Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey State Report

Transcription

1 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.

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3 Acknowledgements The Florida Youth Survey 2000 involved the collaboration of 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. This collaboration led to the successful administration of two survey instruments the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey and the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS). Results of the FYSAS are covered in this report. The level of cooperation and participation in this survey was beyond our expectations. Sixty-five out of 67 school districts participated, and 65,246 students completed surveys. We deeply appreciate the participation of these young people; in particular, their willingness to answer tough questions honestly. The information they shared is invaluable. It will serve to guide us in our efforts to provide all of Florida s adolescents with the support they need to resist using alcohol, tobacco, or any other drug and to plan for substance abuse treatment services. We cannot thank enough those school district administrators who gave us access to these students. Their willingness to participate in this survey demonstrates their commitment to the overall well being of the young people entrusted in their care. We also thank the local Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinators and Tobacco Prevention Coordinators who handled much of the paperwork and administration of the two surveys. Their diligence ensured that the survey was administered properly and effectively. We are grateful for the leadership in this survey effort of our Governor, Jeb Bush; the Director of the Governor s Office of Drug Control, James McDonough; Commissioner of Education, Tom Gallagher; Secretary of Health, Robert G. Brooks; and Secretary of Children and Families, Kathleen A. Kearney. Without their support and dedication to science-based research, this survey effort would never have happened. Now we can look forward to developing an accurate picture of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among our adolescents, what influences their decision to use these drugs, and how we can best prevent substance use and intervene on their behalf. Special thanks are given to Developmental Research and Programs, Inc., (DRP) with whom we contracted for the administration of the FYSAS, this state report, our future county reports, and training on our survey results. DRP has functioned with utmost professionalism throughout the entire survey effort, and has greatly facilitated our venture into the world of science-based survey research. Last, but not least, we d like to thank our colleagues at the other state agencies who collaborated on this survey effort. Each agency brought its own expertise to the table, making this collaboration unique in its interdependence. The cooperative sharing among these agencies of information, staff, funds, time and effort are proof that we share a common goal to ultimately provide our young people with the skills and support to resist those things such as alcohol and drugs that can harm them.

4 Florida Youth Survey Workgroup Members Office of Drug Control James R. McDonough Director Christie Horton Staff Analyst Steve Lauer Chief, Governmental Affairs Andrew Benard Chief, Strategic Planning Brian MacCarthy Staff Analyst Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse Program Office Ken DeCerchio Program Director Atrica Warr Team Leader for Special Populations and Projects Skip Forsyth Director, Florida Youth Substance Abuse Initiative Carlos Martinez Research Coordinator, Florida Youth Substance Abuse Initiative Marie Bailey Youth Needs Assessment Coordinator Antonio Cases-Rosario Administrative Assistant Department of Education Shan Goff Chief, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services Mary Jo Butler Administrator, Intervention and Prevention Services Lynda Kinard Director, Coordinated School Health Education Effie S. Alexander Administrator, Safe Schools and Community Services Lorraine Allen Administrator, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program Ian Neuhard Director, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program Judy Bishop Senior Program Specialist, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program John Masterson Director, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Technical Assistance Project

5 Department of Health Ursula Bauer Chronic Disease Epidemologist Bureau of Epidemiology Natalie Tackett Research Coordinator Survey Research Unit Ike Isett Executive Director Coordinated School Health Program Michael Haney Division Director for Prevention and Interventions Children s Medical Services Peggy Scheuermann Child Protection Unit Director Children s Medical Services Mae Waters Chief of Youth and Local Programs Tobacco Pilot Program Penny Detscher Program Manager, Education and Training Office of Tobacco Control Department of Juvenile Justice Ted Tollett Chief, Bureau of Data and Research Kristin Winokur Principal Investigator Florida Delinquent Girls Research Project Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association Pam Waters Assistant Director Developmental Research and Programs, Inc. Jack Pollard Director, Research and Analysis Scott Bates Senior Research Analyst Jon Fritzberg Director, Sales and Marketing Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey State Report Printed: July 2000

6 Table of Contents Executive Summary... i The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey...1 The Participating Youth in Florida...2 Survey Norms and Comparative Data...3 Validity of the Survey Data...4 Demographics...5 Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Inhalants...6 Use of Other Illicit Drugs...9 Use of Alcohol Only and Alcohol or Any Illicit Drug...11 Prevalence of Antisocial Behavior...11 Risk and Protective Factor Profile of Florida Students...13 Risk and Protective Factor Scales...14 Implications...17 Appendix A: Florida Youth Survey 2000 Sampling Methodology...18 Appendix B: Risk and Protective Factors and Selected Associated Survey Items...20 Appendix C: References...23 Page

