Toward comprehensive school drug policy in Ontario.

The study reported here examines the development and implementation of School Drug Policy in Ontario Boards of Education, the components of these policies, and the composition of policy development committees. Data from 125 Boards of Education were obtained from responses to a questionnaire administered in the Fall of 1991. Findings from the study indicate that school drug policies are increasingly comprehensive-including not only disciplinary measures, but also a preventive curriculum and early intervention component. The composition of policy development working groups normally consisted of such groups as board personnel, teachers, and practitioners from other fields. Students were not often included in the process of policy development. Thus, the development and implementation of school drug policy in Ontario indicates a "top down" rather than "bottom up" approach.