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In 1884 , a young researcher named Sigmund Freud was studying the mysteries of the human mentality when he compose an article about cocaine . The scientist extolled its benefits in a paper , “ Über Coca , ” chronicling how he felt when he used the drug . For the next 12 years , Freud habitually used cocain as he wrote some of his most influential works , including his theory about the Oedipus complex , psychoanalysis , and the unconscious head .

Many hoi polloi recollect that Freud was unnatural . Conventional wisdom implies that smarter people are less likely to use drug . But astudy from Cardiff University in Walesfound that multitude with higher IQs are more likely to gratify in illegal drugs than people of average or lower intelligence .

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Researchers surveyed 7,900 British hoi polloi tolerate in April 1970 .

At years 5 and 10 , research worker measure their IQ and at 16 and 30 , the research worker asked them to fulfill out surveys about psychological problem and drug use . By age 30 , 35 % of men and 16 % of womanhood admitted to smoke pot at least once in the past yr , while 9 % of men and 4 % of adult female indulged in cocain . the great unwashed who copped to doing drugs also score higher on IQ tests than those who did not touch .

Women in the top third of intelligence quotient piles were five time more likely to have used marijuana or cocaine than those ladies in the bottom third . military personnel with the gamey IQs were almost 50 % more likely to expend amphetamines and 65 % more potential to have used rapture .

tip researcher , James White , provides several theories explaining why smarter people might indulge in drug use more frequently . He read that anti - drug drive often bring home the bacon simple message that might not invoke to smarter small fry . Also , brilliant masses may experience more boredom and societal closing off than their less intelligent equal . However , he thinks that attitude might account for the departure :