Substance Use Prevention

  You probably see and hear a lot about alcohol - from TV, movies, music, social media, and your friends. But what are the real facts? Although media images may try to convince us that "everyone" is drinking, most young people don’t drink alcohol. As you can see from this poster, 94% of BCPS students didn't drink alcohol in the last 30 days. Additionally, the continuing decline of underage alcohol use is confirmed by multiple surveys across all regions of Florida over the past decade. (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey). But even with this healthy trend, alcohol continues to be the most frequently observed substance in drug-related deaths in Florida. Learn more!

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  Marijuana, Grass, Herb, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Skunk, Weed, Boom, Bud, Chronic, Gangster, Ganja, Kif, MJ, whatever you call it, most students think it stinks. Although media images may try to convince us that "everyone" is doing it, when anonymously surveyed, it turns out, most don’t. According to the latest Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) report, 4 out of 5 young people surveyed didn’t use marijuana in the last month. Learn more.

  Prescription drugs can help, but if misused can also hurt. Although there have been historic declines in alcohol use, binge drinking, and cigarette smoking among Florida middle and high school students, the opposite is happening with the opioid epidemic; it continues to worsen dramatically in Florida and across the nation. Most teens say they haven’t taken a prescription drug without having a prescription, but sadly the few who do are taking a much greater risk than they realize. Learn more!

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We have seen historic declines in alcohol use, binge drinking, and cigarette smoking among Florida’s middle and high school students. Cigarette smoking is at an all-time low with only 1.0% of Floridians ages 12-17 currently smoking. E-cigarette use by youth has decreased, too. Although most (about 9 out of 10) students ages 11-17 haven’t used electronic cigarettes in the last 30 days, we continue to see a decrease. In 2022, 3.3% of middle school students reported they had used E-cigarettes in the last 30 days and 14.4% for high school students.  

E-cigarettes continue to be the most commonly used tobacco product among young people, however it is declining.  Our youth are becoming aware of the dangers of vaping and are making good choices to stay healthy.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or vaping of e-cigarettes among youth has become a national epidemic.

To provide greater awareness regarding the prevention and intervention resources, Broward County Public Schools has developed a tiered curriculum structure for students.