D4.03 - Oral: Shaping a Smoke Free Generation: Mentoring LGBTQIA+ Youth to a Healthy Future

Brief Abstract Summary: Public Health Solutions’ NYC Smoke-Free program youth action arm, Reality Check (RC), serves as a cornerstone for youth to gain awareness of the harsh realities of tobacco use within their communities. Through programming, Reality Check Managers provide the opportunity for youth to mobilize their peers, and community members with information to shift toward tobacco-free norms. Through our Reality Check program, we have engaged over 7,000 youth across New York City (NYC).

In NYC, data is collected on an annual basis, and we utilize this to inform our work and identify communities who are most in need of support and education efforts to combat the tobacco industry and their harmful tactics. The New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in 2021 accounted that there were high rates of vaping among youth and those youth who identified as LGBTQIA+, sparking the need to focus on programming with and within the LGTBQIA+ community.

Detailed abstract description: Issue: Tobacco companies target marginalized communities for their profits. One of the populations targeted is the LGBTQIA+ community and it’s prevalent in the high rates of vaping and tobacco product usage. The NYC Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2021, by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) in collaboration with NYC Department of Education (DOE) determined that 28,000 NYC public high school students use vape products and/or e-cigarettes. Of those students, 7,000, identified as gay/lesbian/bisexual, also use a vape product and/or smoke e-cigarettes. This highlights the need for youth programs such as Reality Check, to focus on raising awareness about vaping within the LGBTQIA+ community and ensuring that we effectively address the distinct challenges faced by the youth.

Description: Reality Check addresses the health disparities amongst LGBTQIA+ youth through strategic planning to provide connectedness in our efforts toward health equity and social justice. Building relationships with schools, community and youth-based organizations, serves as an avenue of support for the LGBTQIA+ youth.
Through the years we participate in community events providing literature specific to LGBTQIA+ living in the area. Partnering with Queer Voices, a NYC film festival, provided information specific about Queer and Trans Smoking and Vaping in NYC. Utilizing media campaigns that bring awareness to this issue is imperative in the citywide education efforts. In June 2024, we supported the first local community-based pride event- Norwood Pride- to go completely smoke-free.
Reality Check youth respond to efforts meant to target young people in NYC. This work brings together an awareness of the inequality of the targets made by the tobacco companies. It encourages youth to question the goal of tobacco companies when marketing their products.

Lessons Learned: Continued education and ties with community organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community further raise awareness of the negative impact and use of vape products among this population. Utilization of social media platforms builds awareness, informs on our mission and efforts to educate the LGBTQIA+ youth community and aid in changing the social norms associated with e-cigarette use.

Recommendations: Reality Check Managers work closely with state and local health departments to prioritize anti-vaping messaging in public health campaigns and use inclusive language that address the disparities among this population.
Prioritizing outreach to queer and/or gender safe alliances within schools and youth-based organizations to implement Reality Check enhances the visibility and accessibility of the program.
Tailor program materials -one pager’s, information sheets- allowing youth to aid in the program planning like participation in workshops and school information sessions, will aid in the enhancement of the youth engagement efforts for reaching LGBTQIA+ young people in all boroughs.