Ananova:

More and more women are getting divorced in the African country of Gabon because tobacco and alcohol have made their husbands impotent, according to an expert.

Dr Pierre Pieby Oyoubi, of the Libreville Medical Centre, says one in four men in Gabon are impotent because they drink and smoke too much.

He says the problem is the cause of the country's soaring divorce rate although he admits that banning alcohol and tobacco is not a realistic option.

Dr Oyoubi, a specialist in sexual health, gave his views to Gabonese television on a day of abstinence against alcohol and tobacco, initiated by the president of an association called "Agir Pour Le Gabon" (act for Gabon).

He said the excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco had the same effect as drugs but admitted that his statistics on sexual "dysfunctioning" were an estimate.

The doctor said impotence or inadequate erection were to blame for the rising cases of divorce in Gabon and recommended that people reduce the daily intake of these substance to avoid sexuality problems.

Agir Pour le Gabon has for the past five years campaigned against alcohol and tobacco abuse in Gabon.