Suicide Rates Higher in States with Lower Cigarette Taxes

Tobacco products continue to be heavily used throughout the United States, despite warnings that they are addictive and can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Nicotine is one of more than 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes, and its primary components hit the brain, lining of the nose and mouth, and the bloodstream.

While previous studies have shown that those with mental health issues are more likely to smoke, a recent study found that states with higher taxes on tobacco and stricter policies that limit smoking in public places had lower suicide risks by as much as 15 percent.

"Our analysis showed that each dollar increase in cigarette taxes was associated with a 10 percent decrease in suicide risk," said lead researcher. Richard A. Grucza, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry, in a news release. "Indoor smoking bans also were associated with risk reductions."

The latest study examined increased rates of suicide in states with lower cigarette taxes and more lax policies for smoking. In fact, these states even saw a 6 percent increase in suicide rates.

"States started raising their cigarette taxes, first as a way to raise revenue but then also as a way to improve public health," Grucza explained. "Higher taxes and more restrictive smoking policies are well-known ways of getting people to smoke less. So it set a natural experiment, which shows that the states with more aggressive policies also had lower rates of smoking. The next thing we wanted to learn was whether those states experienced any changes in suicide rates, relative to the states that didn't implement these policies as aggressively."

Statistics have shown that those with mental disorders are more likely to smoke than other individuals. However, researchers said that smoking can further exasperate symptoms associated with mental health issues, which may also increase suicidal tendencies.

"We really need to look more closely at the effects of smoking and nicotine, not only on physical health but on mental health, too," Grucza said. "We don't know exactly how smoking influences suicide risk. It could be that it affects depression or increases addiction to other substances. We don't know how smoking exerts these effects, but the numbers show it clearly does something."
"Nicotine is a plausible candidate for explaining the link between smoking and suicide risk," Grucza concluded. "Like any other addicting drug, people start using nicotine to feel good, but eventually they need it to feel normal. And as with other drugs, that chronic use can contribute to depression or anxiety, and that could help to explain the link to suicide."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.