Parents, please take note. A new study has found that adolescents with serious conduct and substance use problems are five times more likely to die prematurely than their peers. The findings, published in the journal Addiction, suggests that while drug and alcohol use among adolescents draws more attention, antisocial behaviour -- including rule-breaking tendencies -- may be a more powerful predictor of early mortality.

"This research makes it clear that youth identified with conduct problems are at extreme risk for premature mortality, beyond that which can be explained by substance use problems, and in critical need of greater resources," said lead author Richard Border from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US.