SBM recommends policy support to reduce smoking disparities for sexual and gender minorities

Abstract

The Society of Behavioral Medicine supports the inclusion of gender and sexual minorities in all local, state, and national tobacco prevention and control activities. These activities include surveillance of tobacco use and cessation activities, targeted outreach and awareness campaigns, increasing access to culturally appropriate tobacco use dependence treatments, and restricting disproportionate marketing to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities by the tobacco industry, especially for mentholated tobacco products.

LGBT friendly healthcare providers’ tobacco treatment practices and recommendations

“…As mentioned by this study's participants, implementation of smoke‐free policies and increased tobacco taxes have been correlated with a reduction in population smoking rates, and these relationships have also been borne out for LGBT populations . Healthcare systems and providers are integral to inclusion of sexual and gender minorities in all tobacco prevention and control ventures and the development and implementation of policies at all levels that specifically address LGBT smoking disparities …”

“…Tobacco‐related disparities for sexual and gender minorities are attributable to and impacted by multiple diverse, interrelated, and evolving factors such as the social determinants of health, tobacco industry influence, and the lack of comprehensive tobacco control policies . High rates of smoking by LGBT individuals have been linked, in part, to the stigma and discrimination associated with being a sexual or gender minority .…”

“…Due to this increased risk, the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (2016) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) (2011) recommend that transgender patients who are using estrogen therapy and who also smoke should be counseled about smoking at every healthcare visit. 7,8 Tobacco-related disparities for sexual and gender minorities are attributable to and impacted by multiple diverse, interrelated, and evolving factors such as the social determinants of health, 9,10 tobacco industry influence, 9,11,12 and the lack of comprehensive tobacco control policies. 9,13 High rates of smoking by LGBT individuals have been linked, in part, to the stigma and discrimination associated with being a sexual or gender minority.…”

Comparing perceived effectiveness of FDA-proposed cigarette packaging graphic health warnings between sexual and gender minorities and heterosexual adults

“…[23] Further research is needed to assess whether tailored interventions would improve cessation outcomes among SGM persons and to identify best strategies for targeted messaging among different SGM populations. [24]…”

“…These recommendations are echoed in a recent position statement by Matthews and colleagues, representing the Society of Behavioral Medicine, to include “specific messaging for gender and sexual minorities in all media campaigns aimed at increasing education and outreach regarding tobacco prevention and smoking cessation treatment services”. [24] It is therefore important to evaluate whether current and forthcoming tobacco control interventions and policies are effective in addressing tobacco disparities among SGM populations.…”