Smoking and intelligence

Filed in archive Studies on October 15, 2005

Smoking is linked to a lower IQ:

Smoking can cloud the brain, according to a new study that found long-term tobacco use was linked to dulled thinking and Lower IQ.

The finding contradicts what many smokers claim -- that smoking a cigarette helps them concentrate and feel more alert.

"The exact mechanism for smoking's impact on the brain's higher functions is still unclear, but may involve both neurochemical effects and damage to the blood vessels that supply the brain," lead researcher Jennifer Glass, of the University of Michigan, said in a prepared statement. "This is consistent with other findings that people with cardiovascular disease and lung disease tend to have reduced neurocognitive function."