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During the last few decades, community coalitions have increasingly emerged as program vehicles for coping with alcohol and other drug problems. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported "Fighting Back," a community coalition program between 1992 and 2002 that was developed at each community and operated at 15 sites in 11 states. The program's goal was the reduction of alcohol abuse and illegal drug use through coalitions. An outside interdisciplinary evaluation of the Fighting Back and matched comparison sites concluded that the program had no significant effect on substance abuse. Various aspects of the evaluation are discussed. For the last 15 years, the federal government has supported hundreds of anti-substance abuse coalitions. In the articles that follow, different features of the evaluation dealing with results, treatment of substance abusers, community structure, correlative factors, research methodology, bibliography, and a funder's perspective are set forth.

Some lessons can be learned from an analysis of the experience of New York State's civil commitment program, which was operating from 1966 through 1979, and was the largest and most expensive in the country. Judges need to be carefully selected and trained and assigned to relevant cases: staff must be selected in terms of specific criteria and trained and supervised, clients have to be assigned to particular facilities in accordance with their needs; referral procedures ought to be established in advance of operations; the civil commitment must differ from a court sending someone to a facility; networks with other programs have to be articulated; formal and reliable procedures for absconding clients are necessary; length of stay has to be critically examined; and formal evaluation is a necessity. The New York State program suffered because of problems in all of these areas.

The 1973 New York State drug law, the toughest in the nation, was passed over heavy opposition at a time when heroin abuse was already declining steadily. During the law's first year of operation, a declining pattern of drug arrests continued, more cases came to trial and went to prison, but robbery and burglary complaints increased. No significant changes were found in the activities of sellers, "unknown" regular users, and student users. Bribes to police did not increase and neither did the number of people seeking treatment. Both the extravagant expectations and fears about the law's effects seem to have been unjustified. Although large scale pushers have not been significantly deterred, the 32 million dollars needed to Implement the law's first year represented a substantial share of the total state drug budget. Continued monitoring of the law's effects will be needed in order to assess its social costs and benefits.

One of the most pervasive features of our cultural landscape is the depolarization of sex roles and a concomitant blurring of many other differences. The appearance, given names, and play of boys and girls have become less gender- specific since World War II. Young girls appear to be demonstrating the sexual precocity and aggressiveness once associated with boys. Clothing and appearance are steadily becoming increasingly ambisexual, along with recreational activities, work, and family roles. Extremes of taste in food and drink are less common. Blandness also characterizes the color and shape of home interiors and the exteriors of many buildings. Opera, theatre, musical theatre, and movies have been dominated by women in recent decades although male stars once were the major audience attractions. Our rapid industrialization and World War II are among the contributors to depolarization, and the trend may have some ominous implications for the future.

One of the most pervasive features of our cultural landscape is the depolarization of sex roles & a concomitant blurring of many other diff's. The appearance, given names, & play of boys & girls have become less gender-specific since WWII. Young girls appear to be demonstrating the sexual precocity & aggressiveness once associated with boys. Clothing & appearance are steadily becoming increasingly ambisexual, along with recreational activities, work, & fam roles. Extremes of taste in food & drink are less common. Blandness also characterizes the color & shape of home interiors & the exteriors of many buildings. Opera, theatre, musical theatre, & movies have been dominated by F's in recent decades although M stars once were the major audience attractions. Our rapid industr'ization & WWII are among the contributors to depolarization, & the trend may have some ominous implications for the future. HA.