AND DON’T THROW AWAY THOSE WIDE PAISLEY TIES, EITHER

Warning: nicotine seriously improves health (Robin McKie, The Guardian, July 18th, 2004)

Nicotine could soon be rehabilitated as a treatment for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as hyperactivity disorders.

Research shows that the chemical that has addicted millions to smoking has a powerful impact on brain activity in patients who suffer from psychiatric and degenerative disorders.

Some experiments have shown that nicotine can slow down the onset of Parkinson's symptoms; others have had revealed its power in curtailing the hallucinations of schizophrenics.

'A whole range of psychiatric conditions seem to be helped by nicotine,' said Dr Dan McGehee, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago. 'However, such benefits do not justify smoking. The lethal effects of cigarettes far outweigh any help they provide. On the other hand, our research does suggest that derivatives of nicotine, administered medically, could help to alleviate a range of psychiatric problems.' [...]

Similarly, it has been found that nicotine can sometimes slow the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's, a disease caused by the slow destruction of certain types of brain cells.

'Either nicotine stimulates other types of brain cells to compensate for the loss of the cells involved in Parkinson's, or it is somehow providing protection to remaining healthy Parkinson's cells,' said McGehee. 'Either way, the effect is noticeable.'

There is no more reason to accept this at face value than any one of the hundreds of other scientific reports modern man must suffer daily. But it was inevitable and we will see more of this kind of report, however slowly. Just wait until correlations between smoking and weight start to be reported.

A social habit many found noxious became completely out of control after World War II and the consequent widespread overindulgence resulted in people living in a constant haze of smoke and serious health consequences for many. Those who decided to try and rein it all in became zealous missionaries, turned the issue into a moral one and made the mistake all highly motivated opponents of vice tend to make–they let their visceral disgust lead them to exaggerate, even lie about, the dangers and rely on junk science to justify draconian prohibitions.

It won’t last forever because all efforts to eradicate vice founder on the shoals of small-minded oppression and youthful rebellion, at least in free societies. The objective should be to isolate, caution and control, not eradicate. And, for crying out loud, let's tell our children the truth!