7 List of Tables and Graphs Table 1. Valid survey counts and participating schools, by county, with enrollment Table 2. Major demographic characteristics of surveyed youth (N = 62,146) Table 3. Family characteristics of Florida surveyed youth (N = 62,146) Table 4. Prevalence of Use of Various Drugs - National (Monitoring the Future) and Florida (FYSAS 2000), for Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders Table 5. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used alcohol in lifetime, past 30 days, or binge drinking by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 6. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used alcohol and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 7. Percentage of surveyed youth who used tobacco in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 8. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used marijuana in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 9. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used marijuana and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 10. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used inhalants in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 11. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used inhalants and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 12. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used hallucinogens in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 13. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used cocaine or crack cocaine in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 14. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used cocaine and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 15. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used crack cocaine and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 16. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used methamphetamines or depressants in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 17. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used heroin or other narcotics in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 18. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used steroids in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 19. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used any illicit drug, or any illicit drug other than marijuana, in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 20. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used alcohol only, or alcohol or any illicit drug, in lifetime or past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 21. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used alcohol only, and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146)

8 Table 22. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who used alcohol or any illicit drug, and number of occasions in past 30 days by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade (N = 62,146) Table 23. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who report engaging in delinquent behavior, within past 12 months carried a handgun, sold illegal drugs, stole/attempted to steal a vehicle, and was arrested (N = 62,146) Table 24. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who report engaging in delinquent behavior, within past 12 months taken a handgun to school, been suspended from school, attacked someone with intention of hurting them, and was drunk or high at school (N = 62,146) Table 25. Mean age of first substance use among Florida surveyed youth Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana (N = 62,146) Table 26. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who perceive great risk of harm in using alcohol or tobacco (N = 62,146) Table 27. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who reported good chances of being seen as cool if they smoked cigarettes or marijuana or drank alcohol regularly (N = 62,146) Table 28. Percentage of Florida surveyed youth who think it would be wrong for someone their age to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes (N = 62,146) Table 29. Protective factor information for Florida across the Community, Family, School and Peer-Individual Domains (N = 62,146) Table 30. Risk factor data for Florida across the Community, Family, School and Peer-Individual Domains (N = 62,146) Table 31. Behavioral outcome data for Florida (N = 62,146) Graph 1. Overall prevalence of lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco and other drug substances for Florida surveyed youth in middle school and high school (N = 62,146) Graph 2. Overall prevalence of 30-day use of alcohol, tobacco and other drug substances for Florida surveyed youth in middle school and high school (N = 62,146) Graph 3. Overall prevalence of delinquent behaviors in the past year reported by Florida surveyed youth (N = 62,146) Graph 4. Protective factor scores for Florida Graph 5a. Risk factor scale scores for Florida...60 Graph 5b. Risk factor scale scores and outcome behavior indexes for Florida

9 i Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey Executive Summary The Florida Youth Survey 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 Legislature s 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 Governor s Office of Drug Control, collaborated to coadminister 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 6 th through 12 th between November 1999 and January 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) More Than Drug Use Prevalence Rates The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey is based on the Communities That Care (CTC) Youth Survey developed by Developmental Research and Programs (DRP), Inc., of Seattle, Washington. The Department of Children and Families contracted with DRP to oversee the administration of their nationally recognized survey instrument. DRP is a leader in identifying risk factors related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and delinquency behavior as well as the protective factors that guard against the same. By administering the CTC Youth Survey, Florida will be able to determine the levels of risk and protective factors of its youth and correlate them to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use rates. Thus, those factors that contribute to or protect against youth drug use can be more accurately identified. A complete explanation of risk and protective factors is provided in the body of the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey State Report. Key Survey Results Positive Findings Almost across the board, drug use rates among Florida s in-school youth are lower than or near national averages as measured by the Monitoring the Future Survey. While many of Florida s surveyed youth are currently using marijuana (11.2% overall), the rate is lower than would be expected based on national trends.

