In response to a real need for a publication that could help both parents and students gain a better understanding of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, in 1997 a committee of parents** from Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, MD, formed and wrote a booklet, "A Parent's Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Use" which was published in 1999.

The overwhelming positive response to the booklet by the families at Georgetown Prep led Dr. James Power, Headmaster and Mimi Fleury, Chairman of the Substance Abuse Manual Committee and former President of the Parent's Board, to form the Community of Concern consortium in order to share the booklet with other Washington DC metropolitan schools.

As of 2004, there will be over 750,000 booklets in parents' hands throughout the country. The Memphis University School of Memphis, TN became the first school to organize a 35 school Community of Concern outside the Washington area. The 42 school Community of Concern of Northern California quickly became the largest group of schools outside Washington, DC.

There is a Community of Concern in 24 different states including, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and the city of Washington, DC. Elementary schools of the Archdiocese of Washington and public school districts of Memphis, TN; Macon, GA; Montgomery County, MD and Wilmington DE use the booklets. The Community of Concern has also been introduced in one national foundation as the curriculum for parent alcohol and other drug education - Best Friends Foundation, Washington, DC and at one hospital - Suburban Hospital's Addiction Treatment Center, Bethesda, MD.

"A Parent's Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use" has been reviewed by Wilkie A. Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical Center, Suburban Hospital's (MD) Addiction Treatment Center's Director, Beth Kane Davidson, M.Ed., CAC, and Jeffrey M. Georgi, M.Div., CCAS, Director of the Duke Addictions Program, Duke University Medical Center.

The booklet received 3 awards in 2001- the Outstanding Community Service Award from "Drawing the Line On Under 21 Alcohol Use" in Montgomery County, MD and the Caron Foundation Award for Educational Excellence, which was presented to James L. Crawford, Jr. LHD, Head of School, The Episcopal Academy (PA) for introducing the Community of Concern to a consortium of 17 schools in Philadelphia. Mimi Fleury was recognized as the Parents' Council of Washington Volunteer of the Year for her work on the booklet and for co-founding the Community of Concern partnership.

**Substance Abuse Manual Committee - Carolyn Collins, Mimi (President, Parent's Board 1997) and Al Fleury, Jr. MD '66, Jr., Nancy Jackman, Brian McCarty (President, Parent's Board 1998), Cathy McClave (President, Parent's Board 1999), Mary Ellen and Bob Moylan, Margaret and Mike Murphy, Kathy and Phil O'Donoghue, Esq. '68, Roberta and Steve Saxon, Esq. '70, and Bridget Zarate.

Except for a brief period in 2000/01, the Lowe Family Foundation is not associated with the "Community of Concern" or our booklet "A Parent's Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use".