Maybe you associate ‘education and drug abuse’ with the idea of college frat parties. But depending on where you’re from and who you are, your risk for drug abuse might be associated with the way you learn.

It seems that education levels and drug abuse are in some way linked, but there is no definitive answer on whether highly educated people are more or less likely to develop addictions. A greater array of economic, social, political, and other issues are related to a predisposition for addiction. However, the relationship between the two cannot be denied.

But it still can be noted that education levels do have a role in determining addiction, while substance use disorder at an earlier age can in turn also predispose lower levels of education. It was determined that those who used alcohol, tobacco and drugs at an early age were less likely to complete college. It cannot be said that both educational achievement and substance use disorder strongly correlate, but the two do have a strong connection.

Another study determined that among a group of about 15,000 women and men, the smallest amount of education acquired was associated with the largest amount of substance use disorder—“heavy smokers, heavy drinkers, physically inactive, and obese.”

An additional study measured the rates of drinking among college and high school students: “individuals who had dropped out of high school were 6.34 times more likely to develop alcohol abuse or dependence than were individuals with a college degree. For those who had entered college but failed to achieve a degree, the estimated relative risk was 3.01.”

Certainly, in order to make broader claims about the association between education levels and addiction, more research needs to be conducted. But it can be assumed that no matter the case, education and substance use disorder does not walk hand in hand.