LEA supports LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in reducing tobacco use and pushing back on Big Tobacco’s targeting of our communities—through education, resources, and coalition advocacy across Los Angeles.
Big Tobacco has a long history of targeting LGBTQ+ communities through predatory marketing and sponsorships—often in the very spaces where we gather and celebrate. The result is real harm and preventable health disparities.
National public health data shows higher commercial tobacco use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults than heterosexual adults (and higher tobacco use among LGBTQ+ high school students than heterosexual students).
Research and public health organizations also document how targeted marketing contributes to higher tobacco burden in LGBTQ+ communities.
LEA’s tobacco cessation work combines direct education + support with community power-building to reduce tobacco-related disparities.
Through this work, LEA:
We Breathe is the statewide coordinating center focused on reducing LGBTQ tobacco-related disparities and supporting efforts to eliminate tobacco use by 2035 in California.
LEA works alongside coalitions that address tobacco-related disparities and advocate for healthier LGBTQ+ communities:
Out Against Big Tobacco organizes to reduce the harm of commercial tobacco in LGBTQ+ communities and confront industry influence in queer spaces.
LEA is an active member of Out Against Big Tobacco in Los Angeles.
LEA participates in coalition work that supports healthier policies and environments in LA County.
This program is built for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, with an emphasis on Transitional Age Youth (18–26) who want:
Ready to take a step toward quitting? We’ll help you find the right next step.
