Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/LauraPorter

This booklet provides a statistical portrait of teen participation in 10 of the most prevalent risk behaviors. It focuses on the overall participation in each behavior and in multiple risk-taking. The booklet presents the overall incidence and patterns of teen involvement in the following risk behaviors: Regular alcohol use; Regular binge drinking; Regular tobacco use; Marijuana use; Other illegal drug use; Fighting; Weapon carrying; Suicidal thoughts; Suicide attempts; Risky sexual activity.

A handful of preventable health-risk behaviors-violence, substance use, suicide, and sexual activity-are responsible for much of the mortality and morbidity experienced in adolescence and early adulthood. Adolescents' participation in many of these health-risk behaviors has changed in recent years. Newspapers report increases in marijuana use among high school students one day and declines in their sexual or criminal activity another. Because changes in the prevalence of specific health-risk behaviors vary, some increasing and some declining, shifts in adolescents' overall exposure to health-risks are difficult to pinpoint. While it is well established that many risk behaviors co-occur changes in the extent and patterns of multiple risk-taking are unknown.

Many teenagers participate in behavior that threatens their current and future health. A handful of preventable behaviors, such as substance use, violence, and unprotected sexual intercourse, are responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality in adolescence and early adulthood. There is growing concern for adolescents who engage in more than one of these behaviors at a time. Teens who participate in multiple health risk behaviors face elevated threats to their well-being.

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