10 ii Lifetime inhalant use by Florida s surveyed youth was lower than national findings. Analyzing the risk factor profile as a whole, Florida s surveyed youth have developed strong negative attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and antisocial behavior in general. Negative Findings Just over half (52.6%) of Florida s surveyed youth have used alcohol in their lifetime, and about one-third (31%) are current users. Reported past 30-day use ranged from 11.7% for sixth-graders to 51.2% for twelfth-graders. For past 30-day use, Florida s surveyed youth reported slightly higher than Monitoring the Future rates for inhalant use in 8 th and 10 th grades. The lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol use among racial/ethnic groups is lowest for African-American youth (39.5%) and highest for White, non-hispanic youth (58.7%). Although 15.8% of surveyed youth reported past 30-day use of any illicit drug, that rate more than doubles to 35% for surveyed youth who report past 30-day use of alcohol or any illicit drug. Of Florida s surveyed youth, 15.3% reported having Attacked Someone with Intention of Hurting, 14.7% reported having been Suspended from School, and 12.2% report having been Drunk or High at School in the last 12 months. Almost twice as many males as females reported being suspended from school in the past 12 months (19.8% vs. 10.0%, respectively). The percentage of African-American youth who reported being suspended from school in the past year was twice the percentage of White, Non-Hispanic youth (23.3% vs. 11.2%, respectively). At the state level, two risk factor scores were elevated Low Neighborhood Attachment and Personal Transitions and Mobility indicating that Florida surveyed youth are not feeling positively attached to their communities. These key findings illustrate the complexity of alcohol and other drug use among Florida s youth and the possible factors that may contribute to that use. While some of the findings compare favorably to the national situation, other findings strongly indicate that our youth are still using alcohol or other drugs at rates that will cause serious consequences for themselves in particular and our society in general. Further analysis of the survey data will be performed to understand the risk and protective factors that significantly contribute to the use, or non-use, of drugs among our youth. This survey data will also be used for prevention, intervention, and treatment planning at the local, regional and state levels. The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey establishes baseline data from which future prevention and intervention efforts can be assessed. These survey data will enable Florida s planners to learn which prevention, intervention, and treatment programs best meet the goals of protecting our youth from alcohol and other drug use.

11 1 The Florida Youth Survey effort was a collaboration among Florida departments of Health, Education, Children and Families, and Juvenile Justice, and the Florida Office of Drug Control. The Department of Children and Families contracted with Developmental Research and Programs, Inc., to conduct the survey. In addition to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey assesses for attributes of the community, school, family, and individual and peer characteristics that are known to be related to drug use, delinquent behavior, and gang involvement. Appendix B provides a complete list of the risk and protective factors, the corresponding risk and protective factor scales in the survey, and the outcome behaviors measured in the survey. This report describes the administration and state-level preliminary findings of the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey which was administered to selected Florida youth jointly with the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey between December 1999 and February The Florida Youth Survey effort was a collaboration among Florida departments of Health, Education, Children and Families, and Juvenile Justice, and the Florida Office of Drug Control. The Department of Children and Families contracted with Developmental Research and Programs, Inc., to conduct the survey. County-level reports will also be produced. The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) was based on the Communities That Care (CTC) Youth Survey, developed by Developmental Research & Programs, Inc. The CTC Youth Survey provides scientifically sound information to communities on the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, and risk and protective factors among youth. This information is essential to support effective substance abuse needs assessment and service planning and to measure performance outcomes at local and state levels. Risk and protective factors are characteristics of the community, school, and family environments, and individual and peer characteristics of the youth themselves that are known to predict alcohol and other drug use, delinquency, and gang involvement among youth (Hawkins, Catalano and Miller, 1992). Besides measuring risk and protective factors, the CTC Youth Survey also assesses the current prevalence of these problem behaviors in the community. There are 18 risk factors and ten protective factors measured by the CTC Youth Survey. Some of the risk factors are broad enough that they require two separate scales for adequate measurement. As a result, 24 separate risk factor scales are used. Appendix B provides a complete list of the risk and protective factors, the corresponding risk and protective factor scales in the survey, and the outcome behaviors measured in the survey. The CTC Youth Survey was developed from normative data collected between 1994 and 1997 from over 72,000 6 th through 12 th grade students participating in statewide surveys in Kansas,

12 2 Maine, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. An average of four survey items is used to measure each risk and protective factor scale. Reliability for the constructs is good: The average value for Cronbach s was alpha =.79. The survey, its uses, and its ongoing development, are described in two recently published articles that provide a complete report on the survey s development and its psychometric properties (Pollard, Catalano, Hawkins, & Arthur, 1998; Pollard & Lofquist, 1998). Five hundred and eighty schools in 64 counties participated in the survey. The Participating Youth in Florida The Florida Youth Survey 2000 used a two-stage cluster sample design to obtain a representative sample of youth in public middle and high schools. The sampling frame for this survey consisted of all public schools with grades 6 through 12 in any combination, and was built on the sampling frame used by the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey. The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey and the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey were simultaneously administered as part of the Florida Youth Survey 2000 effort. Because counties in Florida vary so widely in size, sample selection methodology varied. The sampling methodology of the survey effort is described in more detail in Appendix A. Table 1 shows the number of surveys received from each of Florida s counties, along with the number of schools that participated, and the overall student population of that county. Five hundred and eighty schools in 64 counties participated in the survey. (Lafayette County participated but surveys were not received in time for inclusion in the state report.) A total of 65,246 surveys were processed. All data reported herein are based on analyses of a valid subset of these cases. The validation procedures are described below. Cases were also weighted by county and grade so as to be reflective of the population distribution in Florida. Thus, some cases were weighted more heavily, and some less heavily, in the analysis so that overall statewide estimates were less biased by the response rate and population size within a given county. Three counties that did participate in the survey administration are excluded from all statewide estimates; however, all counties that participated in the survey will be provided with county-level reports. In Baker, Franklin, and Glade counties, an insufficient number of surveys were available to

