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PREVENTION
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PREVENTION PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Successful Intervention Programs


Ruth Sanchez-Way
Moderator
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
United States

FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

Hablemos En Confianza
Mark Weber and Luisa Pollard
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
United States

Luisa Pollard, of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, told participants that the “Hablemos en Confianza” campaign, under the leadership of Dr. Chavez, was launched on September 4, 1999, after careful work with a 17-member group representing the largest Hispanic groups in the U.S.—researchers, providers, parents, and kids. Stating that “this is about communications skills,” Pollard told participants that the family—in all its extensions—was the key focus and tool of the campaign. Products include various materials for 3-6 year olds, and “soap operas” in pictures of three families (Lopez, Ruiz, and Castro) to portray the reality of family-life and the way in which prevention messages can be given to children by all adult family members. More important than the well-developed press component, Pollard maintained, was developing the campaign based on meetings with parents who asked for practical information about drugs (street names, symptoms of use, etc.) as well as for prevention messages. Coming soon will be additional materials for girls ages 9-14, and materials for their mothers. Pollard said that the key messages for parents in the campaign were:

  • First talk and give clear rules
  • Then listen/watch/observe
  • Then speak.

Mark Weber, SAMHSA Associate Administrator for Communications, noted that it is clear that direct translations are not enough; we need to start with the target group and design materials with and for them.

Supporting and Financing Prevention Projects Focused on Youth
Jesus Garcia
Director
Mexican Institute for Youth
Mexico

Mexico Institute for Youth Prevention Program: Jesus Garcia of Mexico’s Institute for Youth talked about the steps the Institute took in reaching the broad-based, youth-oriented prevention effort it coordinates today. Initially, school officials had asked the Institute to provide drug information to youth, which wasn’t effective (as confirmed by a survey of youth). The Institute then developed a lecture series for schools, which they didn’t have time to incorporate into their curricula. So the Institute turned to youth organizations, where “there was time to do the lectures.” However, the youth told the Institute that they had enough information—what they needed was someone to “tell us how to deal with our families, the media, and peer pressure. As a result, the Institute totally revised the prevention program, keeping the information part (primarily for rural areas), and letting the youth take the lead. The Institute brought in health care professionals to help the youth develop activities such as festivals, dramas, youth weeks against smoking, etc. with resources and skills identified by the youth in their own communities. In 1995, recognizing that the Institute could not reach into every community that requested this kind of help, it started to identify youth-oriented non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and now works with 350 NGOs and individuals to develop and support such prevention activities throughout Mexico. The Institute provides small grants (often matching) to communities and NGOs; the resulting programs are evaluated and their results are shared.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: A SCHOOL AND FAMILY MODEL

Building Me
Aimee Graves
Director of Community Based Services
CODAC
Tucson, Arizona
United States

Aimee Graves gave an overview of a highly successful early childhood prevention program for Hispanic populations in public housing in Tucson, Arizona. This five-year program consisted of a “Building Me” curriculum featuring 70 activities to build resiliency, short sessions for 3-4 year olds, with transportation, parenting classes, home visits, support groups, and treatment services for both mental health and substance abuse needs. Parental involvement was key—and was achieved by a Parent Advisory Council, and special Family Weekend activities. The program’s success was due to a true collaboration of all segments of the community, in-service and cross-training of staff, and resource integration. She ended by stating the challenges remaining in conducting such a broad-based program—defining roles of each player, learning collaboration and valuing individuals as resources.

Raul Zapata
Youth Integration Centers (CIJ)
Mexico

Through risk assessments, CIJ identified communities at risk in Mexico, and found that 1.3 million persons received some type of prevention services. Stating that prevention should be based in the community so that it can take root, and that “precarious life conditions” are key risk factors, Garcia noted that CIJ-funded activities target youth ages 10-18. CIJ promotes healthy lifestyles by strengthening resiliency factors such as assertiveness, stress management, socialization, and commitment to school. CIJ funds “training of trainers” to help different communities address their different needs. In general, Garcia concluded, such prevention programs achieved “highly favorable” results, with respondents saying that the information was useful and that they were very interested in participating in prevention activities. Difficulties encountered in implementing such programs were lack of time and various restrictions. Regarding drug-using students, Garcia noted that teachers had reported they felt helpless to help such students with their obvious anti-social and psychological problems. Garcia concluded that by training teachers in prevention, they would see the benefit to their students in improved academic performance Arrow increased self-esteem Arrow no more drug use.

