Following opening remarks by presiding committee member Matthew F. McHugh, this hearing record begins with a fact sheet inserted into the record which provides information on the following issues: infant mortality in the U.S. and in upstate New York; the inadequacy, unavailablity, or unaffordability of prenatal care; other obstacles to care…

One of the main objectives in health education in the New Zealand national curriculum is that students should be helped to take responsibility for their own health. However, most decisions about health programmes in primary schools are made by adults. This paper reports findings from a study which sought the views of primary children about their…

A 1989 national survey of the dimensions of homelessness found that at least three million Americans are homeless and that the shortage of affordable housing was cited as the chief cause. Information was gathered from a telephone survey of emergency shelter providers, housing advocacy organizations, and local governments in 26 communities, ranging…

This report discusses the nature of homelessness and the homeless in America, recent programs that have been implemented to help the homeless, and issues concerning the Federal government's role in helping these people. The following topics concerning the characteristics of the homeless and the causes of homelessness are covered: (1) "Mental…

Information concerning the treatment and care of children addicted to cocaine is provided. Contents: (1) describe the drug; (2) put cocaine use in its historical and demographic perspectives; (3) report findings of a study documenting the incidence of maternal substance abuse in Pinellas County, Florida; (4) point out false perceptions,…

This document comprises a report on the concerns of Hispanic Americans in Colorado. A sample of 606 people with Spanish surnames were interviewed by telephone in January 1989. The following sample characteristics are reported: (1) 48.7 percent were male; (2) the average was 43.3 years; (3) 67.3 percent were married; (4) average household size was…

This document discusses the role of school personnel in identifying and referring students with chemical health problems. It introduces the topic by stating that school personnel should be aware of how to deal with students who have violated school rules and those who are seeking help. It states that they should know how to draw the line…

In the United States, 70.8% of all deaths among youth and young adults aged 10-24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes (32.3%), other unintentional injuries (11.7%), homicide (15.1%), and suicide (11.7%). Substantial morbidity and social problems also result from the approximately 870,000 pregnancies that occur each year among…

The purpose of this comic-activity book is to teach children how to be safe and how to deal with peer pressure. The book centers on the characters McGruff the Crime Dog, his nephew Scruff, and American Indian children living on a reservation. Scruff, who is a child figure, encounters situations that children may experience or worry about,…

This guide for administrators provides a step-by-step process for establishing new or revised policies to deal with student misuse of alcohol and other drugs on college campuses. Emphasis is on a new doctrine of environmental management which stresses the school's responsibility to take measures against foreseeable hazards and risks in the school…

Establishing school-based drug prevention programs was the aim of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 (DFSCA). A summary of the findings of a longitudinal study of DFSCA is presented in this report. Revitalized in 1995 as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), the Act's scope was extended to include prevention…

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services conducted a study to collect information about homeless families in the state who are relying on shelters. Information was obtained from census reports from all shelters in the state, from interviews with a parent from each of the 411 families living at the shelters, and from a review…

This report on drug abuse in schools is based on 6 years of analysis, focus groups, and field investigations. Prior research has determined that if young people do not engage in smoking or substance abuse by age 21, their chances of engaging later are next to nothing. It has also been determined that next to parents, schools have the greatest…

An outcome evaluation was conducted for seven Project SHIELD (Supporting Healthy Individuals and Environments for Life Development) research-based and best practices interventions using secondary data from the 26th largest school district in the nation. The SHIELD program is designed to provide students and schools with enhanced infrastructure and…

This report provides an external evaluation of the fourth year (March 1, 1999-February 28, 2000) of the Native Hawaiian Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program (NHSDFSCP). Previous evaluations recommended emphasis of three program components: (1) information development and dissemination; (2) education; and (3) school and…