MEDIA ADVISORY

                                      Contact:  Katherine Jackson
                                
     State Secretary of Public Safety Jerry W. Kilgore will open
the University of Virginia's Institute for Substance Abuse Studies'
(ISAS) conference, beginning Friday, March 24, at noon, at the Days
Inn, Rt. 29 North.
 
     The weekend conference is supported by a grant from the
Governor's Office. Based on a "train-the-trainer" model of
teaching, the Student Assistant Mentor/Student Athlete Mentor (SAM)
program will be presented to eight participating Virginia colleges
and universities during the sessions.
   
     Kilgore will be joined by Joe Gieck, U.Va. head athletic
trainer, and Susan Grossman, associate director of ISAS.

     SAM's goal is to establish a safer social environment that
will result in a reduction in substance abuse on college campuses.

     Here's how it works: teams of students, who are either
athletes or fraternity or sorority members, will work as peers with
other students in their organizations to help prevent substance
abuse. After training, the participants will be able to initiate
the SAM peer program at their institutions next year. 

     ISAS launched the SAM program in the fall of 1990.  It is
funded by a U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement
of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) grant.   

     "We are very pleased that the state has recognized our
program, and are looking forward to working with schools from over
the state to learn how they adapt it in their particular campuses,"
Grossman says.  

     Participating schools are Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, Virginia State University, Virginia Wesleyan
College, Old Dominion University, Lynchburg College, Roanoke
College, Clinch Valley College and Hampden-Sydney College.

     For a conference schedule call ISAS associate director Susan
Grossman at (804) 924-5276.
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                                                   March 23, 1995