One in five people in the U.S. are estimated to experience “any mental illness” (AMI); however this group represents an estimated 40% of the annual, adult cigarette consumption in the U.S. Tobacco prevention policies have been successful at reducing smoking prevalence among the U.S. population as a whole, however it is unclear whether these efforts have had significant impact on tobacco use rates among individuals with AMI. The three papers that comprise this project combined longitudinal, nationally-representative data and online behavioral experiments from U.S. adults to compare demand for cigarettes among adult smokers with and without AMI. Taken together, our findings imply that adults with AMI have the potential to have more difficulty reducing combustible tobacco use under certain conditions than adults without these symptoms, making it imperative that this population remain a high priority for investigators seeking to reduce a significant disparity in use rates and combustible tobacco-related health consequences
