to participate if they wish.

5) They have components that are appropriate for all age levels. Yet they give special focus to young people who are moving from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school. Researchers say that those are the times when young people are most likely to make poor choices about smoking, drinking, or using other drugs.

Proven Programs

Anti-drug programs that follow NIDA guidelines are spread across the country. Some are local programs that operate in schools or in school districts. Others are local but belong to state-sponsored organizations. Still others are part of a network of nationwide organizations that are funded by federal grants. Here is a sample of some programs that have been successful in keeping young people away from drugs.

Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) is a program of the American Lung Association in which teens teach children ages 9 to 12 about avoiding tobacco. Senior high school students are trained by adults, and they, in turn, train other teens who will team up on projects. Each group decides on a community project that will promote the idea that using tobacco is a poor choice. Some high school students earn service learning credits toward graduation while working in TATU.

Operation Snowball is a substance abuse prevention program that operates in three Midwest states. At weekly meetings, peer groups discuss and practice anti-drug strategies. Weekend retreats help teens develop leadership skills, working with new members. Speakers and theater group performances touch on self-esteem, peer pressure, and other teen issues.

Youth Power is a nationwide program that recently changed its name from "Just Say No" International. The change of names recognizes that kids need more than a motto. They need to feel respected and empowered. Youth Power consists of peer discussions, community service activities, and tutoring projects in which athletes help younger kids with schoolwork. More than 60,000 kids in 36 states now belong to Youth Power, which is co-sponsored by the YMCA and other nationally recognized organizations.

Youth Media Network (YMN) is an organization funded by the state of California. YMN supervises local groups such as TIS A TAC, and sponsors anti-drug rap contests.

SADD was once known as Students Against Driving Drunk, but those letters now stand for Students Against Destructive Decisions. SADD remains a national organization made up of teens committed to fighting drug and alcohol use at their schools. Groups sell SADD products and raise funds in other ways. The money funds drug-free social activities, such as prom or graduation night festivities. Across the country, SADD groups are working for the 2000 x 2000 project--an effort to reduce the number of teens killed in alcohol-related car accidents to 2,000 by the year 2000.

Those are just a few of the more prominent anti-drug programs that are attracting young people today. Do they really work? Statistically, it's hard to say. Most kids don't use drugs. (See "How Serious Is Drug Abuse?" above.) But even one drug abuser is one too many. For many young people in antidrug programs, however, success is more than supporting their teammates or helping their communities. Success is the face they see when they look in the mirror.

"I've been completely changed by my two years in Operation Snowball," says Jeff, 18, from Illinois. "I feel comfortable with who I am. And I enjoy reaching out to others."

RELATED ARTICLE: How Serious Is Drug Abuse?

Each year the Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) surveys more than 150,000 young people in grades 6 through 12 about drug use. PRIDE's most recent report found that during the 12 months before the survey:

* More than one in four eighth-graders smoked cigarettes.

* About two in five middle school students drank beer, wine, or liquor.

* More than three of every 10 high school students smoked marijuana.

* Almost one of every 25 12th-graders used heroin.

Backing up NIDA research, the survey also found that kids who stayed busy with sports, clubs, and other programs were less likely to pursue drugs. Kids who got good grades in school were also among the least likely students to use drugs.

Except for 12th-grade students, the PRIDE survey results showed the largest drop in drug use among young people since 1991. But those results do not mean that drug use is not serious. Overall, according to PRIDE, drug use was twice as high last year as it was in 1990.