The survey includes nearly 8,000 youths in middle and high school and shows a decrease for a fourth straight year.
By Associated Press
Published October 17, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - Although more than 30 percent of Florida's middle and high school students have an alcoholic drink at least once a month and another one in eight smoke marijuana on a regular basis, overall drug use among that age group continues to decline, an annual survey indicates.
Gov. Jeb Bush cheered the results that showed a decline for the fourth straight year. "There is always more to do," he said at a Capitol news conference Thursday, surrounded by agency heads and Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings.
"We know substance abuse ruins lives," Bush said. "We are committed to continuing the fight."
Nearly 8,000 Florida students from sixth through 12th grades were surveyed in May and June. Their answers were confidential.
The survey was conducted in 37 of the state's 67 counties, Florida drug control director Jim McDonough said. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
The figures showed that 12.8 percent of the respondents said they had smoked marijuana at least once within 30 days of answering the question, more than the 11.5 percent who said they'd smoked tobacco.
Eighty percent said marijuana use was "uncool," and 94 percent said the same of smoking.
"Young people are now walking away from drugs, tobacco and alcohol at even greater rates," McDonough said.
Alcohol, however, remained the most common substance of abuse for the underage students, as 30.9 percent said they'd had a drink, compared with 34.3 percent in 2000.
The numbers coincided with a decline in antisocial behavior as well, officials said.
Those who reported selling drugs dropped to 5.7 percent from 7.9 percent in 2000, while school suspensions fell from 19.3 percent to 14.9 percent.
The use of steroids, heroin, ecstasy and cocaine were all below 2 percent in the middle school and high school age group, the survey said.
Bush has personally dealt with the dangers of drug use. His only daughter, Noelle, 26, was recently released from an Orlando rehabilitation center after spending more than a year in treatment for addiction to prescription drugs. The governor did not mention his daughter's problems at his news conference.