13 3 make accurate and stable, weighted estimates for inclusion in the state-level report. Thus, the total number of surveys from these counties did not reach the criteria for inclusion in the statewide sample. Consequently, 61 counties are represented in all of the statewide estimates presented herein. For comparison data regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, data is primarily drawn from the 1999 findings of the Monitoring the Future study. Comparison data for risk and protective factors are drawn from the CTC Six-State Study. The Six- State Study was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, during the years Survey Norms and Comparative Data Comparison data and survey norms for assessing the relative meaning of the youth survey results come from two national surveys of adolescent behavior. For comparison data regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, data are primarily drawn from the 1999 findings of the Monitoring the Future study. For a review of the methodology of this study please see Johnston, O Malley, and Bachman (1999, 2000). This survey, conducted annually by the University of Michigan, is designed to provide alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevalence information on a sample of 8 th, 10 th, and 12 th graders representative of the United States as a whole. For many years, the Monitoring the Future survey has served as the primary reference for determining the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among adolescents in the United States. The Florida Youth Survey, based on the Communities That Care (CTC) Youth Survey, measures alcohol, tobacco and other drug use with the same items used in the Monitoring the Future survey. A limitation of the Monitoring the Future survey, however, is that it does not provide comparison data for youth in the 6 th, 7 th, 9 th, and 11 th grades. Comparison data for risk and protective factors are drawn from the CTC Six-State Study. The Six-State Study was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, during the years This project supported the development of a student survey instrument measuring substance abuse prevalence as well as risk and protective factors predictive of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, delinquency, gang involvement, and other problem behaviors in adolescence. School survey data were collected in five states: Kansas, Maine, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. One other state, Utah, participated in the CTC project, but school survey data were not collected in Utah. Normative data on risk and protective factor prevalence are drawn from the CTC Six-State Study.

14 4 Confidence Intervals Confidence intervals provide a range of values within which the true population value can be found. The level of certainty, in this case, 95%, means that in 95 of 100 times, the true population value will fall within the range of the confidence interval. The confidence intervals calculated for the sample estimates were less than 1.0, indicating that the sample estimates are very close to the true population values. The high precision of the sample estimates is likely due to the following methodological conditions: (a) the final sample size of the survey effort, (b) survey interleaving as described in Appendix A, (c) occurrence of censuses in selected counties, and (d) the required levels of estimates, i.e., confidence intervals of less that 1.0. Based on these conditions, the sample estimates have enough precision for use in policy-level decision making. Three separate strategies were used to assess the validity of the youth selfreport survey data. Data from youth who appeared to exaggerate their substance use and/or who repeatedly responded in logically inconsistent patterns were not included in analysis of the survey findings. The Validity of the Survey Data Three separate strategies were used to assess the validity of the youth self-report survey data. Two eliminate the data of surveyed youth who appear to exaggerate their substance use. In the first strategy, surveyed youth who reported the extreme levels of use for every illicit drug (except marijuana) were eliminated from the survey data set. In the second strategy, surveyed youth are asked whether they ever used a fictitious drug, Derbisol, in their lifetime and in the past 30 days, as well as how old the surveyed youth were when they first, if ever, used Derbisol. If the surveyed youth reported the use of Derbisol on two of these three questions, his or her survey was not included in the analysis of the findings. The third strategy identified surveyed youth who repeatedly reported logically inconsistent patterns of substance use. If, for example, a surveyed youth reported 10 uses of alcohol in the past 30 days, but no use in their lifetime, that logical inconsistency was noted and assessed for the following conditions: (a) they were inconsistent on two out of four of the following substances: alcohol, cigarettes, chewing tobacco and marijuana; or (b) they were inconsistent on five or more of the nine remaining illicit substances. This approach will not eliminate surveyed youth who make occasional clerical mistakes.

