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Tobacco smoking is common among people with mental illnesses, and they carry a higher burden of smoking-related illnesses. Despite this, smoke-free policies and systems for supporting cessation have proved difficult to introduce in mental health and drug and alcohol services ( MHDAS). This paper examines the barriers to becoming smoke free within New Zealand services. Key informants, including staff, smoke-free coordinators, and cessation specialists were interviewed. Of the 142 invited informants 61 agreed (42%) to participate in a telephone interview, and 56 provided useable data. Organizations had a permissive or transitioning smoking culture, or were smoke free, defined by smoke-free environments, smoke-free-promoting attitudes and behaviours of management and staff, and cessation support. Most organizations were on a continuum between permissive and transitional cultures. Only eight services had a fully smoke-free culture. MHDAS face many challenges in the transition to a smoke-free culture. They are not helped by exemptions in smoke-free policies for mental health services, staff smoking, negative staff attitudes to becoming smoke free, poor knowledge of nicotine dependence, smoking-related harm and comorbidities, and poor knowledge and skills regarding cessation-support options. Health inequalities will continue across both service and socioeconomic divides without a concerted effort to address smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]