It is a long-known fact that smoking is bad for your memory but a new study has shown that second-hand smokers face the same damage.
Research has shown that a life-time of second hand smoking can damage the part of the brain responsible for memory in the same way it impacts the mind’s of smokers.
Researchers Dr. Tom Heffernan and Dr. Terence O’Neil from the University of Northumbria compared a group of smokers to two groups of non-smokers, those regularly exposed to tobacco smoke and those who rarely have to deal with clouds of smoke.
Second hand smokers face memory loss
The study showed that those who live with smokers or spent time with them confirmed that they passively inhaled smoke for 25 hours a week for four and a half years.
When tested, the study found that non-smokers who were exposed to smoke on a regular basis forgot almost 20% more than those who were not.
Dr. Heffernan said: “Our findings suggest the deficits associated with the second-hand smoke exposure extend to everyday cognitive function.”
Her.ie is shocked by the research and we will definitely be sending those smokers packing!
