Stress is a key factor driving tobacco use among Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community, a December 2025 Center for Community Solutions report found.
One in four members of Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ community use tobacco products, the report determined. That's about 50% higher than the rate in Ohio overall.
Of the report's respondents, which included residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties, 54% had depression, 46% had anxiety and 26% had post-traumatic stress disorder, due in part to the stigma individuals feel.
Smoking cessation programs for the LGBTQ community should address the mental health problems that led to tobacco use in the first place, the study's lead author, Andrew M. Snyder, said.
“We can build more innovative public health programming that supports people through this whole process of achieving better health, rather than just focusing on smoking cessation,” Snyder said.
The LGBTQ+ community's most commonly used form of tobacco is e-cigarettes, with some respondents reporting more than 30 uses daily.
Financial concerns an issue
The largest group of Northeast Ohio LGBTQ+ tobacco users are between 18 and 26 years old and earn less than $50,000 a year, the report found.
Financial concerns are the main reason why 29% of younger community members use tobacco products, Snyder said.
“I smoked for 10 years and coincidentally, as I reflect on my lived experience, once I passed that $50,000 threshold, I quit smoking. I think stress was declining for me because of financial pressures,” Snyder said.
Mental health concerns and stigma can compound financial stress, he said.
