THE NEED

Peer Health Exchange was founded to address a growing crisis among teenagers: teenagers today are engaging in risky behavior at alarming rates, harming their bodies and their futures.

• One in four teenagers is a binge-drinker.

• One in four teenagers smokes cigarettes.

• One in five sexually active teenage girls becomes pregnant every year.

• One in five teenagers experiences violence in a relationship.

• One in six teenagers is overweight or obese.

In recent years, public school budget cuts and staffing shortages have exacerbated this crisis by eliminating comprehensive health courses, leaving teenagers unprepared to protect themselves against these serious health risks. Teenagers who engage in risky behavior today are less likely to stay and excel in school, join and remain part of the workforce, and become healthy adults capable of producing healthy families.