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Teen Drinking and Driving Down 54% Since 1991


 

From 1991 to 2011, the prevalence of drinking and driving among high school students aged 16 years and older declined by 54%, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2011, 10.3% of high school students aged 16-19 years reported driving a car when they had been drinking alcohol in the previous 30 days, compared with 22.3% in 1991, the CDC said.

The data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys show that significantly more male students (11.7%) reported drinking and driving than females (8.8%), and that white (10.6%) and Hispanic (11.5%) students were significantly more likely to drink and drive than black students (6.6%) were. Of the 41 states with available data, the prevalence was lowest in Utah (4.6%) and highest in North Dakota (14.5%), according to the report.

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