SHIFT Minnesota has a group of Core Leaders, who are young adults in our community that are passionate about changing community norms and perceptions about corporate tobacco and tobacco use in the LGBTQ communities in Minnesota. Some of them are going to be sharing their thoughts with us. This is from Michelle:
It makes me sick.
It makes me sick to know that tobacco executives have so much control over my community…sitting behind a thick cloud of greed saying, “They’ve got lips? We want ’em.”
Corporate tobacco companies look at our colorful, diverse, beautiful community and see one thing: PROFIT.
Through targeted advertizing and sponsorship of our evens, they have made a place for themselves here. They are deceptive, iniquitous and immoral.It’s common knowledge that smoking kills, but not many people know about the raging disparity withing the LGBTQ community.
Compared to the 16.1% of overall Minnesotans who smoke, the LGBTQ community has a tobacco use rate of 41%.
They want you…
…but so do we. Visit www.shiftmn.org for more information.
by Michelle
LGBT HealthLink, The Network for Health Equity 