Chapter nine deals with how to measure intelligence and trends among people of different levels of intelligence. A very interesting study first published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health seems to suggest that high use of illegal drugs is a trend among individuals with high intelligence. The study measured the IQ of 8,000 participants at ages 5 and 10 and gathered information on self reported levels of psychological distress and drug use at ages 16 and 30. Holding constant for reported anxiety/depression during adolescence, parental social class, and lifetime household income, the study found that men with high intelligence in adolescence were 50% more likely and women with high intelligence in adolescence were more than 50% more likely to use illegal drugs by age 30 than individuals who had low-intelligence in adolescence.
The researchers who headed the study say it is unclear why there is a link between high IQ and illegal drug use but point to previous studies as possibly providing some answers. One such study shows that highly intelligent people are more open to experiences and keen on novelty and stimulation. Another study shows that intelligent children are often easily bored and suffer at the hands of their peers for being different. Researchers say that "either of which could conceivably increase vulnerability to using drugs as an avoidant coping strategy."
However, I still don't completely buy that intelligent people do more drugs. It generally is a common sense things that drugs are a dumb thing to do:
And shouldn't intelligent people have more common sense? Hopefully more studies will follow and conclusively show if and why there is a link between high intelligence and drug use.
Great post. Good job incorporating another reference, nice review, and good ideas.
I think this is a really interesting study. Part of me agrees with you in the sense that intelligent people should have the common sense to know the adverse effects of illegal drug use. However, I did look at a few of those studies, and from a general reader's standpoint, some of the points you brought up make sense. I can see how intelligent individuals may become bored, or may feel some emotional distress upon being singled out by peers. I can also imagine that intelligent individuals would be more willing to experiment with their own brain processes, which drugs will allow you to do.
Not sure if any of this is true, but it's something to keep in mind: Steve Jobs dropped out of college, and is rumored to have experienced with hallucinogenic drugs like Acid. The same goes for a few other individuals, as well as many musicians (though maybe the musicians did these drugs to develop a persona, rather than for intelligence-based reasons). Maybe studies on these individuals, such as why they chose to drop out of college, would help us reach some conclusions on whether they were bored, singled out, emotionally unstable, etc.
This is a very interesting study. Unfortunately, I know many intelligent people with little common sense. The stereotypical book nerd spends a lot of time in their early years studying. By age 30, they probably want to try new things and become more open to new experiences, such as trying illegal drugs. It seems really stupid and they should have better judgment and common sense, but who knows?