15 5 Good cooperation was obtained from Florida youth selected for participation. A total of 62,146 youth (95.2% of 65,246) completed valid survey forms. Only 49.5% of Florida s surveyed youth selfidentified as White, Non- Hispanic. Almost equal proportions identified themselves as either African-American (19.2%) or Latino/ Hispanic (17%). Approximately 11% selfidentified as Other, indicating other racial/ethnic groups such as Haitians, or multiracial groups. These three strategies have been shown to consistently identify most surveys that were completed in a random fashion, those that were not taken seriously, and/or those that are not valid for other reasons. Good cooperation was obtained from Florida youth selected for participation. A total of 62,146 youth (95.2% of 65,246) completed valid survey forms. This level of cooperation is typical of most survey efforts based on the CTC Youth Survey. Over three thousand youth (3,100, or 4.8%) were identified by one or more of the three strategies described above as providing invalid survey results and were excluded from further analysis. Of the surveyed youth eliminated, 1,280 exaggerated illicit drug use (strategy 1), 2,229 reported the use of Derbisol (strategy 2), and 2,076 were identified because of logical inconsistencies in their answers (strategy 3). The three strategies sum to more than 3,100 because many of these youth were identified by more than one strategy. Demographics The estimated demographic make-up of the population is presented in Table 2. Note that the weighting of the data by grade and county reduced the total count from 62,146 to 61,046. This does not mean that 1,100 participants were dropped from the data analysis; rather, the application of different weight factors, based on grade and county population numbers, results in a total count of 61,046. Throughout this report, results are reported individually by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade level. Results for Overall Middle School and Overall High School are subtotals for grades 6-8 and 9-12, respectively. The sample population has a slightly higher proportion of females (51.9%) than males (48.1%). The distribution of age and grade are consistent, with an increasingly smaller percentage of older students and students in later grades. This can be attributed to dropout rates as well as to the larger percentage of students in later grades with irregular attendance (e.g., split work/school schedule). Although some surveyed youth report their age as 10 or 19, proportions of these youth are markedly smaller relative to the other age groups. That is, only 0.2% (n=108) of surveyed youth reported as being 10 years old, and only 0.6% (n=346) of surveyed youth reported being 19 years old. Accurate and stable

16 6 Less than half of surveyed youth report coming from two-parent families, and almost 15% did not report English as their primary language. Less than half of surveyed Hispanic youth reported English as their primary language. Just over half (52.6%) of Florida s surveyed youth have used alcohol in their lifetime, and about one-third (31%) are current users. Six percent more eight graders in Florida reported current alcohol use than did eighth graders in the Monitoring the Future study (30.0% vs. 24.0%). Of surveyed youth in high school, 23.3% reported binge drinking (i.e., 5 or more drinks in one sitting) in the past two weeks. estimates are not possible with such relatively small numbers of surveyed youth. Thus, analysis by age is limited to youth between the ages of 11 and 18. Table 2 also shows the percentage estimates of the ethnic breakdown of Florida s youth. The highest proportion are selfidentified as White, non-hispanic (49.5%) or African-American (19.2%). Almost 17% identified themselves as Latino/Hispanic. Note that approximately 11% of surveyed youth were classified as Other. This may include youth of Latino/Hispanic descent who identify as Latino/White or Latino/Black, or it may include other ethnic groups such as Haitians. A variety of family characteristics of the surveyed youth are reported in Table 3. Almost half of the surveyed youth (49.4%) came from two-parent families. Another 44.3% came from oneparent families, and the remainder of the surveyed youth were living with an adult other than their parents. Table 3 also shows the language spoken at home was most often English (85.7%). The average family size for surveyed youth was 4.7 members a number that varied only slightly between the sexes, the ethnic groups, or the age/grade cohorts. Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Inhalants Results for alcohol, tobacco and other drug involvement are presented for two prevalence periods: lifetime and past 30 days. For alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, cocaine, crack cocaine, and alcohol or any illicit drug, results of past 30-day use are further detailed to present the number of occasions the substance was used in the past 30 days. Lifetime prevalence is defined as any occurrence of use throughout the life of the respondent. Thirtyday prevalence is defined as any occurrence of use in the past 30 days. The lifetime prevalence rate is the best measure of experimentation while 30-day prevalence rate is a good measure of current use. Number of occasions used in the past month is a good measure of regular abuse or dependence. Direct comparisons with national data from the Monitoring the Future study (Johnston, O Malley, & Bachman, 1999, 2000) are presented in Table 4. Note that only drugs that were directly comparable across studies are included in Table 4. As is typical for almost all adolescent populations, alcohol is the most widely used substance (see Table 5). Just over half (52.6%) of Florida s youth have used alcohol in their lifetime.

