Smoking may reduce sexual arousal

Hey, guys. Thinking about quitting? C'mon, you know what I'm talking about, don't play dumb. But it's not easy, right? Nothing that matters ever is. Platitudes aside, there must be something that can motivate you to finally put it out for good, right? I mean, if death statistics aren't strong enough scare tactics, I don't know what is. Oh wait ... wait, wait, wait ... maybe there is something that might make you think twice about lighting up. Yeah, this might do the trick.

You smoke, you become less of a man. Instantly. By now I'm sure you've heard that there exists a potential link between smoking and erectile dysfunction. But did you know that even a single dose of nicotine can impair sexual function? Yup, that's right, a single dose.

In a study conducted at the University of Texas, researchers broke their male volunteers into two groups: Nicorette and placebo. The first group, as you probably figured, was given Nicorette gum. The second group, as you also probably figured, were given a placebo. Forty minutes later, the researchers had all of the men watch a pornographic movie. Then -- and this is where things get a little weird, but I suppose it's all in the name of science -- the scientists wired electrodes to each volunteer's penis, allowing them to measure erectile response. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that nicotine had caused a 23 percent decrease in erectile response and sexual arousal.

Now is it time to finally stop smoking?