Each year, World Mental Health Day falls on October 10.
This year, there have been a number of mentions of how e-cigarettes may help those suffering with poor mental health quit smoking to better their quality of life.
In a report from the Science and Technology Committee published August 17, committee chair Norman Lamb MP asked why one third of public mental health trusts do not allow for the use of e-cigarettes. As we approach the end of the year, this is still the case.
He said:
“It is extraordinary that one-third of mental health trusts ban the use of e-cigarettes completely”
This is despite research from 2014 published in the British Medical Journal which found that mental health can improve with smoking cessation. That particular study concluded:
“Smoking cessation is associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress and improved positive mood and quality of life compared with continuing to smoke.”
Tobacco is the leading global cause of preventable death and it’s estimated to cause more than five million deaths a year. The worldwide cost of healthcare from tobacco use has been estimated within the billion dollar range.
In the UK alone, the estimated cost per year of smoking to British society is £12.6 billion. Public Health England ‘Health Matters’ resource breaks this down to approximately £2.5 billion on the NHS, £1.4 billion on social care and £8.6 billion on lost productivity.
The Mental Health Foundation says World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity “for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.”
This year, the theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is young people and mental health in a changing world.
