# Tobacco-related toxicant exposure among people with and without experience of psychosis: findings from the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study

## TL;DR

People with a history of psychosis are exposed to higher levels of nicotine and toxicants from smoking and vaping compared to others, but these differences shrink when accounting for smoking and cannabis use.

## Contribution

This study quantifies tobacco-related toxicant exposure disparities in people with psychosis using a large US population sample.

## Key findings

- Participants with psychosis had higher levels of nicotine metabolites and toxicants like TSNAs and VOCs.
- Adjusting for smoking, vaping, and cannabis use reduced the significance of these differences.
- High rates of tobacco and cannabis use among people with psychosis likely drive toxicant exposure.

## Abstract

Smoking and vaping are especially prevalent among people with experience of psychosis (EoP), potentially increasing their toxicant exposure. Switching from tobacco smoking to vaping e-cigarettes reduces exposure to tobacco-related toxicants and likely associated diseases. We compared levels of nicotine and tobacco-related toxicant exposure among people with versus without EoP.

Cross-sectional study, secondary data analysis of Wave 5 (2018) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

Data collection took place in the USA at the home of participants.

Data were from 5750 adults (aged >18 years) with and without EoP who smoked, vaped, did both or did neither. EoP was defined as ever being told by a health professional that you have schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, a psychotic illness or psychotic episode.

Levels of urinary toxicants: nicotine metabolites, metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) among people with and without EoP. Analyses were adjusted for demographics, cannabis use and past 30-day smoking/vaping status, and were repeated after stratifying by smoking /vaping status.

Of the 5750 participants, 6.3% (n=361) reported EoP, and 93.7% reported no EoP. Levels of nicotine and TSNA metabolites, cadmium, uranium and some VOCs were significantly higher among participants with EoP compared with those without. However, when smoking, vaping and cannabis use were taken into account, the associations of EoP with nicotine and TSNA metabolites, and most of the VOCs, were attenuated and no longer significant.

Participants with EoP are exposed to more nicotine and tobacco-related toxicants than those without EoP, likely largely due to the high prevalence of smoking, vaping and cannabis use among this population.