Drug Prevention in the Workplace
Bernie McCann
Office of National Drug Control Policy
United States

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE DATA SUMMARY

Drug Abuse & Workforce Demographics

  • According to the most recent Household Survey in 1998, almost 75% of adults (age 18 and up) who reported current illicit drug use (at least once in the past month) are employed, either full or part-time. This number represents more than 8.5 million individuals. Unpublished Results from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, MD, August, 1999.

  • The 8.5+ million workers reporting current illicit drug use represent 6.4% of the 1998 adult workforce. Similarly, 7.8% of the adult workforce reported heavy drinking (5 or more drinks on 5 or more occasions in the past month). Preliminary Results from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, MD, August, 1999. [Table 19, Page 82; Table 24, Page 87]

  • Among employed adults, the highest rates of current drug use and heavy drinking are reported by white, non-Hispanic males, 18-25 years old, with less than a high school education. By occupation, significantly higher rates of current drug use and heavy drinking were reported by those employed as food preparation workers, waiters, waitresses and bartenders (19%), construction workers (14%), other service occupations (13%) and transportation and material moving workers (10%). Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs: Results from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse [1997], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, MD, September, 1999.

  • A 1999 SAMSHA study reveals workers reporting current drug use were more likely to have worked for three or more employers, to have voluntarily left an employer in the past year, and skipped one or more days of work in the past month. Employees in three of four occupations reporting significantly lower rates of current drug use and heavy drinking (protective services; extraction and precision productions; electronic equipment assemblers; and administrative support) were employed in those occupations identified with the highest rates of drug information and policies in the workplace. An Analysis of Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs, 1997. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies. Rockville, MD, September 1999.

  • About one-half of young adults ages 16-17, work during the year. Those working more than 20 hours per week are at high risk for substance abuse and injury. Protecting Youth at Work: Health, Safety, and Development of Working Children and Adolescents in the US. Committee on Health & Safety Implications of Child Labor, Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1998, [pp. 2-5]. ONDCP Director Barry McCaffrey, cautioned that employers will need to be vigilant regarding the next generation of workers. There are signs that youth aged 12 to 17 years use gateway substances—a predictor of future substance abuse—at disturbingly high rates. Remarks by Director McCaffrey at the Recovery Month Kick-off, Washington, DC September 8, 1999.

  • The number of workers ages 16-24 will increase by more than 3 million between 1998 and 2008, making this group the largest it has been in 20 years. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998-2008 Employment Projections. Nov. 30, 1999. [Table 5 ]

  • In 1998, 18.2% of unemployed adults (18 and over) reported current drug use a substantial increase over the 1997 rate of 13.8%. 10.8% reported heavy drinking, slightly higher than the 10.1% rate reported in 1997. Preliminary Results from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, MD, August, 1999. [Table 19, Page 82; Table 24, Page 87]

Alcohol Abuse in the Workforce

  • Alcohol is the most widely abused drug among adults, especially among young adults. According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 85% of heavy drinkers in the United States are employed—about 10 million people. One in three adults aged 18 to 25 are binge drinkers (at least 5 drinks at a time). Rates of binge drinking and heavy drinking (binging at least 5 times a month) are consistently higher among men than women—43% of men aged 18 to 25 are binge drinkers, compared to 21% of women. Preliminary Results from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, Rockville, MD, August, 1999.

  • Many more employees drink to a lesser degree. A common misconception among employers is that alcoholics are responsible for most workplace problems related to alcohol. Casual drinkers, in aggregate, account for far more incidents of absenteeism, tardiness, and poor quality of work than those regarded as alcohol dependent. The Worksite Alcohol Study, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Rockville, MD, 1998.

