DRUG-PREVENTION COALITIONS TURNING TIDES IN ORANGE COUNTY

Orange County is pulling its weight in the statewide march toward Gov. Jeb
Bush's goal of cutting substance abuse in half in Florida by 2005.
According to the 2002 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) -- the
most extensive survey of its type in the nation -- Orange County's
sixth-through 12th-graders are increasingly making the right choices. Among
the findings:

Alcohol use begins to decline: Alcohol use dropped for the first time in
years. We still have further to go to reach our goal of 20 percent or less
use by 2005. Current use is at 26.8 percent; it was 32 percent in 2000.

Marijuana use on steady decline: Marijuana use has gone down, as well. In
the past two years, it has declined from 12.3 percent to 10.2 percent, our
goal by 2005 being 8 percent or less.

Cigarette use exceeding goal: Our youth have raced past the state's 2005
goal of 14 percent. This rate has dropped from 16.7 percent in 2000 to 9
percent in 2002. The state has surpassed this goal, also. We will now
revise our objective to an even lower level.

All other drug use down dramatically: Our youth have moved away from
traditional drugs of abuse: heroin (0.1 percent use), crack cocaine (0.1
percent), cocaine (0.8 percent), and methamphetamine (0.7 percent). Even
Ecstasy use is down to 1.4 percent.

What is the key to success?

Commitment to drug-prevention efforts by local prevention coalitions. The
Orange County Coalition for a Drug Free Community has led the efforts to
educate parents and children about the harmful effects of substance abuse.
This coalition includes Orange County Public Schools' SAFE programs, the
Department of Children & Families, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Mental Health
Office, the University of Central Florida, drug-treatment organizations and
youth organizations. Leadership provided by Orange County Chairman Richard
Crotty and the coalition board members in their respective roles in the
community have made an impact, as well. These organizations working
together have published literature and conducted community efforts using
videos and television to educate parents and teens on the harmful effects
of drug abuse. In addition, they have funded the juvenile drug court for
family counselors and have been involved with community fairs and events
that present antidrug messages.

Nearly 63,000 sixth-through 12th-graders in public schools are surveyed in
the state of Florida annually to measure youth attitudes and behavior
patterns in regard to substance abuse. Each percent drop in decreased drug
use indicated 25,000 fewer teens using drugs. The general rule is that
where antidrug coalitions are in place, drug use is going down.

Why has Florida seen declining drug-use numbers while the rest of the
nation's usage rates are going up? Because our approach to the systemic
drug problem our nation faces has differed from other states. Gov. Bush
focused the state effort on prevention, education and treatment. Clearly,
prevention is the key to reducing the demand for illegal drugs, and it
begins with our youth. Throughout his term in office, the governor has
expanded the state's annual treatment and prevention budget by more than 30
percent, doubled the number of drug courts (which stress treatment in lieu
of incarceration for more than 11,000 non-violent first-time drug offenders
a year), visited countless treatment and prevention centers, and led the
rallying cry of concerned parents and neighborhoods to turn their children
away from drug abuse and bring help to the afflicted.

For those who are already caught up in drug addiction, the answer, whenever
possible, is treatment. That is why the governor has increased treatment
funding in Florida by $50 million in additional state and federal funds and
increased the number of people in state supported treatment by 38 percent,
to total of 140,845. Drug courts, which offer treatment in lieu of
incarceration for non-violent offenders charged with a drug offense, have
doubled in the past three years. In the end, we seek to return those drug
abusers to productive citizenship free of their addiction.

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James R. McDonough is the director of the Florida Office of Drug Control.
To view county and statewide results of the Florida Youth Substance Abuse
Survey, log onto www.myflorida. com/drugcontrol.