There is definitely a link between male impotence (when a guy can’t get an erection) and cigarette smoking.  Many studies have found that men with “erectile dysfunction,” the medical term for impotence, are more likely to be smokers than non-smokers. This makes sense since nicotine makes blood vessels smaller and a guy gets an erection when blood is pumped into his penis.

The average age of the men in these studies was 51. That means it probably takes years of smoking for it to cause impotence.