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LGBTQ+ People						Español (Spanish)							Print
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										Know the FactsIf you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, you likely have seen tobacco ads in magazines, newspapers, and websites directed at you.† Tobacco companies are focusing their advertising on your communities.
Several factors connect commercial tobacco with higher levels of disease, disability, and death in different population groups. Learn more about health disparities related to commercial tobacco use that affect LGBTQ+ people.
Smoking among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States is much higher than among heterosexual/straight adults.
About 1 in 6 (15.3%) of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults smoke cigarettes, compared with about 1 in 9 (11.4%) of heterosexual/straight adults.1
Cigarette smoking is also higher among transgender adults (35.5%), than among adults whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex (cisgender).2Smoking increases your risk for lung cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and other smoking-related diseases.
Learn what percent of people currently smokes cigarettes, both in the United States overall and among specific population groups.Real Stories: LGBTQ+ People Featured in *Tips*®Learn the real stories of LGBTQ+ people who are suffering from smoking-related diseases and disabilities.
Angie P.**Meet Angie P.** Angie, age 62, lives in Ohio and began smoking menthol cigarettes at age 15. She smoked because she thought it would help her to cope with the fear that people around her would not accept that she is gay.
Brian**Meet Brian I**. Brian, age 45, lives in California and has HIV. At age 14, he started smoking. At age 43, smoking, combined with HIV, caused him to have a stroke. He quit that day and hopes to regain full use of his right hand.
Ellie**Meet Ellie N.** Ellie, age 57, lives in Florida and never smoked. At age 35, she started having asthma attacks triggered from breathing secondhand smoke at work. The severe attacks forced her to leave a job she loved.
Rose**Meet Rose H**. Rose lived in Texas and began smoking at age 13. She developed lung cancer that later spread to her brain. After many, many treatments, Rose died at age 60.On This Page
			Know the FactsReal Stories: LGBTQ+ People Featured in *Tips*®Quit Smoking MedicinesReferences
		
Angie P. smoked because she thought it would help her to cope with the fear that people would not accept that she is​​​​gay. She wants to encourage other LGBTQ+ people who smoke to love themselves andgetthe help they needto quit.
*“I’d tell young LGBTQ+ people it’s not worth it to smoke. Their lives and their health are worth more.”*Learn more about all of the *Tips* participants in our **Real Stories** section.
Free Quitting ResourcesTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)
Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal iconWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
Smokefree.govexternal icon (En Español)
Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal iconFree Quitting ResourcesWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
Smokefree.govexternal icon (En Español)Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal icon—tips, information, and challenges to help you quitTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal icon
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)
Free Quitting ResourcesTelephone
1-800-QUIT-NOW
1-855-DÉJELO-YA (Español)
1-800-838-8917 (中文)
1-800-556-5564 (한국어)
1-800-778-8440 (Tiếng Việt)Smartphone Apps/Text
Text QUITNOW to 333888—Message and data rates may apply
quitSTART appexternal iconWeb
Quit Smoking (En Español)
Smokefree.govexternal icon (En Español)
Asian Smokers’ Quitlineexternal icon
Quit Smoking MedicinesThere are 7 quit-smoking medicines approved by the FDA. Explore ways to get free or reduced cost quit-smoking medicines from your health insurance, health plan, or other sources.
Real Stories: LGBTQ+ People Featured in *Tips*®Learn the real stories of LGBTQ+ people who are suffering from smoking-related diseases and disabilities.
	EllieEllie N. never smoked herself, but she worked in a bar that had many LGBT customers and she noticed plenty of smokers. She had severe asthma attacks—triggered by her exposure to secondhand smoke on the job.*“I had trouble breathing. It was terrifying!"*
**More Real Stories:**
Brian I.Rose H.
Learn more about all *Tips* participants in our **Real Stories** section.

† *The term “LGBTQ+” is used on this page to refer to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer with the plus sign indicating inclusion of people who are questioning, intersex, asexual, or who hold other gender/sex/romantic identities not specifically identified. Many studies cited on this page only looked at certain groups within the greater LGBTQ+ community. When single terms like “gay” or “lesbian,” or acronyms like “LGB” are used on this page, this corresponds with how terms are used in the cited studies. More studies are needed to understand the ways that commercial tobacco and exposure affects other groups in the LGBTQ+ community.*References1. Tobacco Product Use Among Adults – United States, 2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2023.
2. Transgender Use of Cigarettes, Cigars, and E-Cigarettes in a National Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, [e-pub 2017 Jan 13].Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  February 5, 2024						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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