drug research project middle school

Lesson Plans and Activities

Search for free lessons and activities on the science and consequences of drug use. All lessons are based on national science and education standards and were developed by scientists from leading universities and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Three people talking outside a cannabis dispensary.

Cannabis: The Facts You Need to Know

Can Too Much Screen Time Harm You?

Toxicity Testing: The Effect of Chemicals on Radish Seeds

Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Information

Opioids: What You Need to Know

What You Need to Know About Prescription Stimulants

Illustration of a woman sitting in meditation

Stressed Out?

Nurturing My Mental & Emotional Health

Mind Matters: Drugs and the Brain

Illustration of prescription pill bottles and pills

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Prescription Stimulants

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Opioids

Illustration of cigarettes and vaping devices

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Nicotine, Tobacco and Vaping

Illustration of methamphetamine crystals

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Methamphetamine

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Marijuana

Illustration of K2/spice packets, crystals, and powder

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to K2/Spice and Bath Salts

Illustration of a lighter, aerosol can, marker, and bottle with a cap

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Inhalants

Mind Matters: The Body's Response to Cocaine

Illustration of a vaping device wrapped inside a vine

How Nicotine Affects the Teen Brain

NDAFW Activity Ideas: Community, School-wide, and Online

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The PEARL at USC

Project alert.

IMPROVING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS (ALERT +GTO)

NIDA R01 DA048910 (PIs Chinman and Pedersen )

US rates of alcohol and drug use among youth remain problematic, and changes in youth use of opioids, marijuana, and e-cigarettes have increased the need for prevention. Evidence-based programs (EBPs) for reducing alcohol and drug use are not widely adopted by schools and are often implemented poorly. Although studies show that schools do have time during the school day, multiple factors influence schools’ poor implementation including inadequate funding, teacher turnover, lack of confidence in program evidence, insufficient support from school staff, poor alignment between programs and stated goals, and lack of technical assistance to guide good implementation.

A middle-school drug prevention program called Project ALERT and implementation support intervention called Getting To Outcomes (GTO) can address these factors and improve prevention quality and youth outcomes. ALERT is a widely implemented middle-school program that is free, has moved to all online teacher training, has been recently updated for new drug trends, and has promising evidence for preventing drug use and reducing pro-drug risk factors, as rated by multiple online registries. GTO is an intervention which includes training, manuals, and technical assistance that builds capacity for programs by strengthening the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to choose, plan, implement, evaluate, and sustain those programs. Previous studies in small community agencies have demonstrated GTO’s promise, but its impact on school-based prevention fidelity and youth outcomes remains an empirical question.

We propose a study to assess the effectiveness of the updated ALERT in combination with an assessment of GTO implementation support. The proposed 5-year study compares the effectiveness of ALERT alone, ALERT+GTO, and a no-intervention control group in a Hybrid II, cluster-randomized controlled trial of 42 middle schools across three states. As a Hybrid II trial, we will test both the effectiveness of the revised ALERT curriculum and teacher training method as well as the GTO implementation support. Although generic GTO tools are available, in this study we will tailor those tools specifically for ALERT. We will evaluate both implementation outcomes (e.g., staff capacity, program fidelity) and outcomes of substance use such as alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarette, and opioid use; and pro-drug risk factors such as resistance self-efficacy, perceived peer norms, and beliefs among 3,088 middle-schoolers. A successful demonstration of ALERT+GTO could fundamentally transform evidence-based prevention’s reach and quality where most youth are—US schools. That is because ALERT is an implementation-friendly program (free, accessible) that is already being employed by thousands of schools and RAND would offer all the GTO support to schools for free after the study. If successful, the new ALERT—supported by GTO tools and guidance tailored to ALERT—would be one of the easiest EBPs for schools to adopt or continue implementing but with improved quality.

Drug Prevention Education Programs for Middle School

Sunny’s story.

A drug prevention book written by a mother who lost her son to a drug overdose from the viewpoint of the family beagle, Sunny . It's a great learning tool for kids, parents, teachers, and others.

Educational Programs & Curriculum

Learn more about Courage to Speak® substance use prevention education programs for Elementary, Middle, and High School students.

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Courage to Speak ® Drug Prevention Education Program for Middle Schools

Request This Program For Your School

The Courage to Speak ® Drug Prevention Education Program is a research-based program for Middle Schools which builds skills to help students make good decisions and resist the pressure to use drugs. Students take part in specific social emotional skill development and asset-building activities through:

Internet Research
Creative Writing
Group Discussion
Scientific Demonstration

drug prevention education programs for middle school

The Program consists of 16 highly interactive classroom lessons taught by teachers.

The lessons enable students to:

Have a clear plan to refuse alcohol and other drugs when offered, including vaping, marijuana, tobacco, prescription drugs and opioids.
Develop clear decision-making strategies.
Identify 3-5 adults who will support them when needed.
Communicate with their parents about risky behaviors and the dangers of drugs.

Yale University School of Medicine evaluation reported statistically significant increases in youth’s communication with their parents about substance use and an increase in the number of times students talked to their parent(s) about: family rules and expectations about drug use; things they could do to avoid drugs; drug use in movies; and people they know who have been in trouble because of drug use.

This study further demonstrates the effectiveness of the Courage to Speak ® Foundation Drug Prevention Education Model that engages home, school and community to keep our children safe from drugs.

The Courage to Speak Foundation also offers a Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101 ® course for parents which compliments the Middle School curriculum and cultivates mutual understanding between students and parents about drug prevention.

Teacher Comments

“The work the kids have done to this point has been well beyond what I could ever hope for.” Pat Vigilio, Ponus Ridge Middle School, Norwalk CT

“The students’ reactions to these lessons are genuine…and their comments demonstrate their insights into this highly charged material. The Courage To Speak Program is one of the finest I have ever encountered.” York Mario, West Rocks Middle School, Norwalk CT

Student Comments

“The most important thing this program teaches is not to be afraid. It’s better to talk out your problems than resort to drugs.” Julie, 7 th Grade, Norwalk, CT

“The program taught me to speak up when I have a problem.” Jason, 7 th Grade, Waterbury, CT

Ian James Eaccarino

The Courage to Speak Foundation

144 East Ave Suite #200 Norwalk, CT 06851

Phone: Office (203) 831-9700

Fax: (203) 831-9800

Email: [email protected]

Web: Courage to Speak Foundation

Learn more about Courage to Speak® substance use prevention education programs and curriculum for Elementary, Middle, and High School students.

Request more program info

Western Hills Middle School Library: Drug/Medication Project

Online Resources
Frog vs Toad
Maine - Gaspee
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Food from Italy
Latin American countries
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Body Systems
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Belford NHD Frontiers 2023
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Website Evalution
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Rhode Island Middle School Book Award 2025

Great Websites

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Health Central
MedicineNet
MedlinePlus
Yahoo Health

Final product

Options for your final product:

Powerpoint Presentation

Either option must include the following information about your drug:

Your name/partners name, class period
Name of drug
Nicknames of the drug
Basic description of the drug
Age/Gender most affected by the drug
How the bdrug affects the body
How the drug is used (injected, pill form, smoked, etc)
Must include at least 3 pictures/images of drug or related to drug
Is the drug addictive or non-addictive
Possible side effects / complications of using drug

Class Handouts

Sources Used This handout will be completed at the end of class on the day that you visit the Library.

AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner (Information Literacy Skills) :

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.

1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of Technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.

1.1.9 Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.

1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.

Common Core State Standards:

CC6-8WH/SS/S/TS7 - Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9 - Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

CC.5.W.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

CC.5.R.I.7 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

Subject Guide

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Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 8:41 AM
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20 Drug Awareness Activities for Middle School

Middle School Education

1. Poster Design Contest: Encourage students to create posters on drug prevention, showing the negative effects of drugs, or encouraging students to make healthy choices.

2. Role-play Scenarios: Organize short role-play scenarios where students must address various situations involving drugs and come up with a solution that supports their well-being.

3. Guest Speakers: Invite local law enforcement officers, former addicts, and healthcare professionals to discuss the impact of drug abuse on individuals, families, and communities.

4. Classroom Debates: Divide students into groups and have them debate different aspects of drug misuse to increase their understanding of the issue.

5. Mentorship Programs: Set up a peer mentorship program by partnering older middle school students with younger students to discuss making responsible choices regarding drugs and alcohol.

6. Creative Writing Assignment: Have students write essays or stories about the consequences of drug use, exploring the physical, emotional, and social impacts.

7. Myths vs. Facts Sheet: Create a handout containing common myths about drug use, debunking each one with accurate information.

8. Drug-Free Pledge: Have students sign a pledge committing to stay drug-free and create a display in the school featuring their signed pledges.

9. PSAs: Encourage student groups or classes to create short public service announcements highlighting the importance of drug prevention.

10. Research Projects: Assign small research projects on addiction or various drugs, having students present their findings to classmates.

11. Red Ribbon Week: Organize a week-long event promoting drug prevention through assemblies, awareness campaigns, and classroom activities.

12. Field Trip: Arrange visits to local addiction treatment centers or rehabilitation facilities for an inside look at the recovery process.

13. Movie Screening and Discussion: Show relevant documentaries or films about addiction and facilitate discussions afterward about lessons learned.

14. Visual Timeline Display: Create a visual display chronicling famous individuals whose lives were affected by drug addiction.

15. School Assembly: Plan a special assembly focusing on drug awareness education, featuring speakers or performances that drive home the message.

16. School Newsletter Articles: Publish informative articles on drug awareness, prevention, and support resources in the school newsletter.

17. Decision-making Exercises: Engage students in activities or discussions that teach them how to make good decisions under social pressure situations involving drugs.

18. Self-Esteem Building Activities: Implement programs that cultivate self-esteem, giving students the necessary skills to say no to drugs and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

19. Family Education Night: Host an evening event where parents can learn about drug prevention strategies and methods for discussing these issues with their children.

20. Art Exhibit: Organize an art exhibit showcasing student artwork on the themes of resilience, hope, and making positive choices in the face of potential exposure to drugs.

These 20 drug awareness activities aim to educate middle school students about the dangers of drug use while promoting positive decision-making skills necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Starting at a new school can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience…

Introduction: As middle schoolers transition into more independence, it's crucial that they…

1. Unpredictable Growth Spurts: Middle school teachers witness students entering their classrooms…

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Health: Drug Research Project

Harm Reduction
Student Data
Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vaping
Hallucinogens
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10th Grade Health Substance Use/Abuse Project

Due Date: Groups will present the week of December 11th.

Objective: You and your group (2-3 people) will research your designated substance over the next several weeks. Some time will be allotted in class, and you will also be expected to work on this assignment outside of class. You will be looking at a variety of factors related to the substance including physiological effects and impacts, use among teens, stigma around the substance, history (discovery, legal, social). There is a libguide dedicated to this project and you may also use other resources and it’s your responsibility to determine the reliability and accuracy of resources used outside of the school’s databases. Your group will determine the medium in which to present the information to the class. You can be as creative as you would like.

Project ALERT Curriculum

An overview of the curriculum, lesson summaries, and classroom materials are available on this page. Materials can be downloaded either grouped by lesson or as individual files.

Curriculum Overview

Project ALERT is an evidence-based curriculum proven to motivate middle school students against substance use, provide skills and strategies to resist drugs, and establish non-use attitudes and beliefs.

Project ALERT uses the power of practice and repetition to give students the self-efficacy, skills, and resources to resist peer pressure and misleading , pro-drug messaging. It works on two levels: helping students reduce their current substance use—or avoid experimenting in the first place.

Statistics and long-term survey research demonstrate Project ALERT’s success. Unlike most other programs, Project ALERT has been , and continues to be , thoroughly tested in multi-year, multi-community studies. This scientific evidence means that administrators and teachers can be confident about what the program deliver s , who it impact s , and the effort involved in making its results last.

Project ALERT is d esigned to be delivered over two years. In the first year, 7 th grade students receive the initial 11 lessons, or Core Curriculum of Project ALERT. Eig h th grade s tudents receive three B ooster L essons in the second year that are critical for maintaining early prevention gains.

Both the Core Curriculum and the Booster Lessons offer a variety of activities, audiovisual materials, student handouts, and homework assignments.

Lesson Format

Each lesson is organized into two sections: lesson overview and lesson plan. Student Handouts and other teacher supplements are standalone files .

Lesson Overview

On the first pages of each lesson, you will find an outline of goals and activities for that lesson, a summary description of what you hope to accomplish in the lesson, pre-class instruction on how to quickly prepare, and a checklist of materials needed . Specifically, you’ll always see the following sections:

Lesson Goals . These are the proximal goals for the lesson, and can be achieved in a single class. Lesson goals guide each activity. A student-friendly version of the lesson goals are in the introduction.

Scope and Sequence with Pacing Guidance . This section lists the activities in the lesson with pacing guidance. We assume class periods of approximately 45 minutes to inform pacing guidance. If your class period is a different length, you wi ll need to adjust accordingly.

Brief Lesson Plan Description . This section provides a summary of the lesson in a few paragraphs. It explains how the activites align with the goals of the lesson.

Background Knowledge: Pre-Reading . We embed the main information teachers need to know before delivering the lesson in this section.

Materials and Supplies to Prepare . In most lessons, the materials and supplies to prepare means confirming the Project ALERT posters and videos downloaded correctly. We recommend testing the technology necessary to display before delivering the lesson . Some lessons ask teachers to create charts to facilitate class discussions or small group activities. These can be electronic or paper charts, depending on your preferences.

The lesson overview concludes with a key of icons (shown below ) to indicate what to say during the lesson, what to keep in mind as you facilitate the lesson, and what to display in the classroom throughout the lesson.

Lesson Plan

Each lesson be gins with an introductory activity that communicate s the goal of the lesson . Subsequent activities are alig n ed with the core components of the curriculum:

Teacher - facilitated class discussions , that refer to Project ALERT posters and teacher-created visuals

Role plays , including Project ALERT videos and skits performed by students

Small group activi ti es , that include the Project ALERT posters and teacher-created visuals

The varied activities are designed to move at a quick pace to sustain students’ interest and accommodate limited teaching schedules. Each lesson concludes with a wrap-up activity to acknowledge that the goal has been accomplished.

Download the program overview to learn more about Project ALERT, why it works, how it works, and how to deliver it as designed.

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Research Projects

Clinical and Health Services
CTN (NIDA Clinical Trials Network)
Epidemiology & Drug Abuse Trends
Implementation Research
Pre-Clinical Research

A Brief Behavioral Intervention for Co-Users of Marijuana (MJ) and Tobacco Among Smokers Calling State Quitlines

Investigators Kelly Carpenter, PhD Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH

Status: current

A Multisite Study of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Effects of Inflammation and Endocrine Dysfunction in Adulthood

Investigators Susan A. Stoner Susan A. Stoner, PhD

A Trial to Prevent Opioid Overdose: E.D. Based Intervention & Take-Home Naloxone

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green PI (UW ADAI)

Status: completed

ADATSA Five-Year Follow Up Study

Investigators Bill Luchansky, PhD

ADATSA Integrated Outcome Database

Investigators Dennis M. Donovan, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

ADATSA Treatment Outcome Evaluation

Adolescent substance use and hiv risk: event analysis.

Investigators Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH PI (UW ADAI)

Alcohol Abuse in Urban Indian Adolescents and Women

Alcohol and acquaintance assault risk perception.

Investigators Jeanette Norris, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Alcohol and Condom Use Resistance in Sexually Coercive/Violent Men

Investigators Kelly Cue Davis, PhD PI (UW Social Work) Jeanette Norris, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Alcohol and Condom Use: Different Levels of Measurement

Alcohol and drug epidemiology and treatment geographic information service.

Investigators Joseph Kabel, PhD PI (Looking Glass Analytics, Inc.)

Alcohol and HIV/AIDS Risk-Taking

Investigators William H. George, PhD PI (UW Psychology) Jeanette Norris, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Alcohol and Women’s Cognitive Mediation of HIV Risk Taking

Alcohol and women’s health risk reduction: an innovative experimental approach.

Investigators Tina M. Zawacki, PhD PI (Univ. of Texas) Jeanette Norris, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Alcohol Effects on Cognitive and Affective Mediation of Women’s Decision-Making

Investigators Jeanette Norris, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Tina M. Zawacki, PhD Co-PI (University of Texas)

Alcohol Intervention in a Level-1 Trauma Center

Alcohol use and decompression sickness in recreational divers, alcohol use trajectories and prevention: a us – sweden comparison.

Investigators Mary E. Larimer, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry) Katie Witkiewitz, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Alcohol’s Influence on Women’s Cognitive Appraisals of Sexual Assault Risk and Subsequent Responses

Investigators Jeanette Norris, PhD

Assessing Need and Acceptability of a Family Intervention for Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder

Attrition while awaiting drug treatment, basics-ed: a momentary intervention for concurrent smoking and heavy drinking.

Investigators Mary E. Larimer, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry) Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH Co-Investigator (UW ADAI) Katie Witkiewitz, PhD Original PI/Co-PI (UW ADAI)

Becca Bill Evaluation

Investigators Peggy L. Peterson, PhD, MPH

Beliefs and Attitudes for Successful Implementation in Schools

Investigators Aaron Lyon, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry) Bryan Hartzler, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Brain Maturation in Adults with FASD

Investigators Eileen M. Moore, PhD PI (San Diego State U) Susan A. Stoner, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Brief Intervention in Primary Care for Problem Drug Use and Abuse

Investigators Peter Roy-Byrne, MD PI (UW Psychiatry) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Brief Substance Abuse Treatment for Homeless Adolescents

Investigators John S. Baer, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Bryan Hartzler, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Cannabis Consumer Assessment of Receptivity to Point-of-Sale Education and Safe Storage Intervention

Investigators Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH

CBPR with Tribal Colleges and Universities: Alcohol Problems and Solutions

Investigators Bonnie M. Duran, DrPH, MPH PI (UW School of Social Work) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Center for Neuroregulation in Alcohol Dependence (CeNiAD)

Investigators Andrew J. Saxon, MD PI (UW) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Member, Executive Committee (UW ADAI)

Characterization of Cortical Neuronal Subtypes in Cocaine Self-Administration

Investigators Susan M. Ferguson, PhD

Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative

Investigators Megan Rutherford, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Chronic Pain Management and Marijuana Use: Science-Based Education in Times of Legalization

Investigators Bia Carlini, PhD, MPH PI (UW ADAI)

Clinical Trials Consultation and Technical Assistance Program (C-TAP)

Investigators Mary Hatch, PhD Mary Hatch, Director

Co-Occurring Disorders

Investigators Gary B. Cox, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Combining Medications and Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism

Community-based study of gay men, hiv, and drugs.

Investigators Michael E. Gorman, PhD, MPH, MSW PI (UW ADAI)

Comparative Examination of Cannabis Use Disorder as a Risk Factor in HIV Care

Computer adapted standardized patient for mi skills assessment – phase i.

Investigators John S. Baer, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry/UW ADAI)

Computer Modeling of Alcohol Services Research Data

Computerized assistance for treatment professionals in assessment of sexual risk.

Investigators Donald A. Calsyn, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Bryan Hartzler Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Consumers’ Perspectives on the Function of Marijuana in Their Lives

Investigators Robin Harwick, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Bia Carlini, PhD, MPH Co-Investigator (UW ADAI) Tatiana Masters, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Contingency Management Treatment of Alcohol Abuse American Indian People

Investigators Michael McDonell, PhD PI (WSU) Debra Buchwald, MD PI (WSU) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Cultural Innovations for Recovery in Community-Based Learning Environments (CIRCLE)

Investigators Jaedon Avey, PhD Multiple PI (Southcentral Foundation) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Multiple PI (UW ADAI)

Daily Event Analysis of Alcohol/Drug Use and Risky Sex

Investigators Mary L. Gillmore, PhD PI (UW School of Social Work) Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Daily Self-Reports of Injection Drug Use and Risk

Investigators Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH

Descriptive Study of TASC Felony Services in Washington State

Investigators Linda Brown, RN, PhD

Developing Overdose Prevention Programs for Washington State

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW PI (UW ADAI)

Developing Research Capacity and Culturally Appropriate Research Methods: Community-Integrating Behavioral Interventions in Substance Abuse Treatment

Investigators Bryan Hartzler, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Development and Characteristics of the Managed Care Mental Health Care System in North Sound Regional Support Network

Investigators Linda Brown, RN, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Development and Evaluation of Context-Tailored Training

Investigators John S. Baer, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry / UW ADAI)

Development and Library Staff Support for a Third-Space Telehealth Suite Toolkit

Investigators Bryan Hartzler, PhD Contract PI

Development of a County-Level Recovery-Oriented System of Care for Behavioral Health

Investigators Bryan Hartzler, PhD Contract Principal Investigator Denna Vandersloot, MEd Contract Principal Investigator

Disseminating Organizational SBI Services (DO-SBIS) at Trauma Centers

Investigators Douglas F. Zatzick, MD PI (UW Psychiatry) Dennis M. Donovan, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Distinguishing Characteristics of High-BAC DWI Offenders

Investigators Brent L. Baxter, PhD

Domestic Violence among Pregnant Substance Abusers

Drinking trajectories after behavior intervention: assessing mechanisms of change.

Investigators Katie Witkiewitz, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Bryan Hartzler, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Driver Improvement Study

Drug abuse epidemiology reporting project.

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW PI (UW ADAI) Jason R. Williams, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Drug Helplines and Adult Marijuana Users: Assessment in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska

Drug information and education.

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW

Drugged Driving Information Service

Effectiveness of safe needle disposal programs for injection drug users: a spatial and temporal analysis.

Investigators Anne Vernez Moudon, Dr. es Sc. PI (UW Urban Design & Planning, Architecture) Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH Co-PI (UW ADAI)

Enhancing Recall of Sexual and Drug Injection Partners

Investigators Devon D. Brewer, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

Evaluation of a Public Health Law to Support Intervening in Drug Overdose

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW PI (UW ADAI) Patricia C. Kuszler, MD, JD Co-PI (UW Medicine) Phillip Coffin, MD, MIA Co-Investigator (UCSF)

Evaluation of the Adolescent Treatment Enhancement Project

Investigators Megan Rutherford, PhD

Evaluation of the Feasibility and Potential Impacts for Seattle Police Department Officers to Carry and Administer Naloxone for Opioid Overdose Reversal

Evaluation plan for adolescent detox.

Investigators Peggy L. Peterson, PhD, MPH PI (UW ADAI)

Event-Level Analysis of Expectancies, Alcohol Use, and Consequences

Investigators Christine Lee, PhD PI (UW Psychiatry) Barbara C. Leigh, PhD, MPH Co-PI (UW ADAI)

Exploring Policy Solutions to Address Public Health Challenges of High THC Products

Investigators Beatriz Carlini, PhD, MPH PI

Exploring Policy Solutions to the Public Health Challenges of Non-Medical High THC Products’ Access and Consumption

Exploring the potential of “budtenders” as harm reduction agents: a study among cannabis retail workers in washington state.

Investigators Bia Carlini, PhD, MPH PI (UW ADAI) Sharon Garrett, MPH Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Adults: Health and Neurobehavior

Investigators Therese M. Grant, PhD Multiple PI (UW ADAI) Claire D. Coles, PhD Multiple PI (Emory University)

Gentrification, Urban Interventions, and Equity (GENUINE): Advancing Healthy City Research on Gentrification

Helping individuals with firearm injuries: a cluster randomized trial.

Investigators Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, MD, MPH, PhD PI (UW Epidemiology, UW Pediatrics)

Histories of Fatal-Collision Drinking-Drivers: Patterns Among Adults and Youth

Investigators Brent L. Baxter, PhD PI (UW ADAI)

HIV, Drugs, and Sexual Risk in DUMSMs: A Community Study

Hiv, hepatitis, std and reproductive health risk behaviors among female seattle methamphetamine users, hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of a school-based teen marijuana checkup.

Investigators Denise D. Walker, PhD Multiple PI (UW School of Social Work) Bryan Hartzler, PhD Multiple PI (UW ADAI)

Impacts of Cannabis & Cannabis Legalization on Impaired Driving in WA State

Investigators Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW PI (UW ADAI) Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, MD, MPH, PhD Co-PI (UW School of Public Health) Beth E. Ebel, MD, MSc, MPH Co-Investigator (UW School of Public Health)

Implementation Survey of PrEP and Opioid Use Related Services in STI Clinics and MSM-Centered Community Based Organizations (CBOs)

Investigators Mary Hatch-Maillette, PhD PI (UW ADAI) Tanja Laschober, PhD Co-Investigator (UW ADAI)

Implementing Contingency Management in a Supportive Housing Context to Promote Resident Well-Being

Investigators Bryan Hartzler Principal Investigator Alanna Feltner Co-investigator Callan Fockele, MD Co-investigator Sarah Leyde, MD Co-investigator

Implementing Contingency Management in Opioid Treatment Centers across New England: A Hybrid Type 3 Trial

Investigators Sara Becker, PhD Multiple PI (Brown) Bryan R. Garner, PhD Multiple PI (RTI International)

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Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

School-based harm reduction with adolescents: a pilot study

Nina rose fischer.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 524 W. 59th Street Rm. 6.65.09, New York, NY 91001 USA

Associated Data

Data is included in the Tables below and Additional Tables and Appendices accessible through this link to DropBox .

A pilot study of Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens showed significant results pre to post curriculum with high school freshmen. Negative outcomes of drug education are linked to a failure to engage students because of developmentally inappropriate materials that include activities that have no relevance to real experiences of young people. The few harm reduction studies showed increased student drug related knowledge. Students were less likely to consume substances, and less likely to consume to harmful levels. More studies are necessary to evidence harm reduction efficacy in the classroom. The goal of this study was to measure harm reduction knowledge and behaviors, including drug policy advocacy, before and after Safety First. Data were analyzed using McNemar’s test, ANOVA, linear regression, t -tests and thematic coding. Survey results, corroborated by the qualitative findings, showed a significant increase ( p < .05) in high school freshmen harm reduction knowledge and behaviors in relationship to substance use pre to post Safety First. This increase related to a decrease in overall substance use. Harm reduction is often perceived as a controversial approach to substance use. These findings have implications for further study of what could be a promising harm reduction-based substance use intervention with teens.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13011-022-00502-1.

Research has shown that common reasons drug education programs for youth have failed were lack of student interest because they were not developmentally appropriate, or because activities did not relate to their actual lives [ 1 , 2 ]. A review of school-based drug education studies [ 1 ] showed that for substance use education programs to be effective they should be based on the real experiences of young people, a harm reduction principle [ 1 – 3 ]. The study of Drug Policy Alliance’s (DPA) Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens (hyperlinked) drug education curriculum for health education classes is grounded in harm reduction theory. The objective of the curriculum is to teach substance use harm reduction to support positive outcomes for young people.

Harm reduction theory

Harm reduction theory includes pragmatic strategies aimed at reducing dangers related to substance use. The theory emerged with the discovery of AIDS in 1981. Harm reduction was important for reducing transmission of blood-borne infections and for addressing drug use. Evidence has shown that harm reduction approaches greatly reduce morbidity and mortality associated with risky substance use behaviors [ 4 – 6 ] but has rarely been used to inform drug education curriculum for teenagers.

Harm reduction is an ecological systems approach, addressing drug use from the micro level, individuals, families and communities to the macro level, local, state, and federal policies and norms [ 3 , 7 – 9 ]. The theory promotes social justice with an emphasis on users’ rights, health, social and economic development, as opposed to the demonization of drug consumption [ 10 ]. Critical to the practice of harm reduction is recognizing that realities of poverty, class, racism, social isolation, past trauma, sex and gender-based discrimination and other social inequalities affect people’s capacity to address drug-related harm. Aims of this study were to measure student ability to understand and advocate for socially just harm reduction policy pre and post Safety First.

Harm reduction interventions vary according to dynamic needs of individuals and communities. The goals are to meet substance users “where they’re at,” incorporating a spectrum of strategies from abstinence, to managing use, to addressing conditions of use along with use itself. The theory adopts tenets of the trans theoretical stages of change model [ 11 , 12 ] and motivational counseling [ 13 ]. This non-judgmental, amoral approach encourages people to embark on incremental, harm-reducing goals. A harm reduction approach is congruent with what is known about adolescent development and decision-making. However, the most prevalent drug education for teens has been abstinence based, attaching stigma and moral judgment to substance use and users, instead of learning the effects and how to make informed, healthy decisions about use [ 14 , 15 ].

School based harm reduction programs have rarely received the attention of researchers. Limited studies exist about harm reduction drug education with adolescents in the US [ 1 ]. Only a few studies, from Canada, Australia and the UK showed positive results [ 1 , 2 , 16 , 17 ]. Classroom based harm reduction approaches are limited but are gaining traction in school settings because of the mixed or ineffective results from prevention and abstinence-based programs that failed to meet the real needs of youth [ 2 , 18 ]. The small pool of studies showed increase in drug related knowledge. Students were less likely to consume substances and were less likely to consume to harmful levels with themselves and peers [ 1 , 2 , 16 , 17 ]. Harm reduction can potentially address the shortfalls of prevention programs but remains contentious in the context of youth substance use, thus has not been widely studied within this population [ 2 ].

Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, the founder of Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) developed a pamphlet for parents about harm reduction and teens in 1999 where she defined principles for school drug education and ultimately for the Safety First curriculum, “Parents and teachers are responsible for engaging students, providing them with credible information [to] make responsible decisions, avoid drug abuse, and stay safe. Curricula should be age-specific, emphasize student participation, and provide science-based educational materials.” Harm reduction principles require a non-judgmental, motivational, culturally relevant, actively engaging environment that puts student experience at the center of the curriculum [ 2 ]. Safety first includes these elements.

Safety First teaches students about different types of drugs including the short and long-term effects. Students learn how to identify viable research about drugs and discuss and present their findings in the classroom. Drug beliefs are discussed, myths are dispelled, and facts are validated. Behaviors associated with substance use are studied and discussed to inform student’s future decision making. These key principles make up the operational definition of harm reduction reflected in the Safety First curriculum and measured in the study.

The Safety First curriculum developers trained teachers that participated in the pilot studies for three, 8 hours sessions and coached them weekly for at least an hour in the content and modalities of the curriculum. The developers provided technical assistance for curriculum implementation. All teachers delivered the curriculum one to two times per week, depending on the schedule of their health classes, in each of the schools. The class lasted one semester, up to 14 sessions, at 55 minutes per class. The materials necessary for each class were all easily accessible through free downloads online and physically from the DPA curriculum developer/trainers. “How the curriculum was taught” was the variable that had the most effect on the efficacy of the curriculum and is analyzed below.

The overall goal of the study was to measure harm reduction knowledge and behaviors before and after Safety First. Diverse urban public schools were the foci for the pilots in New York City and San Francisco. Outcomes showed change from pre to post Safety First ( p < .05) in knowledge and behaviors related to substance use. The results corroborated the findings from the few other similar studies [ 1 , 2 , 16 , 17 , 19 ]. This study evidenced need for further implementation of harm reduction based substance use curriculum as part of health education in high schools and for more research to measure the effects of the curriculum with various populations and locales.

The hypotheses of this study were related to the aims of the Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens curriculum. The curriculum developers hoped to educate freshmen high school students about harm reduction knowledge and behavior. Students will 1) Acquire critical thinking skills to access and evaluate information about alcohol and other drugs [knowledge and behavior]; 2) Understand decision-making and goal setting skills that help students make healthy choices related to substance use [knowledge and behavior]; 3) Develop personal and social strategies to manage the risks, benefits and harms of alcohol and other drug use [behavior]; 4) Know the impact of drug policies on personal and community health [knowledge]; and 5) Learn to advocate for health-oriented drug policies [behaviors]. Thus student knowledge and behavior related to substance use and harm reduction were measured before and after Safety First as part of required health education classes to determine the efficacy of the curriculum.

Data collection

Hypotheses were tested through the collection of data from validated pre/post quantitative surveys (Additional file 1 : Appendix A in the data portal: Appendices A-D can be found in the Data Portal linked here) with items that measured substance use and harm reduction knowledge and behaviors [ 20 – 22 ] pre/post qualitative focus groups and one on one interviews with semi-structured field-tested guides; and field observation, on a weekly basis in each class with a field tested template. The 14-session (55 minutes/class) curriculum was implemented and studied in four freshmen health education classes at a public school in New York City and five public schools, four classes each, in San Francisco, CA. Researchers committed to different class periods and conducted field observation on different class days weekly to ensure inter-rater reliability [ 23 ].

Demographics (Table (Table1 1 )

Socio-demographic characteristics of student participants

Participants

Students were recruited through both purposive and random sampling methods. Drug Police Alliance (DPA) built purposeful relationships with health teachers that wanted to implement Safety First as part of their required substance use unit in New York City. Relationships were built between DPA and San Francisco health teachers through the Adolescent Health Group- a Department of Education arm that oversaw health education curriculum. Students that participated in the pre/post focus groups and interviews were chosen randomly by alternating names on the class rosters.

The total number of freshmen surveyed in the overall pool was 701. Some students did not answer demographic questions which accounted for reduced “ n ” (Table (Table1). 1 ). The items “What is the definition of abstinence” and “What is the definition of harm reduction” write in examples, were added to the San Francisco survey based on the findings from the initial New York City study. Thus the “ n ” for those items is less. Prior to Safety First most students had not received any drug education (96%). Students were 14 (62%) and 15 years old (31%). Outliers included 13, 16, 17, 18 & 19 years old (7%). Students were males (54%), and female (45.6%). In New York City two identified as “Other” and one as gender non-conforming (0.4%). The largest total ethnic/racial group was Asian (43%), then Latinx (22%), mixed race (12%), white (12%), Black (9%), Middle Eastern (1.8%) and Native American (.02%). In New York City white students were the largest ethnic/racial group, however youth of color made up the majority of the student population. In San Francisco Asian students were the majority student population, then Latinx. Black and white students were next with the same representation. Most New York City students resided in Brooklyn and Manhattan while other students were closely split between Queens and the Bronx. Most San Francisco students lived in Visitacion Valley and Excelsior district. Central Richmond, Outer Sunset and the Mission district vied for second. A small number of students in both cities reported police contact, arrest and/or suspension (Table (Table1). 1 ). Youth reported substance use as a reason for police involvement.

Sample comparability

The total sample included three higher and three lower achieving schools, all public. The New York City school was unique because students applied and interviewed to be accepted. Pupils were high achieving coming in, average grades were “A’s” and “B’s.” All students planned to attend college and graduate school. Two out of the five San Francisco public schools were like the New York City site in grades and graduation rates but were not admissions based. The remaining three schools had students with lower grade point averages, with more of a range when asked about future plans. All were in politically progressive US coastal cities. All were ethnically diverse, and to an extent reflective of their city’s populations. All schools consisted of students from diverse economic backgrounds. Thus, this body of research from a sample of 701 students in New York City and San Francisco could possibly be extrapolated to students in similar locales with diverse achievement levels, racial and class demographics (Table (Table1 1 ).

Data analysis

McNemar’s test was applied to analyze if the harm reduction knowledge and behavior change from before to after Safety First was significant on four critical items (Table (Table2). 2 ). One-way ANOVA tests were conducted to determine if there was an effect by demographics on substance use knowledge and behavior survey responses (Additional file 1 : Appendix B-D). Linear regression was employed to determine if race or gender were predictive of responses. Qualitative responses were aggregated using thematic codes based on the emergent themes from the “write in” responses on the pre/post surveys, and the interview and focus group transcription and were transformed into quantitative codes to count and compare student responses (Table (Table2 2 below, and items 40–44 in Additional file 1 : Appendix A and Appendix B in data portal). Outcomes showed that students learned critical thinking, decision-making and harm reduction strategies. Items that did not show remarkable results, or were null, also informed future implications for Safety First.

Changes in knowledge before and after safety first

Note: correct responses: what is harm reduction? Reduce harms related to substance use thru i.e., dose and dosage, set and setting; testing contents. What is abstinence? Abstaining from substance use; describe how to identify an overdose on opioids. CUPS - cold, and clammy, unresponsiveness, puking, and sweating; how would you advocate for a drug policy? Harm reduction related activities i.e., restorative justice interventions like counseling and education in lieu of suspension, expulsion or arrest

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if DPA’s newly rolled out Safety First: Real Drug education for Teens potentially increased harm reduction knowledge and behaviors for high school freshmen. The findings from the pre and post survey, fortified by the qualitative data, showed a likely increase in student harm reduction knowledge about drug contents and effects, drug research, positive behaviors related to substance use, and drug policies. The results demonstrated that the curriculum most likely influenced overall student substance use knowledge and behavior.

Students showed change in knowledge about, and behaviors related to harm reduction, abstinence, how to detect an opioid overdose, school specific drug policies, and how to advocate for harm reduction based drug policy after Safety First ( p < .001) (Table (Table2). 2 ). Students were more involved with advocacy activities after Safety First than before ( p < .001). It is likely that learning about activism and advocacy as part of the curriculum contributed to this increase in advocacy activities ( p < .001). More youth advocated for less punitive drug policies after Safety First ( p < .001).

Themes about drug policy advocacy that emerged from the qualitative data collected from the students after the class pointed to “creating systems of support,” “reducing stigma,” and “lessening punishments.” When before Safety First the themes were advocacy for suspension and jail time. Students mentioned passing along what they learned to fellow classmates, family members, and school administrators after the class to help them improve decision-making about drugs and create fairer drug policies.

ANOVA tests revealed that the most influential effect on student response was from the school they attended, indicating that how a specific teacher taught the curriculum most likely mattered (see below and Appendices B-D). Students from specific schools post Safety First showed more understanding of drug policies, how to advocate for harm reduction based initiatives, and how to respond to an opioid overdose (Table (Table2). 2 ). However, there was remarkable change across all student comprehension despite differences in how the curriculum was taught.

Likert scale pre to post

Paired t- tests were conducted to determine if there was a significant difference between students’ scores on 20 Likert Scale items after the drug education course. The scale was one strongly agree and five strongly disagree. Seventeen were significant from pre to post Safety First ( p < .001) (Additional file 1 : Appendix C). Two of the three items that had no statistical significance, “People do not become dependent upon marijuana,” and “If you overdose on a drug you will die,” still showed a shift towards disagree, the harm reduction response, through means comparison. The item “It is better not to drink water while using MDMA (“molly”)” did not show a significant change. The students agreed more with this statement after Safety First. The harm reduction answer was strongly disagree. More students also agreed that “Alcohol helps you deal with uncomfortable feelings” which showed a significant change from pre to post ( p < .037), producing a null hypothesis. This outcome provides valuable feedback to the Safety First developers. They need to review how Safety First addresses harm reduction related to MDMA and alcohol.

Gender and race

For San Francisco, an Independent Sample t -test showed “Gender” mattered on two items. More males strongly disagreed that “Marijuana is safe because it is all natural,” than females ( p < .001). More females moved to strongly agreeing that “You can die from drinking too much alcohol at one time” after Safety First than males ( p < .001). An independent t -test was administered to measure if gender had an impact on students’ scores on the Likert Scale items. There was a significant difference between males and females on two items in New York City (Additional file 1 : Appendix C). Females were less likely to agree than males that, “People do not become dependent on marijuana,” ( p < .05). Females were also less likely than males to agree that zero tolerance drug policies make schools safer ( p < .05). A linear regression demonstrated that race and gender ( p > .05) were not predictive of significantly different test scores in either city. In San Francisco more males strongly disagreed than females about the item “Marijuana is safe because it is all natural” ( p < .001). On the item “You can die from drinking too much alcohol at one time” females more strongly agreed than males ( p < .001).

An ANOVA test showed that race and religion had an effect on student responses. Asian students were more likely to move towards disagreeing with the statement “Marijuana is safe because it is all natural” which was the harm reduction response, in comparison to Latinx and Black students ( p < .001). Muslim students were more likely to move towards disagreeing with the statement “People do not become dependent upon marijuana,” in comparison to Jewish students ( p = .020). ANOVA tests showed school site had the most influence on student responses to the Likert Scale items from pre to post (Additional file 1 : Appendix C).

Pre to post: substance use behaviors

On the pre/post survey there were questions about amount and likelihood of specific substance use: 1) to understand prevalence of substance use amongst the population; and 2) to see if learning about harm reduction influenced students’ behaviors/decision making. The majority of students did not report smoking or vaping tobacco but the few students that did, smoked a significant amount, this did not change from pre to post. For marijuana, students reported decreased use from pre to post ( p < .001) (see below and Additional file 1 : Appendix D). Marijuana use with a date showed remarkable change from “I would probably not use” to almost completely “I would definitely not use marijuana” ( p < .001). There was a decrease in alcohol use from pre to post ( p < .001). There was also an overall decrease in students reporting prescription drug use ( p < .001) (Additional file 1 : Appendix D).

ANOVA tests were administered to see if the demographic factors had an effect on the substance use behavior outcomes from pre to post Safety First (Additional file 1 : Appendix D). A one-way AVOVA yielded that Asian students were more likely to move towards “I would definitely not take/smoke weed with family” than Black students ( p = .002). An independent sample t -test evidenced that young men were more likely than young women to use prescription drugs with friends ( p = .020). Results evidenced that students learned about harm reduction strategies. Prevalence of substance use amongst the population became clearer; harm reduction influenced students’ substance use behaviors/decision making from pre to post especially in relationship to marijuana and prescription drugs (Additional file 1 : Appendix D).

More students believed that their classmates were using substances after Safety First than before. This change indicated that the class could have made the students more aware of substance use prevalence. This reported prevalence reflected national numbers for this age group [ 24 ]. In 2016 SAMSHA’s comprehensive report on drug abuse and health showed that 7.3 million youth between 12 and 20 reported alcohol use. About 1 in 5 drank alcohol in the past month. An estimated 855,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes in the past month [ 24 ]. An approximated 24.0 million 12 or older in 2016 were current users of marijuana and approximately 1.6 million adolescents used marijuana in the past month. The national study spoke to the prevalence of drug use by 14- and 15-year-old young people shown in the study [ 24 ]. Student receptivity to harm reduction strategies, substantiated collaterally through the overall reduction in student use, validated the potential relevance of this approach with high school students, starting with freshmen.

Overall harm reduction knowledge and behavior change

Thematic qualitative coding was used to identify the most emergent themes in this data. A code was assigned to prevalent themes and counted and compared to determine outcomes (Additional file 1 : Appendix B). Young people demonstrated an understanding of key harm reduction thought processes and strategies solidifying successful aspects of the Safety First curriculum [ 3 ]. Students made change in their ability to describe specific harm reduction strategies possibly due to Safety First ( p < .001). In response to “What would you do to make substance use safer?” More youth responded “1” “Realize and plan for set/setting and limits around goal setting related to substance use,” or understand the “Contents, dose, and dosage” than narrowly, “reduce harm” [ 3 ] after the class (Additional file 1 : Appendix B).

Neighborhood, class and race

Interviews unearthed themes related to a difference in student perceptions about substances based on neighborhood, class and race. Students that lived in lower income neighborhoods that were predominantly black and brown consistently believed that one should not do drugs because of the consequences observed in the community. For example, when asked, “What happens in your community when someone is under the influence of drugs or is found with drugs on them?” A 14-year-old African American young woman from Brownsville Brooklyn responded in the pre and post interview, “Arrest. People get shot. People go to the hospital. People go to jail.”

When asked the same question before the class, a white female student that lived in the Upper Westside of Manhattan stated,

I have to admit that I live in a privileged neighborhood. So the use of drugs actually wouldn’t be that bad. Because it’s not like there’s the strongest police force patrolling my neighborhood, which is a huge part of it, like a part that I have to admit.

When asked the same question after Safety First she answered, “… there’s such a low risk for me to be put in a position where I’m...criminalized. So I don’t have to worry walking down the street if I have weed with me or something.”

When asked, “Are different groups of people treated differently if they have or are using drugs? If so, how?” the same African American young woman above explained the neighborhood, class and race differences:

If you seem like a person from a rich up town neighborhood or family using them [drugs], you would immediately think that they got them from somebody else. And then you will look to someone from a poor community who has them [drugs] and blame them, which is a stereotype that I really hate. I think that most of the times if someone from a rich family gets caught with drugs, they’re not gonna get nothing more than a warning. If someone from a poor community or an African or the Hispanic race gets caught, they are going to jail.

A young white woman from an affluent neighborhood’s pre response corroborated her response through her answer to the same question,

At my middle school there was a situation where a guy, mixed race black and white, bought weed for his friend, a white girl. Then she was high in school with that weed. She didn’t even get into as much trouble as the kid who bought it. Everyone in the school was pointing out, he’s biracial, so he’s black. He had a two-week out of school suspension for buying her the weed off campus and she had nothing.

Her post response to the question, “Are different groups of people treated differently if they have or are using drugs? If so, how?” was informed by the drug policy race and class session,

For sure. Low-income groups, African American communities, people of color in general, are so much quicker to be criminalized and prosecuted for having drugs, especially marijuana. I know now that there’s a disproportionate incarceration rate for men of color caught with marijuana.

Themes from student interviews, focus groups, and “write in” answers about the unequal treatment of people using or selling substances because of race, class and neighborhood reflected class lessons from Safety First about inequality in drug policy implementation. The findings indicated that the class increased student knowledge about critical social justice topics. Social justice is key to the harm reduction approach [ 25 ].

Student evaluation of safety first

The majority of students had a positive evaluation of Safety First. Fifty-five percent ( n = 389) of students reported that they would recommend Safety First. Thirty-nine percent ( n = 274) stated they would recommend Safety First with some changes. Six percent ( n = 45) relayed they would not recommend Safety First. Thus 94% of the students believed Safety First was a worthwhile experience. Quantitative coding of the most prevalent themes from the qualitative data sources informed what the students liked best about Safety First.

Direct quotes exemplified the coded themes: Code “1” learning about harm reduction strategies, including what to do in an overdose, a non-judgmental approach to teaching drug education, and I liked ‘everything’: “I actually learned a lot and didn’t feel like I was just being told that drugs were awful, and trying them makes you an awful person,” “I learned how to be safe and smart;” “High schoolers are more prepared for anything involving drug usage and overdose;” “It was not one of those ‘DARE’ abstinence only curriculums where they try to convince you that weed is a gateway to heroine and you will die if you try molly. I actually felt like I learned something that wasn’t fear based;” and “You seem to have tried really hard to make this curriculum great and it shows.” Code “2” learning about different substances: “I like learning about the different effects different drugs can do to your brain and body.” Code “3” the interactive/engaging activities and liking how the teacher taught the class overall, “I liked the different activities that we did that demonstrated different scenarios and substances, also the teacher explained it very well” and “I liked the part where we drank the Koolaid for a party experiment.” Code “4” videos and mixed media, “The videos including the ASAP science videos,” and “I absolutely love that youtube channel,” “I liked the videos, they were informative.” Code “5” was “Nothing” or “I Don’t Know.” “Learning about specific substances” ( n = 216, 40%) was what the majority of students liked about Safety First. Students wrote “Nothing” or Didn’t Know second ( n = 137, 25%); the interactive and engaging activities third ( n = 87, 16%); learning harm reduction strategies fourth ( n = 81, 15%) and videos were the least mentioned ( n = 18, 3.3%).

“No Judgement,” “Harm Reduction Skills,” and “Real Drug Education” were other themes that emerged in the post evaluation of the curriculum: “I liked that it wasn’t very judgmental and understood that the chance of kids trying drugs is likely. I also liked the harm reduction strategies,” “I liked how the curriculum went in depth about the side effects of drugs and taught us how to research and find correct information about a drug. It was well organized, and I got so much out of it,” and “It did not look down on people who used! Safety First stated facts and was looking out for our well beings; no biased opinions.”

The data illustrated that youth learned about both harm reduction skills and knowledge, appreciated the non-judgmental element of the approach and enjoyed when it was taught using dynamic, interactive teaching modalities with mixed media.

The results demonstrated that after Safety First student harm reduction knowledge and behavior changed after Safety First ( p < .05). Prevalence of substance use amongst this student population became clearer. The issue of prevalence, as described above, is quite critical. Regardless of their moral beliefs parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers and a continuum of social services need to know that 14- and 15-year old’s are using substances, and for some, a remarkable amount daily and weekly (see below and Additional file 1 : Appendix D). Entrenched beliefs by policy makers and institutions that “abstinence-based drug education is more effective” persist even with the preponderance of evidence to expose their inefficacy and actual harm [ 14 , 15 ].

The goals of the Safety First developers did not expressly include reducing substance use. True harm reduction does not stigmatize substance use or assume that it is inevitably “wrong” or “dangerous.” [ 3 ] As a researcher I was curious about whether there would be a collateral effect from the curriculum on student drug use, since institutions that promote drug education often see reduced use and abstinence as a goal. Collateral findings did show a significant relationship ( p < .05) between increased knowledge and skills with reduced substance use over the course of the semester. Teaching students harm reduction influenced students’ substance use behaviors/decision making from pre to post especially in relationship to marijuana and prescription drugs (below and Additional file 1 : Appendix D).

Likert scale items

Seventeen of the Likert scale items on the pre/post survey were significant from pre to post Safety First because students’ answers demonstrated an increase in harm reduction knowledge and behaviors ( p < .001) (Additional file 1 : Appendix C). The item “It is better not to drink water while using MDMA (“molly”)” did not show a significant change. The students agreed more with this statement after Safety First. The harm reduction answer was to “strongly disagree.” More students also agreed that “Alcohol helps you deal with uncomfortable feelings” which showed a significant change from pre to post ( p = .037), producing a null hypothesis. The harm reduction answer was to “strongly disagree.” This outcome provided valuable feedback to the Safety First developers. They need to review how Safety First addresses harm reduction related to MDMA and alcohol.

The teaching effect

ANOVA tests revealed that the most influential effect on student knowledge and behavior change was from the school they attended. How the curriculum was taught was the most influential variable. Teachers need training and coaching about how to implement Safety First. Technical assistance must be available from the purveyor or other trained experts to ensure fidelity. Importantly, there was still remarkable change across all student comprehension despite differences in how the curriculum was taught.

Study limitations with recommendations

The recommendations that stem from the “Discussion” are to include more curricula about MDMA and alcohol; provide coaching, training and technical assistance for teachers to adhere to fidelity of Safety First and to use dynamic, interactive, engaging pedagogical modalities in the classroom.

Abundance of data

An abundance of data points were collected for this study. More explication and discussion of fidelity issues, classroom observations and teacher evaluations are rich fodder for future manuscripts. Further discussion and recommendations could be mined from additional analysis. An article that dives more deeply into solely the qualitative data would give nuanced texture to the unique narrative of the Safety First classroom experience. Ethnography and phenomenology could both be used for the data analysis of interviews, focus groups, field observations and “write in” survey data to produce additional, compelling literature.

Sustainability

Although there have been no longitudinal studies of a high school substance use harm reduction curriculum, research of drug prevention programs over time showed that positive effects last throughout high school but taper off after [ 26 ]. Most schools only require one semester of health. This pilot study showed that in 14 classes students learned advocacy skills to promote creative harm reduction oriented policies. A sustainability recommendation is for drug policy organizations to spearhead advocacy groups on school campuses so students can sustain the harm reduction messages throughout and after high school. Longitudinal studies to measure student behavior and knowledge over time are key to the sustainability of Safety First.

Transportability

Results from public schools in two urban coastal cities showed a remarkable change from pre to post Safety First. This study tested student response across literacy, class and achievement levels. The study population were an integrated, multicultural cohort of 14- and 15-year old’s in urban areas, and these discrete demographic groups- Asian (296), Latinx (141), male (381) and female (311) exceeded 100. A sample must be over 100 to be considered generalizable [ 27 ]. Thus, in order to expand the transportability of the results it is integral to see how Safety First works in suburban, rural or small predominantly white locales; or with predominantly Black youth in smaller towns or large cities [ 23 ]. Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Non-Binary and Gay youth should be study participants. Youth in “last chance” schools, on probation, in detention or elite private schools should also be identified. Can Safety First be implemented successfully in a different type of institution? A drug treatment facility or a community-based organization? Does the curriculum work with middle school youth or older teens/young adults? Future research should serve youth of different ages, across similar and new demographic factors, and in environments outside the purview of this study.

Randomized control groups

The scope and scale of this study did not allow for the randomized control groups. These would have allowed a direct comparison of the outcomes for young people that either did not have a substance use component in their health class or had been exposed to a prevention and/or abstinence-based curriculum. Future studies should include randomized control groups across various populations of youth. Albeit, this pre/post study design did show baseline student knowledge and behaviors and the effects of Safety first on students after the curriculum.

The Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens curriculum had significant effect on a diverse population of freshmen from six public high schools in the United States. Students acquired critical thinking skills to access and evaluate information about alcohol and other drugs; they had a better understanding of decision-making and goal setting skills that increased healthy choices related to substance use; they developed personal and social strategies to manage the risks, benefits and harms of alcohol and other drug use; they knew the impact of drug policies on personal and community health; and students learned to advocate for health-oriented drug policies. Outcomes inform future research. The implications of the results were that Safety First should be tested at comparable and new school sites. Further study should include randomized survey samples and control groups. The generalizability of the results should be measured with similar and different populations, as well as test the same students overtime to show the endurance of the effects.

The results are timely. Student knowledge increase related to the detection and response to an opioid overdose is particularly relevant because of national prevalence [ 28 ]. Student interviews about unequal treatment of people using or selling drugs based on race, class, gender and neighborhood illustrated the importance of understanding the intersection particularly between drug policy, race and class. There are a dearth of studies about harm reduction in the classroom [ 2 , 16 , 19 ]. These pilot findings are seed for future research to support harm reduction education for youth.

Acknowledgements

Not Applicable.

Summary Pre and Post Substance Use Behaviors

Tobacco use showed no significant change form pre to post. On average, youth reported being with youth that used tobacco or that they used tobacco themselves monthly or never (3.70) before and after Safety First. On average, youth reported being with youth that used alcohol, or using alcohol themselves monthly or never (3.70) before and after Safety First. Tobacco and alcohol showed no significant change from pre to post. Marijuana was a different story. Students believed that fewer peers used marijuana on average (31%) after Safety First than before the harm reduction unit (43%). Students reported spending more time with students that used marijuana on average from monthly or never (Mean-μ = 3.29) closer to monthly (μ = 3.15). Youth reported marijuana use was monthly or never (μ = 3.80) pre to post.

Marijuana use showed a significant change from “I would probably not use” to almost completely “I would definitely not use” if “...your date is using marijuana” after Safety First. Prescription drug use and alcohol use showed no significant change from pre to post, staying an average between “I would probably not use” to “I would definitely not use.”

Students made a remarkable change from pre to post in their ability to describe specific harm reduction strategies in response to “What would you do to make substance use safer? ” Average youth response moved from “2” just reduce harm (μ = 2.25) to “1” Realize and plan for set/setting and limits around goal setting related to substance use, or Contents, Dose, Dosage including reduction of use (μ = 1.60).

An ANOVA was administered to see if any of the demographic factors had an effect on the substance use behavior outcomes from pre to post Safety First. Race and gender had the only effects. A one-way AVOVA yielded that Asian students were more likely to move towards “I would definitely not take/smoke weed with family” than black students [F(6, 556) = 3.50, p = .002]. An independent sample t -test evidenced that young men were more likely than young women to use prescription drugs with friends (Mean-μ = −.92) to (μ = − 1.31), t(111) = 2.35, p = .020.

The above results evidenced that the curriculum taught the students about harm reduction strategies. Prevalence of substance use amongst the population became more clear; harm reduction seemed to influence students’ substance use behaviors/decision making from pre to post Safety First, especially in relationship to marijuana and prescription drugs; and students clearly demonstrated an increase in knowledge of harm reduction strategies.

Author’s contributions

This author developed the data collection tools, analyzed the data and wrote up the findings. The author(s) read and approved the final manuscript.

Authors’ information

NDr. Nina Rose Fischer is an Associate Professor at City University of New York John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Interdisciplinary Studies where she develops courses about social justice. She is the Co-Director of the prestigious Vera Fellows Program for social justice. She has 25 years experience in harm reduction and youth justice as an organizer, therapist, administrator, policy analyst and researcher. She is currently Principal Investigator on three original research projects 1) youth and police relations; 2) substance use harm reduction; and 3) arrest diversion. She published an article: Interdependent fates: Youth and police—Can they make peace? Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology : 10.1037/pac0000466 and a book called The Case for Youth Police Initiative: Interdependent Fates and the Power of Peace, an ethnographic exploration of young people and police relations; as well as recommendations for how law enforcement can benefit from social welfare infrastructure. She is working on creative avenues to disseminate her findings including a docuseries about young people and police in hostile environments envisioning what safety really means. Critical race, class and gender analyses are central to her work as an activist scholar.

The Drug Police Alliance awarded funding for this study through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York.

Availability of data and materials

Declarations.

Institutional Review Board through the Graduate Center City University of New York approval was granted before the study was conducted with human subjects. The reference number is 2017–0746. The date of initial registration was June 29th, 2017, and continued approval has been granted through August 8th, 2022.

All data collection tools were anonymous. No identifying information was collected. Parental Consent and Adolescent Assent forms were signed by students and parents allowing their adolescent children to participate in the study. Teachers also signed consent forms.

This author declares no competing interests.

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Helpful Resources

Updated: 2023

The below resources provide information on treatment, support, and mental and physical health for middle schoolers, as well as additional resources for school projects.

Tips for Parents

Quick tips on getting started with talking to your middle schooler about alcohol.

Mental Health Emergencies

Many young people who drink also struggle with other substance use disorders and mental health issues, such as depression. Some toll-free help lines are:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or Text 988 For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

If you're thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Services are also available in Spanish .

SAMHSA's National Helpline

Also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service, this helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential treatment referral and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, and recovery in English and Spanish .

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

TTY: 1-800-487-4889

The Trevor Project TrevorLifeline

The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.

1-866-488-7386

Treatment and Support Resources

Are you a parent or caregiver who needs help for your middle schooler, or does your middle schooler need help coping with someone else’s drinking? Here are some organizations:

Al-Anon Family Groups

Alateen supports teens whose lives have been affected by someone's drinking.
Al-Anon helps family and friends of people who are worried about someone’s drinking.

Contact: 1-888-4AL-ANON (25-2666)

Alcoholics Anonymous

Supports individuals who want to stop drinking.

AA’s Message to Teenagers

Contact: 212-870-3400 or Meeting Guide app for iOS and Android smartphones

National Association for Children of Addiction

Helps children who are hurt by a parent's alcohol use.

Just for Kids
Just for Teens

Contact: 301-468-0985

Partnership To End Addiction

Helps families and caregivers in finding treatment options for teens and provides an overview of the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) approach to improving family dynamics.

Contact: https://drugfree.org/get-support/

SMART Recovery

Supports individuals who desire to gain independence from any type of addictive behavior.

The SMART Recovery Teen & Youth Support Program

Contact: 440-951-5357

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Talk. They Hear You. campaign

This substance use prevention campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs.

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

Locate substance abuse treatment centers in your area.

Contact: 1-800-662-HELP (4375)

Healthy Mind and Body

National Institute of Mental Health: Teen Depression Fact Sheet

This fact sheet describes symptoms of depression and how to get help.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: BAM! (Body and Mind)

Designed for students 9–13 years old, BAM! gives students the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to national education standards for science and health.

Alcohol and Drug Research Sites

Are you a parent or caregiver who is looking for more information, or is your middle schooler doing research for a school project? Check out these sites:

NIAAA has information about alcohol use, alcohol use disorder, and treatment options.

NIAAA website
NIAAA publications
College Drinking Prevention website
Alcohol Policy Information System: Underage Drinking

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIDA website
NIDA Information for Parents and Educators . Get information on how different drugs can affect the brain and the body and find many links to related sites.
Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment . This guide for healthcare providers describes behavioral approaches, family-based approaches, medications, and recovery support.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Publications Store

On this site, you’ll find free publications on many topics related to alcohol and drugs, mental health, prevention, treatment, and recovery.

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An official website of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

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Moscow, Idaho facts for kids

Moscow ( MOS -koh ) is a city in northern Idaho along the state border with Washington , with a population of 25,435 at the 2020 census . The county seat and largest city of Latah County , Moscow is the home of the University of Idaho , the state's land-grant institution and primary research university.

It is the principal city in the Moscow, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Latah County. The city contains over 60% of the county's population, and while the university is Moscow's dominant employer, the city also serves as an agricultural and commercial hub for the Palouse region.

Along with the rest of northern Idaho , Moscow is in the Pacific Time Zone . The elevation of its city center is 2,579 feet (786 m) above sea level . Two major highways serve the city, passing through the city center: US-95 (north-south) and ID-8 (east-west). The Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport , four miles (6 km) west, provides limited commercial air service. The local newspaper is the Moscow-Pullman Daily News .

Geography and natural history

Alternative note on name and early history, moscow city hall and old post office, moscow public library, rail and bus service, parks and recreation, arts and culture, 2010 census, sister cities, higher education, primary and secondary education, high school, alternative high school, middle school, elementary schools, notable people, images for kids.

Main Street runs north-south through Moscow along the 117th meridian west.

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 6.85 square miles (17.74 km 2 ), all of it land.

Moscow lies on the eastern edge of the Palouse region of north central Idaho in the Columbia River Plateau . East of the city is a valley within the mountains of the Palouse Range to the northeast, whose highest point is Moscow Mountain at 4,983 feet (1,519 m) above sea level. The less prominent Paradise Ridge at 3,702 feet (1,128 m) and Tomer Butte at 3,474 feet (1,059 m) are southeast of the city. Paradise Creek, with headwaters on Moscow Mountain to the northeast, flows through Moscow, then crosses the state border and joins the south fork of the Palouse River near Pullman, which eventually drains into the Snake River and Columbia River on its way to the Pacific Ocean.

The geology in and around Moscow represents varied formations: very old intrusive granite structures of the Jurassic − Eocene Idaho Batholith, fertile fields atop rolling hills of deep Pleistocene loess of the Palouse Formation deposited after the last ice age by westerly winds, and flood-worn channels of the Columbia River Basalt Group .

There is a variety of flora and fauna within the vicinity of Moscow. An amphibian, the Rough-skinned Newt , has a disjunctive population at Moscow; this species is found typically along the Pacific coast of the USA. The city sits at the boundary between the Palouse grasslands and wheat fields, and the conifer forests of the Rocky Mountains to the east.

Miners and farmers began arriving in the northern Idaho area after the Civil War . The first permanent settlers came to the Moscow area 153 years ago in 1871. The abundance of camas bulbs, a favorite fodder of pigs brought by the farmers, led to naming the vicinity "Hog Heaven." When the first US post office opened in 1872, the town was called "Paradise Valley," but the name was changed to "Moscow" in 1875. The name Paradise persists with the main waterway through town, Paradise Creek, which originates at the west end of the Palouse Range, flows south to the Troy Highway, and west to Pullman where it enters the South Fork of the Palouse River .

The precise origin of the name Moscow has been disputed. There is no conclusive proof that it has any connection to the Russian city , though various accounts suggest it was purposely evocative of the Russian city or named by Russian immigrants. Another account claims that the name derives from a Native American tribe named "Masco". It was reported by early settlers that five men in the area met to choose a proper name for the town, but could not come to agreement on a name. The postmaster Samuel Neff then completed the official papers for the town and selected the name Moscow. Interestingly, Neff was born in Moscow, Pennsylvania and later moved to Moscow, Iowa .

The business district was established by 1875 and the town was a center of commerce for the region. By 1890, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company's rail line (later the Union Pacific ) and the Northern Pacific railroad line helped to boost the town's population to 2000.

Copy of a letter from Northern Pacific Railway agent in Moscow, likely R.W. Morris, to C.E. Arney, the Northern Pacific's Western Immigration and Indian Agent in Spokane, Washington . Arney wrote all station agents in Idaho on May 12, 1922, requesting the origin of the names of their stations for the NP's travel publication Wonderland , edited by Olin D. Wheeler. Moscow's agent replied May 15, 1922, as follows:

"I called ex-Governor William J. McConnell [Republican, 1893-1897, 1839-1925], who was on the ground when the name was selected.

"He advises there is very little history in connection with the name. A Russian from Moscow, Russia, established a trading post here, where Moscow now stands, and they decided to name it Moscow after his native city in Russia.

"Previous to locating Moscow, there was a trading post about one mile southeast of here. The above mentioned Russian was successful in getting a post office here, and the trading post, which was known as Paradise Valley, was abolished.

"The surrounding country was known as Horse Heaven Country, account grass grew well, and the Indians grazed large herds of horses."

Original document at the University of Montana, Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library, K. Ross Toole Archives, Collection 178, Box 210, Folder 10.

The capital of the Idaho Territory was relocated from Lewiston to Boise in December 1864. In the late 1880s, statehood for the Washington Territory was nearing. Because its commercial and transportation interests looked west, rather than south, the citizens of the Idaho Panhandle passionately lobbied for their region to join Washington, or to form an entirely separate state, rather than remain connected with the less accessible southern Idaho. To appease the residents of the north, the territorial legislature of Idaho in Boise placed the new land grant university in Moscow, which at the time was the largest city other than Boise in the state. The University of Idaho was chartered in January 1889, and first opened its doors to students in October 1892.

In March 1890, Moscow's neighboring city, Pullman , was selected as the home of Washington's land grant institution. The college which became Washington State University opened its doors in January 1892. Washington entered the union as the 42nd state in November 1889 and Idaho entered next, eight months later, in July 1890.

Members of the Pleiades Club and Ladies' Historical Club formed a cooperative named the Women's Reading Room Society and established a small library in the Browne building at the corner of Main and Second Streets in 1902.

In 1904, the committee planned to raise funds for a new library building. Andrew Carnegie promised funding of $10,000 if the community agreed to maintain a free public library at the rate of at least $1000 annually. Moscow voters approved a permanent tax in 1905 and with successful fundraising by subscription of local residents and businesses, coupled with the Carnegie library money, the library construction was begun in 1905. In March 1906, the Mission Style building was ready for occupancy. Later that month, a fire at the university's Administration Building totally destroyed that structure, so the new library was used for university classes during the day and residents used the library in the evening. Beginning in 1907 the building was returned to full use as a library. The original library building (which is on the National Register of Historic Places ) was expanded in 1931 and 1983. It houses a children's room named for Moscow native Carol Ryrie Brink , the author of 1936 Newbery Medal winner Caddie Woodlawn .

In 2006, the Friends of the Library celebrated a Century of Service for the organization. The current organizational structure of library service encompasses all public libraries in Latah County as the Latah County Library District. The library enjoys broad support from the citizens of Moscow and the County and is also supported by the Idaho Commission for Libraries (formerly the Idaho State Library.) To commemorate the first century of the library, an essay competition was held. One young writer wrote:

We are fortunate enough to be able to walk a few blocks down to the public library and check out whatever we want. Libraries are valuable and available to everyone, regardless of wealth. Anyone can and everyone should get a library card. I am very grateful that we have a public library in Latah County. —Elizabeth Nielsen (2006)

The Moscow Public Library currently houses about 60% of Latah County Library District's 100,000 volume collection. Administrative, technical, youth services, and branch services offices for the Library District are all housed at this location as well. The library offers year-round programming for all ages, including storytimes and a summer reading program for children, book clubs for teenagers and adults, and presentations by outside experts and organizations. The library also offers public Internet access computers as well as free wifi.

The library serves as resource for all the residents of Moscow, or as one essayist (Ellis Clark) in the 2006 contest states, "When time, money, or circumstances bind you to one locale, the Library is your passport for travel."

The opening of Moscow Mall (now Eastside Marketplace) and the Palouse Empire Mall (now Palouse Mall ) in the late 1970s shifted many retail businesses away from the aging city center, with buildings dating to the 1890s. The city developed a revitalization project for downtown in the early 1970s that included a major traffic revision, which was enacted in 1981. Traffic from US 95 on Main Street was diverted a block away to one-way corridors on Washington (northbound) and Jackson (southbound) streets, to alleviate congestion and improve pedestrian safety and the overall city center experience. Main Street was converted from four busy lanes with metered parallel parking to two lanes of local retail traffic with free diagonal parking; its sidewalks were modified and trees were added. At the north end of Moscow, southbound highway traffic divided west at 'D' Street to Jackson and returned to Main at 8th; the northbound route divided east at 8th, but returned to Main four blocks earlier in the north end, at 1st Street.

The original 90-degree couplets used existing streets of the grid and were intended to be temporary, but remained for years. The primary safety hazard was inexperienced truck drivers; excessive speed through the tight corners led to toppled loads and subsequent traffic snarls, with occasional damage to adjacent structures. The new, straighter couplets at the north end are both over a block in length and eliminated existing structures. The return couplet from Washington Street runs from 1st Street to beyond 'A' Street; it eliminated the original front portion (white stucco chapel) of the Corner Club tavern at the northeast corner of 'A' and Main, which was demolished in early 1991 after staving off its elimination for over a decade. The building on the southeast corner, the Idaho Hotel, built in 1890, was razed for the traffic project in 1977 and was a vacant lot for over a decade.

The first of the new couplets was completed during the summer of 1991. The new southbound couplet to Jackson Street was completed the following year in 1992 and begins north of 'C' Street. It eliminated a former service station at the northwest corner of 'C' and Main, which had been converted to other retail for over a decade. The critical couplet at the south end of the city was delayed several times for various reasons. Completed in 2000, it is two blocks south and one block east of the 1981 divider at 8th Street. After Sweet Avenue, northbound Main Street bends a block east to align with northbound one-way Washington Street, intersecting the two-way Troy Highway from the southeast. Southbound US 95 traffic joins the intersection from the northwest, arriving on a one-way diagonal from Jackson Street. Agricultural buildings on the block between Jackson and Main (College St. to Lewis St.) were razed in the late 1990s to complete this new corridor.

Another significant change to local commerce was the increase of the state's legal drinking age to 21 in April 1987, after nearly fifteen years at age 19. Many establishments that relied on revenues from 19- and 20-year-olds from the two university communities had to adjust or cease operations. Prior to the lowering to 19 in July 1972, the drinking age in Idaho was 20 for beer and 21 for liquor and wine.

A fixture of the Moscow skyline for nearly a century, the concrete grain elevators on south Main Street were demolished in March 2007. Located on the southwest corner of 8th & Main, the elevators were last operated by the Latah County Grain Growers. The other major concrete elevator complex, on Jackson Street south of 6th, was also slated for the wrecking ball. Idle since 2005, it was saved by a preservationist group in 2007. Its newer large-diameter metal silo hosted summer theater productions in 2011.

Infrastructure

Transportation.

Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport is five miles (8 km) west, just east of the Washington State University campus. Other nearby airports are the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport, 34 miles (55 km) south, and Spokane International , ninety miles (140 km) north.

Amtrak passenger train service is available in Spokane , and there is a bus station in downtown Moscow. Bus service is to Spokane northbound and Boise southbound through Northwestern Trailways. Wheatland Express also provides service to Spokane.

There are seventeen neighborhood parks located throughout the town offering a wide variety of venues for outdoor activities. These parks fall under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Parks and Recreation Department. The Moscow Pathways Commission (formerly Paradise Path Task Force) is a citizen committee seeking to develop a system of linearly connected parks throughout the area. Carol Ryrie Brink Nature Park was a community collaboration between the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute and local volunteers to remeander Paradise Creek and add riparian plantings. The Moscow community, including schools and the city, led by local youth, raised money over several years to fund, design, and build a skate park which was completed in 2000.

The Latah Trail , completed in October 2008, extends from the eastern edge of Moscow bike path system to Troy , parallel to the Troy Highway (SH-8) for most of its 12 miles (19 km). On the west side of Moscow, the Bill Chipman Trail connects the two university communities of the Palouse. Starting at the UI's Perimeter Road, it gradually descends with Paradise Creek for 8 miles (13 km) to Pullman through Whitman County , alongside the Moscow-Pullman Highway. Completed in April 1998, the trail honors a Pullman businessman (and UI alumnus) who died two years earlier, following a winter highway accident in Spokane County . The Paradise Path bridges the gap in Moscow between the endpoints of the Chipman and Latah trails, passing through the north and east edges of the UI campus. The trail systems together constitute a continuous 22-mile (35 km) paved linear park from Pullman to Troy, extending in Troy beyond the eastern boundary of the Palouse ecosystem. From Pullman to the western boundary of Moscow (the state line), it follows the right of way of a dismantled Union Pacific railroad line, and east of US-95 it follows the right of way of a dismantled BNSF railroad line that junctioned at Arrow on the Clearwater River by way of Troy, Kendrick , and Juliaetta .

A small park in Moscow, Idaho, near the University of Idaho , is named for Admiral Ghormley.

The city was highlighted in a comedy special at University of Idaho by actor-comedian Yakov Smirnoff, filmed in late 1990. Using Moscow as its setting pokes fun at Smirnoff emigrating from Moscow, Russia.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 23,800 people, 9,180 households, and 4,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,474.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,341.5/km 2 ). There were 9,879 housing units at an average density of 1,442.2 per square mile (556.8/km 2 ). The racial makeup of the city was 90.9% White, 1.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.

There were 9,180 households, of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 24.2 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 36.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 15.6% were from 45 to 64; and 7.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Moscow has a dry-summer continental climate ( Köppen Dsb ).

Moscow has one sister city , as designated by Sister Cities International:

The University of Idaho (officially abbreviated "U of I") is Idaho's oldest public university, located in the city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. It is the state's flagship , land-grant , and primary research university. The University of Idaho was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963 , and its College of Law, established in 1909, was first accredited by the American Bar Association in 1925.

Formed by the territorial legislature on January 30, 1889, the university opened its doors in 1892 on October 3, with an initial class of 40 students. The first graduating class in 1896 contained two men and two women. It presently has an enrollment exceeding 12,000, with over 11,000 on the Moscow campus. The university offers 142 degree programs, including bachelor's , master's , doctoral , and specialists' degrees. Certificates of completion are offered in 30 areas of study. At 25% and 53%, its 4 and 6 year graduation rates are the highest of any public university in Idaho, and it generates 74 percent of all research money in the state, with research expenditures of $100 million in 2010 alone.

As a land-grant university and the primary research university in the state, UI has the largest campus in the state at 1,585 acres (6.4 km 2 ), located in the hills of the Palouse region. The school is home to the Idaho Vandals, who competed on the Division I FBS (formerly I-A) level through the 2017 season before dropping down to the FCS level in 2018. In addition to the main campus in Moscow, the UI has branch campuses in Coeur d'Alene , Boise , Twin Falls , and Idaho Falls . It also operates a research park in Post Falls and dozens of extension offices statewide.

New Saint Andrews College opened in 1994 and moved to its present campus on Main Street in 2003.

The Moscow School District #281 operates Moscow High School (9-12), an alternative high school, a middle school (6-8), and four elementary schools (two K-5, one K-2, one 3-5).

There are two public charter schools Moscow Charter School (K-8) and Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning (K-8). In addition there are three private schools, Logos School (K-12), St Mary's School (K-8), and Palouse Hills Christian School (K-8).

Moscow High School (9–12)
Paradise Creek Regional High School (10–12)
Moscow Middle School (6–8)
Lena Whitmore Elementary School (K–5)
A.B. McDonald Elementary School (K–5)
John Russell Elementary School (3–5)
West Park Elementary School (K–2)
Carol Ryrie Brink (1895–1981), author
Bryce Callahan (1991–), NFL cornerback signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and currently plays for the Denver Broncos
Joel Courtney (1996–), actor
Darren Doane (1972–) filmmaker and music video director
Hec Edmundson (1886–1964), basketball and track coach at Idaho and Washington, state's first Olympian ( 1912 : 800 m, 400
Burton L. French (1875–1954), congressman from Idaho for 26 years
Malcolm Renfrew (1910–2013), chemist and author of the first scientific papers on Teflon
Jackson Gillis (1916–2010), screenwriter
Abe M. Goff (1899–1984), congressman (1947–49), served in military in both world wars
Samuel D. Hunter (1981–), playwright, 2014 MacArthur Fellowship recipient
Robert Jessup (1952–), artist
Kelli Johnson, news anchor for NBC Sports Bay Area
Lawrence H. Johnston (1918–2011), Manhattan Project physicist, the only person to witness all three nuclear bomb explosions of WWII
Luke Kruytbosch (1961–2008), thoroughbred horse racing announcer
Andrea Lloyd-Curry (1965–), retired women's basketball player, Olympic gold medalist, national champion Texas, broadcaster
Tom McCall (1913–83), Governor of Oregon (1967–75), Moscow newspaper reporter (1937–42)
William J. McConnell (1839–1925), Governor of Idaho (1893–97), father-in-law of Senator William Borah
Dan Monson (1961–), college basketball coach
James C. Nelson, attorney and former Justice of the Montana Supreme Court
Dan O'Brien (1966–) Olympic and world champion decathlete; Moscow resident (1984–1997)
Doug Riesenberg (1965–), retired NFL lineman, Super Bowl champion
Josh Ritter (1976–), singer-songwriter and author
Frank B. Robinson (1886–1948), founder of spiritual movement, Psychiana
Lyle Smith (1916–2017), football coach and athletic director at Boise State
Willis Sweet (1856–1925), Idaho's first congressman after statehood (1890–95)
Paul Wheaton, permaculture theorist, software engineer
Douglas James Wilson (1953–), theologian
Jonathan M. Woodward (1973–), stage and screen actor

The Old Post Office, constructed in 1910, now the current City Hall (2016)

Picnic table in East City Park

This page was last modified on 23 January 2024, at 22:12. Suggest an edit .

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Vanda Pharmaceuticals Case Over Sleep-Drug Patents

FILE PHOTO: The United States Supreme Court building is seen as in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

By Blake Brittain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by Vanda Pharmaceuticals to revive patents for its sleep-disorder drug Hetlioz that were previously declared invalid in a dispute with generic drugmakers Teva and Apotex.

The justices turned away Vanda's appeal of a ruling by the patent-focused U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit against the company, which in 2018 had sued Teva and Apotex in Delaware for patent infringement after they applied to make generic versions of Vanda's Hetlioz, a circadian-rhythm drug used to treat rare sleep disorders.

In the case, the Supreme Court declined a chance to consider for the first time since 2007 when a patent can be invalidated as "obvious" based on earlier publications describing the same invention.

"The Federal Circuit's obviousness standard materially departs from the Supreme Court's longstanding holdings," Vanda attorney Paul Hughes said. "While we are disappointed that the Supreme Court declined review of this case, we remain hopeful that the court will ultimately correct the governing standard."

"Doing so is imperative in the pharmaceutical context, to ensure that life-changing therapeutics are timely developed and reach underserved patients," Hughes added.

A Teva spokesperson said that the company was pleased with the Supreme Court's action. Representatives for Apotex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington-based Vanda earned more than $100 million from sales of Hetlioz in 2023, according to a company report.

U.S. District Judge Colm Connolly ruled against Vanda and cleared a hurdle for the generics in 2022. Connolly found Vanda's patents invalid based on clinical trial results, U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance and other documents that, when combined, would have made the patented inventions obvious to a scientist in the field.

The Federal Circuit upheld the decision in 2023. Vanda asked the Supreme Court in January to hear its appeal.

Vanda told the justices that the Federal Circuit has "charted its own course" and adopted a lower standard than the Supreme Court mandated for determining obviousness.

"Most relevant here, it threatens to render many advancements in drug development unpatentable," Vanda said. "That is an especially pernicious result for rare diseases, where patent-based incentives are crucial for innovators to invest the billions required to develop new, successful treatments."

Israel-based Teva and Canada-based Apotex responded that Vanda was merely trying to extend its patent monopoly on Hetlioz and that the case "involves nothing more than the routine, fact-bound application of settled obviousness law."

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

Tags: Canada , United States , Israel , Middle East , sleep disorders , intellectual property

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NDAFW Activity Ideas: Community, School-wide, and Online. These school activities are designed to help students in grades 6 through 12 learn about the effects of drug use on the developing body and brain. Lesson plan finder: Search lesson plans by grade level, subject and language. Articles, books, videos, and teaching tools created by ...
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5. Mentorship Programs: Set up a peer mentorship program by partnering older middle school students with younger students to discuss making responsible choices regarding drugs and alcohol. 6. Creative Writing Assignment: Have students write essays or stories about the consequences of drug use, exploring the physical, emotional, and social impacts.
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