N
F
E
R
H
NEWS
COVID
quit boost
Coronavirus fears prompted 300,000
British smokers to give up
Words: Patrick Griffin
More than 300,000 Brits gave up smoking during the
lockdown according to a YouGov survey.
Smokers were quizzed about their smoking habits
after the lockdown fully kicked in and two per cent of
those polled said they had stopped due to COVID-19
fears.
YouGov estimated that when scaled up to reflect the
entire UK population, around 300,000 smokers could
have quit tobacco amid fears that cigarettes could
put them at risk of developing potentially severe
COVID-19 complications.
Smoking has been long known to cause many fatal
diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung
cancer and smokers have worse overall lung health
than non-smokers.
It seems that the fears of contracting a new and
unpredictable lung disease has been the push that
many have needed to finally give up.
The new smoking survey also found that more than
half a million (eight per cent) have tried to curb the
addiction, 2.4 million (36 per cent) have cut down,
and 27 per cent said they were now more likely to
quit.
One in four ex-smokers said they were now less likely
to resume smoking, although four per cent said the
stress of the pandemic had made them more likely
to relapse.
ASH chairman Dr Nick Hopkinson said: “Evidence
is growing that smoking is associated with worse
“There are so many reasons to
quit smoking but never a more
important time than right now
during the coronavirus pandemic.”
outcomes in those admitted to hospital with
Covid-19.
“Quitting smoking also rapidly reduces people’s risk
of other health problems such as heart attacks and
strokes so preventing them is especially important
at a time like now when everyone is keen to stay out
of hospital.”
Ruth Tennant, the tobacco lead for the Association
of Directors of Public Health, said: “There are so
many reasons to quit smoking but never a more
important time than right now during the coronavirus
pandemic.”
Meanwhile #QuitforCOVID campaign founder Dr
Charlie Kenward urged smokers to continue to give
up during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
He said: “Stopping smoking remains the single
biggest thing people can do to improve their overall
health.
“It will improve heart and lung health as well as
reducing the chances of developing cancer and even
improve wound healing after surgery. There has
never been a better time to quit.”
32 VM29