Smarter Teens More Inclined To Drink Alcohol & Smoke Cannabis, Study Says

A recent British study indicates that smart teenagers are more likely to drink alcohol than smoke. These teenagers are also inclined to smoking cannabis.

According to a report, the smartest teenagers are less likely to smoke cigarettes. However, they are found to be more into drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis. These traits are less likely done by not so smart teenagers.

A British study tracked 6,000 teenagers from ages 11 to 19 years old. The participants were tested intellectually using their national test score for English, Math and Science. These tests were taken by the participants at the age of 11.

The teenager's consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and cannabis were ranged using questionnaires. The results indicated that the smartest of these teenagers indicated that they used cannabis from age 13 to 17. The averaged teenagers were 25% likely to smoke cannabis than the less smart ones.

A report indicated that the results of the study may be because the smarter teenagers are more likely to experiment and be curious of certain things. This may be the reason why they tend to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol regularly.

Drinking alcohol at an early age may also be brought into adulthood. The co-authors of the study shared that the higher cognitive level of the teenagers are more into experimenting and these teenagers get bored easily if there is no mental stimulation. They often move on towards drinking alcohol.

Meanwhile, the use of cannabis and drinking alcohol at an early age can lead to long term substance use. This may need some intervention from older individuals so as not to let these teenagers abuse their alcohol intake. They also need to be educated on cannabis use.

It is indicated in the report that the use of cannabis worsened as the teenagers grow older in time. Teenagers need to understand the risk factor of substance use.