Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Smoking - Mental Health
Cigarette smokers report a higher lifetime frequency of substance abuse, severe depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders involving aggressive or antisocial behavior. (Washington Post, Aug. 7, 1991, reprinted in Well-mind Newsletter of Greater Washington, Aug 1991)
Smoking more than doubles the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a Dutch study of nearly 7,000 people. (Washington Post Health, July 14, 1998)
People who smoke are more likely to get divorced than those who don't. The co-author of the study, William Doherty, Ph.D., says it is not the actual smoking that causes the marital rift, but the fact that smokers are more likely to suffer from problems like depression and anxiety, making them more divorce-prone than nonsmokers. (“Warning: Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Marriage, Natural Health magazine, May 1999)
Smoking is linked to later mental impairment. (Reuters, March 1997)
Former smokers have 1.5 times the risk of Alzheimer’s disease than
nonsmokers. (“News from the world of medicine,” Reader’s Digest, Oct. 1998)