How much sex are N.C. kids having?

Kids in North Carolina have sex and smoke tobacco and marijuana a little more than the rest of the country, but drink a little less.

That's according to a new survey out today -- the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance study that comes out annually from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can find detailed methodology at the link, but the report encompasses several surveys, more than 13,500 responses and is widely respected as statistically valid.

Here are some of the key findings about North Carolina students in grades 9 through 12 and how they compare to the national median (more complete definitions of these behaviors can be found at the link above):

• 6.1 percent of N.C. students admitted to drinking and driving, below the national median of 8.6 percent.
• 33.6 percent texted or e-mailed while driving, well below the national median of 43.3 percent.
• 15 percent currently smoked cigarettes, above the national median of 13.8 percent.
• 40.8 percent had ever tried marijuana, compared with the national median of 36.6 percent
• 23.2 percent currently used marijuana, compared with the national median of 19.7 percent
• 32.2 percent currently drank alcohol, slightly below the national median of 32.7 percent  
• 14.6 percent drank five drinks in a row, below the national median of 18.3 percent
• 47.3 percent had ever had sexual intercourse, compared with the national median of 43.4 percent
• 32.1 percent described themselves as currently sexually active, compared with 30.9 percent nationally

Much more detail about these and other behaviors is available in the full report, including some Charlotte-Mecklenburg specific survey results.

-- Taylor Batten