Study: People with mental illness more likely to be smokers
The study found that smoking rates for people with mental illness were generally higher in states where overall smoking rates were high. Utah had the lowest rate of smoking among people with mental illness — 18.1 percent — while West Virginia had the highest rate, at 48.7 percent. Smoking among people with mental illness was higher among the poor and less educated, and among American Indians and Alaska Natives, although every ethnic group had significant percentages of smokers.
The study noted several possible reasons that smoking among the mentally ill has been and remains high, including marketing by the tobacco industry and the historical use of cigarettes as an incentive to improve behavior in psychiatric hospitals.
“There are some effects of nicotine which can mask some of the negative effects of mental illness,” Dr. Frieden said. The study said that smoking can also make some medications less effective, which may then lead the person with mental illness to smoke more to quell symptoms. And it said that people with mental illness, many of whom struggle to live a financially and socially stable life, may be less able to cope with withdrawal symptoms from quitting cigarettes.
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Careful with this study, NYT.
Dig a little deeper and you might start uncovering ideas like people who want to change gender are mentally ill.
ckoeber on February 6, 2013 at 10:04 PM
Lostmotherland must get Christmas cards from Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds.
Bishop on February 6, 2013 at 10:04 PM
So this explains the President and his piss poor decision making skills.
theguardianii on February 6, 2013 at 10:12 PM
I think they’re more interested in being able to claim that conservatives are mentally ill.
Stu Gotts on February 6, 2013 at 10:34 PM
Really? Are you more likely to smoke if you are black or white or asian, or hispanic, or arab? What are they chances they are left handed? What is the point of this study except to waste taxpayer’s money??
Dollayo on February 6, 2013 at 10:42 PM
Uh yah….
http://media.beta.photobucket.com/user/arch_incubus/media/obama_smoking.jpg.html?filtersterm=obama%20smoking&filtersprimary=images&filterssecondary=videos&sort=1&o=2
katy on February 6, 2013 at 10:44 PM
Well thank you very much!!! When is that going to stop calling the whole population BUT REAL KILLERS nuts???
I was born in France where everybody smokes – my father use to smoke 5 packs a day from 15 years old until he died at 76 – my mother has “second hand smoke” for almost 60 years – 24/7 because they worked together. She is still alive and kicking – running on the beach with her labrador at 88 years old!!!
We all smoke in the family ( I am 66 – my US husband at 78, still smoke and sail everyday his 54ft sailboat alone or with us every day and is still racing and winning) and we sure are not dead yet.
I may be weird – well I am a Reagan conservative and a palinista so I am of course mentally ill I guess but my brother smokes as well and he is a very successful french business owner with a beautiful family – he is 61 years old and also kicking and swimming and laughing and eating and drinking good wine every day!
Damn it. So only killers, thugs, illegals and all criminals are now normal and we are all nuts?
And yes, I agree on one thing – that guy upstairs IS mentally ill, like all dictators. It’s called megalomania. But it’s not because he smokes.. sheeshhhh…the cocaine probably did not help his ego but he was born dictator. His ego was born the same day.
Boy I am so sick of all these nice and clean people who keep on insulting us, knowing how screwed up they are themselves in their lives and filthy mind makes me sick. Just look at them – how UNhappy they are!!! It’s written on their face.
They should smoke. May be that would calm them down.
And we don’t die earlier than any guy who runs every day – go to the gym – eat only veggies and has a cancer at 40 years old!
Sad for them but true!
Stop running in 100 degree heat – eat well – drink well – make love – smoke if you want to but MAINLY – be happy. And you will live much longer!
And thank God every day for each little minute of happiness you get – if it’s a hug from your dog or kitten, or a smile from your children or a laugh from your wife or your loved one – a success in your business or a good ride on your sailboat.
JUST BE HAPPY! And smoke if you want.
I sure would rather smoke than being an alcoholic. I will not kill anyone on the road because I smoke!
Seems that alcohol does not bother anyone. It DOES bother me to see kids killed on the road at 16 years old because they got drunk at a party. THAT bothers me.
This ostracism is really getting out of hand.
American Dream 246 on February 7, 2013 at 3:08 AM
Excellent!
Siddhartha Vicious on February 7, 2013 at 6:35 AM
Now my own comment.
So, you are saying that people with other mental troubles are also more likely to have an addictive personality, and therefore be smokers, just like me?
GASP!! How many millions were utterly wasted on this survey that might have otherwise been used to help the mentally ill?
Siddhartha Vicious on February 7, 2013 at 6:37 AM
I’m not a smoker. But I am disgusted how people have turned to vilifying this group of our population.
This group of our populations pays a lot of sin taxes to fund a lot of worthless useless government spending all over the US.
I really wish they’d leave people the frack alone. People have been getting high forever.
If they’re not using drugs to do it they’re engaging in behaviors to do it.
Badger40 on February 7, 2013 at 7:39 AM
mentally ill tend to smoke for the calming affects of nicotine,
smoking does not cause people to be mentally ill…
mjbrooks3 on February 7, 2013 at 7:41 AM
<blockquoteThis ostracism is really getting out of hand.
American Dream 246 on February 7, 2013 at 3:08 AM
I agree. And it looks as if you have good genetics in your family when it comes to being affected by tobacco smoke.
And that is where it lies: GENETICS.
Being fat is rooted mostly in genetics as well.
Badger40 on February 7, 2013 at 7:41 AM
<blockquotesmoking does not cause people to be mentally ill…
mjbrooks3 on February 7, 2013 at 7:41 AM
Obviously not, but this is the message that will be repeated.
Badger40 on February 7, 2013 at 7:42 AM
WTF is wrong with the quoting function here?!
Badger40 on February 7, 2013 at 7:42 AM
This is hardly news. It’s pretty much general knowledge that people with mental illnesses will tend to self-medicate, and nicotine is one of those medications. So we’ve wasted even more money we don’t have to study something that was already known.
RadClown on February 7, 2013 at 8:04 AM
This is mean. People with real mental illness have a lot to cope with, and the pressure to quit smoking just isn’t helpful. Speaking specifically about a family member, the pressure to quit, in the media and amongst family members was anxiety and guilt producing, and created a problem where one should have been over looked. She felt bullied. You have to pick your battles with these ill people.
Fleuries on February 7, 2013 at 9:05 AM