The Nation - News from Dec. 20, 1987

Education Secretary William J. Bennett said he has signed contracts to produce 30 anti-drug videos costing $5 million that will be ready for showing in the nation’s schools next fall. The eight winning contractors were chosen from 390 applicants by panels of teachers, film producers, drug prevention experts and law enforcement officials. They will convey their anti-drug message through a variety of approaches, including dramatizations, documentaries and animation. Among the producers chosen is the Scott Newman Foundation, set up in 1980 by actor Paul Newman to make anti-drug films for children. It was established two years after Newman’s 28-year-old son died of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. Bennett said “millions of students will see these videotapes” over the next few years.