17 7 Both lifetime and 30 day cigarette use among Florida s surveyed youth is lower than the national rates reported by Monitoring the Future. While many of Florida s youth are currently using marijuana (11.2% overall), the rate is lower than would be expected based on national trends.. The lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol ranges from 26.2% in 6 th grade to 76.6% in 12 th grade. Overall, lifetime use of alcohol is slightly lower than Monitoring the Future s grade-level findings for 10 th and 12 th grade and approximately equal in the 8 th grade (see Table 4). Current use was also assessed. Almost one-third (31.0%) of Florida s youth have used alcohol in the past 30 days. Over half (51.2%) of Florida s 12 th grade youth used alcohol in the past month. These rates are comparable to the Monitoring the Future grade-level findings for 10 th and 12 th grade students, with a significant exception. Compared to Monitoring the Future, a higher percentage of eighth grade students in Florida reported 30- day use of alcohol (24.0% versus 30.0%) (see Table 4). Finally, results from survey questions related to binge drinking (defined as consumption of five or more drinks in one sitting within the past two weeks) show that 8.8% of middle school students and 23.3% of high school students have binged in the last two weeks. The binge drinking rate ranged from 4.3% in 6 th grade to 28.9% in 12 th grade. Tobacco (cigarettes and chewing tobacco) is usually the next most commonly used substance among adolescents on the national level; this is true in Florida as well (see Table 7). Lifetime prevalence of cigarette use for surveyed youth ranges from 18.4% in 6 th grade to a high of 55.6% in 12 th grade. For 30- day use of cigarettes, use ranges from 4.9% in 6 th grade to a high of 24.4% in the 12 th grade. Overall, 39.7% of the surveyed youth have used cigarettes sometime in their lifetime and 15.3% reported using cigarettes in the past 30 days. Both lifetime and 30-day cigarette use among Florida s surveyed youth is lower than the national rates reported by Monitoring the Future. There was relatively low use of smokeless tobacco compared to cigarette use (see Table 7). This is often true of school-age populations. Use of smokeless tobacco by surveyed youth was generally lower than the grade level results in the Monitoring the Future data (see Table 4). Nationally, marijuana use has been rising or remaining stable over the last five years for middle and high school students (Johnston, O Malley, & Bachman, 2000). In their lifetime, about 22.3% of Florida s youth have used marijuana, with use ranging from 3.3% in the 6 th grade to 44.2% in 12 th grade (see Table 8). Thirty-day use of marijuana was 11.2%

18 8 Lifetime inhalant use by Florida s youth was lower than national findings. For current, or past 30-day, use, however, Florida youth reported slightly higher than Monitoring the Future rates for inhalant use in 8 th and 10 th grades Males were slightly more likely than females (17.4% versus 14.0%) to have engaged in binge drinking. A larger proportion of males than females had tried marijuana in their lifetime (24.6% versus 20.2%). across all grades with 1.6% of 6 th graders and 20.7% of 12 th graders reporting use in the past 30 days. Overall, lifetime and the past 30-day use of marijuana is lower than use reported in the Monitoring the Future study. While many of Florida s youth are currently using marijuana (11.2% overall), the rate is lower than would be expected based on national trends. Inhalant use by Florida s youth was also lower than national findings (see Table 4). As Table 10 illustrates, lifetime prevalence of inhalant use peaks slightly in the middle school years for surveyed youth. This is a common pattern for inhalant use, which typically increases rapidly through middle school and then declines in high school. Students in this sample demonstrate slightly higher than Monitoring the Future rates for recent (30- day) inhalant use in 8 th and 10 th grades. However, across the board, lifetime prevalence is lower than the prevalence reported by Monitoring the Future (see Table 4). Overall, use of the most common substances alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants by Florida s surveyed youth was at levels that mirror, or slightly differ, from the current national trends as reported by Monitoring the Future. One exception is alcohol involvement by 8 th grade students. As stated earlier, 30.1% of Florida s surveyed eighth graders reported past 30-day use of alcohol compared to 24% of eighth-graders in the Monitoring the Future study. Additionally, Florida shares a serious youth alcohol abuse problem with the rest of the nation. It is, by far, the most frequently abused substance sampled. By the 6 th grade, 11.7% of Florida s youth report past month use, increasing to over half (51.2%) of 12 th grade youth. The prevalence increases as the grade level increases. This finding highlights the need to target prevention of underage alcohol use to elementary school youth as well as to middle and high school youth. Analysis by Sex Findings for all drugs are also broken down by sex. In terms of alcohol involvement, few differences between males and females are apparent (see Tables 5). Males were slightly more likely than females (17.4% versus 14.0%) to have engaged in binge drinking (i.e., had five or more drinks in one sitting in the last two weeks). Rates of cigarette use were also consistent for

19 9 American Indian youth reported slightly higher rates of lifetime and 30- day use of inhalants compared to other groups. They also reported the highest prevalence of binge drinking. The lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol use among African-American youth is 39.5% while for White, non-hispanic youth it is 58.7%. males and females. Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco, however, was indicated by 18.1% of males and only 6.5% of females. Additionally, males reported more current use of smokeless tobacco (7.3% versus 2.4%) (see Table 7). A larger proportion of males than females had tried marijuana in their lifetime (24.6% versus 20.2%, see Table 8). Similarly, a larger proportion of males were current users of marijuana (13.0% versus 9.6%). In terms of lifetime and 30-day use of inhalants, males and females in the sample reported involvement at approximately the same rate (see Table 10). Analysis by Race/Ethnicity Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug involvement can also be examined by ethnicity. White, non-hispanic youth reported the highest prevalence rates both lifetime and 30-day use for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana (see Tables 5-9). However, American Indian youth reported slightly higher rates of lifetime and 30-day use of inhalants compared to other groups. They also reported the highest prevalence of binge drinking. Compared to any of the other national ethnic groups, African- American youth have lower lifetime and past 30-day use for all substances sampled. The lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol use among African-American youth is 39.5% while for White, non- Hispanic youth it is 58.7% (see Table 5). These data are consistent with national trends that show that African-American youth are among the least involved with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (Johnston, O Malley & Bachman, 2000). Use of Other Illicit Drugs Tables 12 through 21 show the percentage of Florida youth reporting the use of illicit drugs other than marijuana and inhalants (LSD, cocaine, crack cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, other narcotics, depressants, and steroids) by sex, ethnicity/race, age, and grade. As with previous data, usage is reported for two time periods: lifetime and in the past 30 days. As expected, the rates of use for individual illicit drugs were much lower than overall illicit drug use rates. This is also true of the national comparison data. Lower levels of use for specific illicit drugs (10% or less) are typical of adolescent populations.

