Anti-Drug Fight Is Going Online

Prosoft I-Net Solutions Inc. in Santa Ana wants kids to use computers to learn how to Just Say No.

The Internet/Intranet training firm is working with a San Diego anti-drug organization to develop a computer tutorial for high school juniors and seniors that is part interactive Web site, part group counsel.

The program, which can last a single day or an entire academic year, takes kids into the school’s computer lab or a mobile facility provided by Prosoft. Once there, teens browse a Web site created by the abuse-prevention group Students, Teachers, Employers and Parents (STEP). The site offers information about substance abuse and testimonials from former drug addicts.

In addition, students run through a series of classes focusing on Internet skills, from searching the Net to creating Web pages.

Depending on a particular school board’s policy, STEP also hopes to implement a voluntary drug-testing policy at the end of each course. Those who pass, said STEP founder John Eubank, could receive cards that give merchant discounts. The students could also get access to an online job board that lists local employment opportunities.

“We want to get the message out to kids that staying off drugs can pay off,” said Eubank, who admits the testing idea could raise complicated legal issues in a school environment. “These are young adults. You can’t tell them what to do. All you can do is show the consequences and hope for the best.”

Last May, Prosoft used 22 kids from Century High School in Santa Ana to test a version of the tutorial--minus the drug screen. The course is scheduled to be finished by this fall, and developers are seeking federal and state grants to fund the project. Eubank said schools in Santa Ana, as well as state education officials in California and three other states, have expressed interest.

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P.J. Huffstutter covers high technology for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com.