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Newsbrief:
Kids
Are
Consuming
More
Alcohol,
Cigarettes,
Cocaine,
but
Are
Less
Reckless,
Says
CDC
7/5/02
At least they aren't shooting
us. The Center for Disease Control last week released its latest annual
survey of "youth risk behavior," and the findings reveal a youth population
still eager to experiment with alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs, but
more likely to buckle up behind the wheel and less likely to be packing
heat.
The survey found that almost
one out of ten high school students had used cocaine and 4.2% had used
within the past 30 days, marking a dramatic increase in high school cocaine
use over the past decade. Heroin, methamphetamine, steroid and injection
drug usage also rose, while marijuana use decreased slightly since last
year.
On the other hand, the report
found that students were wearing seat belts more often, riding with a driver
who had consumed alcohol less often and carrying weapons less often.
Fewer teenagers have had sex, yet more are wearing condoms, though condom
use stopped rising in 1999.
The trade-off between increased
high school drug use and decreased levels of violent or reckless behavior
could save teenage lives. The CDC identified the four most likely
causes of death for those aged 10 to 25 years of age as motor-vehicle crashes,
other intentional injuries, homicide and suicide. Though suicide
rates remain steady, the increase in seat-belt use and decrease in riding
with a drunk driver are likely to reduce fatalities due to motor-vehicle
crashes and the decrease in violent behavior will likely mean fewer homicides.
The most recent available data, from 1999, suggest that use of all legal
and illegal drugs other than alcohol contributes to less than 1% of all
deaths in the United States. That rate doubles, however, when alcohol
is included.
Visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5104a1.htm
to read the CDC report online.
-- END --
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Issue #244, 7/5/02
Bolivian Voters Tell US to Butt Out: Coca Grower Leader Morales Emerges as Presidential Kingmaker | Unitarian Drug Stand Draws Favorable Response from West Virginia Paper | British Columbia Marijuana Activists Celebrate 4th of July by Burning US Flag in Protest of Local DEA office | Newsbrief: Kids Are Consuming More Alcohol, Cigarettes, Cocaine, but Are Less Reckless, Says CDC | Newsbrief: Eighty Marines and Sailors Convicted of Using, Selling Drugs | Newsbrief: No Honor Among Thieves -- Informant Sues FBI for His Cut of Forfeitures | Newsbrief: More Complications in Epis Case | Newsbrief: Drug Czar Declares War on Kingpins, Casual Users | Newsbrief: US to Resume Airplane Shootdown Program | Newsbrief: Report Says Post September 11 Security Not Stopping Drugs | Will Foster Free Again | The Reformer's Calendar
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