Posted on 10/27/2004 11:39:46 AM PDT by presidio9
Gay and lesbian youth, like older LGBT people, may be 40 to 60 percent more likely than their straight peers to smoke cigarettes, according to data presented last week at a conference of gay and lesbian medical professionals.
In a survey of over 12,000 students in grades 7-12, about 8 percent of the respondents indicated having same-sex attractions or same-sex relationships. Of those, nearly 45 percent of females and 35 percent of males reported smoking. Among those who did not report same-sex attractions, 29 percent -- both males and females -- were smokers.
The survey was conducted by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), and the results were presented at the annual conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), held Oct. 21-23 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
"I am deeply concerned about the Add Health study findings," said Kenneth Haller, M.D., president of GLMA. "Although the findings are consistent with previous literature showing higher rates of smoking among GLB youth, GLMA hopes the conclusions will help to catalyze the community."
A Harris Interactive poll in 2001 found that 36 percent of respondents who self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender were smokers, as compared with 25 percent of all adults surveyed. Several factors may contribute to the higher prevalence, such as higher levels of social stress, frequent patronage of bars and clubs and direct targeting of LGBT consumers by tobacco companies.
In the same poll, LGBT smokers who tried to quit said they attempted and failed eight times to quit smoking, on average.
Helen Lettlow, assistant vice president for priority populations at the American Legacy Foundation (ALF), acknowledged that quitting smoking is tough, but she said the important part is to keep trying.
"There are several factors that are helpful in quitting: creating a plan that includes setting a quit date, having the support of your family and friends, utilizing online or telephone counseling and seeing a medical professional to learn if there are medications that can help," she told the PlanetOut Network.
"Gay youth may find that Internet-based counseling and support boost their likelihood of success due to the anonymity. QuitNet.com is one such resource," she added, referring to one of the Web sites supported by ALF.
Probably to get the taste out of their mouths...
Unfortunate Headline Award!
Sounds like an oral complex to me.....
So does this mean we have to legalize pot?
Gay youth smoke more pole.
Obscure Austin Powers reference
Oral fixation alert. Bush's fault. Halliburton.
Wow.
Don't they know that's unsafe?
Dan
"Kids, if you smoke after sex...remember to use lube next time."
Well, gee, if one looks at the local gay rags our differently sexed brothers and sisters are all trim, buff eternally young, rich and glamerous, etc.
Joe Cherner is having kittens.
They smoke WHAT, exactly?
Second, I get the sense that the gay litigation groups are setting the stage to "fundraise" via tabacco lawsuits for gays.
"LGBT people"? When did that dreadful expression escape the halls of academia?
Gays love illegal drugs and alcohol to go with the ciggies.
All of the above helps to lower their immune system which enables deadly infections to run rampant in their maggot infested bodies.
Gay youth smoke more.
=====
Sounds like they're too arrogant to use Vaseline !!!
Bush's fault, Halliburton,vast rightwing conspiracy, blah,blah,blah...
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