  • According to the 1998 Harvard School of Public Health Corporate Alcohol Study, light and moderate drinkers cause 60% of alcohol-related incidents of absenteeism, tardiness and poor quality of work, while dependent drinkers cause 40%. New Perspectives for Worksite Alcohol Strategies: Results from a Corporate Drinking Study. Thomas W. Mangione, Jonathan Howland and Marianne Lee, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, December 1998.

  • Alcohol-related job performance problems are caused not only by on-the-job drinking but also by heavy drinking outside of work. Ames and colleagues found a positive relationship between being "hungover" at work and feeling sick at work, sleeping on the job, and having problems with job tasks or co-workers. Among pilots whose performance was tested in flight simulators, researchers found evidence of impairment 14 hours after pilots reached blood alcohol concentrations of between 0.10 and 0.12 BAC, and significant impairment 8 hours after reaching a BAC of 0.10. Drinking at work, problem drinking, and frequency of getting "drunk" in the past 30 days are positively associated with frequency of absenteeism, arriving late or leaving early, doing poor work, doing less work, and arguing with co-workers. Hangover Effects on Aircraft Pilots 14 Hours After Alcohol Ingestion: A Preliminary Report. Yesavage, J.A., and Leirer, V.O. American Journal of Psychiatry 143(12):1546-1550, 1986.; Employee Drinking Practices and Work Performance. Mangione, T.W.; Howland, J.; Amick, B.; Cote, J.; Lee, M.; Bell, N.; and Levine, S.Journal of Studies on Alcohol 60(2) :261-270, 1999; The Influence of Alcohol and Aging on Radio Communication During Flight. Morrow, D.; Leirer, V.; and Yesavage, J. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 61(1):12-20, 1990.

  • Productivity losses attributed to alcohol were estimated at $119 billion for 1995. Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United States, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, May 1998. Alcoholism accounts for 500 million lost workdays each year. Treatment is the Answer: Cost-Effectiveness of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Treatment. National Association of Treatment Providers, Laguna Hills, CA. March 1991.

  • One in 5 workers report being injured, having to cover for a co-worker, or working harder due to other employees’ drinking. Nearly 1/3 of workers who consider their jobs to be dangerous report experiencing “secondhand” alcohol effects; 1/2 of employees surveyed supported random alcohol testing at work; nearly 3/4 of employees in manufacturing or transportation supported testing. New Perspectives for Worksite Alcohol Strategies: Results from a Corporate Drinking Study. Thomas W. Mangione, Jonathan Howland and Marianne Lee, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, December 1998.

  • Many employers (an estimated 20,000 nationwide) offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) designed to promote healthy lifestyles for workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, for every dollar invested in an EAP, employers can save $5-$16. Many companies do not have alcohol policies; those that do may not enforce them effectively. Nearly 60% of managers and supervisors say their companies are “tough” on illicit drugs but “soft” on alcohol; 80% say they have inadequate training in how to address employee performance problems. More managers (23%) and supervisors (11%) actually report drinking during the workday and at company functions than do other employees (8%), which may contribute to a corporate culture that encourages drinking. Perspectives for Worksite Alcohol Strategies: Results from a Corporate Drinking Study. Thomas W. Mangione, Jonathan Howland and Marianne Lee, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, December 1998.

  • In a 1998 Peter Hart poll, employers often encounter denial (75%) and anger (42%) when they approach workers about alcohol problems. However, mandatory referral to treatment and the risk of job loss are strong motivations for treatment compliance. Coerced Treatment for Substance Abuse Problems Detected Through Workplace Urine Surveillance: Is it Effective? Eli Lewantal et al., Journal of Substance Abuse, 8(1): 115-128, 1996.

  • A 1996 study by the Pennsylvania Veterans Administration Center for Studies of Addiction found employees required to enter alcohol treatment programs tend to perform as well in treatment as employees who voluntarily seek it. Drinking dropped 74% after 6 months of “coerced” treatment and 78% after 6 months of “self-referral.” Even when alcohol programs are available, many employees do not take advantage of them. Survey Shows Alcohol/Drug Use Has Strong Impact on Workplace. Hazelden Foundation, Center City, MN Oct. 22, 1996.

