Lithium in drinking water and crime rates in Japan: cross-sectional study.
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ABSTRACT: Background
In pharmacological doses, lithium successfully treats bipolar disorder and it can reduce violent crimes committed by individuals with this disorder.Aims
To investigate whether naturally occurring lithium in drinking water lowers rates of violent crime in the general population.Method
We examined lithium levels in the drinking water of the 274 municipalities of Kyushu Island in Japan and compared these with the crime rates in each municipality.Results
We found that lithium levels were significantly and inversely associated with crime rates in 2009.Conclusions
Our findings suggest that even very low levels of lithium in drinking water may play a role in reducing crime rates in the general population.
SUBMITTER: Kohno K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7576670 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Lithium in drinking water and crime rates in Japan: cross-sectional study.
Kohno Kentaro K Ishii Nobuyoshi N Hirakawa Hirofumi H Terao Takeshi T
BJPsych open 20201015 6
<h4>Background</h4>In pharmacological doses, lithium successfully treats bipolar disorder and it can reduce violent crimes committed by individuals with this disorder.<h4>Aims</h4>To investigate whether naturally occurring lithium in drinking water lowers rates of violent crime in the general population.<h4>Method</h4>We examined lithium levels in the drinking water of the 274 municipalities of Kyushu Island in Japan and compared these with the crime rates in each municipality.<h4>Results</h4>We ...[more]
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