Health Survey of New York’s High School Students Finds Risky Behavior
Do you know what your high-school aged child is doing when you aren’t there? A recent survey by the Health Department might surprise you.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Staff Report October 21, 2004
Good news parents, high school smoking is down three percent from 2001, to 15% of high schoolers in New York. Unless of course, you happen to be white parents with a daughter, who with more than one third smoking, are more than twice as likely as all students to smoke
If they are smoking, they might be binge drinking as well. One in six reported binge drinking in the last month and the same number reported smoking marijuana.
Almost half had reported having sex in the past and fifteen percent reported more than four partners. Depending on how you feel about sex, this may not be a bad thing by itself. However, in a shocking finding, 24% of sexually-active students reported that they had not used a condom in their most recent sexual encounter.
Although probably not a surprise to many teachers and parents, the data from the report, entitled
”Risky Business? Health Behaviors of New York City Public High School Students",, provide educators and parents with the perspective they need to help their children make good health choices.
|
