Within the human brain lies the key to our potential and our limitations. The same complex organ that endows us with the power to create poetry and art also plays a role in destructive behaviors, among them the abuse of drugs. The destructive consequences of drug abuse exact a dreadful toll both upon individuals and society. Yet, there is a lack of public understanding of the behaviors that increase the risk for drug abuse and of the need for basic research to make progress toward improving health. For those of us who are fortunate enough to be completely literate, ample information exists on the biology of drug abuse, should we choose to access it. Most of this health and science literature, however, is written at a high reading level, and much of it requires the reader to bring to it a prior knowledge of basic biology. If, for example, one does not grasp the concept of the cell, how can one understand a neuron? Recent literacy surveys have found that a large number of adults lack the skills to bring meaning to much of what is written about science. This, in effect, denies them access to vital information about their health and well-being. To address this need, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) proposes a three-year project to create, test and disseminate (over a three-year period) a low-literacy drug education model program. To develop the model, the AAAS will train scientists to work in close cooperation with adult literacy programs to convey the necessity for and value of drug abuse research to a large segment of the general public-low-literate adults and their families. The target audience will, in turn, provide feedback to scientists to help them hone their educational messages. The model project will be developed by teams of scientists, literacy instructors, and literacy students at two development sites. Hands-on science materials targeted to adult basic education programs and family literacy programs will also be developed. The Academy of Hope, of Washington, D.C., will be the site for developing the adult basic education model. The family literacy program at the Learning Bank of Baltimore, Maryland, will be the site for developing the family literacy model. A resource directory will be created to facilitate the partnership and help link scientists and literacy programs. After pilot testing in six additional sites, final materials will be produced and disseminated to literacy and community drug education programs nationwide.
