Social branding to decrease LGBT young adult smoking

Objective: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are 50-200% more likely to smoke than the general population. This study evaluated a social branding intervention, “CRUSH,” which includes an aspirational brand, social events, and targeted media to discourage smoking among LGBT young adults in Las Vegas, Nevada

Methods: Cross-sectional surveys (N=2520, 63% response rate) were collected in Las Vegas LGBT bars at baseline and 1 year follow us. Multivariate logistic regressions examined associations between campaign exposure and past 30 day smoking controlling for demographics.

Results: LGBT individuals were 48% more likely to report past 30 day smoking than heterosexual participants, and all analyses controlled for sexual orientation. Approximately 47% of the respondents reported they would attend a CRUSH event on a night when they usually went somewhere else. After adjusting for covariates, participants with high levels of exposure to the campaign (heard of the campaign, went to an event, received a mailer and visited the website) were 43% less likely than those with no exposure to have smoked in the past 30 days. Participants who did not like the CRUSH campaign had three times greater odds to have smoked in the past thirty days. Respondents who correctly identified the campaign was about “partying fresh and smokefree” were 33% less likely to be past 30 day smokers than those who did not identify the campaign message.

Conclusions: While longitudinal studies would better assess the impact of this intervention, it shows promise to reduce tobacco use among LGBT bar patrons.