Smoking and vaping could increase the risk of developing a serious or critical COVID-19 infection. The rate of tobacco use in the LGBTQ+ community is more than twice as high as our non-LGBTQ+ peers, putting our community at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing a more severe infection. Take this time to quit tobacco products.
Tips, tricks, and resources to quitting tobacco while in quarantine
For more information on how Equality California is continuing our work during the COVID-19 crisis, click here.
For decades, Big Tobacco has preyed on the LGBTQ+ community, targeting us through their marketing campaigns, getting us hooked on their deadly products. The result? LGBTQ+ people are more than TWICE as likely to smoke as our non-LGBTQ+ peers, and nearly 30,000 LGBTQ+ people across the country die every year of tobacco-related causes.
The OUT Against Big Tobacco Coalition is taking a stand! We were victimized. We will not allow them prey on us any longer. They don’t respect our existence, but they will respect our resistance.
We’re fighting back; fighting for the institutional changes required to save our next generation from the predatory practices of Big Tobacco. Enough is enough. Big Tobacco has the money, but we have the power of the people.
We stand and fight for policy changes targeted to reduce the tobacco-related health disparities within our community. We are fighting to enact the following policies throughout Los Angeles County and California’s Central Valley region:
AND we offer grants to LGBTQ+ serving community organizations!
Equality California Institute is offering 1-year community grants of $5,000 to qualified LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations interested in learning more about Tobacco Control as an LGBTQ+ issue! Click here to learn more and fill out the OUT Against Big Tobacco Coalition Subgrantee Application.
YOU can be OUT too!
The Out Against Big Tobacco Coalitions, supported by Equality California Institute, are alliances of LGBTQ+ individuals and community organizations collectively working to address tobacco control and health inequity issues within California’s LGBTQ+ community.
OUT Against Big Tobacco Los Angeles County Coalition
OUT Against Big Tobacco Central Valley Coalition
To join our OUT Against Big Tobacco Central Valley coalition, click here.