Nobody is suggesting soda consumption causes teens to become more violent, but there does appear to be a statistically significant relationship between them. Today's Star Tribune story showed that data from the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey agrees with a new study showing that Boston teens who are heavy soda drinkers are also more prone to violence.

Below is the data, which the Star Tribune requested from the Minnesota Department of Health, regarding the relationship between soda consumption and students who run away, carry weapons, beat people up, destroy property or steal things. Note that the relationship holds up whether students are in 6th, 9th or 12th grades. The highest levels of violent or aggressive activities came from students who said they drank three or more glasses of soda in the day prior to the survey.

Two U of M experts suspect the link is spurious, or a reflection of other social problems that cause teens who are violent to also drink a lot of soda. The Vermont researcher, Sara Solnick, who authored the Boston student study said it is possible that anything from low blood sugar to poor parenting could send students down both of these paths. Solnick said it is far-fetched at this point to think that caffeine or sugar in soda causes more teen violence.

What is your grade in school right now? How many glasses of each of the following did you drink yesterday: Pop or soda? 0 drinks 1 or 2 drinks 3 or more drinks Total Grade 6 During the last 12 months, how often have you run away from home? Never 94.5% 93.0% 82.6% 92.4% Once or twice 4.7% 6.1% 13.2% 6.3% Three or more times .8% 1.0% 4.1% 1.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 9 During the last 12 months, how often have you run away from home? Never 92.7% 90.6% 82.4% 90.5% Once or twice 5.6% 7.3% 11.9% 7.1% Three or more times 1.7% 2.1% 5.7% 2.4% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 12 During the last 12 months, how often have you run away from home? Never 94.2% 93.1% 85.5% 92.5% Once or twice 4.4% 5.3% 8.9% 5.4% Three or more times 1.5% 1.7% 5.6% 2.1% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% What is your grade in school right now? How many glasses of each of the following did you drink yesterday: Pop or soda? 0 drinks 1 or 2 drinks 3 or more drinks Total Grade 6 During the last 12 months, how often have you damaged or destroyed property at school or somewhere else (for example: broken windows or furniture, put paint on walls or signs)? Never 91.9% 88.9% 76.1% 88.8% Once or twice 6.8% 9.3% 16.0% 8.9% Three or more times 1.3% 1.8% 7.9% 2.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 9 During the last 12 months, how often have you damaged or destroyed property at school or somewhere else (for example: broken windows or furniture, put paint on walls or signs)? Never 89.1% 84.9% 72.3% 85.3% Once or twice 8.3% 11.2% 17.0% 10.6% Three or more times 2.6% 3.8% 10.7% 4.2% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 12 During the last 12 months, how often have you damaged or destroyed property at school or somewhere else (for example: broken windows or furniture, put paint on walls or signs)? Never 91.2% 88.4% 79.0% 88.4% Once or twice 6.5% 8.6% 13.1% 8.2% Three or more times 2.3% 3.0% 7.9% 3.4% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% What is your grade in school right now? How many glasses of each of the following did you drink yesterday: Pop or soda? 0 drinks 1 or 2 drinks 3 or more drinks Total Grade 6 During the last 12 months, how often have you hit or beat up another person? Never 78.5% 74.0% 59.3% 74.5% Once or twice 16.3% 19.5% 25.5% 18.6% Three or more times 5.2% 6.6% 15.2% 7.0% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 9 During the last 12 months, how often have you hit or beat up another person? Never 82.8% 77.7% 62.7% 78.2% Once or twice 12.4% 16.2% 23.1% 15.3% Three or more times 4.8% 6.1% 14.1% 6.6% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 12 During the last 12 months, how often have you hit or beat up another person? Never 89.2% 85.0% 75.5% 85.6% Once or twice 7.8% 11.1% 14.5% 10.0% Three or more times 3.0% 4.0% 10.0% 4.4% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% What is your grade in school right now? How many glasses of each of the following did you drink yesterday: Pop or soda? 0 drinks 1 or 2 drinks 3 or more drinks Total Grade 6 During the last 12 months, how often have you taken something from a store without paying for it? Never 95.8% 93.4% 83.5% 93.4% Once or twice 3.2% 5.1% 10.7% 4.9% Three or more times 1.0% 1.5% 5.8% 1.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 9 During the last 12 months, how often have you taken something from a store without paying for it? Never 86.7% 81.7% 69.2% 82.5% Once or twice 8.0% 10.8% 15.5% 10.0% Three or more times 5.3% 7.5% 15.2% 7.4% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 12 During the last 12 months, how often have you taken something from a store without paying for it? Never 83.0% 78.3% 71.0% 79.5% Once or twice 10.1% 12.9% 15.2% 11.9% Three or more times 6.9% 8.8% 13.9% 8.6% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% What is your grade in school right now? How many glasses of each of the following did you drink yesterday: Pop or soda? 0 drinks 1 or 2 drinks 3 or more drinks Total Grade 6 Carried weapon on school property one or more days in last 30 days NONE 98.1% 97.2% 91.1% 96.9% YES 1.9% 2.8% 8.9% 3.1% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 9 Carried weapon on school property one or more days in last 30 days NONE 96.2% 94.6% 86.1% 94.2% YES 3.8% 5.4% 13.9% 5.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Grade 12 Carried weapon on school property one or more days in last 30 days NONE 96.0% 94.0% 85.4% 93.7% YES 4.0% 6.0% 14.6% 6.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%