A new study identifies a link between high IQ in childhood and illegal drug use at ages 16 and 30.
Researchers used data from a study that
tracked 8,000 Britons born in 1970 over 30 years. They were tested for
IQ at ages 5 and 10 and asked about drug use and psychological
well-being at age 16, and about drug use at 30. Higher IQs were tied to
higher rates of marijuana use at 16 and, at 30, higher use of marijuana,
cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy. The link was stronger in women and
was unchanged after accounting for class, income, teen psychological
distress and education.
People with high IQs get high marks on
"stimulation seeking" and openness to experience and are more prone to
boredom—qualities that might pique interest in drugs, the authors said.
"Intelligence Across Childhood in Relation to
Illegal Drug Use in Adulthood: 1970 British Cohort Study," James White,
G. David Batty, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
(forthcoming)
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