Sexual Minority Youth Continue to Smoke Cigarettes Earlier and More Often Than Heterosexuals: Findings from Population-Based Data

Research carried out in North America has highlighted differences in youth smoking habits for individuals who identify as heterosexual and those who identify as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual (LGB). 

The study builds on historical evidence to show that LGB youth are likely to smoke more than heterosexual youth to identify that disparities in smoking between the two groups are "getting worse over time". 

Published in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the study draws on eight years of data from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MYRBS). While it has allowed researchers to determine that overall smoking rates have declined among young people there remains significant disparities between LGB and heterosexual youth when looking at factors such as early onset of smoking, daily cigarette smoking and responses to "have ever smoked". 

The research highlights an opportunity for the development of targeted tobacco prevention interventions which might take in to account differing attitudes towards smoking within different communities.