Newest CDC Data

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released their data in which they questioned 14,041 students in grades 9 through 12 in 39 states in spring 2007 on a range of risky behaviors. They have done this survey every two years since 1991

Some of the highlights are as follows:

• Overall, fewer U.S. high school students are having sex or using drugs and alcohol compared to the 1990s
• Latinos are not sharing in many areas of progress
• Overall, just under half of all students have had sex
• 75% have tried alcohol and 20% smoke
• In 1991, 54% of the high school students said they had ever had sexual intercourse, compared to 48% in 2007.
• In 1991, 19% said they had at least four sexual partners, compared to 15% last year
• Sixty-six percent of black high school students said they had ever had sex, the highest of any of the groups, although it was down from 82% in 1991
• 28% of blacks in 2007 said they had sex with four or more people during their lifetime, down from 43% in 1991.
• Forty-four percent of white students reported ever having sexual intercourse, down from 50% in 1991, and the number with at least four sex partners fell to 12% from 15% in 1991.
• Latinos made no such progress. In 1991, 53% reporting having sex at least once, compared to 52% in 2007, and the number of Latinos who had sex with four or more people during their life was 17% in 1991 and 2007.
• Compared to either blacks or whites, Latinos were more likely to have reported attempting suicide, using cocaine, heroin or the drug ecstasy or riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
• The survey said 20% of the high school students had used marijuana at least once in the prior month -- up from the 15% in 1991 but down from a peak of 27% in 1999.
• 38% said they had ever used marijuana, more than in 1991 but down from 47% in 1999.
• Seven percent of the students said they had ever used cocaine, down from 10% in 1999, and 4% had used methamphetamine, down from 10% in 2001.
• Twenty percent reported being current cigarette smokers, down from 28% in 1991.
• 45% said they had least one drink of alcohol in the prior month, down from 51% in 1991.
• 75% said they tried alcohol at least once, down from 82% in 1991.
• The survey also found more and more teenagers are using a seat belt while in a car, fewer have carried a weapon, and the percentage who has attempted suicide has fallen from 9% in 2001 to 7% last year.

So there is some progress in certain groups, but with the Latino population growing faster than any other group, we need to focus more on how we can facilitate helping them help themselves.