April 22, 1999

Student Attitudes CHANGE Toward Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs in first year of San Diego City Schools study San Diego middle school students are changing their attitudes about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, according to the results of a one-year study announced today by San Diego City Schools. The study was funded in 1997 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Program as part of a $1 million, three-year demonstration project in several of the district’s middle schools. Eleven middle schools are currently involved in the "Dragon Slayers" project, with four schools involved in the 1997-98 first-year evaluation project: O’Farrell, Keiller, Challenger and Wangenheim. The project uses the Life Skills Training program developed by Dr. Gilbert Botvin of Cornell Medical College in New York. The curriculum uses a skills-based approach to drug prevention designed to attack the underlying social and psychological causes of drug abuse. The skills covered are communication, anxiety management, drug refusal techniques, and basic drug knowledge. The three-year program begins at 6th grade with 15 lessons, continues through 7th grade with 10 "booster" lessons, and finishes in 8th grade with five final lessons. Among the key findings from the first year: There were changes in attitudes concerning alcohol, smoking and drug use. For example, 88 percent fewer students think smoking "looks cool." And, there was an increase in the number of students who would say no to glue (27 percent more), cocaine (25 percent more), marijuana (22 percent more) and beer (18 percent more). Findings were consistent with Botvin’s previous research (1993, 1995) with respect to changes in intention to use alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Teachers’ use of the curriculum (93%) was high in the first year of implementation. Plans are under way to expand the Dragon Slayers program to all 23 San Diego City Schools middle schools by September 1999. Additional information available from: John Miranda, program manager, (619) 627-7447 Debi Nixon, program coordinator, (619) 627-7579 Jennifer Glenn-McNulty, program coordinator, (619) 627-7577