  • Employers can encourage participation by informing employees about the confidentiality of programs to help deal with alcohol and other drug problems. Increased public education focused on treatment successes may encourage more participation in alcohol interventions among both employers and employees. The Road to Recovery: A National Study on Public Perceptions of Alcoholism and Barriers to Treatment. San Francisco, CA: The Recovery Institute, 1998.

Drug-free Workplace Programs: Successes and Future Challenges

  • Available research demonstrates that comprehensive workplace prevention programs which include: 1) education for workers and training for supervisors; 2) equitable, reliable drug testing; and 3) access to assistance and treatment services can successfully reduce worker substance abuse and improve health, safety, and worksite productivity. Workplaces provide an ideal opportunity to influence individual behavior and community norms. Clear and consistent substance abuse policies and drug education efforts create an aware and informed workforce, can significantly reduce drug and alcohol abuse in workplaces, and reach the families of employees and the communities where they live. Selected Findings in Prevention: A Decade of Results from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Rockville, MD, 1997.

  • Since 1986, the Federal government has mandated a comprehensive drug-free workplace program for all Federal workers. Implemented in 120 agencies, this model program covers approximately 1.8 million employees. In 1997, the most recent positive drug test rates available, the rate of positive test results for Federal job applicants and employees in designated testing positions (numbering approximately 80,000), was 0.5%; or one-tenth of the 5% positive rate of approximately 4 million tests conducted in 1997 by the largest private sector workplace testing laboratory in the US. As the nation’s largest employer, the Federal government continues to provide leadership by example. In June 1999, President Clinton took another historic step forward to ensuring a drug-free federal workforce by issuing an Executive Order directing the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, the nation’s largest health insurance plan, to provide full coverage for substance abuse treatment, equal to any other medical condition, by the year 2001. Annual Survey of Federal Agency Drug Free Workplace - 1997, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Division of Workplace Programs, Rockville, MD, March 1999; Quest Drug Testing Index©, Quest Diagnostics, inc., Teterboro, NJ, October 19, 1999.

  • According to the semi-annual Drug Test Index©, the national rate of positive drug test results among private-sector workers has declined 65% over the past decade, from a high of 13.6% in 1988 to a low of 4.7% for the first 6 months of 1999. Quest Drug Testing Index© (Press Release), Quest Diagnostics, inc., Teterboro, NJ, October 19, 1999. (see chart below)

    Annual Positivity Rates

  • Further data from the 1999 Drug Testing Index© illustrates drug test positivity trends rates among three major testing populations: federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers; the general workforce; and the combined U.S. workforce. Rates of use for cocaine and opiates, showed declines as a percentage of all positive test results. Cocaine use made up 16% of all positive results in the first half of 1999, down from 18% for 1998. The opiate positive test rate declined by almost half from 1998, as predicted following a raise in the federally mandated opiate cut-off level, from 300 to 2000 nanograms per milliliter in December, 1998. This change reduced the number of “false positive” test results due to certain prescription and over-the-counter medications or certain foods, such as poppy seeds. Positive marijuana test results increased nearly 4% as a percentage of all positive results to 63%. Quest Drug Testing Index© (Press Release), Quest Diagnostics, inc., Teterboro, NJ, October 19, 1999.

  • Nearly 2% of positive results in the 1999 Drug Testing Index© showed clear evidence of substances used to adulterate or compromise specimen test results. More specimens tested positive for adulterants and substituted specimens than for either opiates or amphetamines. After initiating adulterant and substituted-specimen testing in April, 1998, the following year Quest expanded adulterant testing to include the oxidizing adulterants, bleach and pyridinium chlorochromate. Oxidizing adulterants, which include nitrites, are used as masking agents in an attempt to defeat the process of detecting drug use. Quest Drug Testing Index© (Press Release), Quest Diagnostics, inc., Teterboro, NJ, October 19, 1999.

