There are strict abortion laws in most countries around the world, and there will be varying reasons for these laws, ranging from religion to politics to health. However, in some countries, there is a total ban on abortion rather than ‘simply’ strict rules that need to be followed. Read on to find out more about some of the countries where abortion is illegal.

Malta

Malta is a very Catholic country, and this is the main reason why it has an outright ban on abortion (it’s the only country in Europe to have this kind of ban in place). However, although the laws are strict and women cannot choose to end a pregnancy if a woman has to undergo life-saving surgery and a pregnancy will be ended because of this, it will be carried out. This happens even though there is technically a law that will imprison doctors for as many as four years if it is found they have caused a miscarriage.

Interestingly, a survey carried out by Malta Today in 2018 shows that the country is behind these rules, with just over 95 percent being opposed to elective abortion.

El Salvador

El Salvador has extremely strict abortion laws and is well known for having some of the most stringent punishments for abortion in the world. In fact, at least one hundred and eighty women have been prosecuted under these laws even though they did not have elective abortions. Instead, they had a miscarriage, or a stillbirth, or their pregnancy was ended through emergency surgery to save their own life. They will remain in prison for many decades and potentially their entire lives, as abortion is seen as aggravated homicide in these circumstances.

Poland

In recent years, the laws surrounding abortion in Poland have become stricter, and women’s rights have been reduced in this situation. There will be no elective abortion in Poland; however, the rules do allow for an abortion to take place in cases of incest and rape, where the woman’s health would be put at risk because of the pregnancy. It might be that women need to travel to another country, such as to an abortion clinic Sydney to obtain the help they need.

Honduras

Abortion has been banned in Honduras since 1985, but recently these laws were written into the constitution, making it even more serious an offense for a doctor to carry out an abortion, and for a woman to undergo one, no matter what the circumstances might be. This also means that it will be much harder to overturn this overall ban in the future, should the need or wish arise.

Monaco

In 2009, Price Albert II of Monaco signed a new law into effect. This law states that abortion is allowed in circumstances in which the woman’s health is at risk, after rape, or if there is serious damage to the fetus. Even in these cases, there is a lot of red tapes to go through, including needing the consent of a parent for minors and the opinion of two doctors as to how much risk is involved. Although this may seem restrictive, the fact is that this is a step forward; in the past, Monaco had very strict abortion laws that meant the procedure couldn’t be carried out at all.

E-cigarettes, vape pens, and other devices heat the liquid to create an aerosol (mist). The fog contains nicotine, flavoring, and other substances inhaled into the lungs.

The nicotine in e-cigarettes may disrupt memory, learning, focus, and impulse control. It also interferes with acetylcholine receptors, key for brain development during adolescence.

Nicotine

When a person first inhales nicotine from cigarette smoke, vape mist, or chewing tobacco, it makes the brain release dopamine, which gives them a feeling of pleasure and concentration. Over time, people can become addicted to nicotine because they need to take more and more of it to get these feelings again.

Nicotine is also a substance that affects the way the brain creates memories and learns new skills. Young people’s brains build synapses – connections between cells – faster than adult brains, so using nicotine can disrupt how their brains use these new memories and skills.

Researchers have found that e-cigarette users’ brains produce inflammatory chemicals when they inhale nicotine from the devices, which can harm their developing brains and lead to problems with memory, attention, and learning. It is especially concerning because nicotine affects critical brain receptors, and the brain continues developing until age 25.

The researchers found that when people inhaled the vapor from JUUL, they released inflammatory chemicals that led to changes in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region important for motivation and reward processing. Typically, inflammation is a protective response that helps the body heal from injuries or illnesses.

The researchers said that nicotine exposure from JUUL may change how the brain creates memories and lead to cognitive decline. They urge governments to take action to prevent young people from getting involved with e-cigarettes. They recommend taxing tobacco products heavily, educating teenagers about their health risks, and intensifying research into the effects of vaping on the brain.

Flavors

Nicotine is a drug that binds to a receptor in the brain and triggers the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. It creates a “feel-good” effect and keeps people hooked on nicotine in all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Researchers are concerned that e-cigarette flavors could make the devices more appealing to young people who have never smoked, putting them at greater risk of addiction. A new study shows that kids who vape are seven times more likely to become smokers one year later than those who don’t use e-cigarettes or haven’t ever smoked cigarettes.

In addition, a recent study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research found that flavorings can react with propylene glycol, which makes up most of the liquid in e-cigarettes, creating a new cocktail of chemicals that can irritate lungs over time. These reactions happen even when the e-liquids aren’t heated or combusted.

A team of researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System exposed mice to aerosols containing specific e-cigarette flavors for one to three months. They found that the compounds increased inflammation and tissue damage, most notably in the lung tissue, which could lead to long-term health problems.

Vaping Devices

Vaping is inhaling an aerosol vapor from a vaping device such as an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette). These devices are used to deliver a liquid that contains nicotine or other substances.

Nicotine is an addictive drug that can cause brain problems if you use it for a long time. It can also change how the brain works, making it harder to think and concentrate.

Teenagers are particularly at risk because their brains are still developing. Using nicotine as a teenager can disturb the acetylcholine receptors in the brain that help regulate mood and learning.

Scientists have found that exposure to nicotine from e-cigarettes, such as JUUL, harms the brain. Specifically, they found that inhaling the vapors from these devices three times a day for one to three months increased several inflammatory markers and raised neuroinflammatory gene expression in the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain involved in reward processing.

The scientists say the findings suggest that exposing youth to these products could harm their brains and lead them to develop smoking habits later in life.

In addition, there are serious health risks associated with vaping, including breathing difficulties and lung illnesses such as bronchiolitis obliterans. These problems can be dangerous and may require urgent medical evaluation.

Health Concerns

The vapor that comes from vaping devices contains several toxic chemicals, including nicotine, propylene glycol, and glycerin. These are known airway irritants and can cause irritation of the throat, dry cough, and increased mucus production.

These chemicals can also damage the cells that line blood vessels and lymphatic systems, increasing the risk of heart disease. They can also lead to an outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI), a condition characterized by scarring and obstruction of the lungs’ smallest airways.

It’s important to note that nicotine in vaping vapor is highly addictive and can lead to dependence. The smoke can also contain ultrafine particles that can inhale deeply into the lungs and the chemical diacetyl, which has been linked to lung disease.

In addition, the vapor from vaping devices can be very potent, causing severe poisoning in some cases. Nicotine can be quickly absorbed, affecting the respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems.

Vaping is a severe issue for teenagers and can adversely affect the brain, resulting in more drug use. It can also be a precursor to smoking cigarettes. Studies show that 25 percent of teenagers who use e-cigarettes progress to cigarette smoking.