Gay, lesbian and bisexuals 'seven times' more likely to use drugs, finds community substance study
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people could be seven times more likely to take drugs than the general population, the first ever study into the communities’ alcohol and drug use has found.
Across all ages, 35% of the people surveyed had taken at least one illicit substance in the last month, which is likely to be seven times more common than in the general population.
The research also found that 34% of gay and bisexual men and 29% of lesbian and bisexual women binge-drink at least one or twice a week, around twice as common than in the wider population.
Conducted by the Manchester-based Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF) in partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), the study of over 4,000 LGB people found over a fifth of respondents scored as dependent on a substance, and a quarter showed at least one indicator of dependency.
LGF’s policy and research coordinator, Heather Williams, said: “With this latest report showing that rates of substance usage and dependency are much higher in the LGB community that the wider population, it is clear that policy makers and service providers need to consider the specific needs of LGB people.”
The survey, which was conducted in 2009-2011 as part of LGF’s ‘Part of the Picture’ project and funded by the Big Lottery, finds the causes behind the figures complex and inter-related, but states there are ‘significant barriers’ preventing many LGB people from accessing the support services they may need.
The importance of LGB/Gay bars within the communities is considered to be a possible factor, but more qualitative and in-depth research to be finished in years four and five of the project will provide more conclusive answers.
Ms Williams said: “We hope this research will foster wider understanding of how drugs and alcohol feature in the lives of LGB people, and break down the perceptual and tangible barriers LGB people often face when seeking advice or support about substance use issues.”
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Where do we get help if we do
Where do we get help if we do need it?
Don't forget that it doesn't
Don't forget that it doesn't take much to binge drink. Women should only drink 2-3 units in any one day. Men 3-4. A glass of wine can be anything between 1-4 units depending on how much wine is actually IN the glass. Double the recommended unit intake and you're bingeing and potentially causing your body harm - harm that you might not see or feel now, but you may in the future.
Of course not all of us drink or use drugs, but the study shows that a larger proportion of us do than those in the wider community. There are plenty of straight people who don't drink or use drugs either. That doesn't mean that there aren't hundreds of thousands of people out there doing it. Don't dismiss the statistics just because you think you are part of the smaller percentage - it doesn't make it false!!
This is a common finding in
This is a common finding in minority populations that are alienated and treated badly by the majority.
No surprises here to those of
No surprises here to those of us who are regularly out in the village and any where else that LGB people meet, which usually revolves around bars,clubs and other social places where alcohol and other substances are easily available. If this research does anything it shows how much we still don't know about the detail of lesbian,gay and bisexual people's lives and how each person is dealing with their own life issues, often without any support whatsoever from their friends and families, never mind mainstream health organisations who just don't know how to talk to those of us who aren't heterosexual. Where do gay people go to feel safe and find support? the gay community. What is waiting for them when they get there? cheap drinks, other ways to get into harms way and no body looking out for them when they get into trouble. This research should be commended for lifting the lid on what we actually do to ourselves as a result of the way society treats us and we can't hide from these findings. We need to think about what we are going to do with the information here which we must remember comes directly form lesbian,gay and bisexual people themselves. It's time to start looking out for one and another.
I know people that take drugs
I know people that take drugs every day; they self medicate for a range of issues a range of prescription and none prescription and illicit drugs to deal with life, often because of their sexual orientation, some because of their HIV status, some because of internalised homophobia...but some because they like getting wasted! At the end of the day, this research highlights trends for some in the lesbian, gay and bisexual community - not everyone! However the whole focus of this is to raise awareness that some people take drugs and some people drink...and some people don't! But those that do need to have advice, information and support services that they can access and understand that they will be free from discrimination and abuse.
For anyone who would like to
For anyone who would like to read the full report it is available on The Lesbian & Gay Foundation website via the following link http://www.lgf.org.uk/policy-research/part-of-the-picture/part-of-the-pi...
Interesting research...
Interesting research...
Well that's supported by this
Well that's supported by this research - you are still in the majority of people (65%) that haven't taken drugs in the last month or been binge drinking.
It'll be interesting to read the full report and see what allowances they have made for selection of participants, and whether that has skewed their results... But from what they have released so far I don't think you can dismiss the report out of hand just because your social circle (which you would expect to be like-minded) doesn't happen to overlap with 35% of the people who took part.
I think this is completely
I think this is completely wrong... I have been openly bisexual since I was 13 years of age, never once have I taken or tried illegal substances and I drink less than three times a year, and that is less than two glasses each time.... Most people I know are part of the LGBT community and most of them have never binge drank or used illegal substances
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