Strategies for Success: New Pathways to Drug Abuse Prevention. Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall/Winter 2006

Published twice a year and distributed nationwide, "Strategies for Success" keeps readers informed about events and developments in the field of drug testing. It reports the latest research findings on the effectiveness of drug testing as a tool for reducing substance abuse. Each issue also provides a wealth of guidance and resources on student drug testing program development, implementation, and maintenance. This inaugural issue focuses on random student drug testing and the biology of drug addiction. Overall, the articles praise the benefits of random student drug testing and offer examples of specific school-based student drug testing programs and their results. The opening article summarizes results from an April 2005 survey of 56 principals concerning the effectiveness of random student drug testing. Key findings indicated 58 percent of the responding schools experienced a decrease in student drug use while 42 percent reported no change in student drug use since the implementation of the drug testing. Ninety-one percent of responding principals reported their drug testing program cost $30 or less per test and that the drug testing program worked to limit the effects of peer pressure to use drugs. None of the principals reported that the drug testing program resulted in decreased participation in athletic programs or extracurricular activities. Similarly, 100 percent of responding principals reported that the student drug testing program did not have a negative impact on student morale. Another article in the journal discusses the reasons for student drug testing and describes regional drug testing summits held throughout the country by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The goal of the summits are to educate community leaders and school officials about student drug testing programs and to generally raise the level of awareness of the issue of adolescent drug abuse. The 2007 regional summit schedule is provided. Other articles offer information about Federal and non-Federal funding sources for student drug testing programs and offer accounts of the development and effectiveness of particular student drug testing programs across the country, such as the program that was developed in the New Castle Area School District in Pennsylvania. The first random student drug testing program in the United Kingdom is described followed by an article on the biology of drug addiction. Titles of articles in this issue are: (1) Principals Claim Testing Brings a Wealth of Benefits; (2) Letter from Director John Walters and Secretary Margaret Spellings; (3) Drugs and Testing: Looking at the Big Picture; (4) Summit Watch; (5) (6) Paying for a Drug Testing Program; (7) Our Road to Random Drug Testing (Robert Razzano); (8) Around the U.S., Hopeful Signs at Schools with Testing; (9) Drug Testing In the News; (10) Say "Yes" to Drug Testing and "No" to Drugs (Christine Bottles); (11) British Educator Calls Testing Program a Success; (12) The Biology of Drug Addiction (Bertha K. Madras); (13) Resources; and (14) Myth vs. Fact.