TEEN STATISTICS

* Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among teenagers.

* Alcohol kills 6-1/2 more teens than all other illicit drugs.

* 8 teenagers a day die in alcohol-related crashes.

* Teenagers who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine.

* 65% of teens report getting alcohol from family and friends.

* 50% of high school seniors report drinking alcohol in the last 30 days.

* 10% of teens say they have been to a rave & ecstasy was available at more than 2/3 of these raves.

* 28% of teens know a friend or classmate who has used ecstasy.

* There is an estimated 708,000 new inhalant users each year.

* 56% of teens age 12-17 reported that marijuana was easy to obtain.

* In 2000, more than 60% of teens said drugs were used, kept or sold at school.

* Teenagers whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don't, yet only 1 in 4 teen reports having these conversations.

* The average age for a teen to start smoking is 12.5 years of age.

* There are more than 3,000 new teen smokers a day.

* Although it is illegal to sell tobacco products to teens under the age of 18, most underage smokers are able to buy tobacco products.

* By 8th grade, 52% of teenagers have consumed alcohol, 41% have smoked cigarettes & 20% have used marijuana.

* Motor vehicle crashes (MVC) is the leading cause of death in

15-17 year olds.

* 16 year olds have a higher crash rate & and are more likely to die in an MVC.

* In 2006, 3,490 teens ages 15-20 died in crashes.

* Between the years 1995 & 2004, 15, 16 & 17 year old drivers had crashes that claimed the lives of 30,917.

* In 2005, of 1,000 15 to 17 year olds surveyed more than 1/2 use cell phones while driving; 69% speed, 64% speed to go through a yellow light, 68% played with radio/CD player, 49% eat & drink while driving, 47% said passengers distracted them, 1/2 believe most crashes are caused by alcohol.

* Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens age 15-20 years.

* 8.8% of teenagers attempted suicide in 2001.

* 14.8% of teenagers said they made a plan to commit suicide.

* Males age 15-19 are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than females.

* An estimated 2,800 teenagers get pregnant each day.

* 7 in 10 girls have sex before age 14.

* 1 in 4 teens who are sexually active become infected with an STD.

* Homicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among teens age 15-24. Homicide is the leading cause of death in African-Americans of the same age group.

* In 1999, 4,998 youth, age 15-24, were murdered (an average of 14 per day).

* In 1998, 1/3 of all victims of violent crime were ages 12-19.

* 1 in 2 rape victims are under the age of 18.

* 1 in 6 rape victims are under the age of 12.

* In 1993, 32,130 males, 12 and older, were the victim of rape or sexual assault.

* 1 in 7 children age 10-18 will runaway at least once.

* There are an estimated 1 to 3 million runaway & homeless kids living on the street in the U.S.

* In 1999, an estimated 1,682,900 youth were runaways.

* 68% are ages 15-17.

* 77% were gone less than one week.

* 7% were gone longer than one month.

* 1,700 engaged in sexual activity in exchange for money, drugs, food or shelter.

* Runaways are in danger of sexual exploitation and other crimes.

During the teen years, parents really have to stay alert and be aware of what their teen is up to & who they are hanging out with. And children seem to be exposed to alcohol & drugs earlier every year. So even if you have an 8, 9 or 10-year-old, start talking to them now, because they still listen to you at this age.

www.gdcada.org/statistics/teens.htm, www.runawayteens.org/statistics.htlm