Frequently Asked Questions And Answers

Q. What is The Right Stuff?

A. The Right Stuff is the stuff adolescents have, individually and collectively, to be the best they can be -- confident, fulfilled, happy, and feeling good about themselves.

• The Right Stuff helps adolescents make the most of their lives and pursue their own interests and talents.
• The Right Stuff is about telling all adolescents that they are worthy of happiness and success, that opportunities do exist, and that expressing themselves is okay.
• The Right Stuff is about being healthy-- physically and mentally.
• With The Right Stuff, adolescents can grow into strong and competent individuals.

The Right Stuff is a new multimedia public information campaign designed for adolescents between the ages of 9 and 14. The campaign is unique because it addresses the important issues in adolescents' lives today. The overall objective is to delay the onset and reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among adolescents.

Q. Why do adolescents ages 9-to-14 need The Right Stuff?

A. This is often the first time that adolescents are exposed to drug use and other risky behaviors that could potentially lead to lifelong health risks and consequences and prevent them from reaching their full potential as individuals.

Q. How will The Right Stuff impact adolescent's lives?

A. The Right Stuff campaign will have a tremendous impact on adolescents and their caregivers. A major part of the campaign is the educational component targeted to parents, caregivers, and other intermediaries alerting them to the issues that face adolescents today.

Research shows that often parents are not fully aware of their own influence on their children's attitudes and behaviors. Some parents assume that someone else will give their adolescents the information they need to make positive decisions about substance abuse and other risky behaviors. The Right Stuff campaign will counter this by providing parents and other caregivers with important information specific to adolescents and their well-being.

Q. Why should the primary focus of the campaign be delaying the onset and reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among adolescents?

A. The use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is a serious health issue in the lives of our young adolescents:

• 38.9% of male students and 27.9% of female students in the 9th grade had reported using marijuana in their lifetime.
• 38.6% of male students and 25.5% of female students had reported having their first drink before age 13
• 36.2% of male students had reported having five or more drinks on one occasion during the last 30 days
• 32.8% of male students and 16.8% of female students had reported using alcohol or other drugs at last sexual intercourse
• 19.7% of male students and 2.4% of female students had reported using smokeless tobacco
• 8.8% of male students and 5.0% of female students had reported using cocaine in their lifetime
• 4.9% of male students and 2.4% of female students had reported using steroids without a physician's prescription during their lifetime

It also is associated with many high risk activities:

• 46.1% of male students and 30.6% of female students had reported engaging in a physical fight
• 31.1% of male students and 8.3% of female students had reported carrying a weapon (e.g., a gun, a knife, or club)
• 20.9% of male students and 14.4% of female students had reported having sexual intercourse with 4 or more partners
• 14.3% of male students and 4.9% of female students had reported carrying a weapon on school property
• 12.7% of male students and 4.9% of female students had reportedly initiated sexual intercourse before 13 years of age

Q. Why would problems relating to drug abuse be different for adolescent males than adolescent females?

A. Adolescent males are often faced with traditional gender-specific views and expectations leading to self-doubt and a loss of independence. They are at greater risk of emotional neglect and serious injury than girls. In addition, adolescent males smoke more to relieve stress and to "get along" in life, while, adolescent females appear to smoke more for social reasons.

Results of major national surveys on youth risk behavior reveal that:

• Over five times as many adolescent males as adolescent females commit suicide
• Twice as many male students than female students have used steroids
• Among 9th grade students, three times as many adolescent males carried a weapon (e.g., gun, knife, or club) in the previous month as girls

Drug abuse creates one more barrier to a boy's ability to realize his full potential.

Adolescent girls are often faced with traditional gender-specific views and expectations leading to self-doubt and a loss of independence. Society's views and norms of body image and beauty, which are often-consciously or subconsciously-reinforced, particularly affect them by family, peers, and the media.

According to the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey:

• More than 6 percent (6.5 percent) of ninth-grade girls first had sexual intercourse before age 13.
• Participation in vigorous physical activity declines beginning in early adolescence: 61.6 percent of ninth-grade girls are vigorously active, compared with only 42.4 percent of twelfth-grade girls. At all grade levels, girls are significantly less active than boys.
• Over 60 percent (60.5 percent) of ninth-grade girls report attempting to lose weight in the previous month compared to 23 percent of ninth-grade boys.

As the statistics show, girls today face a complex world full of risks.

Q. What can parents and other concerned adults do?

A. Parents need to play an active role in raising adolescents’ awareness about the risks and consequences associated with drug use and other behaviors that can limit life’s opportunities. Recognizing that some of today’s parents and caregivers do not feel adequately prepared to do this, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), a part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has published Growing Up Drug-Free. Free copies are available from the Alcohol and Drug Information Clearinghouse by calling toll-free 1-800-648-4444, or contacting the Clearinghouse World Wide Web site at http://www.prevlink.org.

Parents and other caregivers can help 9- to 14-year-old adolescents learn how to develop positive interpersonal and social skills. Adults can let adolescents know that developing interest and ability in academics, the arts, sports, community activities, etc. not only makes their lives more interesting and rewarding, but also can protect them from getting involved in unsafe behaviors. By helping adolescents recognize their own inner strengths and tap into the strengths of families, communities, and culture, adults can connect adolescents with the power to stay off drugs and lead healthy lives. The Right Stuff offers every adolescent the chance to be the best that they can be, drug-free.

For more information about The Right Stuff Campaign, call 1-800-648-4444.

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