NEW YORK (AP) — American teens are smoking less, drinking less and fighting less. But they’re texting behind the wheel and spending a lot of time on video games and computers, according to the government’s latest study of worrisome behavior on the part of young people.
Generally speaking, the news is good. Most forms of drug use, weapons use and risky sex have been going down since the government started doing the survey every two years in 1991. Teens are wearing bicycle helmets and seat belts more, too.
The results come from a study of 13,000 U.S. high school students last spring. Participation was voluntary and required parental permission, but responses were anonymous.
Dr. Stephanie Zaza, who oversaw the study at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that “overall, young people have more healthy behaviors than they did 20 years ago.”