Lithium in drinking water and crime rates in Japan: cross-sectional study
Kentaro Kohno, Nobuyoshi Ishii, Hirofumi Hirakawa, Takeshi Terao
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.