[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 135 (Thursday, September 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1704-E1705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                VALLEJO, CA, ANTIDRUG PROGRAM A SUCCESS

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 1996

  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, with all the attention 
recently about increased drug abuse, particularly among young people, I 
am happy to take this opportunity to report on a successful effort 
being undertaken by the Fighting Back Partnership in Vallejo, CA, which 
is in my congressional district.
  The Fighting Back Partnership grew from the disgust of Vallejo 
community leaders about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on their 
city. Representatives of the police, neighborhood groups, city hall, 
the school district, and the Greater Vallejo Recreational District 
joined forces in a multicultural coalition to fight back in a 
comprehensive communitywide substance abuse reduction strategy. This 
strategy involves a comprehensive program through public education, 
prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare.
  The following article describes the tremendous difference the 
Fighting Back Partnership has made after 5 years. This community has 
very much to be proud of, and its efforts should provide a model for 
other cities hurt by the tragedy of substance abuse.

            [From the Vallejo Times Herald, Sept. 15, 1996]

 Making a Difference--Statistics Indicate Fighting Back Is Winning the 
                        War on Drugs in Vallejo

                           (By David Jackson)

       Fighting Back Partnership has produced a report that 
     appears to offer some hard evidence that its five-year, 
     multi-million dollar experiment aimed at reducing substance 
     abuse in Vallejo is working.
       Citing student surveys on substance abuse, crime statistics 
     and other data, the report suggests that Vallejo is making 
     modest gains in combating the use of illegal drugs, alcohol 
     and tobacco.
       Among the more encouraging findings is a survey suggesting 
     that teen-age marijuana use may not be growing in Vallejo at 
     the rapid pace seen elsewhere.
       Between 1991 and 1994, the percentage of Vallejo juniors 
     who said they had used marijuana within the last 12 months 
     rose from 35 to 36. In Solano County as a whole, the 
     percentage rose from 31 to 50.
       The same survey also suggests that fewer Vallejo students 
     are using tobacco and alcohol, despite steady or increased 
     usage by students throughout Solano County.
       ``There appears to be something going on in Vallejo that is 
     not reflected in the trends of the rest of the county,'' said 
     Jane Callahan, project manager for Fighting Back. ``Our kids 
     are reporting less drug, alcohol and tobacco use than their 
     peers in the rest of the county.''
       The survey information was taken from The American Drug and 
     Alcohol Survey, which is not affiliated with Fighting Back.
       Among the survey's other findings:
       The percentage of Vallejo seventh-graders who reported 
     smoking cigarettes dropped from 48 percent in 1991 to 28 
     percent in 1994. Throughout the county, however, the 
     percentage rose from 39 to 41.
       During the same period, smoking rose 1 percent among 
     Vallejo ninth-graders and dropped 14 percent among Vallejo 
     11th-graders.
       The percentage of Vallejo students who reported using 
     alcohol within the last 30 days dropped 11 percent among 
     seventh-graders, rose 6 percent among ninth-graders and 
     dropped 5 percent among 11th-graders between 1991 and 1994.
       For the county as a whole, the percentages rose for each 
     grade level.
       the percentage of 11th-grade students who reported using 
     marijuana in the last 30 days dropped 3 percent in Vallejo 
     between 1991 and 1994, but rose 12 percent across the county.

[[Page E1705]]

       Essie Henderson, substance abuse administrator for Solano 
     County, agreed with Callahan's assessment that the Fighting 
     Back program is working.
       ``Early prevention has been the key,'' Henderson said.
       The Fighting Back program includes several programs 
     designed to keep students from trying alcohol, tobacco or 
     illegal drugs or to help them stop.
       The report also includes crime statistics from the Vallejo 
     Police Department which indicate that Fighting Back's 
     training program for liquor store owners, managers and 
     employees has worked as intended.
       Among stores that participated in the training program, 
     incidents reported to the police dropped 6.5 percent between 
     fiscal year 1993-94 and fiscal year 1995-96. Among stores 
     that didn't receive training, the number of incidents rose 27 
     percent.
       The difference in the number of hours police spent 
     responding to problems at the two groups of liquor stores was 
     even more profound; down 20 percent for stores that had the 
     training and up 26 percent for those that didn't.
       More than half of the liquor store personnel in the city 
     have participated in Fighting Back's program.
       Since the late 1980s, when planning efforts for the 
     Fighting Back program began, it has received wide community 
     support. However, the majority of the funding has come from 
     the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation in the form of a five-
     year, $3 million grant.
       Cash and in-kind contributions from a variety of other 
     sources, including free office space from the city of 
     Vallejo, have bumped Fighting Back's annual budget up to 
     about $1 million per year.
       The foundation, which is sponsoring 14 Fighting Back 
     programs across the nation, has hired an independent research 
     organization to conduct detailed studies to determine how 
     effective the programs were.
       The results of that study won't be fully available until 
     1999.
       Unfortuately, Vallejo's Fighting Back program can't wait 
     that long. Its Robert Woods Johnson grant will expire March 
     1.
       If the organization hopes to continue to exist, it must 
     find some new revenue sources.

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