Smoking
...as chambers, a rocket fuel, and many other deadly poisons. ▪ Scientists said they have found the first direct biological evidence that smoking destroys brain cells and stops others being produced. French researchers led by Pier-Vincenzo Piazza and Djoher Nora Abrous, at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) let three groups of rats give themselves low, medium or high amounts of nicotine. A fourth group was allowed no nicotine at all. Protein The rats were allowed to absorb the nicotine for an hour a day for 42 days. They were then killed and their brains dissected. Rodents that took the medium and higher doses suffered a 50% higher loss in the production of new brain cells than the non-nicotine group, as well as a significantly higher rate of brain cell death. The researchers also found that all the rats taking nicotine suffered a fall in the protein PSA-NCAM. This protein plays a vital part in the adaptability of the brain and is related to an ability to learn and memorise. ▪ Every year, more then 400,000 American deaths are attributed to smoking. Three things in smoke which destroy your lungs are: 1) NICOTINE: This is an addictive drug that raises the heartbeat, narrows the arteries and so causes high blood pressure. This leads to heart diseases. 2) TAR: This coats the lining of the lungs making them less able to take in oxygen. It also contain...