Bisexual people more than twice as likely to smoke: Study

New York, Nov 8 : Bisexual young people are more likely to smoke than their straight counterparts, say researchers.
Published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the study followed 7,843 youths and young adults over three years, finding that those who came out as bisexual were twice as likely as consistently-heterosexual participants to start smoking.
Coming out as lesbian, gay, or another non-heterosexual identity, or having a consistent LG+ identity, was not associated with being more likely to smoke.
“Bisexual young people may face unique forms of discrimination and stigma that increase their risk for smoking or other substance use behaviours,” said study author Andrew Stokes from the Boston University in the US.
“For example, they may experience stigma from heterosexual individuals as well as from within the LGB+ community. There’s also prior research that shows that bisexual populations have worse mental health outcomes than LG+ populations,” Stokes added.
“The findings point to a need for public health interventions specifically designed to address the unique needs, experiences, and stressors associated with coming out and identifying as bisexual.”