One hundred suicide attempters, 100 matched controls, and 60 psychiatric controls with the same psychiatric disorders as diagnosed in the corresponding attempters were investigated. Significantly more female attempters were smokers when compared with the controls, whereas there was no difference among the males. Consumption of at least 40 and at least 50 cigarettes per day was significantly more frequent in female and male attempters, respectively, than in the controls. Also, the mean number of cigarettes smoked was significantly greater for the attempter versus the controls, particularly among females. Female attempters without a psychiatric disorder smoked more frequently than the corresponding controls. Likewise, female attempters with psychiatric disorders smoked more frequently than the psychiatric controls. The etiology of the relationship between smoking and suicide attempts remains uncertain.