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Anti-homophobia programs reduced alcohol use for all students

Well-established anti-homophobia policies or gay-straight alliances resulted in positive effects on both gay and straight students’ alcohol use, according to recent study findings published in Preventive Medicine.

“These strategies appear to be helpful not only for [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning] students, but all students,” Elizabeth Saewyc, PhD, of the University of British Columbia, said in a press release. “Interventions that can make schools safer for [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning] youth may actually reduce harassment for straight students, too. Schools should consider including [gay-straight alliances] and anti-homophobia policies as part of their alcohol and drug abuse prevention strategies.”

The study included 21,708 eighth- to 12th-graders and used information from the British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey of 2008.

Researchers found that in schools with gay-straight alliances (GSAs) started at least 3 years ago, lesbian and bisexual girls were 55% less likely to drink alcohol last Saturday and 52% were less likely to binge drink since last Saturday. Heterosexual participants were 19% less likely to binge drink last Saturday and heterosexual boys were 20% less likely to have alcohol or drug use problems.

Heterosexual boys in schools with anti-homophobia policies were 45% less likely and heterosexual girls were 62% less likely to report binge drinking 6 or more days during the past month.

“The types of GSAs and the extent to which policies were disseminated and enforced were unable to be determined in our study; thus, the heterogeneity of schools across the province, their GSAs and their policy enforcement may have influenced results,” researchers wrote.

“However, the evidence suggests these population-health interventions offer some benefits, regardless of sexual orientation, in helping to prevent problematic alcohol use among adolescents in schools. Schools should consider incorporating GSAs and anti-homophobia policies in their repertoire of substance use prevention interventions.”

Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the Canadian Institute for Health Research’s Institute for Population and Public Health, the Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.