Among Homosexuals

• 37% of the women smoke
• 33% of men smoke

Among Heterosexuals

• 18% of women smoke
• 24% of men smoke

The numbers for homosexual smokers were provided by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; they derived the numbers from a review of more than 40 studies about the use of tobacco by various minority groups. There's a press release about the study here, and right now, you can read the resulting article by J. G. L. Lee, G. K. Griffin, and C. L. Melvin. "Tobacco use among sexual minorities in the USA, 1987 to May 2007: a systematic review" in the August 2009 issue of the journal Tobacco Control. The numbers for heterosexual smokers were taken from the National Health Survey; both were quoted in this July 24, 2009 article from the Los Angeles Times.

That GLBT people smoke more than other groups isn't exactly news; there's roughly twenty years of documented research to that effect. Nor are the GLBT communities simply smoking; there are a fair number of resources for people who are trying to quit. I've linked to several in the box at the bottom. There are, however, some differences in terms of queer cultures and smoking, and hetero cultures and smoking. For one thing, homosexual smokers are more likely to be childless, and to have more discretionary income to spend, as Steven E. Landsburg points out in this smart, thoughtful 2003 article in Slate.

One of the researchers from the Chapel Hill study, Joseph Lee, a social research specialist, is quoted in the official press release:

Likely explanations include the success of tobacco industry's targeted marketing to gays and lesbians, as well as time spent in smoky social venues and stress from discrimination.

The relationships of socializing and smoking are not unknown to GLBT communities; see this QueerTips discussion of smoking in the communities and methods to help reduce smoking.

What I found particularly chilling is that smoking is substantially higher among lesbians. And yes, I do think that the reasons for that include increased stress, more disposable income, and, quite frankly, the connections between bar culture and socializing. There are complex social rituals around smoking that allow smokers to "signal" each other in terms of availability and interest. It's not so much the let's-stand-outside-and-have-a-quick-smoke as it is the complex rituals around bumming a cig allow smokers to make contact in ways that non-smokers must accomplish much more obviously. There's the request for the smoke, the offer (or not) or a light, and how the other person's cigarette are lit—all of which allow women who smoke to indicate, often without words, their interest and availability very clearly and also, quite subtly.

If you smoke, or someone in your family, or other loved one smokes, here are some resources to help quit. For heaven's sake, don't nag the smoker. It makes the smoking worse. But you might suggest switching to brand that's filtered and has fewer chemical additives. Those additives actually enhance the addiction and affect the way our bodies process the nicotine. Try slowly smoking fewer cigarettes a day, or smoking more slowly. Even if smokers just managed to cut down, it's worth doing.