Substance use and its prevention: A survey of classroom practices

The purpose of this study was to assess the opinions, via a nationwide survey, of 109 teachers of students with behavioral disorders about substance-use prevention. The major finding from the study is that little is being done to provide students with behavioral disorders programming in this area. Teachers were not in agreement in their assignment of priority to the area of substance-use prevention instruction in relation to the other subjects they teach (about a third assigned it highest priority; about a third assigned it lowest priority). Additionally, teachers reported that parents of students with behavioral disorders were virtually absent from prevention program efforts. Lack of time, of curriculum materials, and of adequate funding were noted as the greatest impediments to prevention programming. To enhance substance-use prevention efforts, careful attention to a variety of issues that affect its implementation must be systematically conducted.