Asthma, Smoking & Suicide

Press Release 15th May 2008 – Asthma, Smoking & Suicide

We’re not surprised that it’s happened – but we are surprised at the speed with which it has…

A few short months after use of quit smoking pill Champix/Chantix was allegedly linked to suicides/suicidal thoughts a “scientific study” has “appeared” seeming to link Smoking and Asthma to……suicidal thoughts.

If there are any budding investigators out there who can link this study (reported in Science Daily 13th May 2008 although it is not based on a clinical study) to the pharmaceutical companies that produce Champix/Chantix – we would love to hear from them.

No doubt we can expect more studies which imply a link between “Smoking and Suicide/Suicidal thoughts” & “Quitting Smoking and Suicide/Suicidal thoughts” over the coming year (to support the Champix/Chantix manufacturer’s and medical/scientific establishment’s view that the treatment is safe).

The fact is that it is easy and safe to stop smoking with Allen Carr’s Easyway yet the medical & scientific establishment continue to ignore it.

This was reported by the ASH Daily News Bulletin on 15/05/08:

Smoking associated with asthma and suicidal behaviour

Asthma is associated with higher suicidal thoughts with attempted suicide, but does not seem to be linked with suicidal thoughts without attempts, according to a new report.

Diana E. Clarke, MSc, PhD, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, and colleagues noted that cigarette smoking and concurrent mental health conditions may independently account for significant proportions of the association between asthma and suicidal thoughts with attempts.

There is growing evidence of relationships between respiratory diseases and suicidal behaviours, but investigators say this is the first study to examine the association between asthma and suicidal thinking with and without attempts using a nationally representative sample of adults. They also note it is the first study to investigate the potential role of cigarette use and nicotine dependence in the association of asthma and suicidal behaviour.

The study examined data on 5,692 individuals 18 years and older from the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Approximately 12 percent of the sample had a history of asthma. The estimates of lifetime prevalence for suicidal ideation without and with attempts and asthma were 8.7 percent, 4.2 percent and 12.0 percent, respectively, and occurred more frequently in women that men. Despite adjustments for cigarette smoking, concurrent mental health conditions and common sociodemographic factors, a statistically significant association remained between asthma and suicide thoughts and attempts. Investigators suggest that asthma may be associated with the more severe form of suicidal behavior, but not the milder forms of suicidal thoughts without attempts Source: Science Daily, 13 May 2008 Link www.tinyurl.com/5affj8