COMMUNITY-BASED DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION: A NEW TECHNOLOGY

THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL PROVIDE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES A COMPLETE SERVICE CENTERING ON DRUG USE SURVEYS ^ A POWERFUL STIMULUS TO COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST DRUG USE. INCLUDED IS A MANUAL SHOWING HOW TO GIVE SURVEYS AND UTILIZE RESULTS, A REPORT THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY NONSCIENTISTS, GRAPHICS FOR PRESENTATIONS AND NEWSPAPERS, AND FORMATS FOR RADIO AND TV INTERVIEWS. TO CUT COSTS, COMPUTER SOFTWARE AUTOMATICALLY SCORES SURVEYS, WRITES REPORTS, AND PREPARES GRAPHICS. RESEARCH GOALS ARE: 1. TO STUDY HOW DRUG USE VARIES ACROSS COMMUNITIES; 2. TO PROVIDE ANOTHER SOURCE OF NATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY; AND 3. TO VALIDATE AND APPLY A UNIQUE SYSTEM THAT CLASSIFIES A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT WOULD NOT ONLY STIMULATE LOCAL ACTION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS, BUT WOULD LEAD TO A SELF-FUNDED CONTINUOUS SOURCE OF DATA ON THE CONSISTENCY OR VARIABILITY OF DRUG USE STYLES ACROSS COMMUNITIES AND ON THE UNDERLYING CORRELATES PHASE I GOALS ARE TO PROVE FEASIBILITY. PRODUCTS INCLUDE: A MARKETING STUDY PLAN, TESTS PROVING VALIDITY OF THE SURVEY, SYNOPSES AND WRITING SAMPLES OF THE MANUAL AND DRUG USE REPORT, AND DEMONSTRATION COMPUTER SOFTWARE FOR WRITING REPORTS AND PRODUCING GRAPHICS.