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May 21, 2008Rising Teen Birth Rate Takes $1.7 Billion Toll on California Taxpayers |
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From Ascribe Newsfeed: OAKLAND, Calif., May 21 (AScribe Newswire) -- The end of California's 15-year decline in teen birth rates couldn't come at a worse time for a state already in fiscal crisis. According to the "No Time for Complacency: Teen Births in California" report released today by the Public Health Institute (PHI), rising teen birth rates are costing California taxpayers $1.7 billion a year, levying an average taxpayer cost per county of more than $29 million. "This discrepancy reinforces that California cannot be complacent with the status quo," explains lead-author Dr. Norman Constantine, PHI senior scientist and clinical professor of public health at UC Berkeley. Biennially the report examines birth rates for the state and by state Senate Districts. "The costs to local communities continue to increase as the number of teen births rise with the increasing teen population and now the increasing teen birth rate on top of that," explains co-author Dr. Carmen Nevarez, PHI's medical director and vice president of external relations. The Public Health Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life. Media Contact: NOTE TO EDITORS: The study report and full press kit materials are immediately available during the embargo period on a password protected web site at http://teenbirths.phi.org/press/. We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press.
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