Stress is a common motivation for people to smoke, and there is little that is more stressful than being stuck at home, unable to go to work, chill with your friends, or indulge in your favorite pastimes. Lockdowns simultaneously cause stress and prevent people from practicing productive coping methods.
New research from the University of Bristol has found that loneliness has multiple effects on smoking — it leads to the commencement of smoking, an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked per day in existing smokers, and makes it less likely to quit smoking. These effects are greater in longer periods of social isolation according to the research team. Probably the most surprising finding of the study was that being socially isolated results in many people taking up smoking for the first time, flying in the face of the traditional view that people only start smoking due to peer pressure.
Effect of Lockdowns in Various Countries
UK
Italy
Brazil
France
85% of secondhand smoke can’t be detected by odor or sight
An increase in the rate of smoking is a serious public health concern for a few reasons. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, COPD, diabetes, and lung diseases, among other problems. The result is a decrease in lifespan of 10 years, on average. Lockdowns have also increased exposure to secondhand smoke because people who live with smokers spend more time with them at home.
People living in multi-unit dwellings are often subject to secondhand smoke through the ventilation system or hallways. Hawaii’s Department of Health has seen an increase in complaints of secondhand smoke exposure at home for people who live in multi-unit dwellings. 85% of secondhand smoke can’t be detected by odor or sight, so an increase in noticeable exposure under-represents the true hazard level.
In a sad paradox, smoking greatly increases the severity of COVID-19. A meta-study by University of California San Francisco concluded that the risk of COVID-19 progressing into a serious case was close to double for smokers, and if the disease did progress, smokers were more likely to die or have critical symptoms. Another study found that smokers had a 45% greater chance of experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19 along with a higher rate of death.
