Thread: CDC:Hispanic teens try drugs , suicide at higher rates

June 4, 2008, 11:16AM
CDC: Hispanic teens try drugs, suicide at higher rates


By MIKE STOBBE
Associated Press


ATLANTA — Hispanic high school students use drugs and attempt suicide at higher rates than their black and white classmates, according to a new federal survey that shows a continuation of a troubling trend.

"It is disheartening that we aren't seeing progress among Hispanic teens for certain risk factors," said Howell Wechsler of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a prepared statement.

The study is the latest in a series of surveys of U.S. high school students every two years. The new report noted black and white students are reporting less sexual activity that in years past, but there was no decline among Hispanics. Experts have not been able to find a clear explanation for that.

In addition, Hispanic students were more likely that either blacks or whites to attempt suicide, ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, or use cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.

Hispanics also most often drank alcohol on school property, were offered or sold illegal drugs, and occasionally skipped school because they feared for their safety.

The school environments many Hispanics face may differ considerably from what many blacks or whites encounter, noted Wechsler, director of the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.

"There's tremendous segregation in our schools," Wechsler said, in an interview with The Associated Press.

The finding comes from a CDC survey of about 14,000 U.S. high school students that has been conducted every other year since 1991. Results reported today were from last year's survey.

Questionnaires go to students in grades 9-12 in public and private high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Researchers got parental permission for each student who participated.

Adolescents cannot always be counted on to tell the truth about their sexual exploits, drug use, or other risky behaviors. But CDC officials say they take many steps to secure accurate responses: Participation is confidential, kids are spaced apart when answering the questions and teachers do not hover.

The survey asks about a wide variety of behaviors, including sunscreen use, seatbelt avoidance, drug use and suicide attempts.

Like the 2005 survey, the 2007 data showed higher rates of risk-taking by Hispanics in several areas. One example: About 10 to 11 percent of Hispanic students said they attempted suicide, compared with around 7 percent of whites and 8 percent of blacks.

However, whites reported the highest rates of smoking and heavy drinking, while blacks reported the highest rates of obesity, violence and sexual activity.

One striking behavior in which blacks fared the worst was television watching.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of daily TV viewing a day for kids. Physical activity is needed to develop mental and social skills and help prevent obesity, and TV violence has been associated with more aggressive behavior in children who watch a lot of it.

Overall, TV watching by high school students has been generally steady, with about 35 percent watching three or more hours a day.

But the new report shows that about 63 percent of black students watch three or more hours a day. In contrast, 43 percent of Hispanic students and 27 percent of whites watched too much TV, the report concluded.

"We don't see that kind of gap" in virtually any other measurement of risky health behaviors, Wechsler said in the interview.



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5818421.html

Well now I am sure this will be considered a Hateful or racist article

I don't buy that "hispanics" suddenly try drugs first in America when they are becomming the vast distributor of them and it's so prevelant in their society. Don't buy the staying away from school out of fear either. Around here and in my daughters school in Florida, they are the bullies.

I would agree the suicide rate is higher....I know a number of years ago they did a study and it came down to the fact the girls were more apt to commit suicide because they were forced at a very young age to be co-mom and the family translator, yet discouraged to further their education and find a man and settle down and start having babies. They were having trouble finding their nitch with so many different races in school and at a young age learned sex was the way to get the guy. Unfortunatly though the parents were NOT happy if she ended up with a guy who wasn't hispanic and needless to say that caused problems. Meanwhile the guys were going for citizens because most of them weren't anchor babies, they were here illegally with their parents. They were torn apart between one world saying get an education and do something with your life and parents telling them to find a guy, get married and have babies. Or get a job and work and help the family for the guys.

Being one from the initial womans movement, I know how confusing that is.....let alone be a new immigrant. It's hard to clump all latinos in one group either. The puertorican (sp?) girls didn't seem to have the same problems as the Mexican ones. Their parents seemed to be staunch stay a virgin and get an education and not so strong on stay in your own race thing. Could be just the people I knew because I can only say what I've seen. The non-Mexican latino men seemed very devoted to their families and the women were educated and independant and not ones to settle being bare-foot and pregnant all the time. But then again....it's just what I saw.

