People with Behavioral Health Conditions (Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders) and Commercial Tobacco: Health Disparities and Ways to Advance Health Equity

Everyone deserves a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This is called health equity. Achieving health equity means addressing systemwide problems, unfair practices, and unjust conditions that have a negative impact on the health of specific groups. In order to achieve health equity, we work to reduce health disparities. Health disparities are differences in health outcomes that are closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental factors- that affect people with behavioral health conditions. To improve health equity, we must consider the role of commercial tobacco^*.