Drug use among Florida kids continues to decline in most categories, but rates for prescription drug abuse remain largely unfazed, according to this survey released today by Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp.

On the up side: Cigarette smoking by middle and high school students is down by half since 2000, and binge drinking is down by 4 percent.

On the down side: 4.5 percent of high school seniors reported abusing prescription pain relievers in the past 30 days, and 3.8 percent said they abused prescription depressants. Also, 4.9 percent of middle school students said they used over-the-counter drugs to get high, a higher rate than for any illegal drug except marijuana.

For county results, click here for Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando.

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

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