I was properly attended to and advised.

Mr President, I write to you as a concerned Mental Health Professional in the hope that another aspect of the debate on the banning of smoking can be considered.I am a psychiatrist of 35 years standing and a past president of the College of Psychiatry (CMSA). Patients suffering from longstanding psychiatric illnesses have a much higher incidence of smoking, perhaps related to the impact of smoking on the dopamine neurotransmitters. Forcing already vulnerable people, whose mental states have already been made more fragile by the imposition of the lockdown, to stop smoking by going cold turkey is wrong and dangerous.There is no convincing evidence that stopping smoking for 1 to 4 month reverses the well known physical problems associated with long term smoking (10 years +). No doubt smoking is bad for ones health and may lead to more severe corona 19 infections.However forcing people with mental health problems to suddenly stop smoking has the potential to worsen their conditions and at worst increase the risk of suicide. This authoritarian action also has the potential of increasing domestic violence as a result of the irritability associated with stopping smoking.Stopping smoking is associated with the cilia in the bronchial tree resuming function resulting in significantly more coughing promoting the potential for the spread of the virus.Any understanding of the behaviour of addicts will inform you that the sharing of cigarettes will increase with a deminished supply.Professor Irusen, your opinion is true in respect of the health effects of smoking but is approaching the complex issue from a very narrow viewpoint which unfortunately victimizes my patients and all smoking addicts.It is to be regretted that the voices of Psychiatric and Psychological Bodies have been so silent about this issue.Francois Daubenton. M.B.B.Ch.,B.A., F.C.Psych.(S.A.)This was written in response to a well written article describing the physical negative consequences of smoking by Professor Irusen.

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