20 10 The prevalence rate of illicit drug use in the past 30 days more than doubles when marijuana is included as an illicit drug. In Florida, 11.3% of surveyed 12 th graders reported past 30-day use of any illicit drug other than marijuana. That rate increases considerably, to 24.0%, when marijuana use is added. Also, the use of illicit drugs (other than inhalants) tends to be concentrated in the upper grade levels. These patterns are present in the data reflecting Florida s student population (see Tables 12 21). Given that use rates of specific drugs in this category are low, it is useful to consider them in aggregate. Table 19 contains sample estimates for Any Illicit Drug Use and Any Illicit Drug Use Other Than Marijuana. The Any Illicit Drug Use category includes use of Marijuana, Inhalants, Hashish, LSD, Methamphetamines, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Steroids, Heroin, Other Narcotics, and Barbiturates. Thus, if a student reports use of any one of these substances regardless of use of any of the other drugs he or she would be classified as having used Any Illicit Drug. The other category provided on Table 19, Any Illicit Drug Use Other Than Marijuana, does not exclude marijuana users; rather, marijuana is simply not considered when calculating the prevalence rates. Thus, these rates represent the use of specific illicit drugs over and above the use of marijuana. Consequently, rates are much lower. The difference in these two rates reflects the percentage of students who use marijuana exclusively. In Florida, 9.8% of students have used an illicit substance other than marijuana in the last 30 days: 7.7% of middle school students and 10.4% of high school students (see Table 19). This rate peaks in the 12 th grade at 11.3%. Thus, 11.3% of Florida s 12 th grade students have used Inhalants, Hashish, LSD, Methamphetamines, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Steroids, Heroin, other Narcotics or Barbiturates in the last 30 days. Adding marijuana use into that rate brings it up to 24% for 12 th grade students. The percentage of surveyed youth reporting the lifetime use of any illicit drug (including marijuana) rises from 12.1% in the 6 th grade to 47.2% in the 12 th grade. Overall, 30.2% of surveyed youth reported the use of at least one illicit drug in their lifetime. Of the surveyed youth, 15.8% reported the use of an illicit drug in the past 30 days. These rates, when cross-tabulated with grade, are similar to the data from the Monitoring the Future study. Use rates of these drugs are low; however, any use of these extremely dangerous drugs is an important consideration in planning and developing prevention programs.

21 11 Although 15.8% of surveyed youth reported past 30-day use of any illicit drug, that rate more than doubles to 35% for surveyed youth who report past 30-day use of alcohol or any illicit drug. The findings that stand out among surveyed youth are the percentage reporting that they have Attacked Someone with Intention of Hurting (15.3%), have been Suspended from School (14.7%), or have been Drunk or High at School (12.2) in the last 12 months. Use of Alcohol Only and Alcohol or Any Illicit Drug Table 20 shows the lifetime and current use prevalence of alcohol only, and alcohol or any illicit drug use. These rates are categorized by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade level. Just over 14% of all surveyed youth reported using only alcohol no other drugs in the past 30 days. More females than males (15.0% vs. 13.2%) reported alcohol only use in the past 30 days, and surveyed Latino/Hispanic youth reported the highest rate of alcohol only use at 18.2%. Alcohol or any illicit drug use is defined by assessing whether surveyed youth reported alcohol use or use of any one of the other drugs (e.g., marijuana, inhalants). The prevalence rates presented in Table 20 represent the proportion of surveyed youth who have used in the past 30 days. Although 15.8% of surveyed youth reported past 30-day use of any illicit drug (see Table 18), that rate more than doubles to 35% for surveyed youth who report past 30-day use of alcohol or any illicit drug. Racial/ethnic differences were evident in the overall 30-day use rate of alcohol or any illicit drug: The rate was almost twice as high for White, non-hispanic surveyed youth as it was for African-American surveyed youth (40.0% vs. 23.0%). The prevalence rates presented in Table 22 provide frequency of use in the past 30 days. Prevalence of Antisocial Behavior Eight anti-social behaviors are assessed with the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. Information on antisocial behavior is only collected for one prevalence period, the past 12 months. See Tables 23 and 24 for specific findings as well as sex, race/ethnicity, age, and grade breakdowns of these findings. The findings that stand out among surveyed youth are the percentage reporting that they have Attacked Someone with Intention of Hurting, have been Suspended from School, or have been Drunk or High at School in the last 12 months with 15.3%, 14.7%, and 12.2% reporting, respectively. School suspension rates are difficult to interpret because school suspension policies vary substantially from district to district, so these rates should be viewed with caution. However, the other two problem behaviors are legitimate targets for prevention and intervention efforts given their relatively high rates.

