Re: Does smoking make people aggressive?

Dear Joshua,

Great question!

Yes, smoking (or chewing) tobacco can make people aggressive.

First, while smoking and just after finishing smoking , people report 
feeling "good".  That is, smoking gives them a sense of pleasure.  Just 
after smoking, people are more alert and their heart rate and blood 
pressure are increased.  For most people, these things don't cause them to 
be aggressive.  However, it is possible that people who are prone to being 
aggressive may become more aggressive as a result of these feelings.

These "good" feelings that people experience from using tobacco are due to 
the effects of nicotine, one of the chemicals present in tobacco. The 
pleasurable feelings are followed within minutes-to-hours by 
depression and fatigue (feeling tired).  As a result, people use tobacco 
again.  Do you see that this becomes a "vicious cycle" in which people use 
tobacco to overcome the depression and fatigue that was caused by their 
using tobacco?.  Soon a person becomes "addicted" to tobacco. According to 
the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Addiction is characterized by 
compulsive drug-seeking and use, even in the face of negative health 
consequences…".  That means that people who smoke feel a need to continue 
smoking even though they know that smoking is bad for their health.  Sounds 
crazy, doesn't it?  All tobacco-containing products (cigarettes, cigars, 
pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco) are addictive.  Nicotine is the chemical 
present in tobacco that is addictive.  Addiction to tobacco is 
characterized also by something called "withdrawal".  Withdrawal refers to 
the feelings (both psychological and physical) that people experience when 
they stop using tobacco.  THE STRONGEST LINK BETWEEN THE USE OF TOBACCO AND 
AGGRSSIVE BEHAVIOR OCCURS WHEN PEOPLE STOP USING THE TOBACCO AND UNDERGO 
WITHDRAWAL.  Within hours of stopping smoking, people tend to have 
increased anger, hostility and aggression.  These "bad" 
feelings, which last for days-to-weeks cause many people to start smoking 
again within a few days.  In fact, less than 10 % of people who try to stop 
smoking on their own (without some assistance) are successful.  It is very 
difficult to stop smoking.  So, it is best to never start.

More information can be found at the following web sites maintained by the 
National Institute of Drug Abuse:
 
http://165.112.78.61/ResearchReports/Nicotine/Nicotine.html 
 
http://165.112.78.61/NIDA_Notes/NNVol13N3/tearoff.html 
 
http://165.112.78.61/Infofax/tobacco.html 

There is one other way that smoking may make people aggressive.  In the 
United States, and I assume where you live, there is relatively strong 
public criticism of people who smoke.  As a result, some smokers have 
become defensive about their "right to smoke".  In some cases, smokers 
defend their "right" by being defiant and aggressive.

There are a few more things that you should know about using smoking.  
People who smoke are more likely to have respiratory (lung, nose, 
throat) infections and are more likely to die from cancer, heart disease 
and stroke than are people who don't smoke.  Also, people who smoke tend 
not to be able to taste or smell things as well as non-smokers.

Keep asking questions and seeking answers.