TEENS, ARMED AND DANGEROUS

Blacks and Hispanics Found More Likely to Fight

ATLANTA---Black and Hispanic high school students are more likely than their
white counterparts to be a threat to others by carrying weapons or fighting,
while whites are more likely to hurt themselves by driving after drinking
alcohol, a government study found.

The similarities among teenagers were equally stark: About one in three is
involved in fights. Almost one of every five carries a weapon or drives
after drinking. Almost one in 10 attempts suicide.

The findings, based on a survey of 16,262 high school students nationwide,
were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The lesson here is that too many youths continue to practice behaviors that
put them at risk---for injury or death now and chronic disease later,'' said
Laura Kann, a chief researcher for the National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion.

The 1997 study looked at behavior leading to injury and surveyed teenagers'
use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs and sexual and physical activity.

Hispanics were most likely to arm themselves, with 23 percent carrying a
gun, knife or club, compared with 22 percent of blacks and 17 percent of
whites.

Blacks were most likely to have fought in the previous year, at 43 percent
vs.41 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent for whites.

Whites were most likely to have drunk five or more glasses of alcohol on at
least one of the 30 days before the survey: 38 percent of whites said they
had, compared with 35 percent of Hispanics and 16 percent of blacks.

Blacks were least likely to mix alcohol and driving. Nine percent drove
after drinking, compared with 19 percent of whites and 18 percent of
Hispanics.

The differences could be " a marker for socioeconomic status" and urban
living, Ms. Kann said.

White teenagers were nearly twice as likely as Hispanics to smoke frequently
or chew tobacco, with 20 percent of whites saying they smoked frequentl'y,
compared with 11 percent of Hispanics. Among blacks, 7 percent smoked
frequently and 2 percent chewed tobacco.

Six percent of Hispanics had used cocaine in the 30 days before the survey,
double the number of whites and nine times the number of blacks. Hispanics
also were more likely to have used steroids or injected dlugs.

Nineteen percent of whites and 18 percent o:t Hispanics had tried other
illegal drugs such as LSD, PjC'P, Ecstasy, mushrooms, speed,
methamphetamines or hCeroin.

Only 3 percent of blacks had.

Asked whether they ate the minimum five daily servings of fruits and
vegetables recommended fo]r good health only 29 percent of whites and 28
percent of Hispanics and blacks said they did.

Teenagers at 151 schools filled out confidential questionnaires for the
survey.

Checked-by: Don Beck