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Virginia Shows Increase in Youth Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths

16 September 1998

Virginia Shows Increase 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.


    RICHMOND, Va.--Sept. 16, 1998--Virginia experienced a significant increase in the rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among 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 alcohol-related traffic fatality rate among youth under 21 in Virginia was 3.12 per 100,000 population, up from 2.15 in 1996, an increase of 45 percent. For the country as a whole between 1996 and 1997, the rate of 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 41 in 1996 and 60 in 1997.
    "We are concerned about this considerable increase in Virginia. The state has had some long-term success in fighting alcohol-related driving deaths among our youth, and we hope last year's increase is reversed this year," 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, Virginia had a 37 percent reduction in the number of youth drunk driving deaths, while the national reduction in the rate of under 21 alcohol-related traffic fatalities was 50 percent during the same period of time," 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.