The purpose of this study was to estimate the relationship between cigarette smoking & the risk of suicide. The mortality of 36,527 Finnish adults was monitored for a mean of 14.4 years. Suicides were subclassified by the level of violence used. There were 134 male suicides & 31 female suicides. According to the Cox model the adjusted relative risk of both violent & nonviolent suicide was significantly & linearly increased among light/moderate & heavy smokers compared with nonsmokers. Smoking was associated with an increased risk of suicide irrespective of the level of violence used. (20 refs.)