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Irrespective of whether they are suffering from psychiatric disorders or not, cigarette smokers are more likely to commit suicide than people who do not smoke, a study shows. Researchers at Washington University's school of medicine in St Louis found that smoking itself may increase suicide risk and that policies to limit smoking reduce suicide rates.
'Suicide rates declined up to 15 percent in US states that implemented higher taxes on cigarettes and stricter policies to limit smoking in public places,' said lead researcher Richard A Grucza, an associate professor of psychiatry from Washington University. The results showed that each dollar increase in cigarette taxes was associated with a 10 percent decrease in suicide risk. 'Indoor smoking bans also were associated with risk reductions,' Grucza added. Using statistical methods, researchers compared rates of suicide in states with stricter tobacco policies to rates in states with more lenient laws and lower taxes.
They also determined whether people who had committed suicide were likely to have smoked. They learned that suicide risk among people most likely to smoke was associated with policies related to tobacco taxes and smoking restrictions. Grucza now wants e-cigarettes to come under scanner which deliver nicotine but release vapour rather than smoke. Nicotine is a plausible candidate for explaining the link between smoking and suicide risk, Grucza said. (Read: Quit smoking naturally the yoga way to kick the butt)
Like any other addictive drug, people start using nicotine to feel good, but eventually they need it to feel normal. 'And as with other drugs, its chronic use can contribute to depression or anxiety, and that could help to explain the link to suicide,' he concluded in a paper published online in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
here are 10 reasons smoking can not only cause a host of ailments but can also kill you.
Reason #1: Is known to cause cancer
We all have heard about the fact that cigarette smoking causes cancer. But if you thought that cigarette smoking only led to lung cancer you are quite mistaken. Smoking leads to cancer of the nose, mouth, larynx (voice box), trachea, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, cervix, bone marrow and blood. Wondering how it happens? Well, when you smoke, the entire process right from when you light up your cigarette to when you exhale leads to several drastic and disastrous effects in the body. Out of the 41,000 chemicals in cigarettes, a large percentage are known to be carcinogenic (cancer causing). These chemicals combined with the heat of the smoke leads to mutations in your cells causing them to multiply in an uncontrolled manner, leading to cancer. To know more, you can read about the 25 things that happen within your body when you smoke.
Reason #2: Leads to formation of wrinkles and premature ageing
We try a number of ways to fight the signs of ageing, right from creams to diets to even surgical treatments, but did you know that if you quit smoking you can actually cut down the appearance of fine lines and other signs of ageing by half? Yes, smoking leads to the appearance of fine lines(especially around the eyes and lips), age spots, puffy eyes, dull, dry and lifeless skin. How it happens is that the chemicals present in cigarettes cause the fine capillaries under your skin to contract and constricts the blood flow to your skin. This lack of blood and fresh oxygen causes your skin to look dull and lifeless. So much so that the habit leads to permanent damage to connective fibers like elastin and collagen leading to the formation of permanent lines and wrinkles. Want to know more about how smoking affects your beauty? Read about the 8 reasons smoking is bad for your beauty.
Reason #3: Weakens your heart, putting you twice at risk of suffering from a heart attack and stroke
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), a smoker is two to four times likelier to suffer from coronary artery disease and stroke than a non-smoker. Moreover, people who smoke have a 25 times greater risk of suffering from lung cancer. Here's how; the chemicals present in cigarette smoke affects the entire composition of your blood; making it thicker and more prone to formation of blood clots. Apart from that it also causes the constriction of your blood vessels, increases your blood pressure (since it makes your heart beat faster), and leads to the formation of plaque increasing your chances of suffering from cardiovascular and heart disease. Read more about 10 reasons smoking is bad for you
With inputs from IANS
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