Helping LGBTQ smokers kick the habit

In 2024, it will be difficult to find anyone who does not know that smoking tobacco carries serious health risks.

Although the number of people who smoke tobacco is far lower than in years past, smoking – including highly addictive nicotine vaping – remains an essential part of our health landscape. This is especially true for the LGBTQ community. As a result, the Washington Department of Health is paying new attention to the LGBTQ cohort.

“A lot of people think we’ve solved the tobacco problem because people don’t smoke as much as they used to,” says Carrie Dahlquist, manager of the department’s tobacco control program, who oversees DC Quit Now. “It’s not as prevalent in the community, but there are still pockets of population, of certain communities, that tend to have much higher rates of tobacco use than others.”

National health entities are well aware of this sad reality.

As the American Lung Association stated in its report, “Smoking a Deadly Threat: Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community,” “tobacco use is the nation’s leading cause of preventable disease and death. It is the leading cause of two of the deadliest lung diseases: lung cancer (which causes more deaths in the United States than any other cancer) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the country.

“Since the smoking rate among the LGBT community is approximately double that of the general population, more members of the LGBT community are at significantly increased risk of these and other deadly diseases. Tobacco-related health threats, such as heart attacks and strokes. »

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 15 percent of bisexual, gay and lesbian adults in the United States smoke cigarettes, compared to about 11 percent of heterosexuals. What is more striking is that this rate reaches almost 36% among transgender adults.

As a result, Dahlquist’s team in Washington is applying a CDC model to raise awareness among local LGBTQ smokers with an effort dubbed “Hope From A DC Ex-Smoker.” That’s why you’ll see gay local Jeff Scott share his quitting smoking story in a short video.

Scott begins by telling viewers how he started smoking at age 19 while working in the theater. “A lot of the actors smoked,” he remembers.

Years later, in 2020, with Covid shutdowns and quarantines complicating so many aspects of life in Washington, Scott told viewers that he simply ran out of cigarettes and didn’t have particularly want to buy more.

“I kind of realized, ‘I haven’t smoked a cigarette in a few days and I feel great, so maybe we should just keep doing this,'” he says in the video, advancing his story where he enjoys the benefits of cigarettes. be smoke-free. “After stopping, I can definitely say that my breathing improved. I didn’t have chest tightness or difficulty breathing when I worked out. My mental health has improved. I became much more productive. I wish I had stopped many years ago. This would have definitely saved me a lot of money.

While Scott’s video aims to provide local LGBTQ smokers with a relevant, ideally inspiring, story about quitting, Dahlquist says his program is ready to help DC smokers take the next step with a range free services and tools.

The team works with those hoping to quit smoking by designing tailored plans, a variety of counseling services with “quit coaches” and nicotine replacement therapies such as gums and patches. While this is all free to Washington DC residents, the community has one request: If you’ve already quit smoking, would you perhaps consider sharing your story?

“We want to hear from people in the community,” Dahlquist says. “We want to know their experiences. If you heard about DC Quit Now through the social media or web campaign, we would love to hear from you. What made you try to quit? If you’ve already quit, what helped you the most? What would you like to share with other people about your trip?

“Because what we found is that people are really inspired to hear that other people have done this. It’s not impossible to stop. It’s difficult. And not all attempts to quit smoking will help you quit smoking. But each attempt is a new step on the path. »

In his video testimony, Scott agrees.

“Quitting is not easy,” he says. “But it’s possible. Stick to that. And you have to be kind to yourself.

Watch the video below:

For more information about DC Quit Now, visit DCQuitNow.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

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