Sniffing of glue and similar noxious fumes and the use of so-called pep pills. goof balls, and other stimulant and depressant drugs are increasing threats to children and youth. Fume sniffing and the indiscriminate use of depressants and stimulants damage physical and mental health and in some instances induce personality changes and leads to crime and other anti-social behavior. Inadequate control over the distribution and sale of these dangerous substances make them readily available to children and youth. Concerned with the welfare of our children and youth, through convention action in 1966, the Hawaii Congress of Parents and Teachers adopted the following resolution: "To make every possible effort to cooperate in the education of children and youth regarding the hazards of smoking, alcohol, and the use of addictive drugs." It has been a great challenge! We have stressed that education on the abuse of alcohol and other drugs be emphasized among other health problems in comprehensive school and public health education programs. Through PTA programs parents have been informed and educated on the harmful effects of drugs with the hopes that they in turn will inform and educate their children. However, despite this effort, the drug abuse problem among students is present and the student drug user is destroying himself and is a threat to the general welfare of the citizens. Because the drug abuse problem among students exists in Hawaii and because the rehabilitation program for student drug users are inadequate, delegates to our recent state convention held on April 25-26, 1969, adopted a resolution which urges our State Legislature to appropriate funds to establish and maintain rehabilitation centers for student drug users throughout the State of Hawaii. If there was adequate control over the distribution and sale of these dangerous substances, perhaps this problem would not exist. Therefore, the Hawaii Congress of Parents and Teachers strongly supports the Drug Abuse Education Act of 1969 with the belief that it will control the distribution and sale of these dangerous substances and protect children and youth from these hazards to their health and well-being. Mr. BRADEMAS. The Chair would like to announce that the next hearing will be on Monday at 9:45 in a room to be announced. We are adjourned. (Whereupon, at 12:20 p.m., the subcommittee recessed, to reconvene at 9:45 a.m., Monday, July 14, 1969.) DRUG ABUSE MONDAY, JULY 14, 1969 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, The subcommittee met at 9:55 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room Washington, D.C. 2261, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. John Brademas (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Brademas, Meeds, Reid, Steiger, Collins, and Landgrebe. Staff members present: Jack Duncan, counsel; Charles W. Radcliffee, minority counsel for education; and Marty LaVor, minority legislative coordinator; Nancy Neilen, clerk; and Arlene Horowitz, staff assistant. Mr. BRADEMAS. The subcommittee will come to order. Our first witness is Mr. Allen Jensen, special assistant to the National Governors' Conference. Mr. Jensen, we are pleased to have you with us here today. Would you please proceed? You have, I understand, already submitted a statement. You may read it or summarize it just as you like. STATEMENT OF ALLEN C. JENSEN, SPECIAL ASSISTANT, THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS' CONFERENCE Mr. JENSEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The statement is relatively brief and in partial outline form, and I believe it will be just as quick if I read it. Mr. BRADEMAS. Go right ahead. Mr. JENSEN. Attached to it. I believe the members of the subcommittee have copies-is information from various States which we have received in this area. I appreciate the opportunity to present to you suggestions and information from the National Governors' Conference and the Council of State Governments related to H.R. 9312, the Drug Abuse Educa tion Act of 1969. State officials of their respective States on this legislation. I am a Special Assistant in the Washington Office of the National Governors' Conference and Council of State Governments. Recently, information on H.R. 9312 was sent to Governors and other State officials asking for their comments on the legislation. They were also asked to provide information on current activities in their States in the area of drug abuse education. I have attached to my testimony copies of letters that have been received from Hawaii, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Tennessee response to my request. Also attached is a letter I just received last Thursday from the State of New York in response to my request along with additional information on drug abuse education activities in the State of New York. I hope the comments from these States will be of use to this com mittee in developing legislation that will complement present State drug abuse education programs and related social services activities in the States. Utilizing the comments received from various States I would like to very briefly deal with the following three items related to H.R. 9312. 1. Scope and purposes of the legislation. 2. Examples of present activities of States in drug abuse education. 3. Provisions in H. R. 9312 for coordination at the State level of drug abuse education activities. 1. Scope and purposes of the legislation The timeliness and need for drug abuse education legislation is recognized by Governors and other State officials. All resources possible need to be drawn upon at the Federal, State. and local level to deal with the critical problem of drug abuse. The need for research based school and community education cur riculum on drug abuse is identified specifically as a real need by the State of Hawaii. Others, of course, deal with that, such as New York, which has done a great deal in this already. The following excerpt from the attached letter from the office of Governor McCall of Oregon offers some suggestions on broadening the scope of the legislation: The act should be entitled "Community Drug Education". Deleting the term "abuse" in the title would allow for a philosophy of education that deals with drug use and abuse rather than emphasis on the latter. Adding the term "com munity" would emphasize a total education program rather than one limited to certain elements in the community. The proposed legislation should be strengthened to include the development of materials for the broad segment of the community rather than emphasis on schools. The new wording would also have to allow for training programs being available to the broad community care and health team rather than teachers. counselors and law enforcement personnel, per se. The activities and programs should be broadened to include the development of materials to be implemented by the communication media. 