Brainy teens may be less likely to smoke, but more likely to drink and use cannabis

BMJ: Brainy teens may be less likely to smoke, but more likely to drink alcohol and use cannabis, than their less academically gifted peers, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. These patterns persist into adulthood, and would seem to refute the notion that academic prowess is associated with a greater tendency to ‘experiment’ for a brief period, suggest the researchers. Smoking, drinking, and cannabis use are fairly common among teenagers. And the evidence suggests that these behaviours boost the risk of immediate and longer term health problems. But the data on potential links between cleverness and substance use are somewhat mixed, and no study has tracked patterns with use of all three substances from early adolescence into early adulthood.

Schoolies risking health with alcohol and energy drink mix

TheConversation: Young people are fuelling big nights out by drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks to help them party through the night, according to a new Victorian government report. The VicHealth report found that people who mix their alcohol with energy drinks are also more likely to be problem gamblers, show other risk-taking behaviour such as heavy alcohol use or illicit drug use, and report more mental health problems. Executive Manager Dr Bruce Bolam from VicHealth, which funded the studies, said while overall levels of consumption of these products was relatively low compared to beer or wine in the wider population, in young people the level of consumption was very high.