Teenagers who want to settle as bricklayers drink more alcohol than those seeking a promising career as a banker, a study suggests.
It showed those happy to work in lower-paid jobs spend less time revising for their upcoming exams – because they don’t need A grades.
This then gives them more time to spend with their friends – which often resorts in swigging from a bottle, scientists claim.
Their peers seeking a place at the best universities have less time to hang out in bars and clubs – slashing their chances of boozing.
It showed those happy to work in lower-paid jobs spend less time revising for their upcoming exams and more time with friends – which often results in drinking
The study, led by Moscow University, said that teenagers planning to pursue higher education also tend to have their head in books more.
Writing in the International Journal of Drug Policy, they said: ‘Reading also has the highest positive correlation with sobriety.
‘High school students planning to apply to university have less time to hang out in the streets and in clubs.’
How was the study carried out?
For the new study, which involved researchers from New York University, 1,269 teenagers were quizzed about their alcohol intake.
They were classified into four groups based on what their long-term plans were for the future, including the two brackets already mentioned.
The others consisted of those who had no educational plans, and those who sought to attend university after learning a trade.
What did they find?
Researchers found teenagers not planning to attend university are much more likely to consume alcohol compared to those seeking a trade job.
Associations between teenage activities and alcohol use were also analysed to see which sort of students were drinking.
They discovered there to be no link between after-school arts and sports clubs or reading books and boozing.
However, perhaps unsurprisingly, hanging out with friends was revealed to be an indicator of excessive alcohol consumption.
Was there any surprising results?
But, more surprisingly, the study uncovered a link between religious get-togethers between friends and alcohol consumption.
Researchers said this was likely because places of worship provide teenagers with adult role models – allowing them to mimic their behaviour.
The findings remained true even after accounting for other risk factors of alcohol consumption, including parental education and jobs.
It follows worrying University of Florida research published in June that found getting drunk before you turn 15 nearly doubles your risk of an early death.
Those who get inebriated at a young age are 47 percent more likely to die prematurely, their study found.