22 12 Almost 15% of Florida s youth across grade levels indicate that they have attacked another person with intent to harm. Twice as many males as females reported carrying a gun in the neighborhood, taking a gun to school, and being suspended from school. Slightly less than half the percentage of African- American youth reported being drunk or high at school, compared to their White, non- Hispanic counterparts. In contrast, the percentage of African- American youth who reported being suspended from school in the past year was twice the percentage of White, Non-Hispanic youth. Analysis by Age/Grade The 12-month prevalence of a variety of delinquent behaviors increases with grade and, consequently, age. For instance, adolescents who report being drunk or high at school peaks in the 11 th grade at 20.6% and it is quite low during the middle school years (6.9% overall) (see Table 24). One of the delinquent behaviors that seems unrelated to age is attacked someone with intent to harm them. This prevalence rate is stable across age/grade cohorts. However, it should be noted that the underlying definition of this behavior may change over time. What it means for a 6 th grade student to attack another student with intent to harm is probably qualitatively different from what it means to a 12 th grade student. Regardless of its underlying definition, the fact that around 15% of Florida s youth across grade levels indicate that they have attacked another person with intent to harm in the past 12 months is an important finding. Analysis by Sex There are substantial differences between the sexes among these delinquent behaviors. In fact, males were more likely to indicate that they had committed all eight anti-social behaviors. These results are not surprising the literature on delinquency indicates that males are more involved in delinquent behavior than are females (Steffensmeier & Allan, 1995). This difference was particularly pronounced for carrying a gun in the neighborhood, taking a gun to school, and being suspended from school. In each case, about twice as many males as females reported the behavior. Analysis by Race/Ethnicity A number of sizeable ethnic differences can be seen in the data on delinquency. Reports of being drunk at school were lowest among African-American students a finding that is consistent with both the alcohol findings from this survey and Monitoring the Future (Johnston, O Malley, & Bachman, 2000). In fact, slightly less than half the percentage of African-American youth reported being drunk at school compared to their White, non-hispanic classmates (7.4% versus 14.6%, respectively) (see Table 24).

23 13 Risk factors are individual and environmental characteristics that are known to increase the likelihood that a youth will engage in one or more problem behaviors. For example, the existence of laws and norms favorable to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Protective factors are individual and environmental characteristics that are known to decrease the likelihood that a youth will engage in problem behaviors. For example, strong positive attachment or bonding to parents reduces the risk of an adolescent engaging in problem behaviors. Considerably higher proportions of African-American youth and American Indian youth reported having carried a handgun in their neighborhood in the past 12 months compared to White, non-hispanic youth: 4.7% of African American and 5.0% of American Indian surveyed youth reported this behavior compared to 3.9% of White, non-hispanic youth (see Table 23). Of surveyed youth who reported selling illegal drugs in the past 12 months, 7.1% were American Indian and 6.5% were White, non-hispanic. The other ethnic groups reported rates of this behavior at 5% or less (see Table 23). As can be seen on Table 24, the percentage of African- American students reporting that they had been suspended from school was twice that of White, non-hispanic youth (23.3% versus 11.2%). The two highest proportion of surveyed youth reporting having attacked someone with the intent to harm them in the past 12 months was among African-American youth at 19.1% and American Indian youth at 17.9%. Risk and Protective Factor Profile of Florida Students Research during the past 30 years supports the view that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, delinquency, school achievement, and other important outcomes in adolescence, are associated with specific aspects of the youth s community, school, family environments, and individual characteristics. These aspects are called risk or protective factors. Risk factors are characteristics that are known to increase the likelihood that a youth will engage in one or more problem behaviors. For example, a risk factor in the community environment is the existence of Laws and Norms Favorable to Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use. In those communities where there is acceptance or tolerance of drug use, youth are more likely to engage in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Protective factors are characteristics in the youth s community, school, family, and individual environments that are known to decrease the likelihood that a youth will engage in problem behaviors. For example, strong positive attachment or bonding to parents reduces the risk of an adolescent engaging in problem behaviors. The analysis of risk and protective factors is the most powerful paradigm available for understanding the genesis of both positive and negative adolescent behavioral outcomes. This analysis can