2. Examples of present activities in States in drug abuse education In Hawaii, the Department of Health is carrying out a community education program through its narcotic control section and Public Health Education Office. In Oregon, the 1969 State legislature approved the drug education program and incorporated it in the budget of the Mental Health Division. It is implemented by the division's alcohol and drug section. The program is organized into five regional areas within the State with offices and services available throughout the entire State. Here, in Oregon the regionalization method of providing State service to government is again being used in this area as in other types of service to the State government. This is being done in a number of States as far as regionalization for services is concerned. Services available to schools include audio visual and library materials, and a Western Institute of Drug Problems Summer School. Also special activities are directed at professional groups, community action groups, and university centers. In New York State, an extensive school health education program including drug abuse education was authorized bythe 1967 State legislature as part of the "Critical Health Needs" legislation signed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Drug abuse is one of five topical areas of subject matter which will be incorporated on a mandatory basis into public school health teaching programs beginning in September 1970. Further explanation of the program in New York is contained in an article from a publication of the New York State Narcotic Addiction Control Commission which I have attached to my testimony. Again, I refer you also to the information received just last Thursday from New York as far as the activities of the total Narcotic Addiction Control Commission. In Kentucky, Governor Nunn convened a meeting of over 800 professional and community leaders on the topic of drug abuse. The Governor created by executive order in February of this year a bureau in the State mental health department to provide materials and training for people throughout the State on drug abuse. The 19 State area care centers will be the focal point for the drug abuse education program and will provide continuing professional assistance and training on drug abuse to teachers, physicians, pharmacists, homemakers, ministers, and many other groups in the communities. The director of the program in Kentucky, Dr. Edwin Moles, has an unofficial advisory board of young people, some of whom are former users of drugs, which he uses to try out educational material that he develops. 3. Provisions in H.R. 9312 for coordination at the State level of drug abuse education activities As you will notice from the letters from the various States, the State educational agency would be designated in many cases, if there was a choice, to provide assistance to local educational agencies and coordinate activities in their State under the Drug Abuse Education Act. However, I would urge the committee to leave this designation of such a State agency to the Governor of the State. This would provide the flexibility needed to fit programs under H.R. 9312 with programs already underway in the State. I would refer you specifically to the letter from Oregon and the situation in Kentucky, and, of course, also in New York where drug abuse education programs have been initiated and are in progress under the leadership of the State mental health departments. Based on the activities already underway in some States it would Seem reasonable to amend H.R. 9312 to make State agencies eligible for funds for the various training and community education programs provided for in the legislation. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this committee. If there are any questions or additional information I can provide, I would be happy to do so. Mr. BRADEMAS. Thank you very much. (The documents referred to follow :) EDUCATION DRUG MISUSE WEAPON [From the winter, 1969, issue of The Attack, a publication of the New York State Narcotic Addiction Control Commission] The commercial ended and a buzzer sounded. The announcer picked up the telephone. "Good Evening! Talk Time! What's on your mind?" A young male voice, hesitant and high pitched responded: "Wha-da-ya-think of marijuana?" "What do you think?" the announcer replied smoothly, steering the young caller into the program format. "Well, we've been seeing a lot of films and talking about drugs a lot lately at school... and I don't think it's so good. . . .” Another illustration of the pattern which typifies the present vogue in radio "talk" shows? For most listeners, perhaps. But, to a health educator tuned to the station while returning home recently from a community meeting, it meant much more. It was an indication that a campaign on misuse of drugs was underwa and in advance of schedule. The health educator was certain that the youngster's statement about "seeing a lot of films and talking about drugs a lot lately at school," could be attributed to early acceptance and use of new teaching material developed as part of a health science education syllabus revision project by the State Education Department. Prototype material, contained in a series of teaching aid publications under the general title of Strand II, Sociological Health Problem, and an information supplement, "Drug Abuse," were distributed to all New York State school sys tems before the opening of the 1968-1969 school year. The Strand II syllabus is one of five topical areas or "strands" of subject mat ter which will be incorporated on a mandatory basis into public school health teaching programs beginning in September, 1970. It is expected to be adopted by many private schools as well. The manuscripts on drugs and narcotics were prepared by Dr. John S. Sinacore, former professor of Health Education at the State University College at Cortland. He is presently chief of the bureau of school health education in the State Education Department. Cooperating agencies included the Narcotic Addic tion Control Commission, the State Health and Mental Hygiene Departments and other public health agencies. Designed to provide accurate and balanced information that will lead to a widespread knowledge of the value of good health practices on a personal and community basis, the new school health education program is expected to reach nearly four million pupils in its first year. Work on the project began in response to an increased public interest in the health sciences, according to Gordon E. Van Hooft, chief of the Education Department's bureau of secondary curriculum development. Authorization was provided by the 1967 Legislature as part of the "Critical Health Needs" legislation signed by Governor Rockefeller. The law mandated a five-year plan for a massive public health education pro gram, aimed primarily at school-age youngsters. Included was a revised health sciences syllabus with instruction on the excessive use of alcohol and the hazards of smoking as well as drugs and narcotics. Also mandated was the development of training programs for teachers, leading to certification by the State Education Department as health education teachers a new education specialty requiring work in health and related fields. The Strand II segment now in the hands of local school authorities is aimed at grades four through 12. The course will eventually be extended to reach down into all grades. The subject matter on drugs has been organized into three sections: Intermediate grades (4, 5 and 6) topics are: early man's use of drugs, modern drugs and their contributions and the use and misuse of drugs. |