Med students teach teens about substance abuse prevention

Medical students from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine recently traveled to D.C. to train medical students at GW and other area schools in an innovative program to teach middle school students about substance abuse.

The Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention program shows healthy and diseased organs in middle school classrooms to highlight negative effects of drug use on the human body.

The Pritzker School of Medicine took up the program in 1995 after the American Medical Students Association began the program in the late 1980s. It reaches about 4,000 middle school students. ASAP also teaches peer pressure and resistance skills.

“Research shows kids are using drugs at an earlier age, and by targeting kids in grades five through eight,” said Charles Samenow, ASAP creator and director. “The program is able to approach them not only at a time of great experimentation, but also a time of transition.”

Samenow said AMSA has selected the ASAP program to serve as the national model for school-based substance abuse prevention. He said he believes its scientific approach is at the heart of the ASAP program.

On ASAP’s recent trip to D.C., students lectured children in diverse settings, including the Oak Hill Juvenile Detention Facility and the Jewish Primary Day School.

-Vikrum Bakhru

Program Board gears up for International Week

Program Board will hold its annual International Week April 8-17 to celebrate the various cultures at GW.

“International Week showcases diverse cultures at GW and allows student groups to co-sponsor events with PB,” said International Cultural Affairs Chair Ramya Vivekanandan.

The Hungarian ambassador and Czech and Polish representatives will speak during the Ambassadors Lecture Series April 8.

Carniv?l, a street fair that will include cultural student group and local business booths, will be held April 13. Part of H Street will close to accommodate the festival.

International Night, which will be held April 11, will showcase different cultural performances. Student groups and professional dance troupes, such as the Spanish Dance Society, will perform in Lisner Auditorium for the event. Embassy Dinner, the finale of the week, will feature several ambassadors for a cultural dinner and show April 17. For more information, call PB at 994-4115.

-Shruti Dat?