  • A 1999 SAMHSA study of workplace substance abuse revealed that the percentage of workers who said they had been provided information, who were aware of written policies regarding drug and alcohol use, or whose workplace provided access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) increased with establishment size. Only 27% of workers in small businesses reported having access to an EAP, compared to 61% of workers in mid-size and 75% of workers in large establishments reported that their workplace had EAP programs. Larger workforces were far more likely to have incorporated a comprehensive drug-free workplace program (including a formal policy, employee education, access to an EAP and drug testing) which has resulted in approximately 50% lower positive drug test rates, and 75% fewer self-reports of current drug use among workers compared to smaller worksites (1-24 employees). Workers in small establishments reporting current illicit drug use were less likely to be employed in workplaces with a written policy. An Analysis of Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs, 1997. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies. Rockville, MD, September 1999.

  • A scientific study completed in December, 1995, conducted by Houston's Drug-Free Business Initiative in collaboration with the University of Houston, reinforced the belief by many employers that drug testing reduces injuries and workers' compensation claims in the workplace. The study found that companies engaged in random drug testing in combination with pre-employment testing reduced their mean workers' compensation claims per 100 employees per year by 63.7% over a 4-year period while the control group of employers (employers not conducting drug testing), experienced a 19% increase during that same time period. The study also found that well over half of the responding employers believed that the benefits of drug testing outweighed the cost and just under half felt that the benefits of an EAP outweighed the cost. When asked to select one strategy over the other, 40.6% of the respondents stated that it was more important to conduct drug testing than have an EAP, while only 7.8% thought it was more important to have an EAP than to test. However, 51.6% thought drug testing and EAPs were of equal importance. A Report on Employer Attitudes and the Impact of Drug Control Strategies on Workplace Productivity Fay, Calvina L., Harlow, Kirk C. , and Durand, Roger. Houston's Drug-Free Business Initiative and the University of Houston—Clear Lake December, 1995.

  • In 1990, problems resulting from alcohol and other drugs use cost American businesses an estimated $81.6 billion in lost productivity due to premature death (37 billion) and illness (44 billion); 86% of these combined costs were attributed to drinking. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics Sourcebook, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rockville, MD. 5/95, p.3. In 1991, the reported cost of drug abuse to the United States business community was $75 billion annually. Address delivered to President Bush and the President's Drug Advisory Council by Frank T. Tasco, Chairman, Marsh & McLennan Companies. [November 15, 1991]

  • Workplace safety is the most common reason employers give for drug testing. In 1997, approximately 25% of workers reported having a drug testing policy in their workplaces. Of employers implementing testing, the majority have adopted urine drug screening as the preferred methodology. In 1997, pre-employment testing was the most common type of testing reported by workers (39%), followed by reasonable suspicion testing (30%), post-accident (29%) and random testing (25%). Current drug users indicate they are far less likely to apply for a job where they know that pre-employment or random drug testing is used. An Analysis of Worker Drug Use and Workplace Policies and Programs, 1997. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies Rockville, MD, September 1999.

  • Results of an extensive U.S. Postal Service study indicate that employees who tested positive on their pre-employment drug test were 77% more likely to be discharged within the first three years of employment, and were absent from work 66% more often than those who tested negative. Had the U.S. Postal Service screened out all drug positive postal service applicants in 1987, the authors estimated this would have saved approximately $52 million by 1989. An Evaluation of Pre-employment Drug Testing. Normand, J., Salyards, S. & Maloney, J. Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol. 75, No. 6, 1990. [pp. 629-639]

  • According to the American Management Association’s annual Survey on Workplace Drug Testing and Drug Abuse Policies, workplace drug testing has increased by more than 1,200% since 1987. More than 81% of businesses surveyed in 1996 were conducting some form of applicant or employee drug testing. Likewise, the perceived effectiveness of drug testing, as assessed by human resources managers, has increased from 50% in 1987 to 90% in 1996. AMA Survey on Workplace Drug Testing and Drug Abuse Policies. American Management Association. New York, NY. 1996.

