25 Percent of U.S. Population is Mentally Ill, 40 Percent of this Population Smokes Cigarettes

A new study shows that adults with a mental illness or substance-abuse disorder represent approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population and nearly 40 percent of the cigarette use in the country.

Researchers also indicate that the smoking rate among adults between the ages of 18 and up with a mental illness is about 38 percent, compared with just under 20 percent for those without these conditions.

According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report (SAMHSA), this means that the current rate of smoking among adults with a mental illness or a substance-abuse disorder is 94 percent higher than adults without health concerns.

Adults with substance-abuse disorders but not mental illness represent about 5 percent of the population, but smoke nearly 9 percent of all cigarettes. Those with both a mental illness and a substance-use disorder represent roughly 4 percent of the population, but smoke 9.5 percent of all cigarettes, according to USNews.com.

"It has long been a public-health priority to develop effective smoking prevention and cessation programs," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in a government news release.

"This report highlights a clear disparity. It shows that people dealing with mental illness or substance-abuse issues smoke more and are less likely to quit," she said. "We need to continue to strengthen efforts to figure out what works to reduce and prevent smoking for people with mental-health conditions."

The report findings are based on data from SAMHSA's 2009 to 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.