Vital Signs: Fatalities and Binge Drinking Among High School Students: A Critical Issue to Emergency Departments and Trauma Centers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published significant data and trends related to drinking and driving among United States (U.S.) high school students. National data from 1991–2011 shows an overall 54% relative decrease (from 22% to 10.3%) in drinking and driving among U.S. high school students aged ≥ 16 years. In 2011, this still represents approximately 950,000 high school students ages 16–19 years. The decrease in drinking and driving among teens is not fully understood, but is believed to be due to policy developments, enforcement of laws, graduated licenses, and economic impacts. Most significant to emergency physicians is that even with these restrictions, in 2010 approximately 2,700 teens (ages 16–19) were killed in the U.S. and about 282,000 were treated and released from emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle accidents. In the same year, 1 in 5 drivers between the ages of 16–19 who were involved in fatal crashes had positive (>0.00%) blood alcohol concentration (BAC). We present findings from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report with commentary on current recommendations and policies for reducing drinking and driving among adolescents.