Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey State Report

Sponsored by The Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse Program Office in conjunction with Developmental Research and Programs, Inc.

June 15, 2000

Never before has Florida had such a rich source of information to help it reduce the illicit and illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by school-aged youth. The Florida Youth Survey 2000 is the most comprehensive and successful measure of youth attitudes and behaviors ever attempted. This effort results from a recommendation called for at the Florida Legislatures 1999 Drug Control Summit to establish a multi-agency directed, county-level, statewide substance abuse survey.

The Florida Youth Survey 2000 is the multi-agency, multi-survey effort that resulted. Four state agencies the departments of Children and Families, Health, Education, and Juvenile Justice under the leadership of Governors Office of Drug Control, collaborated to co-administer the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey and the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. This level of interagency collaboration is significant and has become known as the "Florida Model" for other states to follow in planning and implementing their own surveys.

The Florida Youth Survey 2000 was administered to over 130,000 students in grades 6th through 12th between November 1999 and January 2000. Over 95% of our school districts supported the survey effort by providing access to these students. Of those students surveyed, over 60,000 responded to either the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey or to the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, the focus of this report. Details of the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey can be obtained from the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Epidemiology at (850) 245- 4444.