County high schoolers engaging less in risky behaviors

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BY MARK ANDERSEN / Lincoln Journal Star

Like their peers across the nation, Lancaster County’s high school teens engaged less in risky behaviors — such as having sex and drinking alcohol — than their predecessors, dating to the first national survey in 1991.

The survey is performed every two years.

Nationally, risky teen behaviors such as smoking tobacco or marijuana, not wearing seat belts and having sex are at near-record lows, according to newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey includes ninth- through 12th-graders.

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(Photos.com)

(Photos.com)

“We are pleased that more high school students today are doing things that will help them stay healthy and avoiding things that put their health in danger,” said Howell Wechsler, the director of the CDC’s adolescent and school health division.

In Lancaster County, the trends are especially positive for sex, seat belt use and alcohol use, according to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

County trends aren’t quite as good as national trends for lifetime marijuana use or current cigarette smoking.

Local trends are somewhat alarming for teen suicide attempts.

County teens reported a dramatic surge in suicide attempts for 2007 — a record 13 percent of those surveyed, or twice as high as in 2003 and 2005.

“That is dramatic,” said Steve Frederick of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, who called it one of the few disturbing trends in a report that is overall quite good.

“Most of them are moving in the right direction,” he said. “If they’re not at the lowest, they’re near the lowest.”

That’s especially true on the questions of sexuality, Frederick said.

“There's probably all kinds of different reasons,” he said, listing parental influence, schools, sexual trends. “They're wising up or changing morals or whatever.”

The county health department surveyed 444 ninth through 12 graders for 2007.

First the good county news:

Ever had sexual intercourse? In 1991, 52 percent. In 2007, 34 percent.

Had sexual intercourse with more than one person in your lifetime? In 1991, 35 percent. In 2007, 20 percent.

Rarely or never wore a seat belt when riding? In 1993, 18 percent. In 2007, 10 percent.

In the past month, rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol? In 1991, 40.6 percent. In 2007, 31 percent.

Had at least one drink of alcohol in the past 30 days? In 1991, 51 percent. In 2007, 40 percent.

The mediocre news:

Ever used marijuana? In 1991, 34 percent. In 1993, 26 percent. In 2001, 45 percent. In 2007, 34 percent — same as in 1991 but better than in 2001.

Smoked even one cigarette in the past 30 days? In 1991, 40 percent. In 2003, 19 percent. In 2007, 25 percent — better than in 1991 but worse than 2003.

Carried a gun, knife or club in the past 30 days? In 1991, 23 percent. In 2001, 14 percent. In 2007, 18 percent — better than in 1991 but worse than in 2001.

And the bad news:

Attempted suicide even once in the past year? In 1991, 11 percent. In 2005, 6.3 percent. In 2007, 13 percent.

Nationwide for ninth- to 12th-graders overall, there were lots of lifestyle improvements:

* Smoking in the 30 days before the survey fell from a peak of 37 percent in 1997 to 20 percent last year.

* Drinking in the past 30 days fell from 51 percent in 1991 to 45 percent last year.

* Marijuana use in the previous month dropped from a peak of 27 percent in 1999 to 20 percent.

* Riding with a driver who’d been drinking dropped from 40 percent in 1991 to 30 last year.

No comparable 2007 report is yet available for Nebraska.

Frederick said the health department was reaching out to Lincoln Public Schools now to reinforce the importance of continuing the survey in schools, increasingly burdened with other reporting requirements.

Survey information is shared with a variety of agencies or programs, such as the recently announced LPS-BryanLGH Medical Center initiative to curb suicide. It gives program directors a gauge for whether their current efforts are effective.

Reach Mark Andersen at 473-7238 or mandersen@journalstar.com. McClatchy Newspapers contributed to this story.