Tobacco usage in all forms has been steeply and steadily declining in the United States since the early 1970s. In fact, rates of cigarette consumption today are on par with usage from before the time when 1920s flappers made smoking fashionable. Sadly though, there is at least one demographic for whom cigarettes remain dramatically and disproportionately common, and it is those living with severe mental illnesses.
Those who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia also have nicotine addictions at a rate three times higher than the general population. Lifetime smoking rates for those with major depression are 59% higher than those without, and 83% higher for those living with bipolar disorder. People living with substance use disorders report a co-occurring nicotine addiction at rates of up to 98%. Overall, those with severe mental illness account for nearly 40% of all tobacco-related deaths each year, despite being only 4% of the population. And the resulting cancer and lung disease shortens their lives by an average of 15 years.
With all this said, it is only responsible for a mental health organization to maintain in its stable of programs a Tobacco Cessation curriculum. As people begin to learn how to live with their illness, they are provided healthy and sustainable coping skills in lieu of just lighting up every time the strain starts feeling unbearable. Call your local mental health organization today and learn how they incorporate this public health issue into their treatment programs.
