研究表明吸菸損傷智力

People who smoke could lose around one third of their everyday memory, researchers say.
　　研究員表示，吸菸的人會失去他們大約三分之一的日常記憶。

According to a study by a team at Northumbria University, smokers lose more of their memory when compared to non-smokers. And the research also found that those who kicked the habit saw their ability to recollect information restored to almost the same level as non-smokers.

根據諾桑比亞大學的一個研究小組的調查，和那些不吸菸的相比，菸民的記憶喪失的更多。他們還發現，如果人們戒菸，那麼他們可以看見自己回憶信息能力幾乎回到從前，和不吸菸的人差不多。

The study involved more than seventy 18 to 25-year-olds and included a tour of the university’s campus. Those who took part were asked to recall small details of life, known as real world memory test.

超過17名18至25歲的人蔘與調查，還包括了一個參觀大學校園的旅行團。他們被要求回憶一些生活中很小的細節，這被稱作對真實世界的記憶測試。

Smokers performed badly, remembering just 59 per cent of tasks. But those who had given up smoking remembered 74 per cent and those who had never smoked recalled 81 per cent of tasks.

菸民表現的很糟糕，他們只能回憶起任務中的59%。然而那些已經戒了煙的人可以回憶起74%, 從未吸菸的人則能做到81%。

Dr Tom Heffernan, who leads Northumbria University’s Collaboration for Drug and Alcohol Research Group, said the findings would be useful in anti-smoking campaigns.

諾森布里亞大學的毒品和酒精聯合調查小組的領導者，湯姆·霍夫曼博士說，這些發現將被用於反吸菸活動。

He said: “Given that there are up to 10million smokers in the UK and as many 45million in the United States, it’s important to understand the effects smoking has on everyday cognitive function - of which prospective memory is an excellent example.”

他說：“考慮到英國的有1000萬菸民而美國有4500萬，所以更重要是的瞭解吸菸對日常認知功能的影響。對前瞻性記憶的影響就是一個很好的例子。“

“This is the first time that a study has set out to examine whether giving up smoking has impact on memory. 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 functions too.”

“這是一項着眼於戒菸是否對記憶有影響的研究。我們已經知道戒菸對健康是有很大好處的。但這個研究也顯示出，戒菸對認知功能也有連帶的好處。”

The research will now investigate the effects of of passive smoking on memory, while Dr Heffernan and Dr Terence O’Neill will look into the effects of 'third-hand smoking' - toxins left on curtains and furniture.

目前，這項研究正在調查被動吸菸對於記憶的影響。霍夫曼博士和特倫斯·奧尼爾博士將研究“三手煙”也就是遺留在傢俱上毒素對記憶的影響。

Last year Dr Heffernan led a study into the link between excessive drinking in teenagers and damage to memory. The study found that binge drinkers do not think of themselves as having a poor memory - suggesting teenagers do not appreciate the damage that is being done.

去年，霍夫曼博士領導了一個有關青少年酗酒與記憶力損害之間聯繫的研究。研究發現。酗酒者並不會覺得自己的記憶差，這暗示青年人不能不重視已經造成的損害。