Pubdate: Wed, 13 Nov 2002
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2002 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Section: 'My Word'
Author: James R. McDonough
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Jeb+Bush (Bush, Jeb)

DRUG PREVENTION WORKS IN FLORIDA

Florida has recently experienced a tremendous victory in drug-prevention 
efforts. Our children are showing a reversal of trends that show increased 
drug use nationwide by consistently rejecting drug use for a third 
consecutive year.

In this year's Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, nearly 63,000 
sixth-through 12th-graders reported significant declines in drug use and 
alcohol and tobacco use as well. Each percent drop in decreased drug use 
indicated 25,000 fewer teens using drugs.

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. Jeb Bush 
has identified that much of the effort to bring down drug abuse should be 
focused on prevention, education and treatment, with prevention being the 
strategic linchpin of the entire strategy. What the research shows is that 
children who grow to adulthood without abusing drugs, smoking tobacco and 
drinking alcohol are highly unlikely to develop an addiction problem later 
in life. The solution, then, is to keep as many children free from 
substance abuse as we can, an outcome we are achieving.

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 addictions, 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 a 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.

This week, Orlando is host to the 16th annual Statewide Drug Prevention 
Conference, where more than 1,000 participants from federal and state 
government, public and private organizations, community coalitions and 
involved youth will gather to discuss the effectiveness of current 
prevention strategies and learn and share new methods and ideas. 
Participants will take part in workshops, discussions and activities in 
which the constant free flow of ideas will lead to innovative and effective 
means to continue prevention efforts.

James R. McDonough is the director of the Florida Office of Drug Control.
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