soda pop related to violence in teens

According to new research, teenagers who drink soda are more likely to carry a weapon and act violently.  These are the conclusions of Dr. Sara Solnick of the University of Vermont and Dr. David Hemenway of the Harvard School of Public Health, who analyzed data collected from nearly 2,000 public high schools in 2008.

Those who drank five or more cans of soda pop every week were significantly more likely to have also used alcohol and smoked cigarettes at least once in the previous month.   The researchers also found that heavy consumption of soda pop was significantly associated with carrying a gun or knife, as well as violence toward peers, family, and partners.

Not quite a quarter of those who drank one or no cans of soda a week carried a gun or knife, and 15 percent had perpetrated violence toward a partner. In comparison, among those who consumed 14 or more cans a week, 43 percent carried a gun or knife and 27 percent had been violent toward a partner.

Think about it folks.  As parents, we all know what soda does to the behavior of little children.  Is there any reason to believe that older children (and even adults) are not affected as well?