Healthier Teens – Minnesota

Today’s teens healthier than those in 1990s, but racial gap detected, By Paul Walsh, December 12, 2012, Star Tribune: ” The health of teenagers in Minnesota has collectively improved since the 1990s, according to an analysis released Wednesday by state health officials. Overall, Minnesotans ages 12 to 19 are doing better now than that age group did in the 1990s when it comes to smoking, binge drinking, limiting sexual activity, assaulting another person, having a weapon at school, drinking soda and using seat belts in vehicles, the Minnesota Health Department found. However, the analysis also found ‘a persistent wellness gap’ between white teenagers and their counterparts among various people of color. This is the first time the department has made comparisons among various racial and ethnic backgrounds…”