Source:   The Herald, Everett, WA
Contact:    Wed, 20 Aug 1997

OPINION
Other Views

	The Bellingham Herald, Aug. 6, on schools and drugs:

A proposal to require schools that receive federal drug
prevention funds to prove their antidrug programs work deserves the full
support of Congress.

The government spends $500 million a year on such programs, 
but only 2 percent of them follow strategies proven in research, a recent
study showed.

That ought to alarm lawmakers, parents, police, school officials 
and taxpayers.

With youth drug use on the rise nationally, we need to be 
equipping our children with the most effective antidrug tools available.

The proposed Education Department guidelines would do that 
by requiring drug prevention programs to be based "on research or 
evaluation that provides evidence" they actually have reduced drug use. 
The programs also would be required to meet measurable goals and 
objectives.

Congress should also be encouraging the Education 
Department to blacklist ineffective programs...