Early Alcohol and Smoking Initiation: A Contributor to Sexual Minority Disparities in Adult Use

ConclusionsA significant proportion of alcohol and smoking disparities among lesbian/gay and bisexual women in adulthood appear attributable to early initiation, indicating the need for enhanced early prevention efforts for these groups. Making routine adolescent screening for substance use, brief intervention, and referral to treatment more culturally sensitive to lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth may also be an important step in reducing adult disparities for lesbian, gay, and bisexual women.
Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research