Newsnight host Evan Davis courts controversy in this month’s issue of Attitude by claiming that gay people take more drugs because they don’t have children.

The broadcaster, who replaced long-time host Jeremy Paxman on the BBC’S flagship political programme last year, told the magazine: “The gay community has less discipline because it doesn’t have kids to go home to, and slightly more disposable income, and then add to that that when these things catch on they tend to have a momentum.”

“Once gay people start taking drugs, they’ll take more drugs because it’s socially infectious and one person will take them, then another. I just think it’s something gay people have to watch out for,” said the 52-year-old presenter.

“A lot of the phenomena that we’re talking about are socially infectious. So if you’re mixing with people who take drugs, you’re more likely to take drugs, I expect.

“So you can get into a community that tips one way or the other.”

Davis’ comments refer to statistics from a recent UK government crime survey that 3 percent of gay men reported taking illegal drugs over the last year, compared to 22.9 percent of gay women, 11.1 percent of heterosexual men and 5.1 percent of heterosexual women, reports The Telegraph.