Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Adolescents in the United States, 2015.

OBJECTIVES

To provide current national estimates of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) adolescents' (grades 9-12) substance use risks.

METHODS

The 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey included questions for 19 substance use outcomes covering 15 substances. LGBQ adolescents' substance use was described and their risk relative to heterosexual adolescents was estimated after controlling for sociodemographic confounders.

RESULTS

In controlled analyses, we found that LGBQ adolescents were 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06, 1.19) times as likely as heterosexual adolescents to report any lifetime and 1.27 (95% CI = 1.14, 1.41) times as likely to report past 30-day substance use. LGBQ adolescents were at significantly greater risk for all but 1 studied substance, including alcohol, cigarettes, cigars, cocaine, ecstasy, electronic vapor usage ("vaping"), hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, marijuana, methamphetamine, prescription drugs (without physician direction), steroids, and synthetic marijuana.

CONCLUSIONS

LGBQ adolescents are at substantially greater risk for substance use. Public Health Implications. Policymakers should invest in prevention and early intervention resources to address substance use risks among LGBQ adolescents.