The Lesbian & Gay Foundation have released the Part of the Picture 2009-2011 report exploring substance use amongst lesbian, gay and bisexual people in England.
Download Part of the Picture: Lesbian, gay and bisexual people’s alcohol and drug use in England (2009-2011) [pdf]
Key findings include:
- 34% of gay and bisexual males, and 29% of lesbian and bisexual females, reported binge drinking at least once or twice a week
- Binge drinking is more than twice as common amongst lesbian, gay and bisexual people when compared with the wider population
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual people demonstrate a higher likelihood of being substance dependent
- Significant barriers exist to seeking information, advice or help about substance use issues amongst lesbian, gay or bisexual people
In highlighting the high prevalence of binge drinking the report uses the definition of drinking more than twice the recommended guidelines in one session, though the term has often been contested.
The Part of the Picture (POTP) research project is a five-year partnership between The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (LGF) and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). It aims to establish a national database of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people’s drug and alcohol use; to use the database to inform local and national policy and practice in addressing the drug and alcohol use of LGB people; and to improve knowledge and understanding of the needs of LGB people amongst drug and alcohol agencies through dissemination of the research findings.
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