From the Paso del Norte Health Foundation Newsletter, Nov. 23, 2018
The statement of need is alarming. Over 18 percent of Doña Ana County high school seniors report their first drink of alcohol was before age 13.
By 12th grade, 72 percent of Doña Ana High School students self-report they have consumed alcohol, a troubling trend in a county where, since 1997, adults have reported the highest or second-highest rates in the nation for alcohol-related deaths from chronic liver disease, injury death, and motor vehicle traffic death.
“This is exceptionally concerning, especially given the fact that those who live closer to outlets are at a higher risk of drinking,” says Marisol Diaz, lead program manager for the UP! Coalition in Doña Ana County.