THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMOKING AND SCHIZOPHRENIA

Abstract

Smoking is the most common disorder in a population with severe mental illness. Smoking frequency of individuals with schizophrenia is 2-4 times higher than the general population. Smoking also affects the metabolism and levels of psychiatric drugs in the blood. Mechanism of nicotine in influencing neurotransmitters in the central nervous system is through bonding with cholinergic receptors which in turn triggers the release of dopamine. Decreased plasma levels of antipsychotic drugs cause patients require higher doses of medication. Higher doses can result in more side effects, as a result the patient also has a number of higher tobacco dependence. [J Agromed Unila 2014;1(2):195-201]

Keywords: dopamine, schizopherenia, smoking