The Ohio Joint Study Committee on Drug Use Prevention Education was created last August by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, House Speaker Clifford Rosenberger and former Senate President Keith Faber with the goal of studying drug use prevention education in Ohio schools.
As a result of that charge, on Feb. 10, the Ohio Attorney General (OAG) released the Ohio Joint Study Committee on Drug Use Prevention Education’s recommendations for drug use prevention in schools. The report makes 15 recommendations including K-12 substance abuse prevention education, school reporting requirements, substance abuse curriculum expansion, social and emotional learning, substance abuse prevention resources for schools, and the extension of substance abuse prevention education to before- and after- school programs.
Beyond the initial guidance, the document highlights three school districts (Boardman, Talawanda and Cleveland Metropolitan) that already are incorporating some of the committee’s recommendations in the hope that their programs will serve as guides for other school districts. The document also includes a number of resources and agencies districts can use to implement the committee’s recommendations. It serves as a great starting point for school districts to continue to work toward drug use prevention and education in schools.