American Smokers Could be Vaccinated, Smoking Habit

American research says that one day smokers could be immunized against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from it - possibly killing off smoking forever. Scientists in the US have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody which stops nicotine having any effect. Nicotine levels in the brains of mice injected with the antibody reduced by 85%, the study published in Science Translational Medicine found. However, the vaccine's use on people is still many years away. Its lead researcher professor Ronald Crystal said: "As far as we can see, the best way to treat chronic nicotine addiction from smoking is to have these Pacman -like antibodies on patrol, clearing the blood as needed before nicotine can have any biological effect. "If they start smoking again, they will receive no pleasure from it due to the nicotine vaccine, and that can help them kick the habit." Giving up smoking is the most positive thing you can do for your health - and it will also help your pocket. Smokers pay more for life, health and critical illness insurance and even in some cases for home insurance. But it's only been since 1962 that the effect smoking can have on health became widely known, when the Royal College of Physicians published its Smoking and Health report. When the report was launched, 70% of British men and 40% of women smoked and there were no public smoking bans - you could even smoke on tube trains and in hospitals. Today around 21% of men and women smoke and they are restricted to standing outside to have a quick cigarette. Packing in smoking reduces your chances of illness, disability or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease. It also reduces the likelihood of having a limb amputated due to gangrene caused by circulation problems. Because they are more likely to claim, they pay a lot more - some estimates suggest double although others suggest 5% - for private medical insurance than non-smokers. Remember that private medical insurance will not cover for pre-existing conditions when you take out a policy. So if you are a smoker and have a hacking cough when you take out health insurance, you might find that if your cough becomes something more serious you aren't covered. In addition, medical insurers may put a ceiling on the amount they will pay for a particular illness - this could mean you might not get access to some of the expensive new wonderdrugs used for cancer sufferers.