This resource was developed as a technical assistance aid for state substance abuse and mental health block grant recipients.
“The message is spreading across the country. State program planners, behavioral health service providers, insurers, and other stakeholders are becoming increasingly aware of this disparity: compared with the general population, people with mental or substance use disorders (M/SUDs) are more likely to smoke, buy cigarettes, and get sick or die of tobacco-related causes. After decades of myths and misconceptions, people involved in planning state behavioral health and tobacco programs are stepping up prevention and cessation programs focused on these vulnerable populations, particularly in the health settings they turn to for services.”