Basic HTML Version
22
|
TOUCHLINE
ISSUE 19 | NOV 2014
TOUCHLINE
FEATURE
Back in 1999, the British Medical Association
published a pamphlet called Boxing Packs a
Punch. In it, the BMA laid out reasons why
children and young adults should stay away
from boxing. It was by no means the first attack
on boxing as dangerous, but it was one of the
most targeted.
Naturally, the boxing world was less than
impressed. And while the attacks have
continued, boxing has managed to survive- in
spite of mounting medical evidence that the
sport leads directly to brain damage and even
death. The debate will inevitably continue.
Recent studies prove conclusively that boxing
is incredibly stressful for the brain. Frequent
blows to the head can lead to Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy, a condition that we
might consider being ‘punch drunk’. While the
immediate repercussions are obvious, hidden
underneath the swaying and glazed eyes is the
damage that can lead to depression, memory
loss and even aggression.
John Hardy, chair of Molecular Biology of
Neurological Disease at University College
London’s Institute of Neurology, explains that
“You get tiny lesions along the blood vessels
BOXING AND RISK:
CAN BOXING REALLY GET
BANNED?