Tobacco Cessation

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Smoking can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. According to the CDC, 20.5% of LGB adults smoke cigarettes, compared to 15.3% of straight adults.

Garden State Equality has partnered with New Jersey’s Department of Health and its Office of Tobacco Control to identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities among the LGBTQ+ community. GSE’s goals are aligned with the four main goals of the National Tobacco Control Program, which are:

1. Prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults.
2. Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
3. Promote quitting among adults and youth.
4. Identify and eliminate tobacco‐related disparities among population groups.

In efforts to align with these goals, GSE is conducting a community-level ethnographic study to understand the level of tobacco use in New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ population, their inclination to change this behavior, knowledge, attitude, and belief systems at the grassroots level.

We have tasked ourselves with implementing evidence-based health communication interventions, including culturally competent media campaigns, education of health care professionals on the tobacco burden among LGBTQ+ people, especially youth, and training health professionals on how to appropriately screen, counsel, and refer LGBTQ+ youth and adults to cessation services.

Looking to quit smoking? Download our Quitting Toolkit!

Healthcare providers: download our toolkit for supporting LGBTQ+ people looking to quit tobacco.