While it is popular, easy to use and seen everywhere, vaping could have this effect on men.

It is seen everywhere and is viewed as a much easier option than smoking. Indulging in cigarettes, cigars and joints in general public spaces have been banned since the early 2000s. Prior to the ban it was a Wild West. Up until the late 80s smoking was permitted at work, hospitals, grocery stories, schools, bars, restaurants, and planes. When it began being banned from smoking inside, smoking decreased. After the ban, vaping technology emerged and went public in 2003. By 2011 about 7 million vaped globally, with over 82 million vaping in 2021. The number has only reason. When cannabis become legal, vaping marijuana become popular and is in a tight race with smoking and gummies for ways people consume.  But there is a warning, vaping could have this effect on men…erectile dysfunction.

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One study suggests men who vape nicotine are twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction when compared to men who don’t vape. And cannabinoid receptors at the level of both the brain and penis may negatively impact erectile function.

The first study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, looked into deeper understanding of vaping and sexual health regarding men. They analyzed self-reported data from over 13,000 men over the age of 20. Among the findings: Men who used e-cigarettes were found to be 2.2 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction.

Some caveats in the study include that the data was self-reported, with there being the possibility of bias. Another thing to be mindful of is the fact that the survey didn’t ask any questions on whether or not the men were taking medications which increased the risks of erectile dysfunction, like antidepressants.

RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

Nicotine has long been linked with a variety of sexual dysfunctions, including erectile dysfunction and decreased arousal. Researchers believe this link exists due to smoking and the damage it imparts on circulation, which can also increase the odds of heart disease and strokes. When circulation is impacted, it makes it more difficult for erections to occur naturally.

Cannabis has long been used as an aphrodisiac, light use can relax the body and increase sensational. But, some research has shown heavy consumption may cause problems.  So it may be important not only how much you consume but how you consume.  If you have issues, talk to a health professional.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has made it his aim to stop anyone in the UK who was born before 1st January 2009 from ever being able to purchase cigarettes.

This new law will enforce that anyone who is currently aged 14 or younger will be unable to legally buy tobacco products, which is a similar legislation that New Zealand implemented last year. The Conservative prime minister, who has consistently been anti-drugs of any sort, wants to build a generation of non-smokers. Is this historic? Is this possible? How will it work? What is going on? Let’s find out what Rishi Sunak and his plans are.

Smoking in the UK

It’s no surprise that smoking has been a problem around the world for a long time. Yet another drug that establishments pushed and promoted for decades, and then were forced to backtrack on due to health concerns. Nonetheless, it seems that all the tobacco companies are now hiding in the shadows, putting money into vapes instead. More on this later. Smoking kills around 13 people an hour in the UK, or 120,000 people a year. Globally, tobacco products cause around 8 million mortalities. Smoking has long been a public health concern, prompting governments worldwide to implement stringent laws aimed at reducing tobacco use and protecting the well-being of the public. However, like the alcohol prohibition in America in the 20s, it’s hard to simply take away a drug that everyone is essentially addicted to and wants. Let’s take a look at the current legal situation surrounding cigarettes and tobacco products in the UK. 

UK Smoking Laws

Most of these laws will be familiar for many other nations. 

Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco

The legal age for purchasing tobacco products in the UK is 18. Shop owners are strictly prohibited from selling tobacco to individuals under this age, contributing to efforts to reduce youth smoking rates. However, this obviously doesn’t stop older people buying cigarettes and giving them to younger people. 

Smoking in Enclosed Public Spaces

One of the cornerstones of UK smoking laws is the prohibition of smoking in enclosed public spaces. This includes workplaces, restaurants, pubs, and public transportation. The ban not only extends to traditional tobacco products but also encompasses e-cigarettes, recognizing the potential risks associated with secondhand smoke. 

Graphic Health Warnings

In an effort to inform and deter, UK tobacco products are required to display graphic health warnings on their packaging. These vivid images and messages serve as a stark reminder of the serious health consequences of smoking, targeting both current smokers and potential initiates. You must’ve seen the picture of the hospitalised man next to his loving wife and child. 

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion

To curb the allure of smoking, the UK has implemented strict regulations on tobacco advertising and promotion. Bans on certain types of advertising, sponsorship, and promotional activities are in place to prevent the tobacco industry from enticing new smokers, especially young individuals who may be more susceptible.

Smoking in Vehicles

To safeguard the health of young people, it is illegal to smoke in a vehicle with anyone under the age of 18 present. Second hand smoke is a killer too and must obviously be taken into account. 

Tobacco Taxes

Cigarettes in the UK are expensive. It can cost around £15-20 for a 30 gram of tobacco. These high taxes on tobacco products serve as a dual purpose in the UK. It acts as a deterrent, making smoking more financially burdensome, while also generating revenue for public health initiatives. 

E-cigarettes

The world of vapes in the UK is a little confused. On the one hand, disposable vapes have been pushed by health professionals to desperately stop the increase of smokers in the UK. However, unfortunately, what has happened is that these colourful, flavourful devices have ended up appealing mainly to younger people. People that would, perhaps, have not even been smokers anyway. Currently, these devices are legal, but the Daily Mail reports:

“The PM also announced a crackdown on vaping amongst children promising to look at banning child-friendly flavours and packaging that encourage kids to pick up the habit. Disposable devices are also in the firing line.”

Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak became prime minister in 2022, and has had an anti-drug stance since the beginning. Thus, in a way, it is no surprise that he will be the one leading probably one of the most historic anti-smoking laws in UK history. In fact, many are calling this the “biggest public health intervention in a generation”. This is being implemented by a party who recently banned laughing gas, who ignored advice from the Misuse of Drugs Association to decriminalise drugs, and who are being led by a man who openly said this about the use of drugs:

“Drugs are horrific. There is nothing recreational about them. I have never taken them and will be incredibly tough on anyone who does.”

This is exactly the stance that the prime minister is now taking on tobacco. This war on drugs approach takes no prisoners, pulls no punches and makes no effort to empathise with users. Smoking and its health risks is a problem worldwide, and of course more effort needs to be done to help those who are addicted. However, is this the right way to go about it? Let’s take a look at what Rishi Sunak’s new legislation will actually mean. 

The Smoke Free Generation

There are around 6.4 million smokers in the UK currently, which is about 12.9% of the population. We’ve already mentioned the death toll per year too. There is no doubt – like the majority of the world’s nations – that smoking is a global killer that ideally needs to be stopped. But will Rishi Sunak’s new legislation help to do this? The prime minister wants to stop anyone currently aged 14 or younger (born after 2009) from ever being able to smoke. The plan will raise the smoking age by one year, every year, which will ultimately mean that a 14-year old today will never legally be sold a cigarette. If the plan went to perfection, smoking in under-30s could essentially be eliminated by 2040. It’s important to realise that the law would not make smoking itself illegal, but instead the selling of it. In essence, the act of smoking would not be a criminal act. Also, this law would not include the rest of the UK (Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), only England for now. But will this new ideal of a smoke free generation actually come to fruition? 

Perhaps Yes

Smoking kills many people each year in the UK, and it also costs a great deal of taxpayers money. The National Health Service of England fully supports this new law because smoking costs society a great deal of money through healthcare. The GOV UK website writes: 

“Smoking… costs the economy £17 billion a year, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, early deaths and costs to the NHS. These changes amount to one of the most significant public health interventions by the government in a generation. If the government does not act, the independent review published in 2022 estimated that nearly half a million people will die from smoking by 2030.”

Thus, evidently, it would benefit almost everyone if smoking was reduced. There probably aren’t many people on the planet that would disagree with that, even those who are addicted to it. However, the real question lies in how you make this happen. Does a hard-line approach ever actually work?

Perhaps No

Rishi Sunak is yet again enforcing a bit of an extremist law here. The aim is to end a legal supply of cigarettes, which he supposedly believes will stop smoking entirely. This, as seen throughout history, will not work the way he wants. As mentioned before, this was perfectly exemplified by the prohibition in America. Christopher Snowon, working at the Institute of Economic Affairs, spoke to the BBC and reportedly said: 

“You’re going to have, almost certainly, a fairly large, informal market of smokers who are old enough to buy cigarettes selling cigarettes to people who are not old enough… The problem with prohibition isn’t that it doesn’t have any effect whatsoever on consumption, the problem with prohibition is it leads to massive black markets and a lot of tax revenues gone.”

The UK’s opposing political party – Labour – have also come out in support of this new legislation. If Rishi Sunak genuinely wants to create a smoke free generation, rather than just an illegal smoking generation, then perhaps he needs to re-think his plans. Of course there is no easy way of ending smoking in a nation, but a more empathetic and educational approach may well be more useful. But what do you think?

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After smoking marijuana, users commonly describe the effects as sedative or relaxing. It places them in a calmer mood and allows the brain to turn off for a little while. But the same can’t be said for the heart. Though more than two million Americans with heart conditions admit to using marijuana, the cardiovascular risks related to cannabis use is not fully understood, a new research paper found.

Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the paper is a review of previous studies that explored the relationship between cannabis use and heart function. Due to research restrictions in the United States, few randomized control trials — considered the gold standard in scientific studies — exist. However, scientists understand one way marijuana affects common heart conditions, which might give cardiovascular patients pause.

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Medications like statins and blood thinners could have reduced potency when combining with marijuana. Liver enzymes that break down those medications are also used to process marijuana in the body, the review reports.

According to a 2019 study, marijuana use could raise levels of the blood thinner warfarin, possibly resulting in excessive bleeding. In some cases, patients who combine marijuana and the medication might be forced to lower their dose up to 30%. The effectiveness of statins, meanwhile, could be boosted by marijuana, leading to potential drops in blood pressure.

Observational studies have caused some scientists to compare the cardiovascular risk of smoking cigarettes to that of smoking weed. While the dominant substance consumed in smoking is different between marijuana and tobacco, the two produce similar cardiotoxic chemicals. In addition, other studies have shown that marijuana users hold in smoke longer than those consuming cigarettes, which could deliver more cardiotoxic chemicals into the system.

Marijuana advocates might point to safer marijuana delivery methods, such as edibles, tinctures, and sublingual strips. Scientists involved with the review would agree, as smoking and vaping anything causes more problems. But the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System show that just under 80% of adult marijuana users admit to smoking.

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Edibles constitute their own risk, however. The lack of experience for many first-time users can cause them to take too high a dosage without realizing before it’s too late.

There remains no known association between heart disease and marijuana consumption. In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a report investigating a possible connection, but said in their conclusion that the evidence was unclear. Until we know more, scientists cautioned heart patients to limit use when possible and talk to your doctor, so they can advise about how much you’re using and what delivery method you’re using.