Smokers quit during pandemic

Pandemic makes people stop smoking - 27th July 2020

Lots of people have stopped smoking because of Covid-19. Research from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says 1 million people in the UK have stopped. There is another study, from University College London. It says more people have given up smoking this year.

From April to June, the Ash survey asked 10,000 people about smoking. 7.6% of smokers said they had stopped in this time. This is 30% higher than the usual number for the whole year. Nearly half of these people said it was because of Covid. Some stopped because of health worries, some couldn't buy tobacco, and others only smoked socially.

Smokers are right to worry. 2.4 million people used a special app: the Covid Symptom Tracker. It shows that more smokers with Covid-19 needed hospital treatment. 2 smokers were in hospital for every 1 non-smoker. US data shows that more smokers died in hospital with Covid. There, 1.8 smokers died for every 1 non-smoker.

Some research says smoking stops Covid. They think nicotine blocks it. Medical experts reject these ideas. They warn smoking is extremely harmful. It damages the lungs and you get more infections.