Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse, Inc. |
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SCoSA promotes Substance Abuse Free Environments [SAFE] | |
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| About SCoSA | Community Initiatives | SAFE | Member Partners | Resource Center | Teen/Youth | SCoSA News | | |
Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse, Inc. |
|
SCoSA promotes Substance Abuse Free Environments [SAFE] | |
|
| About SCoSA | Community Initiatives | SAFE | Member Partners | Resource Center | Teen/Youth | SCoSA News | | |
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ATOD Core Measures |
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SCoSA is tracking the following data:
The data reported is gathered from either the State of Florida or the County of Sarasota data sources.
2004 FYSAS Report
Chart 1: Average age of onset remains stable.
Past-30-day prevalence of use (whether the student has used the drug within the last month) is a good measure of current use. In addition to the past-30-day prevalence rates for alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana use, binge drinking behavior (defined as a report of five or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks) is also measured. Data demonstrates the need for underage drinking prevention strategies and increased prevention/intervention for high school students. Chart 2: Reveals a steady increase in alcohol use by youth in high school students despite decline in middle school student use. There in a consistent decline in cigarette use by youth across ages. There is a fluctuation in marijuana use by youth in high school despite slight decline in middle school student use.
Chart 3: Reveals a substantial decline in the use Amphetamines, Depressants and OxyContin® by youth in high school students but Other Prescription Pain Relievers use remains stable.
Chart 4: Reveals dramatic increase in substance use by youth between middle and high school students.
Perception of risk is an important determinant in the decision-making process young people goes through when deciding whether or not to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. Evidence also suggests that the perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with drug use sometimes serve as a leading indicator of future drug use patterns in a community. Data demonstrates the need for reinforcement of key principles of prevention materials taught in middle school to be carried forth into high school curriculum.
Chart 5: Reveals an increase in the perception of risk in middle school but it declines dramatically
as youth
age. The decline is most striking in alcohol and marijuana. Peer Approval: In addition to perceived risk of harm, expectations of how one’s peer group might react has an impact on whether or not young people choose to use drugs. Data demonstrates percentage of students who said that there is a “pretty good” or “very good” chance that they would be seen as cool if they smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol regularly or smoked marijuana. Relatively few of the surveyed students reported that drug use would be approved by peers.
Chart 6: Reveals the trend for alcohol and marijuana is in a negative direction. In high school there has been an increase in the acceptance of use despite the decline that occurred in middle school.
Antisocial Behaviors Chart 12:
Chart 13:
Chart 14:
Risk and Protective Factors The analysis of risk and protective factors is the most powerful tool available for understanding what promotes both positive and negative adolescent behavior and for helping design successful prevention programs for young people. Factors are divided into four domains: community, school, family, and peer/individual. A student’s risk or protective factor scale score is expressed as a number ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 50, which matches the median for the comparison database, indicates that 50% of the respondents in this comparative sample reported a higher score and 50% reported a lower score.
Risk factors are conditions that increase the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug use, delinquency, school dropout and/or violence. There are 21 risk factors. Data shows the nine most elevated risk factors. In 2002, across the 21 risk factor scales range from a low of 40 to a high of 64, with an average score of 51, one point higher than the average for the state of Florida as a whole. The two most elevated risk factor scales are the community domain. While policies that target any risk factor could potentially be an important resource for students in Sarasota County, the high scores on these two scales suggest that directing prevention programming in these areas could be especially beneficial. Chart 8: Reveals risk factors at alarming high rates and rising in five of the nine areas.
Chart 9: Reveals a noticeable differentiation between middle and high school risk factors. Ideally, we would strive to maintain scores reflected in middle school students perceptions with the exception of those in the community domain. Protective factors, which can be considered assets, are conditions that buffer children and youth from exposure to risk by either reducing the impact of the risks or changing the way that young people respond to risks. In 2002, scores across the nine protective factor scales range from a low of 41 to a high of 52. The most suppressed protective factor scales are Community Rewards for Prosocial Involvement and School Rewards for Prosocial Involvement. While policies that target any protective factor could potentially be an important resource for students in Sarasota County, focusing prevention planning on this action could be especially beneficial. Chart 10:
Chart 11:
Community Crime The following graphs represent the number or rate of referrals per 100,000 of the population, for adults over 18 years old. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) Graph 1: Adult DUI Arrests
Graph 2: Adult Drug Arrests
Graph 3: Adult Violent Crimes
Graph 4: Adult Non-Violent Crimes
Graph 5: Domestic Violence |
