England goes smoke-free

*** Beauty Match in London (U.K.)***
On July 1, 2007, England’s pubs, bars, lounges, restaurants (pretty much all enclosed public places) and workplaces became smoke-free zones. For many non-smokers, if was an occasion to celebrate but for smokers it was a day of mourning because a tradition had come and gone. Brits can still be found smoking outside of pubs and office buildings everyday. The only difference now is that if you want to light up while sipping a cup of coffee, it will have to be outside.

At least the Brits don’t have to contend with strict anti-smoking laws while dealing with Mother Winter like so many North Americans smokers have to deal with during 3-5 months out of the year.

The most obvious health dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke have been well documented in countless articles: smoking increases the chances of strokes, heart attacks, emphysema, lung cancer, clogged blood vessels and swelling veins.

On the other hand, the most significant skincare, beauty and anti-aging hazards from smoking include higher risks of vision loss, wrinkles, skin discolouration, mouth cancer, bad breath and yellow teeth.

Until recently, the mental effects of smoking were less known. U.K.’s Daily Mail has also reported a few noteworthy facts about the mental degenerative effect of smoking: tragically, it would appear that smokers have a higher rate of dementia.