DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG TEENS IN FLORIDA

Real Story from Florida on Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Information provided in this page is information administered in the spring of 2009, by four state agencies—the Departments of Children and Families, Health, Education, and Juvenile Justice—under the leadership of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control, collaborated to administer the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (high school only), the Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (middle school only) and the FYSAS (Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey).

The FYSAS, the focus of this report, was administered to 11,166 students in grades 6 through 12 in the spring of 2009. Across Florida, 99 middle schools and 80 high schools supported the FYSAS by providing access to their students. The results of this survey effort supply a valuable source of information to help reduce and prevent the use of alcohol,
tobacco and other drugs by school-aged youth.

ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG USE BY TEENS IN FLORIDA

• With overall prevalence rates of 53.9% for lifetime use and 29.3% for past-30-day use, alcohol continues to be the most commonly used drug among Florida’s students.

• About one out of six Florida students (15.6%) reported binge drinking (defined as the consumption of five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks), making this dangerous behavior more prevalent than past-30-day cigarette, marijuana or other illicit drug use.

• After alcohol, students reported cigarettes (26.2% lifetime and 9.3% past-30-day) and marijuana (22.5% lifetime and 12.3% past-30-day) as the most commonly used drugs. Prevalence rates for other drugs are substantially lower.

• The prevalence of past-30-day use of all illicit drugs other than marijuana combined (8.7%) is less than the prevalence of past-30-day use of alcohol (29.3%), marijuana (12.3%) and cigarettes (9.3%). It is also lower than the prevalence of binge drinking (15.6%).

• Despite their low level of use, both lifetime and past-30-day prevalence rates for prescription pain relievers (7.6% and 3.0%, respectively) and depressants (6.2% and 2.5%, respectively) are higher than for all other illicit drugs, except marijuana and inhalants.

• While relatively few middle school students reported inappropriate over-the-counter drug use (4.7% lifetime and 2.4% past-30-day), those rates are higher than for nearly all other illicit drugs on the survey.

• Among Florida high school students, past-30-day prevalence rates for cocaine, prescription amphetamines, Ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD or PCP, and steroids are 2.0% or less.

• Among Florida high school students, past-30-day prevalence rates for crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Rohypnol, heroin, GHB and ketamine are 0.5% or less.

IMPORTANT ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS HIGHLIGHT FOR FLORIDA STUDENTS:

• Use of Alcohol by Teens in Florida
Alcohol, including beer, wine and hard liquor, is the drug used most often by adolescents today. Findings from Monitoring the Future, a national drug use survey administered annually by the University of Michigan, highlight the pervasiveness of alcohol use among middle and high school students today. In 2008, the percentages of 8th, 10th and 12th graders who reported using alcohol in the past 30 days were 15.9%, 28.8% and 43.1%, respectively (Johnston et al., 2009).

Lifetime Use of Alcohol by in Florida by Teens:
Of the students surveyed in Florida in 2009, 53.9% have used alcohol on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. Lifetime prevalence rates for alcohol use range from a low of 23.7% for 6th graders to a high of 73.1% for 12th graders. This corresponds to an overall rate of 37.4% for middle school students and 66.8% for high school students.

Past-30-Day Use of Alcohol in Florida by Teens:
In 2009, 29.3% of surveyed Florida students reported the use of alcohol in the past 30 days, with grade-level results ranging from a low of 9.0% for 6th graders to a high of 47.1% for 12th graders. These averages translate into overall rates of 17.3% for middle school students and 38.6% for high school students.


• Teen Binge Drinking in Florida
Findings on binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks) are likely to be among the most important findings related to alcohol use (Johnston et al., 2009). 15.6% of Florida students reported binge drinking. The prevalence rate for binge drinking ranges from a low of 4.0% for 6th graders to a high of 29.5% for 12th graders, with averages of 7.6% for middle school students and 21.8% for high school students.

