New York Shows Increase in Youth Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths
16 September 1998
New York Shows Slight Increase in the Rate of Youth Under 21 Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities 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.
NEW YORK--Sept. 16, 1998--New York experienced a slight increase in the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 per 100,000 population in 1997, according to recently released national statistics as reported by The Century Council, a national anti-alcohol abuse organization.
In 1997, the alcohol-related traffic fatality rate among youth under 21 in New York was 1.54 per 100,000 population, up from 1.49 in 1996, an increase of three percent. For the country as a whole between 1996 and 1997, the rate of these alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 per 100,000 population declined five percent. The actual number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 was 78 in 1996 and 81 in 1997.
"While this increase is alarming and we need to reverse these numbers this year, the state 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.
"Between 1987 and 1997, New York has shown an impressive 64 percent reduction in the rate of youth under 21 alcohol-related traffic fatalities per 100,000 population, surpassing the national rate reduction of 50 percent," Lawn pointed out.
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.
