Fizzy drinks may lead to teenage violence

Fizzy drinks may make teenagers more aggressive. Research in the US suggests that teens who consumed at least five cans of cola or similar drinks a week were significantly more likely to have carried a gun or knife, or been involved in a fight, according to a study of 1,900 students aged between 14 and 18.

However, a UK expert dismissed the study as an "overly simplistic interpretation" of the role of fizzy drinks in violent behaviour. Peter Kinderman, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: "The causes of violence in young people are complicated. There are a large number of risk factors that have nothing to do with the consumption of these drinks."

The study appears in the Injury Prevention journal.