• Use of Marijuana or Hashish by Teens in Florida
Results from the Monitoring the Future study show dramatic increases in both lifetime and past- 30-day prevalence rates through the early and mid 1990s (Johnston et al., 2009). For 8th and 10th graders the past-30-day rates more than doubled during this period. Since 1996 and 1997, when marijuana use peaked, rates have declined. In 2008 these national survey results show past-30-day rates of 5.8% among 8th graders, 13.8% among 10th graders and 19.4% among 12th graders.

Lifetime Use of Marijuana in Florida by Teens:
Of the students surveyed in Florida in 2009, 22.5% have used marijuana or hashish on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. Lifetime prevalence rates range from a low of 3.9% for 6th graders to a high of 37.5% for 12th graders. This corresponds to an overall rate of 10.5% for middle school students and 31.8% for high school students.

Past-30-Day Use of Marijuana in Florida by Teens:
In 2009, 12.3% of surveyed Florida students reported the use of marijuana or hashish in the past 30 days, with grade-level results ranging from a low of 1.9% for 6th graders to a high of 21.8% for 12th graders. These averages translate into overall scores of 5.3% for middle school students and 17.7% for high school students.

• Inhalants Use by Teens in Florida
After alcohol, tobacco and marijuana, the most commonly used drug among Florida students are inhalants commonly used drug among Florida students is inhalants. Inhalant use is measured by the survey question, “On how many occasions (if any) have you used inhalants (whippets, butane, paint thinner, or glue to sniff, etc.)?” Inhalant use is more prevalent with younger students, perhaps because it is often the easiest drug for them to obtain. The negative consequences of inhalant use can be substantial; one of them being that it is associated with the use of other illicit drugs later in life. According to national results from the Monitoring the Future study (Johnston et al., 2009), the prevalence rate of past-30-day inhalant use in 2008 was 4.1% among 8th graders, 2.1% among 10th graders and 1.4% among 12th graders.

Lifetime Use of Inhalants in Florida by Teens:
Of the students surveyed in Florida in 2009, 11.0% have used inhalants on at least one occasion in their lifetimes. Grade-level results indicate, however, that inhalant use does not follow the typical pattern of increasing with age and grade level. Lifetime inhalant use peaks among 8th graders at 14.2%, before reaching a low among 12th graders of 7.8%. This corresponds to a rate of 12.8% for middle school students and 9.7% for high school students.

Past-30-Day Use of Inhalants in Florida by Teens:
Overall, 3.6% of surveyed Florida students reported the use of inhalants in the past 30 days. Similar to lifetime prevalence, past-30-day prevalence of use peaks in the 7th grade at 6.1% before reaching a low of 1.4% in the 11th grade. These averages translate into overall scores of 5.0% for middle school students and 2.5% for high school students.

• Use of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine by Teens in Florida

Lifetime Use of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine in Florida High School Students
In 2009, 4.8% and 1.5% of Florida high school students reported use of cocaine and crack cocaine, respectively, in their lifetimes.

Past-30-Day Use of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine in Florida High School Students
Reports of past-30-day use for cocaine and crack cocaine were 1.1% and 0.4%, respectively. As with other low-prevalence ATOD categories, care should be taken not to overemphasize the modest cocaine and crack cocaine trend line changes. While these rates represent a decrease compared to 2006 survey results, the longer-term pattern is harder to describe. Florida high school students reported higher rates of past-30-day cocaine use in 2000 (2.5%), 2004 (2.0%) and 2006 (2.1%), and lower rates in 2002 (1.5%), 2008 (1.6%) and 2009 (1.1%). Past-30-day crack cocaine rates were highest in 2000 (0.8%) and 2006 (0.7%) and lowest in 2002 (0.4%), 2008 (0.5%) and 2009 (0.4%).

Lifetime and Past-30-Day Use of Cocaine and Crack Cocaine in Florida Middle School Students
In 2009, 1.8% of Florida middle school students reported use of cocaine or crack cocaine in their lifetimes, while 0.7% reported use in the past 30 days. Results for 2008 were nearly identical.

• Use of Heroin by Teens in Florida
Nationally, no lifetime prevalence rate for heroin has exceeded 2.4% in the 8th, 10th or 12th grades in the past decade (Johnston et al., 2009). Very low prevalence rates for heroin use among adolescents have also been observed in Florida.

