CIGS ARE A DRAG ON TEEN BRAINS

Smoking 'destroys grey matter...and it's worse the younger they start

- LAURA COLGAN

TEENAGE smokers are destroying their brain cells, new research partly carried out in Ireland has revealed.

People who started smoking by 14 years of age have, on average, "markedly" less grey matter in a section of the left frontal lobe linked to decision making and rule-breaking, according to the findings.

Grey matter is the brain tissue that processes information, and contains the organ's neurons.

While brain development continues into adulthood, grey matter growth peaks before adolescence.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, used data gathered in Ireland, the UK, France and Germany to analyse brain imaging and behavioural data from more than 800 young people at the ages of 14, 19 and 23.

The researchers compared brain imaging data for those who had smoked by age 14 with those who had not, and repeated the process for the same participants at ages 19 and 23.

Those who had already smoked by the age of 14 had "significantly" less grey matter in the left prefrontal cortex, on average.