Health
officials have set up smoking cessation programs targeting gay
men at three local area health organizations and plan to start
programs early next year for lesbians. Similar classes have
operated in San Francisco for several years.
Los Angeles'
campaign is a response to a California Department of Health
Services study last month that found 30.4 percent of the state's
gay community smokes, compared to 15.4 percent of the general
population.
"This is the
first time that there is data on the gay population," said Dr.
Jonathan Fielding, director of the Los Angeles County Department
of Public Health. "It's of grave concern. We know one out of
three smokers is going to die prematurely from a smoking related
disease."
Fielding
said the campaign will get a $30,000 budget but it will be tied
to other ongoing anti-smoking efforts.
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