LGBTQ Adults and Youth More Than Twice as Likely to Vape Compared to Straight Counterparts
A recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office finds that LGBTQ Americans use e-cigarettes at significantly higher rates than their straight counterparts. The report, based on data from 2019 to 2021, reveals that nearly half of bisexual adults have tried some form of e-cigarette, including e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, vaping pens, and hookah pens, compared with 31.8% of gay men and 26.7% of lesbians.
The disparities in e-cigarette use also extend to young adults and high school students based on their sexual orientation. Among young adults, 42% of those who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual reported trying e-cigarettes, compared with 30.3% of their straight counterparts. Similarly, 56% of LGB high school students reported vaping, compared to 49.8% of straight students.
Tobacco Use Poses Singular Health Threat to LGBTQ Communities
Kristy Marynak, a senior science adviser at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a co-editor on the report, emphasizes the disproportionate burden of tobacco use on LGBTQ communities. “This report finds that nearly 1 in 5 of all deaths in the United States are caused by tobacco, and it shines a light on the disproportionate burden borne by certain communities, including LGBTQAI+ communities,” Marynak told NBC News.
While long-term health outcomes for e-cigarette users remain unclear due to the relatively new nature of the products, experts warn that some of the chemicals commonly found in e-cigarettes, such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, have negative health impacts. E-cigarettes also contain nicotine, which is not only addictive but is believed to harm brain development among younger smokers, according to the CDC.
Stigma and Targeted Marketing Contribute to Higher E-Cigarette Use
Dr. Scott Hadland, the chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Mass General for Children and Harvard Medical School, attributes the higher rates of e-cigarette use among LGBTQ people to a “long-standing stigma” within healthcare settings. “LGBTQ+ people might be afraid to present for care to help support their quit attempts,” Hadland said. “They might be afraid to talk to their doctor about it because they’re afraid to go to the doctor in general.”
The report also highlights the tobacco industry’s historical targeting of the LGBTQ community through marketing tactics. Documents from tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds from 1995 to 1997 reveal the company’s attempts to market products to the LGBTQI+ community through initiatives like “Project Scum,” which promoted Camel and Red Kamel cigarettes to “consumer subcultures” of an “alternative lifestyle in the San Francisco area.” Even today, tobacco companies continue to market their products, especially flavored and fragranced products, by advertising in LGBTQ-focused news outlets and donating to LGBTQ organizations and various Pride events.
The Surgeon General’s report serves as a call to action to address the disproportionate impact of tobacco use on LGBTQ communities and underscores the need for targeted interventions and support to help individuals quit smoking and vaping.
