Physician's Weekly Article - New Data on Depression & Smoking

       Adults with depression who are age 20 and older are more likely to be cigarette smokers than those without depression, according to new data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The report found that women with depression had smoking rates similar to men with depression, while women without depression smoked less than men. The percentage of adults who were smokers increased as depression severity increased. Adult smokers with depression smoked more heavily than those without depression, and they were more likely to smoke their first cigarette within 5 minutes of awakening and to smoke more than one pack of cigarettes per day. Findings also demonstrated that adults with depression were less likely to quit smoking than those without depression.

      Source: CDC.