Encouraging other drinks than fizzy may help with their aggression
Teenagers are significantly more liekly to be aggressive and violent if they regularly consume fizzy soft drinks.
New research indicated that they are more likely to act violently and carry a weapon if they drink fizzy drinks five times a week.
The researchers found that even teenagers who drank just two cans a week were more aggressive towards their friends.
The findings have prompted calls to ban the promotion of soft drinks as an alternative to alcohol.
Researchers from the University of Vermont do not know yet if the link is casual, but have not ruled this out. It may be unknown factors causing aggression in youngsters.
A total of 23 per cent of teenagers drinking one can a week carried a weapon but this rose to 43 per cent when they consumed at least 14. Rates of violence climbed from 35 per cent too 58 per cent for the same groups.
Study author, Dr Sara Solnick, says: "We saw that an increase from having one can or less a week to having four cans can increase levels of violence towards peers.
"Drinking more of the soft drinks is leading to more violence. if you drink two cans it can make you more violent.
"We found people who were drinking more soft drinks were more likely to engage in violence and carry a weapon.
"When we broke it down we found that incidence of violence was going up with every extra can of soft drink.
"We don't know what the reason behind it is.
"It's hard to say it's the sugar, because sugar is available in a lot of other things as well. There are otehr ingredients in soft drinks that could be a factor as well."
The British Soft Drinks Association told the Metro, that the US survey, published in Injury Prevention, 'does not take into account family income and parenting practices, and so what it can tell us about the behaviour of teenagers is of very limited value'.