LGBTQI + communities have high rates of tobacco use relative to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. As a result, LGBTQ+ communities represent priority populations for tobacco control and intervention efforts. Disparities in tobacco use for LGBTQI+ communities are the direct result of targeted marketing by tobacco companies, high levels of stress and discrimination among individuals identifying as LGBTQI+, and normalization of tobacco use in community and social spaces frequently populated by LGBTQI+ communities. LGBTQI+ health and community centers provide a safe environment for individuals within the community to receive supportive services, ranging from support groups to comprehensive medical care. Unfortunately, many LGBTQI+ centers are not providing tobacco use care. 

 

In PP230003, we propose to disseminate and implement Taking Texas Tobacco Free (also known as Project ACTION [Alliances to Combat Tobacco In Organizations Now]), a successful, evidence-based tobacco control intervention for cancer prevention, to LGBTQI+ health and community centers. This project provides tobacco-free workplace policy guidance to de-normalize tobacco use, staff education and specialized training to service providers, and resources to bolster LGBTQI+ centers’ capacity to provide cessation and relapse prevention interventions to their patients/clients.