Smoking, which may be harmful to the young and middle-aged, does not seem to pose any danger to the health of elderly people, according to a paper presented by Dr, Carl C. Seltzer of the Harvard School of Public Health to 1600 delegates attending the International Gerontology Congress here, The delegates, representing 30 countries, also heard papers attesting to the fact that sexual activity need not be abandoned by men in their late 60s and 70s. According to Dr. Eric Pfeiffer of Duke University, 76 percent of males between ages 66-71 were sexually active. Dr. Alex M. Finkle, of the University of California Medical School observed that “what killed a lot of sexual activity among elderly persons was the mistaken belief that they should quit.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
