A Call for Health Equity in Tobacco Control and Treatment for the Justice-Involved Population

Allison A. Gorrilla MPH, Jesse T. Kaye PhD, Jim Pavlik MA, Catherine Bonniot BA, Maya Vijayaraghavan MD, MAS, Karen L. Conner MPH, Chad D. Morris PhD
A Call for Health Equity in Tobacco Control and Treatment for the Justice-Involved Population
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2024, ISSN 0749-3797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.05.020. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379724001776)

CONCLUSIONS: Prisons and jails are overdue in making systems changes necessary to support incarcerated individuals who use tobacco. People who are justice involved deserve tobacco-free policies that eliminate second-hand smoke and e-cigarette vapor exposure while incarcerated. Prisons and jails should provide equal access to tobacco treatment, commensurate with what is offered in the community and in accordance with the standards for other substance use disorder treatment. Treatment ought to encompass routine assessment of tobacco use, medically supervised withdrawal, access to medication, and behavioral support during incarceration, with postrelease referral to continued treatment. Cross-sector collaboration will be essential to improving the standards of tobacco treatment services during incarceration and facilitating continuity of care after release. A concerted effort to equitably implement effective tobacco control strategies in carceral settings could have a substantial impact on improving the health and wellbeing of incarcerated individuals, significantly reducing the healthcare costs of continued tobacco use and closing this health equity gap for the justice-involved population.