[Wolfie]

Almost 50% of All Cigarettes Smoked by Mentally Ill Big Tobacco Appears to be Aware of the Link

by ROSIE MESTEL, Los Angeles Times [11/22/00]

Excerpts: MENTALLY ILL TWICE AS LIKELY TO BE SMOKERS, STUDY FINDS; TOBACCO: SPECIAL PROGRAMS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO QUIT, GIVEN THEIR ISOLATION AND TENDENCY TO USE NICOTINE TO FIGHT DEPRESSION, EXPERTS SAY.

Nearly half of all cigarettes purchased in the United States are smoked by people who suffer from mental illnesses, according to Harvard Medical School research.

Mentally ill people are roughly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as those without mental illnesses, according to the research, published in today's Journal of the American Medical Assn. Not only does the habit put them at greater risk for serious ailments such as heart disease and lung cancer, but in some cases it can interfere with the effectiveness of medications to treat their disorders.

[MrLeRoy]

"Mentally ill people are roughly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes as those without mental illnesses, according to the research"

Nice find, Wolfie! By UKCajun's logic, this proves that cigarettes cause mental illness.