Tobacco smoking (TS) is a major public health concern worldwide because of its association with a number of unfavorable health-related outcomes. According to recent studies TS negatively affects both physical and mental health. Suicidal ideation (SI) is more prevalent in people with mental disorders than in the general population. Factors associated with the transition from SI to suicide attempt (SA) should be detected to prevent suicide in this high-risk population.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of tobacco smoking on risk of lifetime suicide plan (SP), SA and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in patients with nonpsychotic mental disorders (NPMD) and SI.

Four hundred and 78 consecutive patients with NPMD and SI were included into the study. All patients were evaluated by a psychiatrist, underwent Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behavior Interview as well as semi-structured interview designed to gather information on demographic and biographical features. Mann-Whitney, Fishers exact test, chi-square test and stepwise logistic regression were used as statistical methods.

Three hundred and 24 (67.8%) patients have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their entire life. No differences were found between smokers and non-smokers in terms of age, gender, educational and occupational statuses as well as age at onset of self-injurious thoughts and behavior, and total number of SP, SA and NSSI (all: p>0.05). The lifetime smokers were at higher risk of SA (OR=2.379; 95% CI 1.58-3.581: p<0.001) and NSSI (OR=1.591; 95% CI 1.064-2.38: p=0.024).

Lifetime smoking in patients with NPMD and SI is associated with SA and NSSI.

Treating addiction is more challenging when there are co-addictions. Tobacco smoking is commonly associated with substance abuse, alcohol use disorders, excessive caffeine intake and pathological gambling among other addictions. Smoking reduction and cessation programmes´ objectives benefit from interventions targeting co-addictions.

Difficulties arising from smoking reduction and cessation in the context of co-use of cannabis prompt literature review and reflection of a smoking cessation programme team.

Pubmed and Google Scholar literature search using terms smoking cessation / tobacco cessation and cannabis.

Co-use of tobacco and cannabis is: 1) very common, 2) associated with greater prevalence of morbidity and social problems, 3) associated with greater dependence of the other substances, 4) negatively influences quit outcomes of either, 5) increases the risk of relapse. Co-users are more likely to perceive the harmful effects of tobacco, have greater motivation and are more likely to quit tobacco than cannabis, which may be perceived as low risk. Treatment of either tobacco smoking or cannabis use may lead to compensatory increase in use of the other substance. There is a significant lack of literature on co-use treatment strategies.

Co-use of tobacco and cannabis makes cessation and relapse prevention of either addiction more difficult and should be taken into account in smoking reduction and cessation programmes and in cannabis treatment interventions. Treatment targetting both tobacco and cannabis use, either simultaneously or sequentially, is likely more successful than interventions targeting only either one. Much remais to be studied on how to treat co-use of tobacco and cannabis.

During pregnancy, the imperative to stop smoking becomes urgent due to health risks for mother and baby.

Explore responses to a smoking-related, pregnancy-focused Risk Behaviour Diagnosis (RBD) Scale over time with Aboriginal1 pregnant women.

Six Aboriginal Medical Services in three states recruited 22 eligible women: ⩽28 weeks' gestation, ⩾16 years old, smoked tobacco, pregnant with an Aboriginal baby. Surveys were completed at baseline (n = 22), 4-weeks (n = 16) and 12-weeks (n = 17). RBD Scale outcome measures included: perceived threat (susceptibility and severity), perceived efficacy (response and self-efficacy), fear control (avoidance), danger control (intentions to quit) and protection responses (protecting babies).

At baseline, the total mean threat scores at 4.2 (95% CI: 3.9–4.4) were higher than total mean efficacy scores at 3.9 (95% CI: 3.6–4.1). Over time there was a non-significant reduction in total mean threat and efficacy; fear control increased; danger control and protection responses remained stable. Reduction of threat and efficacy perceptions, with raised fear control responses, may indicate a blunting effect (a coping style which involves avoidance of risks).

In 22 Aboriginal pregnant women, risk perception changed over time. A larger study is warranted to understand how Aboriginal women perceive smoking risks as the pregnancy progresses so that health messages are delivered accordingly.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the third leading cause of death among Canadian men. The standard treatment modalities for prostate cancer include prostatectomy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy or any combination depending on the stage of the tumour. However, several studies have reported that tobacco smoking at the time of diagnosis and during treatment can potentially impact treatment efficacy, outcome and patients quality of life after treatment.

