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In a study in the current Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 20 regular smokers and 22 non-smokers were asked to estimate the duration of a 45-second time period in the lab. It turns out that time perception becomes impaired when smokers stop.
The time estimates made by the nonsmokers and the smokers before the abstinence period were similar and fairly accurate. However, after 24 hours without a cigarette, the smoker’s accuracy declined significantly compared to both the nonsmokers and their own estimates before the abstinence period. There were no gender differences in any of the outcomes.
Although some studies suggest that the hormones cortisol and arginine vasopressin which are involved in the process of smoking cessation may have an impact on time perception, there are no definitive studies in the literature. Researchers have described dramatic hormone changes when one stops smoking and the team, from Pennsylvania State University who published this study, are looking at how these hormone levels change with cigarette smoking and stress. They will also be studying the effects of longer periods of abstinence in smokers, and will include those actively trying to quit.
The researchers conclude that 24-hour cigarette smoking abstinence can alter perceptions of time in a healthy, young, non-clinical population of smokers emphasizes the need for future research to delineate the attention altering effects of nicotine and nicotine withdrawal on addiction processes.
3:52:44 PM 
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