In a recent study, the relationship between smokers and non-smokers has resulted in a new discovery stating that there is significant memory damage caused by second hand smoking.
According to Sci-News, a new study published online in the journal Addiction explores the relationship between exposure to other people’s smoke and everyday memory problems that led scientists to believe memory damage caused by second hand smoking is truly prevalent. The scientists compared three different groups; a group of current smokers, a group of non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke, and non-smokers never exposed to smoking. The group of non-smokers reported being exposed to second-hand smoke for an average of 25 hours a week for an average of four and a half years.
The testing included a time-based memory exam, where you remember to carry out an act after a certain time, and event-based memory text, or the memory used for future intentions. The study dramatically showed that non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke forgot almost 20 percent more in the memory tests than the non-smokers who were never exposed. Additionally, smokers forgot more than 30 percent in comparison with those never exposed.
Lead author Dr Tom Heffernan of the Northumbria University’s Collaboration for Drug and Alcohol Research Group stated, “According to recent reports by the World Health Organization, exposure to second-hand smoke can have serious consequences on the health of people who have never smoked themselves, but who are exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke. Our findings suggest that the deficits associated with second-hand smoke exposure extend to everyday cognitive function. We hope our work will stimulate further research in the field in order to gain a better understanding of the links between exposure to second-hand smoke, health problems and everyday cognitive function.”
photo by DucDigital
Health News: Memory Damage Caused by Second Hand Smoking.
