: What are the hazards from smoking or drinking and then donating blood? Why the donors are always advised not to smoke tobacco or drink alcohol for a particular amount of time before blood donation? What adverse effects can

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

Smoking and drinking both put the recipient of the blood donation at risk or possible risk.

Smoking causes nicotine to enter your bloodstream and usually breaks down into cotinine. Both of these are connected with increasing plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) levels, which may be involved in the progression of both vascular disease and cancer. The researchers note:

"These findings may give a clue as to the mechanisms by which nicotine
and cotinine from cigarette smoking increase vascular disease
progression and tumor growth and metastasis."

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1850669/
Alcohol will immediately be absorbed through the lining of your stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream, meaning it will also be in the blood that you try to donate! {2} If your recipient happen to be a child, that alcohol can damage the developing brain and liver. {3}