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Mood
States Identified As Smoking Triggers
NEW
YORK (Reuters Health) - Many smokers are more likely to light
up during a moment of anger or a fit of anxiety. But men seem
to be more likely to puff away to alleviate feelings of sadness,
while women are inclined to break out their smokes when they are
feeling happy, the results of a small new study suggest.
Smoking is
related to negative moods and energy level, more clearly in men,
and has soothing effects on sadness in men and on anger in men
and women, according to Dr. Ralph J. Delfino of the University
of California, Irvine, and colleagues.
The researchers
monitored the smoking habits, blood pressure and mood states of
25 women and 35 men aged 18 to 42 who reported smoking at least
10 cigarettes per day.
The otherwise
healthy volunteers were instructed to record their mood in a diary
before and after smoking over two separate 24-hour periods. The
findings are published in the August issue of the journal Nicotine
& Tobacco Research.
``Sadness
was positively associated with smoking urge more clearly in men
than women, whereas feelings of happiness were associated with
smoking urge in women, but not men,'' Delfino and colleagues report.
Both men and
women were nearly twice as likely to have an urge to smoke if
they reported being anxious, the report indicates.
``Smoking
cessation and preventive interventions may require new methods
that teach anger and stress management as well as broader aspects
of effective emotion regulation,'' Delfino's team concludes.
Smoking-related
diseases claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year,
and cost the US approximately $97.2 billion annually in healthcare
and lost productivity. Smoking is directly responsible for 87%
of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema and chronic
bronchitis, according to the American Lung Association.
SOURCE:
Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2001;3.
Reference
Source 89
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