The most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2022-23) shows that rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use amongst lesbian, gay & bisexual (LGB) people continue to be significantly higher than the general population.
In the 12 months prior to the survey, LGB people were 1.2 times as likely as their heterosexual peers to drink alcohol at risky levels, 2 times as likely to smoke tobacco, and 2.4 times as likely to use any illicit drug.
Some illicit drugs show even larger differences, with LGB people being 3.4 times as likely to use ecstasy, 6.6 times as likely to use meth/amphetamine 6.6, and 8.6 times as likely to use inhalants.
Similarly, trans and gender diverse people were 1.6 times as likely to have used any illicit drug, compared to their cisgender peers.
However, this data represents the whole of Australia and to date, no dedicated research has explored AOD use just amongst LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians.
To help fill this gap, Working It Out (WIO) ran a community survey in 2024 to learn more about AOD use in Tasmanian LGBTIQA+ communities. 80% of the people who took the survey said they used alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs, and over half said they’re concerned about alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drug use in the LGBTIQA+ community. These concerns were linked to the normalisation of use, the intersections of mental health and queer marginalisation, and a lack of dedicated queer resources – including everything from information to physical spaces.
Even though LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians are recognised as a priority group in the Tasmanian Government’s Alcohol Tobacco & Other Drugs strategy, there are still no funded activities or services that specifically focus on our community’s needs.
Working It Out is currently working to change this.
Over the past year, we’ve invited LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians to take part in activities which explore experiences of alcohol and other drugs across different genders and sexualities. By drawing on the strength, solidarity, and resilience of LGBTIQA+ communities, these co-design processes uncovered what kinds of information, approaches, and messages would actually make a difference.
We’re now using these insights to shape a social media campaign, and we’d love your help! Scan the QR code to sign up for updates and get invited to share your feedback on campaign materials as the project progresses.
