The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during…

This guide offers information that can help parents raise drug-free children. Parents may read it from front to back like a book, or pick a topic from the Table of Contents and go directly to that page. This guide includes: (1) An overview of substance use among young people, with a special focus on how it affects academic performance; (2)…

Children and adolescents are establishing patterns of behavior that affect both their current and future health. Young people are at risk for engaging in tobacco, alcohol, or other drug use, participating in violence or gang activities, and initiating sex at an early age. However, a growing body of research demonstrates that enhancing protective…

This research, comprised of 2 studies, extends current knowledge of parent-child communication about drugs. The first study developed a typology of parental strategies used to deter children's substance use. The second study examined relationships among the parental strategies identified in the first study, which included family communication…

Ensuring safer schools requires establishing good indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators. This is the aim of this report. This report is the thirteenth in a series of annual publications produced jointly by the National Center for Education Statistics…

A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It provides the most current detailed statistical information to inform the Nation on the nature of crime in schools. This report presents data on crime at…

With the increasing concern over alcohol and other drug use among young people, adults must educate themselves about legal issues. This booklet is a resource for parents and educators to help them learn tobacco, alcohol, and other drug laws in California. The material is organized by type of drug with the legal codes as they apply to that drug…

This guide, part of the Drug-Free Communities Series, is a comprehensive overview of drug use and what can be done about it. It is directed toward individuals, specifically toward parents, asserting that change in the community needs to be reinforced by change at home. Information about alcohol and other drugs, their physiological effects, and how…

The earlier a parent can detect and respond to a child's involvement with alcohol and other drugs (AOD), the better. Just as early detection heightens the cure rate for cancer, so too does early intervention increase the chances of ending AOD use. This booklet outlines warning signs of AOD use and lists the hazards of adolescent drug use.…

This first publication in the "Who's Raising the Family" series covers the critical issue of family communications and how parents and adolescents can talk and listen to each other about alcohol and other drugs (AOD). Communication between parents and children is crucial in preventing alcohol and other drug use. While peer relationships take on…

This book, written for parents of school-aged children and adolescents, shows why drug prevention in most schools today is inadequate, and explains what parents need to do in order to stop the flow of drugs through their local schools. The first half of the book consists of six chapters that explore the problem of drugs in schools. Chapter 1…

Children need to be educated about drugs at an early age. Parents can help by teaching their children to feel good about themselves and to develop and communicate a clear position about drugs. (DF)

Based on a program which was developed in Maine, this guide provides specific suggestions for establishing a new "tradition" of substance-free celebration at graduation and prom parties for high school students. An introduction discusses the dangers of drinking at high school parties, the benefits of alcohol and drug-free parties, and…

This booklet is designed to give parents practical suggestions for guarding against their children's use of illegal drugs and to help them identify children who are already drug users. The drugs most children start out with are the two most dangerous drugs in our country, alcohol and nicotine. These drugs are dangerous because they are legal, and…

This year at least 2.4 million young Americans will use drugs. Ways in which parents and educators can prevent drug use in youth are presented here. Emphasis is placed on good beginnings. It is recommended that preschool children be taught rules for behavior, and that parents continually remind their children of the potential harm of drug use. In…