Addicts and the Mentally Ill Smoke Way More Smoking rates are
nearly twice as high among this population, says SAMHSA. But
what about people in recovery? According to a report released
yesterday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), adults with a mental illness or who
have a substance use disorder smoke nearly 40% of the total
cigarettes puffed in America—even though these same groups make
up less than a quarter of the US adult population. When you
break it down, people with a substance use disorder—which SAMHSA
defines as "a dependence on or abuse of alcohol or illicit
drugs"—account for 4.9% of the 18-and-up population, yet smoke
8.7% of all cigarettes. Meanwhile, 38.3% of adults who suffer
from mental illness or substance abuse are current smokers,
compared with 19.7% of the population at large. "This report
highlights a clear disparity," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela
S. Hyde. "It shows that people dealing with mental illness or
substance abuse issues smoke more and