The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a tobacco control tool in the mental health setting.

BACKGROUND: Smoking rates remain high among people with mental health conditions, even though smoking contributes to negative mental health outcomes and is a leading cause of mortality. Many mental health facilities are not covered by smoke-free laws or do not encourage smoking cessation, and people with mental health conditions are often targeted in tobacco industry promotions.
OBJECTIVE: To analyse how the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which most countries are a Party, obliges State Parties to review policies and practices for tobacco control in the mental health setting.
METHOD: Analysis of CRPD Articles relevant to smoking and mental health.
RESULTS: The CRPD contains several provisions that oblige State Parties to address the issue of smoking and mental health, particularly in relation to quit services, smoke-free policies in mental health facilities, health education focused on correcting misperceptions about smoking and mental health, and protecting people with mental health conditions from tobacco industry targeting.
CONCLUSIONS: The CRPD is a potentially powerful tool to promote tobacco control in the mental health context. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.