Teens who smoke have less grey matter in decision-making part of the brain

Teenagers who start smoking by 14 years of age have markedly less grey matter in a part of the brain linked to decision-making and rule-abiding, researchers have found. — 123rf.com

TEENAGERS who succumb to peer pressure and start smoking likely do so because they have less grey matter in the part of the brain that influences decision-making and abiding by rules.

Worse again, those youngsters who develop a smoking habit tend by the end of their teenage years to have experienced a reduction in grey matter in the part of the brain that controls how pleasure is managed.