Credit: www.globalnews.ca/ |
Nonsmokers regularly exposed to
cigarette smoke forgot nearly 20 percent more in tests.
Regular exposure to secondhand smoke has a negative effect on brain function, according to new research from Northumbria University that found people who live with or spend a significant amount of time with a smoker are damaging their memories.
The
findings is the first study to explore the relationship between exposure to
other people’s smoke and everyday memory problems.
Dr
Tom Heffernan and Dr Terence O’Neil, both researchers at the Collaboration for
Drug and Alcohol Research Group at Northumbria University, compared a group of
current smokers with two groups of non-smokers – those who were regularly
exposed to second-hand smoke and those who were not.
Those
exposed to second-hand smoke either lived with smokers or spent time with
smokers, for example in a designated “smoking area,” and 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
three groups were tested on time-based memory (remembering to carry out an
activity after some time) and event-based memory (which refers to memory for
future intentions and activities).
Researchers
found that the non-smokers who had been exposed to second-hand smoke forgot
almost 20% more in the memory tests than those non-smokers not exposed.
However, both groups out-performed the current smokers who forgot 30% more than
those who were not exposed to second-hand smoking.
Dr
Heffernan said: “According to recent reports by the World Health Organisation,
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.”
###
The above story is based on the September 12, 2012 news release by Northumbria University.
The research is published in the latest online
edition of the Addiction, a journal by the Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and
other Drugs:
Heffernan
TM, O'Neill TS. Exposure to second-hand
smoke damages everyday prospective memory. Addiction. 2012 Aug 23. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.04056.x.
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