An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Information Agency - July 1999 Volume 4, Number 2

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Prevention begins with parents and families, and requires the support of schools and communities. The most important tool we have against drug use is not a badge or a gun, it is the kitchen table. Parents can prevent drug use by sitting down with their children and talking with them -- honestly and openly --about the dangers of drugs to young lives and dreams. Barry McCaffrey director, Office of National Drug Control Policy June 16, 1999, testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee FOCUS Finding Common Cause in the Campaign Against Drugs The Office of National Drug Control Policy advocates a community-based approach to addressing substance abuse problems, and applauds the thousands of groups that have joined the effort. By ONDCP director Barry McCaffrey Drug Courts Mark a Decade of Success Community drug courts are a successful innovation in the judicial approach to drug problems. Their progress was recognized recently by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. By U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno Adopting A Global Perspective To Save School Children From Drugs The latest strategy for combating drug use among young people calls for a global perspective that involves the family, the community, and the schools. An interview with Bill Modzeleski, director of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S. Department of Education. COMMENTARY Drug Abuse Prevention is Everybody's Business The Miami (Florida) Coalition is recognized as one of the country's most successful community substance abuse prevention programs. Winning business community support has been a critical element in mobilizing the anti-drug effort in this major metropolitan area. By Bernie Diaz It Can Happen Here: A Small Town Attacks the Drug Problem The Greater Hazleton (Pennsylvania) Area Drug-Free Task Force has few resources beyond the commitment and energies of concerned citizens, but it is making important progress in raising community awareness about substance abuse. By Charlene Porter Training for Life Prevents Drug Abuse The Life Skills Training program works to prevent youngsters from using drugs by providing youth with social skills that allow them to avoid drugs and make responsible life choices. An interview with Dr. Gilbert Botvin, developer of Life Skills Training and a professor of psychiatry and public health at the Cornell University Medical College. Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention This advice published by the U.S. Department of Education explains how families can provide youngsters with the values and self-esteem necessary to avoid drug abuse. REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS Coalitions 101: Getting Started Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, a national organization, offers community activists a step-by-step plan on how to mobilize a drug abuse prevention program in their areas. Ways to Fight Drugs Successful strategies are being used in states across the nation to damage the drug trade and set innovative traps for drug dealers. By Robert A. Babbage, Jr., from "State Government News," a publication of the Council of State Governments. DEPARTMENTS Bibliography Books, documents, and articles on substance abuse prevention. Internet Sites A list of Internet sites offering further information on drug and alcohol abuse prevention and related topics. Global Issues An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Information Agency Publisher Rosemary Crockett; Editor William Peters; Managing Editor Charlene Porter; Text Editor Jim Fuller; Internet Editor Tim Brown; Associate Editors Guy Olson, Wayne Hall; Contributing Editor Ellen F. Toomey; Reference and Research Monica Mieroszewska, Joan Taylor; Art Director Chloe Ellis; Graphics Assistant Sylvia Scott; Editorial Board Howard Cincotta, Rosemary Crockett, J. Davis Hamill. Cover photographs (c)1999 Uniphoto/Pictor USIA's electronic journals, published and transmitted worldwide at three-week intervals, examine major issues facing the United States and the international community, and inform foreign publics about the United States. The journals -- Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, and U.S. Society & Values -- provide analysis, commentary, and background information in their thematic areas. All journals are translated into French and Spanish, and selected issues appear in other languages -- notably Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian. The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. government. 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