The brain remembers: The hidden cost of young adult substance use

MedicalXpress | Mär 29, 2026

Young adults who heavily use substances may report significantly poorer memory decades later, a new University of Michigan study suggests. Researchers tracked how frequently participants reported binge drinking and daily—or near-daily—use of alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes between the ages of 18 and 30. They then compared those patterns with self-reported poor memory at ages 50 to 65.