| In movies and on TV, smokers are | | | | 4,000 Chinese men and took into |
| portrayed as tough, rugged, independent | | | | consideration the subjects' smoking |
| men who always get what they want and | | | | habits and the amount of sex they had. |
| are irresistible to women. But the truth | | | | "After statistically accounting for |
| is far removed from this rosy picture. | | | | other erectile function influences, |
| Experts say smoking can make you | | | | researchers found that current smokers |
| impotent and over 120,000 British men | | | | had a 31 percent higher risk for |
| are suffering because of this! | | | | (impotence) compared to men who had |
| This was revealed by Dr Godfrey Fowler | | | | never smoked. A similar difference was |
| from Oxford University's Primary Health | | | | seen in former smokers who had a 35 |
| Department who said that thousands of | | | | percent higher risk," said |
| men in their 30s and 40s in the UK have | | | | If you have high blood pressure, it gets |
| smoking-related impotence. Because of | | | | worse. Hypertensive smokers are 26 times |
| this, British Medical Association (BMA) | | | | more likely to be impotent than |
| officers said cigarette packets should | | | | non-smokers, according to Dr John |
| warn smokers of this risk. | | | | Spangler who led American researchers at |
| "The tobacco companies have spent a | | | | Wake Forest University Baptist Medical |
| fortune trying to persuade people that | | | | Centre. He added that the risk of |
| smoking is sexy, macho and cool, but an | | | | impotence in former smokers with high |
| impotence warning would bring home the | | | | blood pressure is 11 times higher. |
| sad and embarrassing reality," said | | | | "Smoking affects erection in a number of |
| Clive Bates, director of Action on | | | | ways. Long-term damage is caused by a |
| Smoking and Health (ASH). | | | | build up of fatty deposits blocking |
| "What we want is for girls to look at | | | | arteries and restricting blood flow. But |
| young men and think: 'He smokes - he's | | | | every time a cigarette is lit, nicotine |
| going to be impotent - I'm not | | | | circulates in the blood, constricting |
| interested.' This would be especially | | | | blood vessels and restricting the rush |
| effective for the under 40s," added Ann | | | | of blood essential to triggering an |
| Craig, managing director of the | | | | erection," explained Jenny Hope in the |
| Impotence Association. | | | | Daily Mail. |
| This is not the first time smoking has | | | | Ironically, the BMA said very few are |
| been implicated in impotence. Dr. Jiang | | | | aware of the smoking - impotence link. |
| He, steward associate professor of | | | | In fact, a poll conducted for ASH |
| epidemiology and medicine at Tulane | | | | revealed that 88 percent of smokers have |
| University School of Public Health and | | | | no idea whatsoever of the link. Adding |
| Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, said | | | | to the deception is that smokers are |
| men who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a | | | | often portrayed as glamorous and |
| day had a 60 percent higher risk of | | | | sophisticated individuals and smoking is |
| impotence compared to non-smokers. | | | | usually associated with sex, virility, |
| The risk was lower in men who had fewer | | | | and success. Doctors say it's time to |
| cigarettes but still high compared to | | | | wake up and see smoking in a new light. |
| non-smokers. He's study involved over | | | | |