NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse. 
http://www.nida.nih.gov

The National Institutes on Drug Abuse site offers an extensive amount of up-to-date material on all aspects of drug abuse and addiction.  This site provides text, pictures, and power point presentations that can be used to inform students, teachers, administrators and the community on all aspects of this problem.

I would strongly recommend this site to anyone dealing with drug abuse and addiction.  This site can be easily navigated through the use of the map.  Using the map, one can access point presentations on the effects of heroine, marijuana, and cocaine on the brain; text dealing with only the effects of marijuana on ones body; or information on treatment.  The site is visually appealing and easy to read.  Although the information on this site can sometimes be very technical it is written in clear concise terms, which are understandable even to people not trained in this field. 

Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals. 
http://www.pasap.org/

PASAP provides information on conferences and a newsletter covering topics ranging from confidentiality, and sexual harassment, to tobacco education, and links to other web sites.  There are pages still under construction, “Who to Contact” is one example. I would recommend this site to professionals working with students at risk.  This site is easy to navigate, links are connected quickly.  The information provided is pertinent to SAP professionals.

ACF Programs and Services.  August 1999. 
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ 

The Administration for Children and Families Web Site gives an overview of programs and services available through the Federal Government.  This site provides a roadmap for professionals to those programs by providing a brief description of the services provided by each bureau.

I would recommend this site as a reference tool.  The site downloads quickly.  The layout of the pages is conducive to a quick accurate read, and allows the reader to move unencumbered through the pages to find the appropriate information.

Pennsylvania Department of Education.  
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/

This is a great web site for anyone living in Pennsylvania.  Kids can take a trip through the Grand Canyon, parents can access information on surfing the net with their children, art lovers can visit the Le Louvre, and professionals involved with Student Assistance Programs can find a limitless amount of material on students at risk.

The site is clearly labeled and links are easy to negotiate.  The site is colorful but not distracting.  There is a fast find provided with links to a multitude of information and a search page if you are having trouble finding what you need in fast find.  Text pages are well designed and easy to read.  Downloading of material is extremely quick.  I would recommend this web site to anyone needing information on almost any subject.

Adolescent Sexuality. 
http://www.nnfr.org/adolsex/home.html

This site is an excellent source of material on Sexual Integrity for Teens.  Teachers are provided with guides that list objectives, materials, and a presentation guide (lesson plan) that has everything from the introduction to the conclusion.  Parents and teens are provided with fact sheets covering a variety of subjects from how to talk to your teen or parent about sex to recognizing myths.  Graphics are provided with some links.

I was not able to access all the links on this site, but I was provided with enough valuable information  to recommend the site to all involved with teens including teens themselves.

National Network for Health. 
http://www.nnh.org/

This is a very visually appealing site.  Its use of graphics and color makes using this site fun and holds the viewer attention.  Use of color and varying sizes of lettering draws the reader’s attention to the major topics covered on the pages.  Links are quickly accessed.  Information is up to date and clear.  The overall presentation and content is excellent and I would recommend this site to parents and professionals.

The content of this site is quite expansive, covering issues dealing with adolescent sexuality and pregnancy to aging.  This site provides an electronic newsletter covering a variety of subjects.  Past issues are listed and can also be accessed if they are of interest to the reader.  There is a page titled “News” covering topics such as the Burger King toy recall, grant moneys, and imaginative new telecommunication technologies providing educational and health care options to rural America.  This is a wonderful site for anyone interested in health issues.

Caring Online
http://caringonline.com

Caring Online is a good source for information on eating disorders for anyone interested in this subject.  This site provides links to medical information including but not limited to the definitions of various eating disorders, effective and non-effective treatments, athletes at risk, and the role of genetics.  A list of treatment programs arranged by state is given (it is noted that this list should be used only as a starting place for those interested in treatment.)  Magazine and news articles dealing with body image and dieting add depth to the site providing additional information from a variety of sources.

Personal experiences are also shared in the form of stories and poems.  The site also provides a list of e-mail addresses and a short biography of persons wanting to communicate with others who suffer from eating disorders.

I would recommend this site to professionals and parents dealing with students, clients or children with eating disorders. 

