Smoking bans: A threat to mental health

In someone taking these drugs, intended to decrease their available dopamine, smoking can affect their dopamine levels in at least two ways: by stimulating the body's own production of dopamine; and by diluting the effects of the dopamine-depleting medication.

We are all familiar with the cravings of pregnant women, considered to be the body’s way of correcting some kind of nutritional imbalance. Similarly, someone who is dopamine deficient may seek out smoking to boost dopamine levels and thus reduce their suffering.

I believe this is the reason behind many psychiatric patients compulsion to smoke. It is not self-indulgence, a lack of self discipline or just a dirty habit. It is, I believe, a drive, as much about self preservation and survival as the drive for food or water.

Creation of a smoke free environment might be in the interests of patients' physical health, but it’s certainly not in the interests of their mental health. It can be really tough for psychiatric patients. Whether it’s because of worry, fear, inability to sleep or something as grave as Akathisia, smoking helps psychiatric patients get through a very tough time. 

No doubt the intentions behind smoking bans are good, but I think they are terribly misguided. There could barely be a worse time to enforce smoking bans than when being admitted as a psychiatric patient. Smoke bans in psychiatric hospitals should be lifted, and designated smoking areas re-opened. We need to speak out on behalf of these patients who are often unable to do so for themselves.