Tobacco and crime

1999/08/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

The results of a
study conducted in Finland and published in The American Journal of Psychamey are not negligible: during pregnancy roasted tobacco children are more likely to be criminals.

They say nicotine affects the brain of fetuses causing behavioral changes that will cause violent behavior. The investigation analyzed the behavior and family history of 11,017 men (who have not used women, since female crime is very low in this country). Even in those who have had a proper childhood, if their mother had burned during pregnancy, they eventually appear in the police file, murders, robberies, sexual assaults, domestic violence, etc. then.

However, this figure increases noticeably if the baby is born in pregnancy early, is single mother, was an unwanted pregnancy or presented physical discomfort for pain or speech.

As a reason they present a possible chemical explanation. Antisocial behavior is related to low seratonin production. Therefore, they say that nicotine would affect the developing brain, producing less seratonin as a result.