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| Coronavirus: Smokers quit in highest numbers in a decade | Coronavirus: Smokers quit in highest numbers in a decade |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| More than one million people have given up smoking since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a survey for charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests. | More than one million people have given up smoking since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a survey for charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests. |
| Of those who had quit in the previous four months, 41% said it was in direct response to coronavirus. | Of those who had quit in the previous four months, 41% said it was in direct response to coronavirus. |
| Separately, University College London (UCL) found more people quit smoking in the year to June 2020 than in any year since its survey began in 2007. | Separately, University College London (UCL) found more people quit smoking in the year to June 2020 than in any year since its survey began in 2007. |
| Government advice says smokers may be at risk of more severe Covid symptoms. | Government advice says smokers may be at risk of more severe Covid symptoms. |
| Between 15 April and 20 June, a representative sample of 10,000 people, enrolled by pollster YouGov on behalf of Ash, were asked about their smoking habits. | Between 15 April and 20 June, a representative sample of 10,000 people, enrolled by pollster YouGov on behalf of Ash, were asked about their smoking habits. |
| The results were used to estimate the total number of people giving up smoking in the UK. | The results were used to estimate the total number of people giving up smoking in the UK. |
| Just under half of people who had quit in the past four months said the pandemic had played a role in their decision. That may have been down to a range of factors including health concerns, access to tobacco while isolating or no longer smoking socially. | Just under half of people who had quit in the past four months said the pandemic had played a role in their decision. That may have been down to a range of factors including health concerns, access to tobacco while isolating or no longer smoking socially. |
| A team at University College London has been asking 1,000 people a month in England about their smoking habits since 2007 as part of the Smoking Toolkit Study. | A team at University College London has been asking 1,000 people a month in England about their smoking habits since 2007 as part of the Smoking Toolkit Study. |
| In the year to June 2020, 7.6% of smokers taking part in the survey quit - almost a third higher than the average and the highest proportion since the survey began more than a decade ago. | In the year to June 2020, 7.6% of smokers taking part in the survey quit - almost a third higher than the average and the highest proportion since the survey began more than a decade ago. |
| On average, 5.9% of surveyed smokers quit per year since 2007. | On average, 5.9% of surveyed smokers quit per year since 2007. |
| Ash director Deborah Arnott said: "Over a million smokers may have succeeded in stopping smoking since Covid-19 hit Britain, but millions more have carried on smoking". | |
| About 7 million people in the UK in total were smokers in 2019. | About 7 million people in the UK in total were smokers in 2019. |
| Ash is launching a stop-smoking campaign funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, targeting people in areas of the country with the highest rates of smoking. | Ash is launching a stop-smoking campaign funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, targeting people in areas of the country with the highest rates of smoking. |
| Terrence Craggs, who lives in Newcastle, quit smoking after spending time in hospital on oxygen - although his coronavirus test was negative. | Terrence Craggs, who lives in Newcastle, quit smoking after spending time in hospital on oxygen - although his coronavirus test was negative. |
| "I could hardly breathe," he said. "I was hunting for air all the time. [The pandemic] is more of an incentive to stay off them, even though it's more difficult at the moment because of the stress," he told the BBC. | "I could hardly breathe," he said. "I was hunting for air all the time. [The pandemic] is more of an incentive to stay off them, even though it's more difficult at the moment because of the stress," he told the BBC. |
| The North East has seen a bigger fall in smoker numbers than anywhere in England since 2005. | The North East has seen a bigger fall in smoker numbers than anywhere in England since 2005. |
| What are the risks? | What are the risks? |
| Data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Tracker app suggested smokers were 14% more likely than non-smokers to develop the three "classic" symptoms of coronavirus infection - fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath. | Data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Tracker app suggested smokers were 14% more likely than non-smokers to develop the three "classic" symptoms of coronavirus infection - fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath. |
| The app, created by researchers at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals and King's College London, analysed data from more than 2.4 million UK participants. | The app, created by researchers at Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals and King's College London, analysed data from more than 2.4 million UK participants. |
| Their analysis found smokers with a positive Covid-19 test were more than twice as likely as non-smokers with coronavirus to be hospitalised. | Their analysis found smokers with a positive Covid-19 test were more than twice as likely as non-smokers with coronavirus to be hospitalised. |
| This aligns with research from the US which found hospitalised smokers with coronavirus were 1.8 times more likely to die. | This aligns with research from the US which found hospitalised smokers with coronavirus were 1.8 times more likely to die. |
| Although the small number of smokers in the Zoe study who took a coronavirus test appeared to be less likely than non-smokers to test positive, those that did were more likely to report serious symptoms. | Although the small number of smokers in the Zoe study who took a coronavirus test appeared to be less likely than non-smokers to test positive, those that did were more likely to report serious symptoms. |
| Some studies from around the world have suggested smoking may actually have a protective effect against coronavirus. This is based on groups of hospital patients where smokers seemed to be underrepresented, compared with their numbers in the wider population. | Some studies from around the world have suggested smoking may actually have a protective effect against coronavirus. This is based on groups of hospital patients where smokers seemed to be underrepresented, compared with their numbers in the wider population. |
| Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, from the University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, said there was a "biologically plausible" explanation - that nicotine could be blocking the same receptors use by the virus to get into your cells. | Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, from the University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, said there was a "biologically plausible" explanation - that nicotine could be blocking the same receptors use by the virus to get into your cells. |
| But, she said, the "clinical significance" of these studies is "entirely unclear". | But, she said, the "clinical significance" of these studies is "entirely unclear". |
| "This isn't consistent across studies and it's unclear if the data from these studies are reliable," she said. | "This isn't consistent across studies and it's unclear if the data from these studies are reliable," she said. |
| Smoking itself, rather than just taking in nicotine through a patch or gum, is "uniquely deadly" she pointed out, meaning the the health harms far outweigh any potential benefit. | Smoking itself, rather than just taking in nicotine through a patch or gum, is "uniquely deadly" she pointed out, meaning the the health harms far outweigh any potential benefit. |
| Public Health England's guidance states: "There is strong evidence that smoking tobacco is generally associated with an increased risk of developing respiratory viral infections. | Public Health England's guidance states: "There is strong evidence that smoking tobacco is generally associated with an increased risk of developing respiratory viral infections. |
| "Smoking causes damage to the lungs and airways and harms the immune system, reducing your ability to fight infection." | "Smoking causes damage to the lungs and airways and harms the immune system, reducing your ability to fight infection." |
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