Position of teachers on alcoholism and other forms of addiction in adolescents

Survey and other evidence indicates that drinking and use of other drugs have become common among secondary school students in Chile. In view of the important role that teachers would play in control efforts a survey of the knowledge opinions attitudes and suggestions concerning alcohol and drug use of a 10% sample of secondary school teachers in the Santiago Metropolitan Region was conducted. 601 teachers completed questionnaires with 30 items measuring knowledge and 40 measuring attitude toward drinking and drug use. 85% of the schools were urban 15% had more than 1000 students 2/3 were coeducational and 23% were for males only. 63% of the teachers were women and 61% had been married. 43.9% had between 6-15 years of teaching experience. 79% believed that alcoholism was a disease and 9.7% that it was a vice. 54.9% felt that addiction was a dependence on drugs 21.1% that it was a social problem 9.0% that it was consumption of drugs 6.2% that it was a dependency and a social problem and 4.2% that it was a vice. 77.4% felt that an individual should never become drunk 14.3% that it was permissible once a month and 4.7% that it was permissible 2-3 times per month. 17.1% knew about the Program for Primary Prevention of Alcoholism and 4.3% knew about programs in the Ministries of Health and Education. 93.5% included education among the principal measures to prevent alcoholism with 10% believing education alone would be sufficient 45.5% combining control of advertising and education and 25.6% calling for economic improvements and education. 84% considered education indispensable for prevention of other addictions with 32.3% adding information and 27% adding control of advertising. 53.2% felt that education against alcoholism and 50.1% that education against addiction should continue throughout life. 51.2% felt that schools would be the most appropriate place for primary prevention of alcoholism and other addictions. 30% felt that lack of preparation of teachers was the principal reason for not providing such education. 42.4% of teachers believed themselves capable and interested in presenting alcoholism prevention programs and 44.3% felt unprepared. 46% felt prepared to participate in addiction prevention programs and 45% felt unprepared. Most of the teachers had good attitudes concerning alcoholism and addiction with few differences between urban and rural communities or between men and women.