WASHINGTON, DC, February 15, 2001- The nation's largest and best-known substance abuse prevention program will be the beneficiary of an entirely new, state-of-the-art substance abuse prevention curriculum thanks to a $13.7 million grant that will be awarded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The grant recipient, The University of Akron, has developed this curriculum based on the latest prevention research, and will test it nationwide using local D.A.R.E. programs in six U.S. cities.

Substance abuse is one of the greatest threats to the health, well-being and future of our nation's children. Through this project The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The University of Akron and D.A.R.E. America have developed the next generation of substance abuse prevention programming. According to Nancy Kaufman, Vice President at the Foundation, We want to take the knowledge gained through prevention science and see it applied in the real world. D.A.R.E. is the perfect vehicle. We have designed a state-of-the-art program and will test its effectiveness."

A total of 80 high schools and their 176 feeder middle schools will participate in the study. It is estimated that 50,000 students will take part. Working with D.A.R.E., the University of Akron will implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the new curricula over the next five years. Initial results of the study will be available this Spring. "This new program draws on what we have learned from our research about the elements of effective prevention by addressing the normative beliefs, personal attitudes and problem solving and resistance skills of students. It will provide specific information about the consequences of substance abuse and the role and influence of peers and advertising in affecting normative beliefs", stated Zili Sloboda, Principal Investigator of the project at the University

of Akron. This new program is designed to reduce the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs, as well as prevent violence among our nation's youth. Its impact will be assessed through a rigorous, scientific evaluation.

The University of Akron incorporated the most up-to-date evidence and science-based strategies for substance abuse prevention programming into the new curriculum. With the support of D.A.R.E. America, the curriculum will be delivered through the D.A.R.E. middle (7th grade) and high school(9th grade) program.

'We are pleased to be a part of this project, which will bring together D.A.R.E.'s renowned school delivery system with the best evidence-based curriculum for this nation's children," said Glenn Levant, Levant, President of D.A.R.E. America. D.A.R.E.-now operating in 80% of all school districts around the country and reaching over 36 million young people-is the most extensive substance abuse prevention delivery system in the country. D.A.R.E. is fully supportive of the research project and the curriculum.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, NJ, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grant making in three goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; to improve care and support for people with chronic health conditions; and to reduce the personal, social, and economic harm caused by substance abuse -tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.

The Institute for Health and Social Policy at the University of Akron was established in 1999 for the study of the delivery of effective health and social services. The goal of the Institute is to improve the quality of services delivered to communities and individuals nationwide in order to decrease negative health and social consequences. The Director of the Institute, Dr. Richard C. Stephens is the Co- Principal Investigator of this study.