That’s what Israeli researchers say in a new study.
From their media release, “Carbon Monoxide — The Silent Calmer?”: Inhaling low levels of CO reduces the impact of environmental stress, TAU researcher finds”:
According to scientists, carbon monoxide (CO), a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas, is not only a danger to the environment but also highly toxic to human beings. Found in the exhaust of vehicles and generators, CO has been dubbed the “silent killer” because excessive inhalation is lethal, poisoning the nervous system and heart.
Now, in a surprising twist, Prof. Itzhak Schnell of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Geography and the Human Environment has discovered that low levels of the poisonous gas can have a narcotic effect that helps citydwellers cope with other harmful environmental factors of an urban environment, such as off-the-chart noise levels. This finding indicates that CO, in small doses, is a boon to the well-being of urbanites, better equipping them to deal with environmental stress.
The research has been published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.
Click for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment web site. (Study not posted as of time of this posting.)
Could it be that the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke is partially responsible for the calming effect of smoking tobacco?
I claim (not in any scientific way – just musing) that one day scientists will state that the humble tobacco cigarette has some medically redeeming properties