Connecticut Shows Decrease in Youth Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths
16 September 1998
Connecticut Experiences Decrease in the Rate of Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities Among Youth Under 21 per 100,000 Population
Click here to see The Century Council's state by state ranking
of changes in alcohol related traffic deaths for those under 21, 1996-1997.
HARTFORD, Conn.--Sept. 16, 1998--Connecticut experienced a decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatality rates per 100,000 among its youth under 21 per 100,000 population, according to recently released national statistics as reported by The Century Council, a national anti-alcohol abuse organization.
In 1997, the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 in Connecticut was 2.65 per 100,000 population, down from 2.75 in 1996, a four percent decrease. The actual number of alcohol-related traffic deaths among youth under 21 was 25 in 1996 and 24 in 1997.
"Connecticut has made great strides in fighting alcohol-related driving deaths among our youth," said John C. Lawn, chairman and CEO of The Century Council, which fights drunk driving and underage drinking problems and is funded by America's leading distillers. For the country as a whole between 1996 and 1997, the reduction in the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 per 100,000 population was just five percent.
Even the small decline in Connecticut between 1996 and 1997 is important, according to Lawn, because there was a slight national increase in the rate of youth alcohol-related driving deaths between 1995 and 1996.
"We were concerned that the excellent progress over the past decade was being reversed, but the 1997 statistics from states such as Connecticut reassure us that we are continuing to reduce needless loss of life due to underage drinking and driving," he said. Connecticut's long-term decline has been a dramatic 49 percent from 1987 to 1997, close to the national rate reduction in youth under 21 alcohol-related traffic fatalities per 100,000 population of 50 percent.
The Century Council bases its statistics on 1997 data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimating System (GES) databases, and the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
The Century Council is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting alcohol abuse, focusing on drunk driving and illegal underage drinking. Founded in 1991, the Council has headquarters in Los Angeles and is funded by America's leading distillers. The Council's Website address is www.centurycouncil.org.
