Doctors fear asking mentally ill to quit smoking

People with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are the heaviest smokers in the country, but their doctors are afraid to ask them to quit. They assume if their patients try to quit, their mental disorders will get worse. That is a myth, says Brian Hitsman, a tobacco addiction specialist at Northwestern University. This population's tobacco use needs to be treated, he says. Hitsman has designed and published the first comprehensive plan for mental health providers to help their patients quit smoking.