COVID-19 Stress, Uncertainty Stalls Smoking Cessation Push?

Washington (AP) – A year after COVID-19 ruined the lives of millions of Americans Coronavirus It may also have slowed progress on smoking, another deadly health threat.

Last year, fewer smokers and more smokers, known as smoking cessation hotlines, led to an extraordinary increase in tobacco sales in the midst of pandemic stress, anxiety and uncertainty.

“It’s hard for people to stop using tobacco at their best, so what happens when life suddenly turns upside down?” Said Jen Cash, who oversees Minnesota’s tobacco control program.

Researchers are already concerned about the impact of COVID-19 Cancer screening And Opioid overdose Many Americans have been separated from their daily care and testing. However, services that help smokers quit smoking (provided by phone or online) appear to be well-positioned to withstand the pandemic turmoil. The program helps you plan and often offers free nicotine gum and patches.

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Still, according to the North American Quitline Consortium, calls to states via domestic hotlines fell 27% last year to about 500,000. In a recent report, a coalition of smoking cessation counselors cited a diminished message of pandemics and public awareness.

Dr. Nancy Rigotti of Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the report, said:

Separately Survey Rigotti and her colleagues found that of the 1,000 adult smokers, about one-third reported more smoking during the first six months of the pandemic.

Alli Comstock in Los Angeles was quit smoking for seven years when he lost his childcare job last March due to a pandemic. Faced with her first long-term unemployment, she started smoking again from a combination of boredom and anxiety.

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“I felt like I was doing something else and I felt calm,” she said, knowing that cigarettes containing the stimulant nicotine do not help relieve anxiety. Stated.

Comstock eventually quit again after months of feeling that “we were in an era where it didn’t matter.”

“In November, I realized it was important and I was a smoker, and I didn’t want to do that,” she said.

Studies have linked other traumatic events to recurrences among former smokers, including after the 9/11 attack.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that it is too early to measure the impact of pandemics on smoking prevalence. In a statement, the CDC said cigarette sales soared before and after the first blockade in March last year, but have since returned to previous levels. This mainly suggests that smokers were hoarding cigarettes.

Smoking prevalence in the United States has been stable at around 14% in recent years, after declining over decades from over 40% in the 1960s. Smoking, which can cause cancer, stroke, and heart attack, is accused of killing about 480,000 people annually.

Data on smoking cessation attempts are carefully monitored by doctors who treat people who abuse drugs and alcohol, as smoking overlaps with many other addictions. Many suffer from depression and anxiety.

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Dr. Brian Harley of the Los Angeles County Health Department says addicts are less likely to recover if they continue to smoke. The decline in hotline calls last year suggests a “whirlpool of worse results,” said Harley, a board member of the American Addiction Medicine Society.

However, according to CDC figures, smoking cessation is only 7% successful and is notorious for being extremely difficult. Many smokers are referred to the smoking cessation hotline at their annual health checkups. These appointments, along with most other non-essential care, were largely suspended last spring.

Still, last year’s data on non-smoking phones contains a positive news glow. Smokers who called the Minnesota hotline reported more smoking, but also said they were more motivated to quit because of COVID-19. Its mirrored national data showing smokers recognize that smoking can be more vulnerable to serious illnesses from coronavirus infections.

Experts trying to explain last year’s trends also point to a decline in smoking cessation advertising campaigns from the public health sector. Often, these promotions were replaced with messages about masking, social distance, and hand washing.

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The CDC has recently reopened its nationwide “Tips from smokers” We run an advertising campaign and conduct an annual survey on smoking among adults and teens. This is the most reliable snapshot of smoking and e-cigarettes in the United States.

Prior to the outbreak of the virus, the focus was on the surprising increase in e-cigarette use among high school and junior high school students.Survey data conducted before the classroom was closed showed that teen vaping was already there Fall compared to 2019, Follow the ban on new flavors and raise the legal age to buy them.

Researchers speculate that the pandemic may have further slowed the social spread of e-cigarettes, as teens are unable to attend school or interact with friends on a regular basis.

“While teen vaping may have had a positive effect, I feel that adult smoking may have had a negative effect,” said Rigotti.