Sarasota and Manatee counties are highest in the state for underage drinking and opioid-related deaths. National Institute of Drug Abuse research indicates that 15 percent of students are addicted to drugs or alcohol while still in high school.
That means some 150 in every 1,000 high school students in Sarasota and Manatee counties may be at risk for death before age 20.
An even larger population, however, is affected. Students addicted to drugs or alcohol in high school, then heading to college, create an environment where the mental health, safety and security of the entire student body is at risk.
