Smoking is often viewed by both Hollywood and nonconformists as rebellious, edgy, cool. If anything has the power to change that impression, it’s studies like this one from Britain:
Action on Smoking and Health: WARNING: Smoking causes male impotence
Smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction by around 50% for men in their 30s and 40s.
On the basis of these risks and the prevalence of smoking in the UK, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the British Medical Association (BMA) estimate that up to 120,000 UK men in their 30s and 40s are impotent as a direct consequence of smoking. This figure is likely to be an underestimate, because it does not include impotence due to previous smoking in men who no longer smoke.
During an erection, large quantities of blood flow, under pressure, into the penile arteries. This causes the veins which drain the penis to become compressed, so preventing the immediate outflow of blood. This process is significantly impaired by smoking.
The damage caused by smoking to male sexual health also includes:
- Reduced volume of ejaculate
- Lowered sperm count
- Abnormal sperm shape
- Impaired sperm motility
The following warnings should be added to approved list of warnings that can be specified in the new Directive:
- WARNING: SMOKING CAUSES MALE SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
- WARNING: SMOKING DAMAGES SPERM
- WARNING: SMOKING MAY DAMAGE YOUR SEX-LIFE