Lifetime and Past-30-Day Use of Heroin in Florida by Teens:
Overall, 0.9% of Florida students reported use of heroin in their lifetimes, while 0.3% reported use in the past 30 days.

Given the extremely low prevalence rates associated with heroin use by Florida students, analyses that attempt to precisely specify or quantify changes over time are subject to error. With this caveat in place, it should be noted that the overall trend is one of fewer Florida students reporting heroin use since 2000.

• Use of LSD, PCP and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms by Teens in Florida
Hallucinogenic drugs can have short- and long-term effects on perception and mood. For instance, users of LSD, the most potent mood- and perception-altering drug, may have unpredictable experiences (known as “trips”) ranging from pleasant hallucinations to terrifying thoughts and feelings. LSD can also cause physical complications, including increased blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea and numbness. For the purposes of the PAYS, hallucinogens were defined as “hallucinogens (acid, LSD, and mushrooms).”

Lifetime and Past-30-Day Use of Hallucinogens in Florida by Teens:
In 2009, 2.0% of middle school students reported lifetime use, and 0.8% reported past-30-day use. These results compare to a lifetime rate of 1.5% and a past-30-day rate of 0.6% in 2008.

In 2009, 2.8% of high school students reported LSD or PCP use in their lifetimes, and 0.7% reported past-30-day use. In 2009, the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms by high school students was relatively rare in Florida—5.6% of students reported at least one use in their lifetimes, while 1.6% reported use in the past 30 days. The trend line for hallucinogenic mushroom use shows little movement between 2002 and 2009.

• Use of Methamphetamine (Meth) by Teens in Florida
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant with effects similar to cocaine. Use of methamphetamine can cause physical and psychological problems, such as rapid or irregular heart rate, increased blood pressure, anxiety and insomnia.

Lifetime and Past-30-Day Use of Meth in Florida by Teens:
In 2009, the overall lifetime prevalence rate for methamphetamine use was 1.2%, and the overall past-30-day prevalence rate was 0.5%. Both lifetime and past-30-day prevalence rates for methamphetamine use decreased between 2000 and 2009 (2.7 and 1.1 percentage-point reductions, respectively). For both measures the reduction was concentrated among high school respondents. Note that changes in prevalence of use between 2000 and 2002 are difficult to interpret because of the revision to the methamphetamine item that was introduced in 2002. For more information about this changes please visit: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/mentalhealth/publications/fysas

• Use of Ecstasy by Teens in Florida
Ecstasy (also known as MDMA) has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. Despite its low prevalence among Florida students, Ecstasy was the most commonly used club drug. For the overall sample in 2009, the lifetime prevalence rate for Ecstasy was 4.8%, and the past-30-day prevalence rate was 1.1%.

Lifetime Use and Past-30-Day Use of Ecstasy in Florida by Teens:
For the overall sample in 2009, the lifetime prevalence rate for Ecstasy was 4.8%, and the past-30-day prevalence rate was 1.1%.

• Use of Steroids by Teens in Florida
The primary use for steroids in humans is to raise inadequate levels of testosterone. However, some athletes misuse the drug to “improve” their appearance or athletic performance. Improper use of steroids can prematurely stop the lengthening of bones as well as cause infertility and liver tumors. The use of steroids was measured on the 2009 FYSAS with the questions: “On how many occasions (if any) did you use steroids without a doctor’s orders in your lifetime?” and “… in the past 30 days?”

Lifetime Use and Past-30-Day Use of Steroids in Florida by Teens:
Overall, 1.0% of surveyed Florida students reported use of steroids in their lifetimes, while 0.4% reported use in the past 30 days.

Given the extremely low prevalence rates associated with steroid use among Florida students, analyses that attempt to precisely specify or quantify changes over time are subject to error. Nevertheless, the overall pattern shows reductions in use between 2000 and 2009

Information contained above is courtesy of Florida Dept of Children and Families

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