Lack of inclusive venues to blame for home binge drinking, says Aylesbury LGBTQ+ Social Group
A new report on alcohol-related harm has been released
An LGBTQ+ Social Group in Buckinghamshire has told us more must be done to protect LGBTQ+ people from harm while drinking alcohol.
Figures from a report by Drinkaware found out of more than 3,000 LGBTQ+ adults in the UK, seventy per cent are binge drinkers.
The charity also found LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience harm from others' drinking, which it said could stem from facing discrimination and stigma.
Julien Fitzgerald is the founder of Aylesbury Vale LGBT Social Group:
From my own personal lived experience, I used to drink a lot at home, and drinking can have a major impact on somebody's mental state."
"Even though they are aware of the issue surrounding alcohol, they'll self-medicate effectively, which is impacted by the lack of social venues."
Julien highlighted the lack of visibility for the LGBTQ+ community as a main driving factor for home binge-drinking.
This is what Julien sees and hears from members of the community he meets with on social events.
"We run a social group to highlight that problem and provide an outlet to the local community", he added.
"Specifically in Aylesbury, because of the lack of social outlets for LGBTQ+ individuals, unless they meet with other members of the community in generic bars, where they don't feel altogether safe."
What else did the report find?
The survey asked individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ about topics such as experiences of alcohol-related harm, alcohol use and mental health.
Although the report found adults from LGBTQ+ communities are more likely to seek support for their drinking, drinkers are most likely to report drinking alone at home in the last 12 months than non-LGBTQ+ drinkers.
The report found that individuals across each age group of LGBTQ+ adults are more vulnerable to face harm from others' drinking.
A third of LGBTQ+ adults face depression - report
More than half of LGBTQ+ adults reported encountering at least one negative impact from someone else's drinking in the last year; that's compared to 40 per cent of other adults.
While the report found drinking in nightlife settings could increase the risk of harm for LGBTQ+ drinkers from others' drinking.
A third of LGBTQ+ adults face higher rates of depression (33%), anxiety (37%) and overall life dissatisfaction (18%) compared to non-LGBTQ+ adults (20%, 20% and 12%) respectively, according to the report.
Karen Tyrell, the charity Drinkaware's Chief Executive, said: "For too long, this gap in understanding has meant that people have missed vital support and help.
"This research lifts the lid on alcohol consumption and its associated harms within the LGBTQ+ community; by understanding people's experience and moving beyond blame and stereotypes, we can work together to reduce alcohol-related harm."
A full copy of the report can be found here.
"Mental health in young people is much more discussed"
Sandy believes by educating people of all ages about the issues LGBTQ+ people face, it can help tackle the problem.
"When I'm meeting adults who are like 'when I was younger, if I had that support and go to somebody in a school and talk about this, things might have been different'," she added.
"I think that's going to be the thing that changes it (LGBTQ+ mental health issues), making sure our kids are supported so they can grow into safer environments.
"Mental health in young people is much more discussed than it used to be; I think it's going in the right direction, but we just need to get it through all the generations."