LGBT adults are twice as likely as heterosexual adults to smoke cigarettes and half as likely to consider quitting, according to a University of Colorado study published in 2012 in Nicotine and Tobacco Research. But it’s not just the oldsters, according to an August 2013 study published in the journal Psychology and Psychiatry, which found that LGBT youths were also twice as likely as their hetero counterparts to smoke.
While smoking rates have gone down for the general population, they have remained higher for certain groups, including poor people, those less educated, people who live in the South, people who abuse drugs or alcohol and the gays. This is all according to the Centers for Disease Control. What an unfortunate roster of company that we keep.
So what gives? It seems that LGBTs are more likely to engage in all kinds of risky behaviors, not just smoking. It can be risky alcohol and drug use, risky sex and even riskier fashion choices—we know how to push the envelope.
The reason is thought to be because of “minority stress”—that crappy feeling resulting from homophobia and heterosexism that may lead some to medicate their feelings of anxiety and depression with cigarettes, alcohol and tailored clothing that reveals a little too much back fat.
This same minority stress is also to blame for 25% of the LGBT population experiencing “doctor distrust,” making them reluctant to—among other things—ask their physician’s advice about smoking cessation, something that is considered a cornerstone of quitting. It also leads some of our tribe to steer clear of standard stop-smoking strategies because they aren’t marketed or sensitive to LGBTs specifically.
We all know the negative effects of smoking—cancer, emphysema and, to many of us, the more frightening (and more certain) possibilities of brown teeth, bad breath and leathery skin—things no queen wants on his body. But did you know tobacco really does a number on those with HIV? As if they didn’t have enough on their health plates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 42% of those with HIV smoke cigarettes, one of the highest rates of any subgroup. But it’s not just leathery skin these individuals should worry about. Tobacco smoking inhibits T-cell function and thereby increases the risk for infections, especially pulmonary infections (the ones that make you wheeze and cough).
Also, HIV infection is now associated with a chronic state of inflammation, even in those individuals whose HIV is well-controlled. Unfortunately, inflammation and smoking make a deadly duo, increasing the risk for smoking’s two biggest star diseases—heart attack and stroke—among other things. Also unfortunate is that quit rates are 37% lower for HIV-infected smokers compared to the general population.
It’s officially time to put down the cigarettes! But, hey, I know that’s not so easy. Smokable stimulants—cocaine, crystal meth, cigarettes—are among the easiest drugs to which people become addicted. They are also some of the most difficult to quit.
To be clear, quitting is not a cruise in the park. (See what we did there?) It’s tough. Ask anyone who has been through it—and their shell-shocked partners. On the positive side, it’s never too late. Quitting smoking at any age results in dramatic improvements to your health and looks. To help you, I have included some tips to help get you through:
1. MAKE A PLAN Write down the reasons you want to quit, and come up with solutions to triggers that could lead you back to smoking.
2. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR Your doc can give you good advice, refer you to counseling and may prescribe medications that will help. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your doctor, it’s time to find a new one.
3. TELL EVERYONE Include your friends, family, partner and even your tricks. Ask for their support (and carrot sticks).
4. SURF THE CRAVINGS When a craving hits you, imagine it as a giant wave that can either take you down or one that you can ride out. Take the ride, and while it’s happening, distract yourself by doing something that would make it impossible to smoke. Some ideas: juggling, playing patty-cake or just putting something large and pole-like in your mouth until the feeling passes.
5. CONSIDER MEDS Face it—if you smoke, you’re probably a big fan of instant gratification. Just swallowing a pill or slapping a patch on your arm can make you feel like you are doing something. These things can really help. But stay away from e-cigs, as many people end up sucking up even more nicotine than they did with traditional cigarettes.