ABSTRACT
Never before in the history of this nation’s schools have we been faced with the problem of open drug use by students, both in and out of class. It is difficult if not impossible to assess the extent of this drug use activity with any degree of certainty. Attempts by individual schools or school districts to determine the actual numbers of students involved in drug use can only be estimated. There are few empiric data to support estimates of student drug use that can provide clues to the questions “who?” and/or “how many?” Allegations that from sixteen to thirty or 52more per cent of students are using drugs have been heard from a variety of sources, but these allegations are without supportive evidence. One can only hope that for each student engaged in drug activity, there are many more who have decided against using drugs as a way of facing life and its problems. The question now before us is, how can the school, as an agent of society, assist in preventing this problem from reaching epidemic proportions.
