Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals that destroy the brain.

Some studies have shown that nicotine incigarettecan improve concentration and attention. But cigarettes contain more than just nicotine. A cigarette is made up of more than 4,000 chemicals. 50 of them are toxic, such as: carbon monoxide also found in car exhaust, butane found in burning gasoline, arsenic, ammonia found in rocket fuel.

Therefore, smokingcigarettenicotine doesn’t make you more focused. Long-term exposure to all these toxic chemicals can lead to brain damage, reduced memory and learning ability. Long-term smoking has been shown by researchers to cause impairments in short-term memory (prospective memory), coordination, and even concentration.

Short-term memory loss means you’ll forget things you have to do in the near future, like appointments, taking your medication, turning off the tap, brushing your teeth, or answering emails. Reduced executive function means you can’t plan your work well. And reduced concentration means you’re constantly distracted by outside factors. When all three of these abilities are impaired, smoking can make your life much worse. Smokers also suffer from short-term memory loss.

Recent studies have also linked passive smoking to temporary memory loss. Non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke also face similar health problems, including lung disease, heart disease, cognitive problems and now memory loss.

Conversely, studies of people who quit smoking have shown improvements in brain function. For example, the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain that processes information and remembers, increases in thickness when someone quits smoking. As we age, the cerebral cortex thins, but smoking can cause it to thin much faster. Secondhand smoke can also cause this to happen.