City Teens Doing Less Drugs
New York, NY —
New York City's teens have something to be proud of, according to the City's Health Department, high school students use less drugs and alcohol than their peers in the rest of the nation.
REPORTER: The Health Department's survey of public high school students shows drug and alcohol use dropped from 41-percent in 2001 to 35 percent in 2005.
Health Commissioner Thomas Friedan says New York is a generally healthy city and young people seem to be getting the message, but there are still things that parents can to to steer kids away from substance abuse.
FRIEDAN: They can take an active healthy interest in their kids, they can talk honestly about the terrible harms that substance abuse causes weather it's car crashes and injuries or legal problems or money problems bad grades or loosing out on sports and jobs.
REPORTER: Friedan also said the survey showed marijuana use dropped from 16 percent to 12 percent in the same four year period.
The survey showed white students reported the highest rates of ever trying illegal drugs, at 43 percent, and were more likely to binge drink than black or Hispanic students.
The survey also revealed Staten Island has the largest proportion of students who recently used alcohol, at 46 percent. It also showed Staten Island youth were more likely to use other substances, including tobacco, marijuana and cocaine.
