Question: Does drug use damage human memory?

Alex Reid answered on 15 Nov 2018: last edited 15 Nov 2018 8:49 pm

Hi Crunchy, you are becoming a much welcome regular here on the forums! Yes drug use can damage memory but how it does this will depend very much on the type of drug so I will pick an example: alcohol. Alcohol can cause both short term and long term memory loss. In terms of the immediate effects of alcohol it can stop your brain from transferring new memories into long term memory. This can cause ‘blackouts’ and these are really not a good thing! Blacked out people might get themselves into all sorts of trouble and not remember it. In the long term chronic (prolonged) alcohol consumption can really do a number on your brain. The hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for short term memory formation) might shrink and this could cause additional memory problems even after you sober up. There is also a type of dementia associated with alcohol abuse called Korsakoff’s syndrome. This is why people need to drink responsibly.