  • Testing for the right reasons has the support of most employees and there is some evidence that drug testing helps prevent illicit drug use. A 1995 Gallup poll of employees found 97% in agreement that workplace drug testing is appropriate under certain circumstances; 85% believed that urine testing might deter illicit drug use. The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ, October 1995, commissioned by The Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace, Washington, DC.

  • Referrals to treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and support for employees to change drug use behavior are key. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are increasingly being used by employers to provide a gateway to substance abuse treatment, and reflect cost differences related to the quantity and qualities of services, the size and type of industry and region of the United States. (1995 mean cost per employee $22.19). Cost of Employee Assistance Programs: Comparison of National Estimates from 1993 and 1995. French, M.T., Zarkin, G.A., Bray, J.W., Hartwell, T.D., Journal of Behavioral Health services Research, February 1999.

  • Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are growing in popularity in all types of U.S. worksites, according to a 1996 study. In 1993, 1/3 of private, nonagricultural worksites with 50 or more employees had an EAP, a significant increase over the numbers shown in similar studies in 1988 and 1990. Most employers surveyed, especially those with 50 to 99 employees, had implemented an EAP in the 5 years preceding the study. Compared to 1988 results, most of this growth was in external programs: 81% of EAP services in 1993 were provided by external contractors, and 83% at a location outside the workplace. Larger worksites (more than 1000 workers) and certain industries (communications, transportation, finance, realty) were more likely to have an EAP. Demographic findings revealed a greater likelihood of an EAP in workplaces where employees were unionized and relatively more educated, and where there were relatively low numbers of visible minority workers. Geography had no impact on the existence of a program, but program costs did vary regionally, with a median annual cost per employee of just under $22 for internal programs and of $18 for external programs. Based on their survey results, the authors conclude that EAPs will continue to grow in importance, and that health care professionals working in the areas of substance abuse and emotional health will continue to get numerous referrals of clients who have passed through the EAP process. Consequently, research into the costs, characteristics, and results of EAPs will continue to be important. Aiding troubled employees: prevalence, cost, and characteristics of employee assistance programs in the United States. Hartwell, Tyler D. American Journal of Public Health, 86(6): 804-808, 1996.

Click to see the slide presentation.

Juan Roman Uriarte Galvan
Secretary of Communications and Transportation
Mexico

The Secretary first noted that the U.S. experience with drug-free workplace programming has been invaluable to Mexico. He agreed with the list of costs and consequences presented by the previous speaker, Mr. McCann. He also noted that Mexican labor laws clearly prohibit alcohol and other drug use in the workplace by public sector workers.

The main drug prevention activities of the Ministry of Communication and Transportation in the workplace have been:

  • Performing comprehensive occupational physicals and medical examinations, including pre-employment and subsequent random urine drug testing for drugs of abuse; and

  • Conducting a massive educational campaign to prevent alcohol and drug abuse and thus reduce accidents associated with substance abuse.

In the post-NAFTA environment, Ministry-sponsored programs have, in effect, adopted U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines to achieve common protocols necessary to aid cross-border commerce. These activities extend to all modes of transportation: air, land, sea, etc.

Given research revealing that traffic crashes are the fourth leading cause of death in Mexico (many in which alcohol use is implicated or suspected) the Transportation Ministry has undertaken prevention and detection efforts with both public and private sector. To this end, the National Council for Accident Prevention has been established. The National Council provides the coordinating role for state councils that will advise and help states to reduce incidents and fatalities. Another agency, CONADIC has been conducting research regarding transportation accidents as well as exchanging information with others and working to implement proven programs.

In recognition of the key importance of transportation safety, the Ministry of Transportation was given the lead in developing programs in this area, and has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mexico City to cooperate on programs geared to youth and accident prevention. He also noted that recently legislation was passed to regulate toxicology tests and involve more private employers in prevention programs.

One of the Ministry’s priorities is to develop closer working relationships with employers and to increase prevention efforts around holiday times, which typically see a rise in accidents attributable to substance abuse.