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
http://www.casacolumbia.org 

This site explores the study of substance abuse and how it affects our society.  I liked the ease of navigation provided by the site map and the subtle graphics.  Teachers, professionals and other adults would find this site useful and appealing as well as high school students.  An opportunity for interaction is available that teens would find interesting.  Here they can take a quiz and receive information from a 1999 teen survey as  well as discover how tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs affect boys and girls differently.

The FAQ (frequently asked questions) link has the most appeal to me as a professional.  There are no additional graphics or pictures and the pages are not cluttered but neatly designed with useful headings and subheadings.  It is valid for my purpose as the content is reliable.  Columbia University is a highly respected institution of higher learning.  I like the fact that there is no advertising and the e-mail address is included.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org 

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America’s youth from  tobacco and to create a healthier environment.  Their website is an excellent effort towards that goal.  The graphics and use of color are very appealing.  One can view real photographs from lung removal surgery that show cancer very graphically.  There is a warning that precedes all photos to prepare the viewer for a stark image which adds to the visitor-friendly atmosphere of this site. 

Navigation through this site is very easy.  As the site would be used by middle through high school students they would find many features worthwhile.  The site has interactive contests periodically, the latest being “My smoke-free Valentine.”  The winning entries are posted for all to view with an invitation to check for the next contest.  Another interactive feature is a 10 question quiz that most students would find challenging and fun. 

Today’s date is featured for recent highlights in the news.  The articles on the legal dealings with the tobacco companies are quite extensive and point to the site’s commitment to act as a watchdog for their responsibility  in addicting  individuals to tobacco through advertising campaigns.  The ABC’s of tobacco is very  informative and extensive.  Here, the role of tobacco use in numerous types of conditions from halitosis to bladder cancer is explained.  The content clearly supports the curriculum and the site offers instructional support materials.  I would say that the site contains accurate and reliable information.  It is a plus for my collection.  

National Inhalant Prevention Coalition  Web Site.
http://www.inhalants.org

I really liked this site and feel it would appeal to middle through high school students as well as parents and teachers.  From the picture on the home page to the graphics portraying the damage to the brain it is visually appealing.   

The information listed for the visitor is very thorough.  An added plus is that the information is also available in Spanish. The links provided on this page lead to many other interesting and most helpful sites.

What to do when someone is huffing and you came upon them is spelled out in great detail.  This could prevent a “Sudden Sniffing Death”.  I feel this is extremely valuable information for young people as well as adults.  The graphics and pictures download relatively quick.   

A negative aspect of this site is that it needs to be updated in the area of statistics about drug use by youth. Also it does not give a current update.  However, I would find this site useful in my collection.

Drug-Free Resource Net.
http://www.drugfreeamerica.org

For my purpose this is a very good site.  It is created by professionals from the communications industry who hope to reduce the demand for illicit drugs through media communication.

As far as visual appeal to the visitor I would give it high marks.  Ease of navigation is a plus as well as consistency of design throughout the site.  I particularly liked the color scheme of red, white and blue which corresponds with the title.  

Parents, children, especially teenagers, and professionals would find this a most interesting and worthwhile site to visit.  The section on “club drugs”  such as the date rape drug rohypnol would be enlightening and helpful to all ages especially teens and young adults.  A strong point of this site is that its content is very accurate and reliable.  All information is verified and sources are provided in the drug information section.  The site offers interactive opportunities for the browser which adds to the appeal. An e-mail address is included for any correspondence.

Star Center Outreach Website.
http://www.wpic.pitt.edu/research/star

The Star Center Outreach site serves those who are interested in improving the psychological well being of children and adolescents, especially those at risk for suicide and interpersonal injury.  It aids youth serving organizations such as schools, social service agencies, government agencies, and community groups. This would appeal more to professionals in the adult population rather than to students.

The site provides ease in navigation but has few graphics.  It downloads quickly.

The link to the American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychology appears to be the most helpful link of this site. The notoriety of the site creator is very prestigious as it affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Clinic.

For the most part, I would not recommend this site, mainly due to the appearance that it may be an abandoned or poorly maintained site. It has not been updated since March 1999 when it announced a scheduled conference for troubled youth and the latest publication was in December 1998.