Jazz Jennings has an important message about health for young LGBT people
Jazz Jennings (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Trans teen actor Jazz Jennings has revealed her new passion project concerning LGBT youth.
The teen, who has her own reality show “I Am Jazz”, is concerned with the smoking habits of young LGBT people.
A study carried out earlier this year found that young lesbian and gay people are more likely to smoke than their heterosexual peers.
Lesbians were most likely to smoke out of respondents, with more than twice as many saying they used tobacco products compared to straight women.
Jennings has explained that she was shocked by the results of studies that show the increased use of tobacco.
“I was definitely surprised to hear that LGBTQ youth are nearly twice as likely to use tobacco, and I feel that the reason for that is that a lot of LGBTQ youth don’t experience love from their family.”
She added that she feels lucky to have had a supportive family, and believes that is why she hasn’t used tobacco herself.
“My family has always provided me unconditional love and support.
“They’ve guided me down a path where I don’t have to use tobacco to be myself.”
Jennings, who was made into one of the first transgender dolls, also dislikes that tobacco companies have a presence at Pride celebrations.
“It’s really not cool that tobacco companies are going to pride events,” she said.
Jennings is now trying to draw awareness to the “wrong doings” of tobacco.
“Hopefully, they can find that support to quit using tobacco and to see that it’s not their fault – that they’re being targeted.
“Our community is very, very diverse.
“Hopefully we can realise there’s so much more to us than using cigarettes,” she added.
