Report: Teen Binge Drinking Higher In Finney County

A new report says teenagers in southwest Kansas’ Finney County are slightly more likely to participate in binge drinking than other Kansas teens.

The 2010 Kansas Kids Count Data show that about 17 percent of Finney County’s sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders reported having five or more consecutive drinks on at least one occasion. That compared with about 15 percent in comparable Kansas counties, and about 14 percent in the state as a whole. The figures are from 2008, the latest year available.

The Garden City Telegram reports that the data are compiled by Topeka-based Kansas Action for Children. According to the report, it tracks several factors ranging from family income through prenatal care and poverty rates to high school graduation.