Drug Education

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, students in rural America use alcohol and other dangerous drugs at rates similar to students in urban and suburban areas. Most rural school districts are implementing programs to combat the student drug problem. GAO estimates that 99 percent of all rural districts have at least three types of drug education components for students. Many also provide training for teachers and programs to educate and involve parents and others in the community. But most districts see a need to increase their efforts, especially student intervention services and programs to educate and involve parents or others in the community. Drug-Free Schools grants are the main source of drug education and prevention funding in over half of all rural school districts. Overall, 86 percent of rural districts received Drug-Free Schools funds for school year 1990-91, and about 66 percent of these paid for over half of their drug education with these funds. Nearly all districts use funds from other sources to help meet their drug education and prevention needs.

GAO found that: (1) in 1990, the National Institute on Drug Abuse surveyed high school seniors about the use of 20 drugs and found that the percentage of rural students reporting use of those drugs was similar to nonrural students; (2) alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana were the three most prevalent drugs in rural, urban, and suburban areas; (3) in the 30-day period before being surveyed, the percentage of rural students using those drugs was 54.4 percent for alcohol, 30.4 percent for cigarettes, and 12.6 percent for marijuana, rates similar to those of urban and suburban students; (4) although alcohol was the drug of choice among students, parents generally expressed concern about students' use of such drugs as cocaine; (5) most rural school districts have implemented some multifaceted program to combat the student drug problem, and 99 percent of all rural districts have at least three types of drug education components for students; (6) 9 of every 10 rural districts included components for teachers, parents, and others in the community; (7) 86 percent of rural school districts received federal Drug-Free Schools funds for school year 1990-91, and those funds paid for between 2 and 100 percent of the total drug education programs implemented in each rural district; and (8) nearly all rural districts' drug education programs used funds from the state, other federal grants, private organizations or groups, or other public funds, to pay for drug education and prevention programs.