Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Substance Use Trends in the LGBTQ+ Community

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community have rates of substance abuse higher than those of the general population. Their daily battles with discrimination and stigma cause high levels of stress that may push them toward drug and alcohol use.

Substance use disorders affect 20 to 30 percent of the LGBTQ+ population, compared to 8.4 percent of the general population, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These alarming numbers stress a need for more substance use recovery programs that cater to LGBTQ+ individuals.
 
An October 2016 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration was the first to use data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to identify patterns of substance use among people of various sexual orientations.

SAMHSA found that adults who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual have higher rates of substance use and mental illness than heterosexual adults. The survey results also indicated that these members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely than heterosexuals to seek treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, common substances gay men use include:
• Nitrite inhalants
• Hallucinogens
• Stimulants
• Sedatives 

• Tranquilizers
• Marijuana
• Cocaine

The SAMHSA report found that 39.1 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual adults used illicit drugs in the past year, compared to 17.1 percent of heterosexual adults. In addition, 15.1 percent of gay and bisexual people who participated in the survey reported having a substance use disorder in the past year. The prevalence of past-year drug or alcohol addiction was 8 percentage points lower among the heterosexual participants surveyed.

Similarly, substance abuse has been a longstanding concern among the transgender community. According to SAMHSA, some of the most common drugs used by transgender people include marijuana, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and injection drugs.

Alcohol
Alcohol use is ever-present in the lives of many LGBTQ+ individuals because of its prevalence in the social settings they frequent. The 2016 SAMHSA report found that past-month drinking rates were higher among gay, lesbian and bisexual adults (63.6 percent) than among heterosexual adults (56.2 percent). Gay or bisexual women were much more likely than heterosexual women to engage in alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking.

According to a separate SAMHSA report, LGBTQ+ people are less likely to abstain from drugs and alcohol and are more likely to indulge in long-term heavy drinking.

Numerous studies have found that lesbians were more likely to drink heavily than their heterosexual counterparts, according to SAMHSA. The agency also noted that bisexual women report more hazardous drinking than lesbians or heterosexual women.

Tobacco
In 2016, SAMHSA reported that past-month cigarette use was high among bisexual, gay and lesbian people. This group had a past-month smoking rate of 32.2 percent, compared to 20.6 percent among heterosexual people. However, the prevalence of daily cigarette use was higher among heterosexuals. 


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