Aggressiveness in teens linked to tobacco

Among young adolescents, aggression is linked to a likelihood of experimenting with cigarettes or marijuana for the first time, while impulsivity confers a greater risk of trying alcohol.

Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, USA, sought to determine whether a psychiatric diagnosis like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or behavioural measures such as level of aggression or impulsivity might influence the risk that a child would try drugs, cigarettes or alcohol for the first time. They followed 78 boys and girls, aged between 12 to 14 years, 50 of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD.

Four years after the study had begun, 37 of the participants had not tried substances, 41 had tried at least one, and 29 had experimented with more than one. Just three cases could be defined as substance abuse. Kids who used tobacco were more aggressive and hyperactive and had more trouble with attention and learning than non-smokers. It was found that a child's level of aggressiveness was independently tied to tobacco use. Aggression also independently predicted marijuana use. The only characteristic associated with trying alcohol was impulsivity. This suggests that there are different biological factors that make a person vulnerable to try a particular substance.

The aggressive teens were more likely to use substances heavily and to try more substances. However, it was found that children with ADHD, ADHD plus conduct disorder, depression or anxiety were no more likely to try substances than their peers without a psychiatric diagnosis.

The researchers emphasise the need to identify at-risk teens by looking at the severity of certain behavioural symptoms, rather than any particular psychiatric diagnosis. Substance-use initiation confers vulnerability for later substance abuse, and a better understanding of its behavioural predictors can help to shape preventive measures at both the individual and societal levels.