This narrative literature review elucidates the impacts of tobacco smoking on prostate cancer progression, treatment efficacy, including its effects on prostatectomy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, risk of cancer recurrence and mortality and quality of life after treatment. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of integrating a smoking cessation programme into the treatment regimen for prostate cancer patients in order to yield more favourable treatment outcomes, reduce risk of recurrence and mortality and increase the quality of life after treatment for prostate cancer patients.

Smoking cessation is one of the most important interventions to prevent cancer and it is also essential after the diagnosis of prostate cancer to improve clinical outcomes. All prostate cancer patients should be advised to quit tobacco use since it can potentially improve treatment response rates and survival, as well as reduce the risk of developing treatment complications and potentially improve the quality of life after treatment. There are several benefits to smoking cessation and it should become an important component of the cancer care continuum in all oncology programmes, starting from prevention of cancer through diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative care. Evidence-based smoking cessation intervention should be sustainably integrated into any comprehensive cancer programme, and the information should be targeted to the specific benefits of cessation in cancer patients.

Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of preventable death and disease worldwide. Adults with mental ill-health smoke tobacco at substantially higher rates than other adults, with public health approaches effective in the population overall having less impact on those with mental ill-health. However, less is known about the tobacco smoking behaviours, attitudes and knowledge of young people with mental ill-health, despite this being the peak period of onset for both mental illness and cigarette smoking.

Young people attending a youth mental health centre (providing both primary and specialist care) in Melbourne, Australia were approached by youth peer researchers and asked to complete a survey about smoking behaviours, attitudes and knowledge. We examined smoking and associated attitudes in the sample overall, and as a function of the services accessed.

In total, 114 young people completed the survey, with 56.3% reporting lifetime cigarette smoking, 42.0% smoking in the last 12 months and 28.6% in the past week. Of current regular smokers, 75.0% acknowledged they should quit in the future; however, only 23.5% planned to do so in the next month, with 44.4% confident that they could quit. Participants lacked knowledge about interactions between tobacco smoking, mental and physical health.

Youth presenting for mental ill-health had high rates of cigarette smoking relative to population rates. Presentation at youth mental health services may represent a critical window for early intervention to reduce the lifetime impacts of cigarette smoking in mental ill-health. Interventions to support smoking cessation in this group are urgently needed.

At the end of this article, readers will be able to:

• • understand the self-medication hypothesis in relation to tobacco smoking by people with schizophrenia

• • understand the role of tobacco smoking as a possible risk factor for causation of schizophrenia

• • understand the role of shared genetic vulnerability in the causation of both schizophrenia and nicotine dependence.

To assess counts of α4 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in nasal polyps of adults with or without long-term exposure to cigarette tobacco smoke.

Twenty-two patients with and 22 patients without exposure to cigarette tobacco smoke participated in the study. After endoscopic polypectomy, the fragments of the nasal polyps were analysed by immunohistochemistry.

Compared to patients with no exposure, patients with exposure showed higher counts of α4 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (t-test, p < 0.05). However, in patients with no exposure, multivariate analysis showed gender dimorphism, with lower counts in males than in females, and no influence from other variables (analysis of covariance, p > 0.05).

Exposure to cigarette tobacco smoke may induce increased counts of α4 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in nasal polyps of adults, with lower counts in males than females without exposure to tobacco smoke.

The association between cigarette smoking and psychosis remains unexplained, but could relate to causal effects in both directions, confounding by socioeconomic factors, such as ethnicity, or use of other substances, including cannabis. Few studies have evaluated the association between cigarettes and psychotic experiences (PEs) in diverse, inner-city populations, or relationships with number of cigarettes consumed.

We assessed associations and dose–response relationships between cigarette smoking and PEs in a cross-sectional survey of household residents (n = 1680) in South East London, using logistic regression to adjust for cannabis use, other illicit substances, and socioeconomic factors, including ethnicity.

We found association between any PEs and daily cigarette smoking, which remained following adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, cannabis and use of illicit stimulant drugs (fully adjusted odds ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.01–2.15). Fully adjusted estimates for the association, and with number of PEs, increased with number of cigarettes smoked daily, implying a dose–response effect (p = 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Odds of reporting any PEs in ex-smokers were similar to never-smokers.

In this diverse epidemiological sample, association between smoking and PEs was not explained by confounders such as cannabis or illicit drugs. Daily cigarette consumption showed a dose–response relationship with the odds of reporting PEs, and of reporting a greater number of PEs. There was no difference in odds of reporting PEs between ex-smokers and never-smokers, raising the possibility that the increase in PEs associated with smoking may be reversible.