- EPA Earmarks $3 Billion to Replace Lead Pipes Nationwide
- Johnson & Johnson Will Pay $6.5 Billion to Settle Talc Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
- No Sign of Bird Flu in Ground Beef, USDA Says
- U.S. Maternal Deaths Declined in 2022
- Economy, Election Spur Rising Anxiety Among Americans in 2024
- Day Care Pick-Up Often Involves Sugary Snacks, Study Finds
- A Third of Young Adults Still Believe ‘Tan Is Healthier’ Myth: Survey
- MRNA Vaccine Fights Deadly Brain Tumor in Small Trial
- AI Won’t Replace ER Doctors Anytime Soon: Study
- Sleep Apnea Linked With Late-Life Epilepsy
Young LGBT Adults Target of FDA Stop-Smoking Campaign
Hoping to reduce tobacco use by young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched an LGBT stop-smoking campaign.
“We know LGBT young adults in this country are nearly twice as likely to use tobacco as other young adults,” said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
“We want LGBT young adults to know that there is no safe amount of smoking. Even an occasional cigarette can have serious health implications and lead to addiction,” he said in an agency news release.
The campaign specifically targets 18- to 24-year-old LGBT smokers. At least 800,000 of the more than 2 million LGBT young adults in the United States are occasional or social smokers, according to the FDA.
A key reason for high tobacco use among this group of young adults is the real and perceived social stigma, discrimination and anxiety they experience when they “come out,” the FDA stated.
Many find a sense of community in LGBT bars and clubs where tobacco use is common, and some leading LGBT public figures openly promote tobacco use, the agency explained.
The new campaign “is designed to challenge the perception that tobacco use is a necessary part of LGBT culture,” said Richard Wolitski. He is acting director of the Office for HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“The campaign shows LGBT young adults they can be the person they want to be and still live tobacco-free,” Wolitski explained.
Entitled “This Free Life,” the campaign was scheduled to launch in 12 regions nationwide this week with print, digital and out-of-home ads. Local outreach efforts will also highlight tobacco-free attitudes and lifestyles within the LGBT community.
The $35.7 million campaign is funded by user fees collected from the tobacco industry, not taxpayer dollars.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on LGBT health.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.