NEWS
UP IN SMOKE
Ten-year streak of falling tobacco sales blamed on the stress of the coronavirus pandemic
Words : Patrick Griffin and Jordan Millar
Stress and uncertainty caused by the global coronavirus pandemic has stopped smokers around the world giving up , in a trend which has worried health chiefs . For the last decade cigarette sales have dropped as more and more smokers switch the deadly habit for reduced risk alternatives such as vaping .
reversal . It added that due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic , they were not in a position to predict what the industry ’ s 2021 sales may be .
A spokeswoman for the US Food and Drug Administration said pandemic stress was also to blame .
However , 2020 saw the end of the ten-year downward trend as cigarette sales remained flat instead of falling . The data from tobacco giant Altria Group suggested that smokers lit up more during the lockdown and vapers or dual users returned to smoking .
The stress caused by the lockdown , with many people losing their jobs or facing an uncertain future , is one of the factors behind the figures .
Also , the failure of the UK government to exempt vape shops from the lockdown , as regularly highlighted by the UKVIA , made it harder for vapers to stock up . The upturn in smoking is particularly worrying as doctors warn that COVID patients who also smoke are at a greater risk of becoming seriously ill if they contract the virus .
Altria said the fact that people had more free time at home , drank more alcohol and had more available cash because most recreation and entertainment venues were closed , were all behind the trend
She told the Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) that stress caused by a whole range of factors including job losses and the mental toll of lockdowns was also a likely explanation as to why fewer smokers quit last year .
“ COVID-19 has created a drastic change in daily life , including increased stress and anxiety , that may contribute to a smaller-thanexpected reduction in cigarette sales ,” she said .
One US smoker told the WSJ that he was lighting up more while working at home during the pandemic . He said : “ I can ’ t take 10 breaks a day at the office but at home I can have a cigarette whenever I want .”
The findings have also alarmed health officials , with the CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) stressing that current and former cigarette smokers have an increased risk of ‘ severe illness ’ from COVID-19 .
Professor of Molecular Medicine Ian Hall said : “ The most likely explanation for smoking being a risk factor for COVID-19 , is that
22 VM32