Impotence and Smoking
Men
Unaware Smoking Causes Impotence - Read Report [06/02-2]
Excerpts from Many Men Unaware That Smoking Can Cause Impotence
By Patricia Reaney, Reuters [06/02/99] [LINK TO REPORT FOLLOWS]
Smoking
can cause impotence but few men are aware of the dangers, British
doctors said Wednesday.
A new report by the British Medical Association (BMA) and the anti-tobacco
group [Action on Smoking and Health] (ASH) presents a stark contrast
to the slick advertising images of rugged, sexy male smokers.
The report estimates 120,000 men in Britain are impotent as a direct
result of their habit and says a recent MORI poll showed 88 percent
of smokers do not know the sexual risks they are taking.
Both groups are urging the British government and the European Union
to add new warnings on cigarette packets saying smoking causes impotence
and can damage sperm.
The damage smoking causes is cumulative. Years of smoking make it
difficult for men to achieve or sustain an erection. Teenage smokers
who can't kick the habit could be impotent by the time they reach
their 30s or 40s.
Smoking causes a buildup of fatty deposits in delicate blood vessels.
But instead of blocking blood flow to the heart, as in the case
of heart disease, it stops the supply to the penis.
Nicotine can also cause rapid contractions in penile tissue or damage
a valve mechanism that traps blood in the penis.
Research studies have shown that smoking can increase the chances
of becoming impotent by 50 percent and can also compound other risk
factors for erectile dysfunction.
Hormone abnormalities, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, strokes
and kidney and liver problems can cause impotence.
Presented
as a public service by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH),
2013 H Street, N.W., Wash., DC 20006, USA, (202) 659-4310.
ASH is a 31-year-old national legal-action antismoking and nonsmokers'
rights organization which is entirely supported by tax-deductible
contributions.
ASH's web address: http://ash.org/
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