NCJ Number
188924
Date Published
June 2000
Length
70 pages
Annotation
This is a comprehensive review of Florida youth substance abuse attitudes and practices.
Abstract
The Florida Youth Survey 2000 was a collaborative effort by the Departments of Children and Families, Health, Education, and Juvenile Justice under the leadership of the Governor's Office of Drug Control. The survey was administered to more than 130,000 students in grades 6 through 12. Across the board, drug use rates among Florida's in-school youth were lower than or near national averages as measured by the Monitoring the Future Survey. Florida's surveyed youth had developed strong negative attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and antisocial behavior in general. However, slightly more than half of the surveyed youth had used alcohol in their lifetime and approximately one-third were current users. At the State level, two risk factors were elevated -- Low Neighborhood Attachment and Personal Transitions and Mobility -- indicating that the surveyed youth were not feeling positively attached to their communities. Further analysis of the survey data will be performed in an attempt to understand the risk and protective factors that contribute significantly to the use, or non-use, of drugs by Florida youth. Survey data will also be used for prevention, intervention, and treatment planning at the local, regional, and State levels. Tables, figures, references, appendixes