LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Gays and Lesbians Targeted by the Tobacco Industry |
Gay men, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered individuals who smoke are urged to quit smoking on November 16 and improve their health (as well as the health of those around them) by remaining smoke free.
The GLBT community is a marketing dream. A distinct community with a strong identity that is easily identified. A long untapped pool of disposable income not occupied to the same degree as the straight community. After years of being ostracized from society we support and identify those companies who take the risk and market their products to us. For them the equation is simple: risk = money. For us it means both identifying ourselves by making this product "our own" while at the same time participating with the larger community using the same things they do. "I AM the same as you" (even if I have a more highly developed sense of fashion!). Bottom line is that money is the decisive factorthe great equalizer. The tobacco industry (and alcohol industry) has recognized the buying power of the GLBT community and is exploiting us to the fullest extent. The industry knows very clearly who we are. Cigarette ads targeting the GLBT community seek to exploit both the pride and fear we have in ourselves for being different. They use images that appeal to us; women flirting with women, men flirting with men, phallic shaped race cars, images of wealth and fashion and so on. Why A Gay American Smoke Out? The Gay American Smoke Out is an opportunity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) individuals to challenge themselves to quit smoking. It is also an opportunity for organizations to provide resources for quitting and host fun events to raise awareness about tobacco use. Nearly every anti-smoking campaign has ignored the GLBT communityyet the GLBT community has a higher rate of smoking than any other minority population. (New York Times, December 21, 1999). About 56% of lesbians are current or former smokers compared with 36% of women in general. A 1999 household based survey found that 48.5% of gay and bisexual men reported smoking! The national average for straight men is 28.6%. The CDC reported in their Youth Risk Behavior Survey that a whopping 59% of teenagers that classified themselves as GLBT reported using tobacco. The national average for straight teens is 35%. If you would like to quit smoking, contact the Gay Men's Health Program of CAMP Rehoboth, 302-227-5620, for your free Quit Kit. Also, contact your local American Cancer Society office or visit www.gaysmokeout.net for tips on how to quit. Article re-printed with permission of zippydogs and the Gay American Smokeout campaign. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 14, October 18, 2002. |