Idaho youth survey finds 22% of teens consider suicide

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A biennial state survey of Idaho youth shows fewer teens say they are being bullied, smoking cigarettes or having sex, but the number of kids who have seriously considered suicide remains at a 10-year high.

The State Department of Education released the 2019 Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey last week. The survey included more than 1,200 high school students in 45 schools across the state.

Nearly 40% of students reported they feel sad or hopeless. About 22% of students reported that they had seriously considered suicide - that's the same rate as reported in 2017 and the highest in the past decade.

Reports of bullying, smoking and sexual activity all dropped to the lowest levels recorded in the past decade. Nearly half of the students surveyed said they had emailed or texted while driving a car in the past 30 days.