Teen Smokers More Likely to Drink, Do Drugs: Study

Teenagers who smoke cigarettes are five times more likely to drink and 13 times more likely to smoke pot, according to a new study by a Columbia University addiction center. The report also linked adolescent smoking to higher rates of binge drinking and hard drug use, along with a greater risk of depression and anxiety disorders.

Smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 are also more likely to meet the clinical definition of drug abuse or dependence, with 26% of smokers considered abusers versus just 2% of their cigarette-free peers. "There's no question that early teenage smoking is linked to these things," said the head of the center. "Whether it's causing it or not—I think the jury is still out on that." (More teenager stories.)