What Works: Schools Without Drugs

"What Works: Schools Without Drugs" by the United States Department of Education is a comprehensive guide on drug prevention in educational settings written in the mid-1980s. The publication addresses the pervasive issue of drug and alcohol abuse among school-age youth, providing practical strategies for parents, educators, and communities to foster drug-free environments in schools. It emphasizes the urgent need to educate children on the dangers of drugs and to establish policies that effectively eliminate drug presence on school campuses. The opening of the work outlines the alarming statistics of drug use among students, detailing how this issue spans various demographics and educational stages, even extending to elementary schools. It presents testimonials from educators and students alike, highlighting the detrimental effects of drug use on academic achievement and overall student well-being. The introduction sets the tone for the text by detailing the societal responsibility to protect children from drugs and asserting that collaboration among parents, schools, and communities is essential to create resilient, drug-free educational environments. Recommendations for preventative measures, monitoring drug use, and enforcing strict school policies against drug possession and use are presented as central themes to the book's purpose.