It's sad to know that any young person is so hopeless they kill themselves, no matter the race .

Thats why hispanics need to put the enemgy into their own nations ,instead of standing in our streets raising hell, they should take back their own countries.

But then I could say the same thing about us in some regard.

Far as barefoot and pregnant, most of them raised good kids who had a little respect . Since the mothers went to do their own thing ,the kids turned into un-displined wild things and the men became confused and left their families in droves .

IMO the feminist were the beginning of the end of this nation . When mothers left their families for self satisfaction, the family structure was destroyed and morals, principles and self respect has went down hill every since they got to vote .

Also the anglo-saxon population stopped breeding and since many had no morals much left started aborting millions of their children .

Now the only races that are allowed to have pride is the non whites . White pride is a hate crime .

I am from a long ine of freedom fighters and always believed in equality for all, including whites.

Yep, we have really came a long way, thanks women libs .

[I too am a woman ,wife grandmother,about to be great grandmother , one now without a country, heritage or hope for my kids futures ].

Far as barefoot and pregnant, most of them raised good kids who had a little respect . Since the mothers went to do their own thing ,the kids turned into un-displined wild things and the men became confused and left their families in droves .

Guess I was lucky in the fact my parents saw family as a joint venture....dad never wanted mom to work but he was going 2 full time jobs and was ready to drop......she didn't have to ask if she could work, she did to save him when we were old enough and in school....but everything revolved around the family. We had dinner at the table at 5 every night, weekends were ours, dad washed dishes and mom mowed the yard, there was church every Sunday....it was a time where you could work and still not neglect the family and my dad wasn't the typical man of the time. I was raised to help support your husband, not have your own career.....that was still supposed to be the mans job and you filled in and picked up where he left off. Unfortunatly I met the men where you were expected to support them or solely support yourself and they solely supported themselves. 50-50 roommates. Help them to get established so when we had kids I could be the mom I wanted to be and stay home during their young years. LOL....that went over like a lead balloon.....think I got maybe 6 weeks off before it was necessary for me to get back to work to support me and my kids because it was too much for them to cope with and they just never learned to be responsible for anyone other than just themselves. Guess they were as confused as I coz it sure didn't turn out the way they said it would. Never got to finish my career and never got to be the mom I always wanted to be. Didn't get that new rule book either so I whinged it myself. Hasn't been the same since and nothing much has changed.......just as lost now as I was at 16 even more so. Coz what little I did right is now wrong and all the rules are changed again.

Originally Posted by crazybird

Far as barefoot and pregnant, most of them raised good kids who had a little respect . Since the mothers went to do their own thing ,the kids turned into un-displined wild things and the men became confused and left their families in droves .

Guess I was lucky in the fact my parents saw family as a joint venture....dad never wanted mom to work but he was going 2 full time jobs and was ready to drop......she didn't have to ask if she could work, she did to save him when we were old enough and in school....but everything revolved around the family. We had dinner at the table at 5 every night, weekends were ours, dad washed dishes and mom mowed the yard, there was church every Sunday....it was a time where you could work and still not neglect the family and my dad wasn't the typical man of the time. I was raised to help support your husband, not have your own career.....that was still supposed to be the mans job and you filled in and picked up where he left off. Unfortunatly I met the men where you were expected to support them or solely support yourself and they solely supported themselves. 50-50 roommates. Help them to get established so when we had kids I could be the mom I wanted to be and stay home during their young years. LOL....that went over like a lead balloon.....think I got maybe 6 weeks off before it was necessary for me to get back to work to support me and my kids because it was too much for them to cope with and they just never learned to be responsible for anyone other than just themselves. Guess they were as confused as I coz it sure didn't turn out the way they said it would. Never got to finish my career and never got to be the mom I always wanted to be. Didn't get that new rule book either so I whinged it myself. Hasn't been the same since and nothing much has changed.......just as lost now as I was at 16 even more so. Coz what little I did right is now wrong and all the rules are changed again.

You sound like me . I too was forced to work .

Your parents sound like good people .

I am talking about the ones before them who were waiting for the chance to change our society .They took advantage of our war torn men an women .