Aussie smokers suffer down under

Those who have said that the research on impotence and smoking didn't stand up will be feeling a little limp following a survey of 8,000 Australian men — one of the biggest surveys of the type.

Put simply, the research, published in the British Medical Journal, found that a 20 a day smoker is 39% more likely to have problems getting erections than a non-smoker. Even smokers of a handful of fags a day were affected — they were 24% more likely to have erection problems.

Overall, 10% (or 1 in 10) of the men surveyed between 16 and 59 reported problems maintaining an erection. By applying this percentage to the UK, we can estimate that about 700,000 men between 16 and 59 have erection problems. 'It's a very common problem,' said Dr Ian Banks, chief medical advisor to malehealth. 'Why increase the risk by smoking?'

Most people know that at least two of the actors who played the Marlboro Man in the ads for the well-known fag brand died of lung cancer. Did these macho men experience impotence too?

The study also found that older age and cardiovascular disease were associated with erectile problems.