Smoking and the LGBT Community

Gay and bisexual men are twice as likely as straight men to smoke cigarettes. Lesbians are more likely to be heavy smokers than are straight women. We don’t know all the reasons for our high smoking rates, but we can point to several factors. Many people in the LGBT community socialize in a “bar” culture, where smoking is permitted and highly accepted. We also know that the LGBT community experiences higher levels of anxiety, which can be alleviated by smoking cigarettes. Some of us believe smoking is glamorous and sexy.

What we do know is that our high smoking rates put us at greater risk of tobacco-related health problems including heart disease, lung cancer, and esophageal and breast cancer. Together, we can decrease tobacco use in our community. We need to advocate for funding more research on LGBT smoking, and provide more programs for preventing our younger people from starting to smoke in the first place.

If you smoke, here are some ideas that can help improve your health:

• Take steps to quit today.
• Set a target date and specific plan for quitting.
• Identify specific ways to deal with temptations—especially when you go out.
• Consult a doctor to decide if the “patch” or other meds might help you.
• Call your local LGBT health center to find a smoking cessation program that is right for you.
• Finally, get support from family, friends and other support networks in your community.

[DOWNLOAD SMOKING AD—HI RES PDF OR LOW RES PDF| DOWNLOAD SMOKING FACTSHEET—HI RES PDF OR LOW RES PDF]

[DOWNLOAD ALL 9 ADS (PDFs) AS ONE FILE—HI RES OR LOW RES | DOWNLOAD ALL 9 FACTSHEETS (PDFs) AS ONE FILE—HI RES OR LOW RES]

PLEASE NOTE: All PDFs on this site require Acrobat Reader 5.0. For a free download of Acrobat Reader 5.0 or for a free upgrade to Acrobat Reader 5.0, please visit the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

"We are truly excited about the possibilities and potential for raising the awareness in our community and beyond around LGBT health in all of its issues. You and your organization's participation will ensure that we will be able to work together in a coordinated way and provide a unified voice at the forefront of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health."

—Cornelius Baker, Co-Chair, Executive Committee National Coalition for LGBT Health

National Coalition for LGBT Health
1407 S Street, NW • Washington, DC 20009 • 202.797.3516/202.797.4430/f
coalition@lgbthealth.net