According to the 2021 Florida Substance Abuse Survey, nearly 1/3 of surveyed Florida students (6th-12th grade) reported at least one instance of illicit drug use in their lifetime. Nearly 40% of youth, ages 12-18, report that the source of their most recent misuse of prescription pain relievers was a friend or relative. On a national level, the CDC recently found 1 out of 7 high school students reported misuse of prescription opioids at least once in their lifetimes.
In Florida, according to the annual Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, thankfully, there has been a decrease in the past 12 years of Florida students taking prescription pain relievers without a prescription, with only 0.8% of students now reporting ‘Past-30-Day Prevalence’ misuse.
Children and even young adults are particularly susceptible to drug abuse and addiction because their brains are still developing. While drug abuse and addiction affects all groups and ages, we must be particularly vigilant in protecting youth from what could otherwise be a terrible lifetime of addiction and relapse that starts with prescription drug misuse and abuse.