Conservative preachers and others lamenting the moral depravity of today’s youth and the general breakdown of American society might note some positive news on this front:
Seems that fewer teens are indulging in risky behaviors such as drinking and unprotected sex than teens did 15 years ago, according to a new survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And more teens are buckling up, too, when driving.
The news fits with other reported long-range trends: The use of illegal drugs by teens has dropped by 19 percent since 2001, and teen smoking has been cut in half since the late 1990s. America is also witnessing a sharp drop in teen crime and a continued 12-year decline in the teen birth rate.
There is still bad news. But these stats provide some hard evidence that many kids are making good choices and our nation isn’t on the verge of moral collapse.
posted by Randy Scholfield
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