London - Smoking could cause significant damage to your memory, research suggests.
When tested, smokers did 27 percent worse than those who had never taken up the habit.
Worryingly, the type of recall that appears to be affected is crucial in everyday situations such as remembering to call a friend or attend an appointment.
The study, from Northumbria University, links smoking with weaker prospective memory - our ability to remember to carry out plans.
Tom Heffernan, of the universitys drug and alcohol research group, asked 69 students aged between 18 and 25 to memorise a list of tasks to carry out as they walked around campus. Those who had never smoked did best, remembering to complete 81 percent of the tasks, the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence reports.
The smokers - on an average of 60 cigarettes a week - managed to get through only 59 percent.
Former smokers completed 74 percent of their objectives , suggesting that any damage done is not permanent.
Dr Heffernan said: “We know that giving up smoking has huge health benefits, but this study also shows how stopping smoking can have knock-on benefits for cognitive functions, too.” - Daily Mail