Never too soon: a pilot first and third grade drug education program

Substance use is a leading national health problem, and school nurses are in pivotal positions to assist with prevention activities to reduce this growing epidemic. In response to increasing rates of parental and youth substance use and abuse, a collaborative research-service-education partnership was established between a college of nursing and an elementary school in a low-income, urban community. A two-part pilot study of parental knowledge and behaviors of drug use, and the evaluation of a first- and third-grade drug education model, are described in this paper. Although the findings cannot be generalized, they yield useful information for parental, youth, and neighborhood teaching and future research. Over half of parents consumed alcohol, and 60% smoked cigarettes. Forty-seven percent of parents reported discussing drugs with their child. However, only 22% of the parents who used substances reported talking about drugs with their children. The pilot drug education sessions, two, 30-45 minute sessions a week for 8 weeks, resulted in an average of 30% higher posttest knowledge scores in the first and third graders. Drug education classes should be offered every year for patients and youth, kindergarten through twelfth grade.