Pubdate: Tue, 11 Apr 2006
Source: Public Opinion (Chambersburg, PA)
Copyright: 2006 Public Opinion
Contact: http://www.publicopiniononline.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.publicopiniononline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3355
Author: Linwood Outlaw, Staff writer

PROGRAM OFFERS REWARDS TO DRUG-FREE KIDS

CHAMBERSBURG -- Illicit drug use among 10th-, 11th- and  12th-grade
students declined 19 percent between 2001  and 2005, according to a
recent survey by the National  Institute on Drug Abuse.

To help local students lead drug-free lives, Summit  Health and
Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce  officials continue their
six-year program offering  incentives to those who "just say no."

Sixteen students from Dickinson College assistant  professor Margaret
Davis' class traveled Monday to  Chambersburg from Carlisle to learn
more about the  "Teens Resisting Unhealthy Choices Everyday" program,
which is geared toward reducing the demand for drugs  and alcohol
among adolescents. TRUCE, an affiliate of  the Greater Chambersburg
Chamber Foundation, is funded  by a $21,000 grant from Summit Health.
"We've  identified three different community organizations  throughout
Cumberland County promoting drug-free  awareness for our students to
research. We're thrilled  about this opportunity to become more
familiar with the  TRUCE program," Davis said.

TRUCE, which began in February 2000, was modeled after  a similar
drug-resistance program in Little Rock, Ark.

Students who wish to participate take a voluntary  urinalysis for drug
use, program coordinator Pat Massa  said. Test results are kept
confidential and are not  reported to school officials or the police.
Students  who test positive for drug use are referred for  counseling
services.

TRUCE also offers school assemblies to promote  self-esteem and
healthy choices.

Although the program is open to students in grades 6  through 12,
Massa said, the goal is to reach out to  students at Chambersburg Area
Middle School and J.  Frank Faust Junior High School.

"Our emphasis has been on the middle school. The  program may be too
soft for high school students,"  Massa said.

Students who pass the TRUCE drug test are issued an ID  card that
entitles them to discounts on products at  more than 100 businesses in
Chambersburg,

although those who fail drug tests are ineligible for  discounts.
About 1,700 students are participating this  year.

A 2005 "Monitoring the Future" survey -- funded by the  NIDA and
conducted by the University of Michigan with  49,347 students from 402
public and private schools --  showed lifetime use of methamphetamines
fell 1.2  percent among 10th-graders and 1.7 percent among
12th-graders. Since 2001, marijuana use has fallen by  28 percent
among eighth-graders and by 23 percent among  10th-graders.

The study also showed that alcohol use declined 2.7  percent among
eighth-graders, 1.5 percent among  10th-graders and 2.1 percent among
12th-graders in  2005, compared to 2004.

Still, program coordinator Charlie Schlichter says,  "the nation is
losing the war against drugs."

"The drug problem is a demand problem. Even the bad  guys can figure
out that if there is no one buying  drugs, there's no point in selling
them," Schlichter  said.

Chambersburg Area Senior High School Principal Barry  Purvis said he
has not seen an increase in drug use  among students at the high school.

Still, "I'm concerned about alcohol and drinking among  our students,"
Purvis said. "The TRUCE program is more  effective in the middle
school. It helps us reach out  to the kids a lot earlier."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake