NOTEWORTHY - long range anti-smoking and -drinking programs for youth are the most effective; parents who have access to company sponsored backup child care plans experience less stress; these and others topics are discussed - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 1999

Programs that send messages like "don't smoke," "don't drink," or "don't use drugs" are ineffective, maintains Robert Blum, director of the Adolescent Health Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. What is successful are programs "that involve young people, that stick with young people over a period of time, and that provide reasons and alternatives for pursuing healthy behaviors."

Parents who work for companies with backup child care plans are less stressed, miss fewer days of work, are happier in their jobs, and are more loyal to their employers, according to a study by Working and Family Partnerships, a Canadian consulting firm. Companies that don't offer such plans pay about $175 a day to compensate for juggling the unexpected demands, lost productivity, and replacement costs for absent employees.

Women may be better suited to handle sales positions than men are, indicates Ramon Avila, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. This presumption is based on studies that found females are more nurturing, have stronger listening skills, and empathize better than males.

Girls lack a "Rocky" fictional model, argues Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. While many young male readers have gained inspiration from sports fiction, where typically a male protagonist overcomes challenges and personal conflict to lead his team to victory, there are few books that provide a similar experience for girls.

Low self-esteem in adolescents does not lead to later delinquent behavior, indicates researcher Sung Joon Jang, Ohio State University, Columbus. Instead, a study found that involvement in delinquent behavior actually lowers later self-esteem in teens.

America's banking industry has shriveled to 9,000 independent banks from 14,000 in the early 1980s and the number will continue to shrink, predicts Kris Mantripragada, professor of finance, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. Further consolidation likely will occur due to mergers of not only larger banks, but small and medium-sized institutions as well.

The radio continues to play an important role in the entertainment experience of American adults, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association maintains. Research has found that more adults listen to the radio (96%) than CDs (75%) or cassettes (73%).