Smokers lose one third of their memory when they light up, a study has revealed.
According to researchers at Northumbria University, people who smoke suffer from memory loss and have the most trouble remembering things that happened a short while ago.
However, if you quit the cigarettes, your memory will improve and you’ll even start to recollect your restored memory by up to 25%.
The study involved a group of 18-25 year olds who were asked to recall small details of things they’ve previously seen and heard. It also measured ‘prospective memory’ and the ability to remember to carry out duties in the future, like taking daily medicine or picking up a pint of milk after work.
Those who smoked regularly fared the worst, with them only being able to recall 59% of the tasks.
Former smokers had a better functioning memory, remembering 74% of memories and non-smokers came in top with 81%.
“We already know that giving up smoking has huge health benefits for the body, but this study also shows how stopping smoking can have knock-on benefits for cognitive function, too," says Tom Heffernan, study researcher from Northumbria University.
The study also revealed that there are further tests being made to find out if there is a link between memory loss and passive smoking.