OBJECTIVES:

This study measured the prevalence of cigarette smoking among gay men and identified associations with smoking.

METHODS:

Household-based (n = 696) and bar-based (n = 1897) sampling procedures yielded 2593 gay male participants from Portland, Ore, and Tucson, Ariz, in the spring of 1992.

RESULTS:

Forty-eight percent of the combined sample reported current smoking, a rate far above prevalence estimates for men in Arizona (z = 14.11, P < .001) or Oregon (z = 24.24, P < .001). Significant associations with smoking included heavy drinking, frequent gay bar attendance, greater AIDS-related losses, HIV seropositivity, lower health rating than members of same age cohort, lower educational attainment, and lower income.

CONCLUSIONS:

Rates of cigarette smoking are very high among gay men. Tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns should be designed to reach the gay male community.