A recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General reveals concerning data about vaping rates among LGBTQ+ individuals. The report shows that this group is more likely to use e-cigarettes compared to their straight counterparts. Data from 2019-2020 reveals that 37.8% of LGBTQ+ individuals report having vaped at some point in their lives. This is nearly double the 16.5% of straight individuals who reported having vaped.
The report delves into some of the potential reasons for this higher prevalence of smoking, both tobacco and e-cigarettes, within the LGBTQ+ community. One factor contributing to the smoking trends in the LGBTQ+ community is a marketing campaign from the 1990s. It was called Project SCUM (Subcultural Urban Marketing). The campaign targeted LGBTQ+ individuals in San Francisco, promoting tobacco products directly to this community. Additionally, a 2014 survey found that LGBTQ+ youth were significantly more likely to smoke in states that had “substantial structural stigma” against the LGBTQ+ population. This refers to states with less legal protection and social support for LGBTQ+ individuals. Interestingly, the survey found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth in these states were also more likely to smoke compared to their heterosexual peers. There is seemingly no correlation between LGBTQ+ stigma and the amount that heterosexual youth smoke.
Kristy Marynak is the senior science adviser at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and co-editor of the Surgeon General’s report. She has called tobacco use a “singular health threat” to the LGBTQ+ community. Marynak notes that nearly one in five deaths in the U.S. are caused by tobacco-related illnesses. The report emphasizes the disproportionate burden that members of the LGBTQ+ community face as a result of this.
E-cigarettes in particular pose significant health risks. According to the American Lung Association (ALA), chemicals found in e-cigarettes, such as acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, can contribute to lung and heart disease. Acrolein is an especially concerning chemical. It can lead to acute lung injury and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The CDC also warns that nicotine, a key ingredient in e-cigarettes, is highly addictive, and can impair brain development in individuals under 25. This makes young LGBTQ+ people particularly vulnerable.
With vaping continuing to rise in popularity, the Surgeon General’s report serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of smoking. It also brings to light the need for greater awareness of the disproportionate vulnerability of the LGBTQ+ community. The report emphasizes the need for intervention to reduce tobacco use in the U.S., especially in youth.
