Artigo – Tabaco
Artigo – Tabaco
Over the past decade, several studies from developed countries have reported that the prevalence of cigarette smoking among persons with severe mental illness is higher than that in the general population (1-3). Such group smokes more cigarettes per day and is less likely to stop smoking than smokers in the general population (4). There is considerable evidence that individuals with schizophrenia have higher mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases and cancer than the general population and the high prevalence and intensity of smoking may be one of the reasons for such higher mortality rates (5-8). Cigarette smoking is also a risk factor for dyskinesias, independently of exposure to anti psychotic medication (9). Data on prevalence of cigarette smoking among people with severe mental illness in developing countries are scarce. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking among people with severe mental illness in a large urban centre of a developing country.
