Pubdate: Thu, 17 May 2001
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2001 Associated Press
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/27
Author: Anjetta McQueen, Associated Press Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS HONORED

WASHINGTON (AP) - In Tarrytown, N.Y., teen-agers learn to how to avoid 
drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Denver nurses visit pregnant women at risk of 
substance abuse. A Seattle-based program uses dinosaur puppets to help 
youngsters with behavior problems.

These projects, cited by the government as among the nation's best hope for 
fighting addictions, were honored Thursday by the nation's acting drug 
policy director and the Health and Human Services Department.

"The federal seal of approval ... is a message to communities that they 
should insist upon and work toward the same level of excellence in 
substance abuse prevention," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "As a 
nation, we can settle for no less."

The projects, selected after a rigorous scientific review of more than 200 
prevention programs, are part of the department's efforts to identify and 
disseminate information about science-based prevention programs that 
consistently have demonstrated beneficial results.

The programs are chosen because they follow carefully researched treatment 
methods and have worked in several settings.

For instance, the Incredible Years Series of Seattle involved more than 600 
families. Researchers found that the parents of the children, ages 3-10, 
were able to curb the anti-social behavior that often develops into 
substance abuse later in life.

Department officials have been rewarding programs for 15 years. But for the 
first time last year, officials decided to highlight programs especially 
for their potential to work in several communities.

"The adoption of effective drug abuse prevention programs by communities 
nationwide will significantly reduce the toll of drug abuse and addiction 
on our society, " said Edward H. Jurith, acting director of the White House 
Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Many of the programs were started with federal research funds, said 
officials with HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"We are proud to honor their efforts and we are inspired by the 
life-changing impact that these programs have had on so many communities, 
families and individuals," said Ruth Sanchez-Way, who directs prevention 
projects for the HHS agency.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager