School initiative: Keeping students happy and healthy

Wayland Town Crier 8/6/09: School initiative: Keeping students happy and healthy. Along with some guarded signs of progress, substance abuse among adolescents remains a thorny problem for communities around the country. MetroWest is no exception. In late June, for example, Wayland authorities reported that, although the use of substances of all kinds among Middle and High School students in town has remained steady or decreased since 2000, the phenomenon of “pre-gaming,” i.e., consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in a very short time before arriving at a social event, is increasingly prevalent. Wayland has been particularly proactive in its attempts to address these issues with the work of the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, which draws together members from various parts of the community, including students, parents, school staff, health and public safety professionals, and religious and community leaders, in addition to the High School Health and Wellness Curriculum Committee. Because of the efforts of these groups, the town recently received a five-year Drug Free Communities grant worth $625,000.

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