Tobacco

American researchers have discovered why smokers generally weigh less than non-smokers. As revealed in a study published today in the journal 'Science', nicotine, one of the main factors of tobacco addiction, suppresses the sensation of appetite.

According to a German study, smoking not only affects the lungs, muscles or the brain, but also influences the mood of people. The analysis found that those who did not smoke described themselves as happier and more satisfied people than those who did.

Since the disappearance of tobacco from bars, restaurants and pubs, customers of these places perceive more unpleasant odors, such as human sweat or beer, which used to be masked by cigarette smoke. Scientists from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands claim to have found a solution.

The chemical components of cigarette butts are toxic to fish, both freshwater and saltwater, and can even cause their death, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of San Diego (United States) .

Smokers will be able to get vaccinated against nicotine at the end of 2012, the date foreseen for the approval of this treatment that could end smoking, as announced by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the United States.

Yes, at least to our muscles. Rob Wüst from the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) has shown that smokers' muscles tire faster than non-smokers regardless of how many cigarettes they consume per day.

Nicotine levels in the nails can predict quite accurately the risk that a smoker - and a non-smoker exposed to passive smoke - has of developing lung cancer in the future.

Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute (USA) have identified a brain pathway that regulates how vulnerable an individual is to the addictive properties of nicotine. The finding, published by the journal 'Nature' in its online edition, could lead to new treatments for smoking cessation.