Research underpins these communication efforts. Henry Wechsler’s work on college binge drinking, for example, is helping to move public attitudes toward college drinking from an acceptable rite of passage to the serious social and public health crisis that it is. Similarly, a grant we gave to The Public Relations Society of America Foundation, Inc., to help parents talk with their kids about substance abuse is supported by results from The Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s Attitude Tracking Study that found a majority of parents “wish they knew better what to say,” and, results from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that found that parental influence can help kids avoid dangerous behaviors.
    A third strategy is to establish community-based service and demonstration projects to combat the sense of hopelessness and complacency in communities beleaguered by substance abuse. An important part of these efforts is expanding treatment for substance abusers. Our alcohol and drug abuse programs extend from the hard-hit urban and rural areas participating in our Fighting Back program, to the college campuses where we are trying to reduce binge drinking. We also provide technical assistance for community efforts through our support for Join Together and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.
    A fourth approach is to create and communicate new knowledge, particularly about prevention and treatment. RWJF’s premier contribution in this category has been long-term support of our Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP). This investigator-initiated research program has informed policy debates and stimulated policy action at all levels of government. For instance, one SAPRP-sponsored study showed that putting an annual cap of $10,000 per member on substance abuse treatment benefits under managed care—as compared to offering an unlimited benefit—only saves six cents per member per year. It is an important finding because dispensing with a cap will increase access to high quality substance abuse treatment for those who need it.

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