Mayor Bloomberg has begun a hard-sell campaign to discourage young people from smoking: It could destroy their sex lives.
The city Health Department’s “NYC Quits” Web site warns that young men who smoke cigarettes are more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction in middle age.
And females are more likely to become infertile.
“Men who smoke can have trouble getting and keeping an erection. Quitting smoking can decrease the risk of erectile dysfunction,” the site says.
Male impotence, or ED, is caused by a lack of sufficient blood flow to the penis. Inhaling carcinogen-laden tobacco smoke for years can lead to ED because it disrupts the ability of the heart to pump the necessary level of blood needed to achieve and maintain an erection, studies found.
Smoking also restricts the flow through blood vessels and causes hardening of the arteries.
More than 30 million men in the US suffer from ED, and that number is expected to double by 2025. Many are smokers.
And there’s a scary message for women as well.
“Women who smoke have more difficulty getting and staying pregnant. Research suggests that smoking, especially in adolescence and young adulthood, may increase the risk of moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome,” the site warns.
Research shows that smoking is harmful to ovaries, accelerating the loss of eggs and reproductive functions and may advance the time of menopause, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine
A smoking-rights group slammed the messages as another overblown scare campaign.
“The biggest wet noodle around here has been Bloomberg. His idea of civil liberties is the equivalent of erectile dysfunction,” said Audrey Silk of Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment.
“The ‘greatest generation’ — the group with the heaviest smoking prevalence — came back from World War II and produced the baby boom. Does that sound like erectile dysfunction to you?” Silk said.
City health officials defended linking its anti-smoking campaign to sexual health.
“If you think smoking is sexy, think again,” said Health Department spokesman Sam Miller.
“Studies show that men who smoke may be more likely to have erectile dysfunction and women who smoke may be more likely to suffer from PMS. Not to mention that, on average, smokers die at least 10 years younger than non-smokers.”
During the Bloomberg era, the city has banned smoking in public places, raised the age for buying smokes from 18 to 21, hiked tobacco taxes and limited price discounts.