Early Puberty Linked to Greater Substance Abuse in Teens

A latest research by University of Texas says that early puberty is associated with more substance abuse in teens.

The study of over 6,500 boys and girls, aged between 11 and 17 found that those who entered puberty early used more cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol.

The researchers analysed the participants by observing body hair growth, changes in voice, height, facial hair, breast development and menstruation.

"We all go through puberty. We remember it being either an easy transition or a very difficult one," study author Jessica Duncan Cance, a public health researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a university news release.

Cance, also said that further research is required to understand the social causes that influence teen alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking.

"While puberty is often thought of as a solely biological process, our research has shown that pubertal development is a combination of biological, psychological and social processes that all likely interact to influence risk-taking behaviour like substance use," Cance said.

"Our study suggests that being the first girl in the class to need a bra, for example, prompts or exacerbates existing psychological and social aspects that can, in turn, lead to substance use and other risky behaviours early in life," she explained.

Although the study stressed that beginning of puberty early in life leads to more alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana abuse, it found no cause and effect relationship.