The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched an anti-smoking campaign targeting the LGBT community on Thursday. They did so because state data indicate that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals smoke at twice the rate of the heterosexual population in California.
According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health: one in five gays and bisexuals smokes in the county, compared with about one in seven heterosexuals. Bill Blatt, the director of Tobacco Programs at the American Lung Association, claims that the LGBT community has been targeted by the tobacco industry. He says that there are more cigarette advertisements in gay magazines and newspapers than in other publications. Blatt also claims many gay people smoke to ease the stress of discrimination.
Traditionally, anti-smoking campaigns have targeted wealthy, white, opposite sex couples. These campaigns have only recently started catching on to the need to address the gay community directly.
Below is the link of the reserch did by the California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/tobacco/Documents/Media/LGBT%20Smoking%20Prevalance.pdf
I personally think this campaign do benefit the gay community to some extent. However, on the other hand, these campaigns might also make them feel unconformable or even hurt their feelings. Moreover, if LGBTs smoke because of discrimination. Why do not also launch more campaigns targeting those people who discriminates LGBTs?
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