RAPID CITY - The number of South Dakota students drinking and driving, having sex and trying cigarettes has dropped in the past decade, according to a collection of statewide youth surveys.

But the same collection shows that those students are trying marijuana more often, are more at risk of becoming overweight and have not been taught about AIDS/HIV in school.

The South Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey Trend Report, which is funded by the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, was released this week to the South Dakota Board of Education. The report presents data from surveys administered from 1991 to 2005. Students in grades 9 through 12 at randomly selected public, private and Bureau of Indian Education schools participate in the survey.

"South Dakota is one of only three states that have been able to secure weighted data for every year the Youth Risk Behavior Survey has been conducted," said April Hodges, who is with the Department of Education's Coordinated School Health program. "Even though we are seeing improvement in a number of areas, the total percentage of students participating in some of these risky behaviors is still too high."

Administered biannually, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a questionnaire that assesses the six priority health-risk behaviors that result in the greatest amount of morbidity, mortality and social problems among youth. These six priority health-risk behaviors include: injuries; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy; poor dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity.

Hodges said the Department of Education does not provide numbers for specific cities in the state, but "the data is weighted so you can make generalizations to any community in South Dakota."

She said it's important to look at the positive results, such as the decrease in drinking and driving, as part of an overall picture.

"Even with the decrease, the level is still high," she said. "We may be moving in the right direction, but we still need to keep that in our sights."

There are a number of reasons why students might be reporting they are not receiving AIDS/HIV education in schools, she said.

It might be because AIDS education used to be mandated in South Dakota, but the law was repealed in 1995, she said.

"I don't know if that's where we're seeing the statistics played out or if it's completely unrelated, but it's an interesting thing to take note of," she said.

Another possible factor, she added, could be that AIDS education is sometimes integrated into the curriculum through science or health or another subject.

"The students might not realize they're getting the (AIDS) education," she said. "Or schools could not be teaching it anymore."

The youth risk behavior surveys are used by local, statewide and national organizations and agencies, Hodges said, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which gathers similar surveys from all states and compiles a national report.

"Numerous agencies use it for program planning," she said. "They also use it at a local level to address behaviors."

Burke Eilers, director for the Western Prevention Resource Center, said they use the risk surveys along with a community needs assessment and a Rapid City youth behavior survey to plan the year.

"(It's) really important," he said. "It says what the current issues are. If there's changes and they're good, that kind of reflects on what we must be doing right. If they're not good, maybe what we're doing isn't working. It gives you a heads up on what's going on."

For a complete copy of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Trend Report, go to www.doe.sd.gov.

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com