A look at the ethics of smoking bans in psychiatric facilities and the dynamics of a consumer-driven stop-smoking program
According to the World Health Report 2001, people with psychiatric illnesses are about twice as likely to smoke as others; those with schizophrenia and alcohol dependence are particularly likely to be heavy smokers, with rates as high as 86%. A 2000 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that individuals with psychiatric illnesses had a smoking rate of 41% compared with 22.5% in the general population, and estimated that 44% of all cigarettes smoked in the United States are consumed by people with psychiatric illnesses.
Researchers believe that a combination of biological, psychological and social factors contribute to increased tobacco use among persons with mental illnesses. Whatever the reasons, the fact that people with mental disorders further jeopardize their health by excessive smoking is not in doubt.
The politics and ethics of smoking bans in psychiatric facilities
We speak with Stanley Stylianos, Program Manager at Ontario’s Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office in Toronto.
Empowering people with mental illness who smoke to become non-smokers
We speak with consumer tobacco advocate Yasmin Halim and program director Patricia Dooley from Choices, a consumer-driven program for smokers with mental illness in New Jersey.
