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| Smoking |
FACTS ABOUT LESBIANS AND SMOKING |
Introduction
The government document, Healthy People 2010 designates sexual orientation as one of six categories in which health disparities exist, yet research on tobacco use among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations has been negligible within the scientific and medical communities. This is true in the monitoring of smoking rates among lesbian women. However, research that does exist reveals that lesbians are more likely than heterosexual women to smoke and suffer the damaging health effects that result. (USDHHS, 2000). |
General Facts on LGBT Smoking Rates
Available research as well as information from primary research conducted by the Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health Organization, has identified the following trends regarding smoking and tobacco use among lesbians and LGBT populations: |
- 34% of LGBT adults surveyed said they smoke cigarettes, as compared to 24% of heterosexual adults (Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications, 2003).
- Of those who said they smoke cigarettes, 47% of LGBT adults and 36% of heterosexual adults smoke more than one pack each day (Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications, 2003).
- Since the 1980’s, evidence shows that the tobacco industry has targeted gays and lesbians via marketing, and the sponsorship of LGBT events (Stevens, 2004). In addition, data from the Mautner Project (2004) and Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications (2003) has shown that most lesbians have never seen an anti-smoking advertisement or public education awareness message targeted toward them.
- Three quarters (75%) of LGBT smokers say they have tried to quit smoking, compared to 80% of all adults. On average they have tried, and failed, to quit smoking eight times, the same frequency reported by other smokers (Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications, 2003).
- A lack of education about smoking-related health risks does not seem to explain the disparity in smoking rates. Of all participants in the May 2001 Harris Interactive/Witeck-Combs Communications survey, LGBT survey participants were the most aware of the health risks of smoking yet had the highest rates of tobacco use.
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Next: Statistics on Lesbians and Smoking |
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