Young patient, heal thyself
Each year, researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention question thousands of teenagers and young adults about their health-risk behaviors. According to the results of their 2007 survey, bad habits clearly start at a young age.
* 11.1% had rarely or never worn a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else.
* Of the 66.8% who had ridden a bicycle during the 12 months before the survey, 85.1% had rarely or never worn a bicycle helmet.
* Of the 24.3% who had ridden a motorcycle during the 12 months before the survey, 33.9% had rarely or never worn a helmet.
* In the 30 days before the survey, 29.1% had ridden one or more times in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol.
* In the 30 days before the survey, 10.5% had driven a vehicle one or more times after drinking alcohol.
* 18% had carried a weapon (e.g., a gun, knife, club) at least one day in the 30 days before the survey; 5.2% overall had carried a gun.
* 20% smoked cigarettes; 8.1% smoked them frequently.
* More than 44% drank alcohol; 26% were binge drinkers.
* Almost 20% of students had used marijuana and more than 3% had used cocaine one or more times during the 30 days before the survey.
* 13.3% had sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol cans or inhaled paints or sprays to get high at least once; 7.8% of students had used hallucinogenic drugs; 2.3% had used heroin; 4.4% had used methamphetamine; 5.8% had used ecstasy.
* 35% were sexually active; of those, more than one-third did not consistently use condoms.
* In the seven days before the survey, only 21.4% had eaten fruits and vegetables five or more times per day; 14.1% had consumed three or more glasses of milk per day.
* Roughly two-thirds failed to meet the recommended levels of physical activity.
* On an average school day, 24.9% played video or computer games or used a computer for something that was not school work for three or more hours per day; 35.4% watched television three or more hours per day on an average school day.
* 13.0% were obese, and an additional 15.8% were overweight.
* Only 10.3% wore sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher most of the time or always when outside for more than an hour on a sunny day; 17.4% routinely practiced sun-safe behaviors like wearing a hat and staying in the shade when possible.
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