Here’s why smokers ‘itch’ to kick the butt

September 16th, 2009 LONDON - An electronic nose foil some people's attempt to deceive their doctors by telling them that they are non-smokers, in order to get cheaper life insurance. Paul Thomas at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has revealed that their invention is a tweaked form of a commercially available e-nose.

August 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Cigarette smokers have fewer and flatter taste buds, says a new study on Greek soldiers. The research on the tongues of 62 soldiers, published in the open access journal BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders, has demonstrated how cigarettes deaden the ability to taste.

August 7th, 2009 LONDON - Neuroscientists have long scratched their heads to solve the puzzle of itching. But now researchers have finally worked out what makes us itch.

July 30th, 2009 LONDON - An Asian man, who called British police officers "white redneck hooligans" and accused them of "treating him like a Paki," has been found guilty of making racist remarks. "Why are you treating me like a Paki," The Telegraph quoted Hassan Butt, 29, as saying to officers, who were "acting like the Gestapo." He made the remarks after police arrested his brother, dentist Omer Butt, in a row over parking.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Exposure to coal dust can increase the severity of emphysema in smokers and non-smokers alike, according to a new study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The findings of the study highlight a health problem related to a growing industry, as coal production has nearly doubled worldwide in the past 25 years.

July 23rd, 2009 LONDON - A drunken Romanian man, who was suffering from constipation, decided to solve the problem by stuffing two hammers up his own butt. Viorel Firoiu, 48, then turned up at his local hospital complaining of excruciating stomach pain.

July 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Smokers wishing to kick the butt can double their success rates by using nicotine patch before quitting smoking, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center. The researchers say that, according to the latest data, changes should be made to nicotine patch labelling.

July 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Smokers can immediately improve their cardiovascular health by kicking the butt, according to a study. Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY, say that smoking cessation provides immediate benefits to patients.

June 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Elderly people who exercise at least once a week, have at least a high school education and a ninth grade literacy level, are not smokers and are more socially active are more likely to maintain their cognitive skills through their 70s and 80s, according to a study. Alexandra Fiocco, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues followed 2,500 people age 70 to 79 for eight years, testing their cognitive skills several times over the years.

May 9th, 2009 LONDON - A 30-year study on the health and lifestyle habits of 54,000 Norwegians has found that non-smokers had healthier hearts and also lived longer than smokers. The researchers concluded that smoking is 'strongly' linked to death and cardiovascular disease.

March 24th, 2009 LONDON - Professional martial artist Din Thomas has expressed his support for Rihanna, and declared that he will beat up the singer's on/off boyfriend Chris Brown, if she wants to take revenge. The 'Umbrella' hitmaker was allegedly attacked by Brown, an incident that left her with horrific injuries.in, who recently defeated competitor Gabe Lemley during a match, revealed he would not mind laying a hand on Brown for Rihanna.

March 19th, 2009 LONDON - In accordance with the Get Scotland Working campaign, where companies send in their ads for job vacancies, a hiring firm has sent in an ad looking for waiters who will serve butt naked. The waiters will be given 25 pounds an hour, and they do not need to possess any qualifications besides a great body, reports the Sun.

March 14th, 2009 LONDON - Cancer-stricken American actor Patrick Swayze, who has become very frail and thin and suffered hair loss due to chemotherapy, was recently seen lighting a cigarette during a shopping trip in LA. Swayze, 56, who was slightly limping as he walked, was with his wife Lisa Niemi, 52, and a male friend.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - Notwithstanding the wide spread call of boycott by the international cricket community after the Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has vowed to co-host the 2011 World Cup. Putting aside all the apprehensions by the international cricket associations, the PCB chairman, Ijaz Butt has said that Pakistan would be hosting an international team in the coming six to nine months, and that it will be hosting the 2011 World Cup.

February 17th, 2009 LONDON - A well-off professional who smokes has a much lower survival rate than a non-smoking low-paid worker of the same sex, according to the findings of a 28-year study. The British study, one of the first to examine the long-term impact of smoking on older men and women, shows that smoking itself is a greater source of health inequalities than social position.