Junk Science Story of the Day

Leg Iron had better watch out – all those fags are depleting his IQ. Oh, I see that he is already onto it…

Anyway, the story…

Smokers have lower IQs than those who abstain, with intelligence decreasing the more one smokes, researchers have found.

A study of 18 to 21-year-old men revealed that the IQs of smokers averaged 94 – seven points lower than non-smokers on 101.

Oh, puhleeese…

IQ tests assess your ability to do IQ tests; that’s all. When I was studying for my A-levels, I was confronted with one of these and did badly. So, at 17, I was unintelligent even though I was studying for A-level qualifications. Over the years, I have consistently scored in the high 130s to low 140s. This is not because I have become more intelligent with the passing years, but because I taught myself how to do IQ tests. So the whole thing is junk science that no one should take seriously. They do not measure intelligence; merely a part of intelligence if at all.

IQ scores in a healthy population of young men fall between 84 and 116, but those who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day averaged just 90 between them.

Researchers in Israel took data from more than 20,000 healthy men before, during and after they spent time in the Israeli military.

I see. So it is smoking that causes this, not being conscripted into the military, then? Yes, of course I’m being silly – that is the only rational response to a piece of “research” that is plainly bonkers.

Professor Mark Weiser, of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Psychiatry, said: “In the health profession, we’ve generally thought that smokers are most likely the kind of people to have grown up in difficult neighbourhoods, or who’ve been given less education at good schools.”

There’s an old saying about making assumptions – and if that is the type of assumption that the health profession make on a routine basis then we should be taking their research with a proverbial greater than recommended dose of salt.

“But because our study included subjects with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, we’ve been able to rule out socio-economics as a major factor.”

Jolly good.

The study also measured effects in twin brothers – and in the case where one twin smoked, the non-smoking twin registered a higher IQ on average.

Yes? And? So? This proves, what exactly? Oh, that’s right, it proves nothing.

Prof Weiser said: “People on the lower end of the average IQ tend to display poorer overall decision-making skills when it comes to their health.”

Do they? Really? Or is that what you would like to think?

People with lower IQs are not only prone to addictions such as smoking. These same people are more likely to have obesity, nutrition and narcotics issues.

I have had some personal exposure to addiction. My experience demonstrated that the addictive personality comes from across the spectrum of socio-economic groups. Attend an AA meeting for example, or a rehab clinic. The people you meet are not primarily from one socio-economic group. They are all sorts.

Our study may help parents and health professionals help at-risk young people make better choices.

My study may help parents and health professionals treat this claptrap with the contempt it so richly deserves.