Housing insecurity. Food insecurity. Substance use disorder. These are just a few challenges some in the LGBTQ+ community face that lead them down the path of using tobacco and e-cigarette products.To help,the country needs more research on whatLGBTQ+-specific counseling and therapies work, Temple University pulmonary critical care doctor Jamie Garfield said.If youre going to convince someone why its really important to quit smoking, you have to first meet them where they are, Garfield said. Understanding why they smoke to begin with, what kind of stress they have in their lives, and how can you overcome those. If we dontits really difficult to make robust conclusions about what intervention is going to help or not help.About 38% of gay, lesbian and bisexual people have tried an electronic cigarette, compared to 16.5% of heterosexual people, according to a November report released by the surgeon generals office. The data was collected between 2019-2021.Nearly half of those who identify as bisexual have tried an electronic cigarette, which includes vape and hookah pens.These numbers increase when examining specific intersectionalities. A 2024 study from the Truth Initiative shows that non-binary people (54%) and trans people (43%) have tried e-cigarettes at the highest rates.If youre going to convince someone why its really important to quit smoking, you have to first meet them where they are. Jamie GarfieldThough some vape as a way to quit smoking cigarettes, the effects on the body are still damaging. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive chemical present in tobacco products like cigarettes.Garfield, who is also an American Lung Association spokesperson, said it can increase heart rate, blood pressure, the risk of stroke and cause issues with memory. Vaping can also complicate pregnancies and harm the developing fetus.So why is vaping so prominent in the LGBTQ+ community? Where theres money, theres influence.Garfield said big tobacco companies prey on the stresses of the LGBTQ+ community, including the oppression and insecurities mentioned earlier. Some companies have funded Pride parades, and some have even donated millions of dollars to HIV research during the height of the AIDS epidemicto distract from the health risks of smoking.The whole intention there is just to get themselves in front of a vulnerable community to create the next generation of tobacco-addicted youth, and it works, Garfield said.Garfield also noted the increased use of tobacco and nicotine products in pop culture, including films and social media, that make +Q people feel validated.Its obviously a strategic algorithmic approach to identify a cohort of kids who are likely to pick up tobacco products and target them, Garfield said.One solution Garfield pointed to is enacting a flavoring ban. This idea has bounced around in state and federal legislation, but hasnt launched to a widespread effect. Vaping products offer cartridges flavored to different fruits or cotton candy. Menthol, which has a minty and cooling effect and flavors a variety of tobacco products, appeals to those who want to smoke but dont want the cigarette smell.Flavoring increases the addictiveness of smoking because it makes products taste better. For example, someone who would find it difficult to smoke their first cigarette will have an easier time with a menthol product.Garfield said menthol products like Newport and Kool have a history of marketing directly to both the African-American and LGBTQ+ community.Since the popularity of e-cigarettes is relatively new, Garfield said we need more studies on addiction and how it affects specific intersectionalities. There are no FDA-approved therapies for e-cigarette addiction, she said, which leaves many vulnerable communities in the dust.Collecting this life-saving data will only come from researchers and healthcare providers building trustworthy relationships, Garfield said.Any treatment directed toward this community has to be sensitive, Garfield said. If were looking at large population data sets and asking everyone, What is your sexual orientation, what is your gender identity, we have to make sure that information is protected and that its not going to be easy totarget them for something that is not in their best interest.The post LGBTQ people vape at high rates. Heres why. appeared first on News Is Out.