Gays Twice As Likely To Smoke

A study of Canadian gays called the Toronto Rainbow Tobacco Survey shows that LGBT people are twice as likely to smoke tobacco as the average population.

The research was carried out by a consortium of Toronto health agencies, revealing that while 17% of Toronto's general population reported to be smoking, a full 36% of LGBT participants reported to smoke.

"This confirms what other research from the U.S. has told us about smoking in queer and trans communities," said Michele Clarke, of the Sherbourne Health Center, one of the groups that participated in the study.

The Toronto Rainbow Tobacco Survey is the first major look at smoking in Canada's LGBT community and the study gathered data from over 3,000 members of Toronto’s gay communities through outreach at LGBT community events and through an online survey.

Other findings from the study showed that bisexuals are more likely to smoke than gays/lesbians and that there are more smokers among LGBT youth than non-smokers.

"Smoking is a serious health issue for our communities and these higher rates mean that we need more education targeted at LGBTTQ people and more treatment to help them quit," said Clarke.