| If governments were serious about stopping | | | | movement die off. Symptoms include shaking, muscle |
| everyone smoking they would stop importing | | | | stiffness, and slowness of movement, and many |
| tobacco and its related products and close down the | | | | sufferers eventually find it difficult to walk,talk |
| production factories. However the subsequent loss of | | | | swallow or write. |
| revenue from tobacco far outweighs the health risk | | | | Although there is no known cure for the disease, |
| of the smoker. Therefore governments are only | | | | there are drugs to control the severity of the |
| pandering to the lobbyists and not really concerned | | | | symptoms by compensating for the lack of dopamine |
| who enjoys a cigarette or not. | | | | - a chemical that acts as a "signal agent" between |
| According to new research Nicotine can dramatically | | | | parts of the brain involved in movement and |
| reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The | | | | co-ordination.But their effects can start to wear off |
| findings by scientists support dozens of earlier studies | | | | after a few years. |
| suggesting smokers are less likley to suffer sever | | | | While previous studies have looked at nicotine patch |
| symptoms from the disease. In tests, patients with | | | | therapy, they used smaller doses that the latest |
| the disease who were given very high dose patches | | | | research. Volunteers in the study were given patches |
| had better movement and needed fewer drugs to | | | | containing over 100mg a day, about five times more |
| manage the condition. | | | | than would be needed to help a heavy smoker quit |
| Parkinson's disease affects millions of people | | | | over a period of seventeen weeks. Researchers said |
| worldwide and in the United Kingdom ten thousand | | | | in a report on their findings: "The beneficial effects |
| new cases are diagnosed every year. The condition | | | | may be explained by the direct effect of nicotine on |
| develops when the cells in the brain that control | | | | the central nervous system". |