• Five people in Florida die every day as a direct result of prescription drug overdoses, including from hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin) and oxycodone (e.g. Oxycontin)
  [Florida Medical Examiners]
  
  
• Opiate-related deaths in Florida have climbed sharply (from 869 deaths in 2000 to 3,155 in 2007) while heroin-related deaths have declined (276 deaths in 2000 vs. 110 in 2007)
  [Florida Medical Examiners]
  
  
• Deaths related to prescription pain opioids (such as methadone, hydrocodone and oxycodone) among Broward County residents ages 12-65+ have increased 14% in 2007, despite a 14% decline in the consumption rate over the past two years
  [Florida’s Drug Epidemiology Networks]
  
  
• Deaths related to prescription benzodiazepine use among Broward County high school students have increased 9% in 2007, despite a 33% decrease in usage rates
  [Florida’s Drug Epidemiology Networks]
  
  
• The top 25 dispensing practitioners of oxycodone in the U.S. from January through June 2008 were located in five Florida counties – Broward (3.4 million units dispensed), Palm Beach (852,800 units), Miami-Dade (393,900 units), Hillsborough (126,900 units) and Manatee (116,800)
  [Office of National Drug Policy]
  
  
• Among Florida adolescents, both lifetime and past-30-day prevalence rates for prescription pain relievers (8% and 3.2%, respectively) and depressants (6% and 2.1%, respectively) were higher than for all other illicit drugs, except marijuana and inhalants
  [2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS)]
  
  

Alcohol

• Florida youth have higher rates of alcohol use than the national average
  [Florida Department of Children & Families]
  
  
• The estimated cost of underage drinking in Florida in 2007 was $3.073 billion (180 youth deaths and 71,602 injuries and other events)
  [Florida Department of Children & Families]
  
  
• Six counties accounted for more than half of the total estimated cost of underage drinking – Miami-Dade (15%), Broward (8.4%), Palm Beach (7.26%), Orange (7.51%), Hillsborough (6.7%) and Duval (6.7%)
  [Florida Department of Children & Families]
  
  
• The majority of students surveyed in Florida in 2008 (53.2%) have used alcohol on at least one occasion in their lifetimes, although current use is substantially lower. Almost 30% reported using alcohol in the past 30 days
  [2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey]
  
  
• In Florida, females ages 11 to 18 were more likely than males to report past 30-day alcohol use (30.6% vs. 29%) and lifetime use of alcohol (54.9% vs. 51.5%). Males ages 11 to 18 were more likely to report binge drinking, which is defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row in the past two weeks (15.6% vs. 14%)
  [2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey]
  
  

More Florida Substance Abuse Statistics

• In Florida in 2008, there were 48,948 substance abuse treatment admissions, 7,945 for alcohol only, 5,773 for alcohol and a secondary drug, 6,015 for cocaine (smoked), 3,244 for cocaine (other route), 15,154 for marijuana, 1,119 for heroin and 4,885 for opiates
  [Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)]
  
  
• The presence of prescription benzodiazepines and narcotics (1,173 in 2004 vs. 1,426 in 2007) and cocaine (441 in 2004 vs. 633 in 2007) found in deceased persons in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach rose, while the presence of heroin (83 in 2004 vs. 40 in 2007) declined
  [South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009]
  
  
• Drug-related violence and property crime is a common occurrence in South Florida as distributors – particularly street gang members – protect their distribution territories and abusers seek money to sustain their addictions
  [South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009]