14th August, 1998

Fox News reported today that the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey revealed that a significant number of U.S. high school students admitted they got drunk, had sex, smoked, carried weapons and practiced other "risky" behaviour.  Laura Kann with the Centers for Disease Contol in Atlana was quoted as reponding, "This report tells us that too many youth practice behaviours that are unnecessarily placing them at risk for serious injury, sexually transmitted diseases and other preventable health problems.  These risk behaviours should be cause for great concern."

The survey discovered that more than one-third of high school students got drunk over the preceding month or rode with a driver under the influence of alcohol.  It also showed that almost one-fifth of students carried a weapon, such as a gun, knife or club.

One-third also admitted having sexual intercourse in the preceding three months, but only 56 percent used a condom.The CDC said that the risky sexual behavior was leading to rises in sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, which were said to be "epidemic" among America's youth.