Drugs in our schools as related to student characteristics

A nation-wide survey of 47,000 households showed that drugs are just as available outside inner city schools as they are available to inner city school children. In fact, the greatest reported availability was in nonmetropolitan areas. Contrary to what might be expected based on media stereotypes, it is wealthy, non-Hispanic whites who reported the greatest availability of drugs in their schools. Some of the differences are small, suggesting that drugs may be equally available to students anywhere. A case history is presented showing the operation of these findings with a 16-year old high school girl, and the intervention taken to help her overome her drug dependence on the designer drug Ecstasy.