As Mr. McCann stated, it is important to realize that our efforts here and elsewhere have indeed caused people to become more aware and interested in making changes to reduce accidents and other costs of substance abuse. It is even more important to have the political will to address the plague of substance abuse among those who are most vulnerable, who in turn endanger the lives of others. An excellent example would be efforts to increase education and substance abuse assistance for vehicle operators.

DRUGS AND VIOLENCE: OVERVIEW OF BORDER CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM IN BAJA, CALIFORNIA AND SAN DIEGO

Developing a Culture of Lawfulness

Edward Brand
Superintendent of Sweetwater Union School District
Chula Vista, California
United States

Rosalia Salinas
Director of Curricula
Sweetwater Union School District
Chula Vista, California
United States

Carlos Franco
Director of Curricula
Baja School District
Mexico

Luciana Ramos
Mexican Institute of Psychiatry
Mexico

Dr. Brand, Ms. Salinas, and Sr. Franco spoke about a middle school curriculum jointly developed by Ms. Salinas, Sr. Franco, and a group of U.S. and Mexican teachers, to teach students about the rule of law and the way organized crime can infiltrate a community. It is based on an approach developed in Hong Kong and Sicily by the National Strategy Information Center that focuses on personal and social ethical decision making, the rationale for the rule of law, the temptations of crime and materialism, and techniques for resisting involvement in criminality and corruption.

The curriculum in Baja and San Diego was developed as part of a social studies course and is meant to address the problem of drug violence along the border. According to Dr. Brand, the keys to this program's effectiveness include:

  • Commitment by senior political leadership in the communities

  • School administrations' support (i.e., county boards of education)

  • Teacher training and assistance, and a good fit with current social studies curricula.

Ms. Salinas noted the importance of bringing in curriculum experts from both the U.S. and Mexico who could develop a course that could be integrated into current curricula determining, for example, where such a course could fit into the schedule and who could teach it. Student results from the pilot effort jointly conducted by Sweetwater and Baja show the following:

  • Increased knowledge about drug-related crime and how to resist it

  • Improved interpersonal competency, self esteem, and problem solving ability

  • Improved ability to resist temptation and increased awareness of life choices and importance of planning.

She stressed the importance of teacher-to-teacher collaboration and recommended that the program be extended to all of Southern California.

Sr. Carlos Franco stated that the teachers' common concerns about drug related violence along the border has really led to the curriculum’s development and support. He described the U.S.-Mexican collaboration in curriculum development:

  • Agreement to and specification of a pilot (set period of time, evaluation according to objectives)

  • Formed a task force of teachers representing both poor and better-off schools, that developed a curriculum to explain why society has laws and why they are important; to show how crime operates counter to those laws; and to increase the students' sense of self-worth and competence to support a society of laws.

The teachers are now adding a program on values and citizenship training.

He explained that the project has continued for two six-month segments and reiterated the results described by Ms. Salinas, noting the "enormous difference between pilot and non-pilot schools" in terms of student understanding and self esteem. He concluded that the next step is to bring the parents into the program.

Dr. Luciana Ramos
Mexican Institute of Psychiatry
Mexico

Dr. Ramos spoke on drugs and violence from the perspective of a researcher on family and domestic violence. She noted that in Mexico the role of substance abuse (mainly alcohol) is rarely acknowledged in domestic violence cases. She called for a clearer understanding by the public and by policy makers of this connection, stating that each could be a risk factor for the other. She then reviewed her research on this issue, which has revealed the following:

  • One in every three women in Mexico have experienced some sort of abuse

  • Between 30-60% of women in the Americas report some sort of "gender violence"

  • Of the women reporting incidents of domestic violence, there was more tranquilizer and marijuana use (but no significant difference in alcohol use from women who reported no such incidents).

She described results of a survey conducted in two Mexico City high schools which revealed sexual abuse against both sexes and increased use of cocaine and marijuana by these young people. Dr. Ramos concluded by calling for studies of young people of both countries.