Smokers are more prone to anger, study suggests
Tackling the anger experienced by smokers could be an important part of helping them quit smoking, a new study suggests. University of California researchers recruited 20 people, and had them play a computer game, once while wearing a nicotine replacement patch, and once while using a placebo patch. After each round, players could disturb their opponent with an unpleasant noise, choosing their own duration and volume. When participants were not wearing the nicotine patch, they were more likely to react with anger, the study showed, leading researchers to hypothesize that nicotine affects the part of the brain responsible for emotion. Smokers who can’t quit may be the ones most likely to have difficulty staying calm, prompting them to reach for a cigarette for relief. “Novel behavioural treatments like anger management training may aid smoking cessation efforts in anger-provoking situations that increase withdrawal and tobacco cravings,” said lead researcher Jean Gehricke, according to the BBC.