16 ms·

Smokers quit in record numbers amid Covid fears

474 points by elorant 6y ago

controversy 6y ago
I know how they feel. I have two cigars a year. Got stressed. Wanted a cigar. Half way through it I thought, “This diseases affects lungs.” Then I put out the cigar and continued my walk.
- elorant 6y ago
  Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. Most people inhale the cigar keep it in their mouth for a few seconds and then exhale. Either way good for you that you quit, even if it's just two cigars a year.
  - aksss 6y ago
    Some people inhale, most don't. People shouldn't, but you know an interesting factoid is that the average US woman will consume (eat) 4lbs of lipstick in her lifetime without intentionally doing so. So too, cigar smokers invariably will be inhaling more cigar smoke by virtue of being around it and having it in their mouth than someone not smoking a cigar. Is the amount material to your health? That's the gamble you get to decide on.
    - markrages 6y ago
      > the average US woman will consume (eat) 4lbs of lipstick in her lifetime That is an astonishing amount of lipstick. Do you have a citation for this number?
      - jaquers 6y ago
        https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actually-eat-7-pounds-of-lipstick-in-their-lifetimes/ https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actu... :shrug:
      - GranPC 6y ago
        It doesn't seem to be true. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/smax-factor/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/smax-factor/
      - aksss 6y ago
        Not the greatest, but a quick one: https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actually-eat-7-pounds-of-lipstick-in-their-lifetimes/ https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actu... This article talks about how it's not 7lbs, it's only 3.7 pounds of exposure (risk of ingestion and absorption) based on estimates and shows their math. I'm guilty of forwarding a tenuous idea by repeating the 4 pound statement and not explaining the assumptions, but hell, even if it's 1 pound it's still a hell of a lot more than I ever assumed, though keep in mind it's over a lifetime (seven-eight decades). Point was simply that exposure == some fractional consumption. Smoking a cigar certainly is not healthier for your lungs than abstinence even if you don't deliberately inhale.
        markrages 6y ago
        That's an upper bound number, relying on some dubious assumptions. Some women don't wear lipstick at all, so by the mean value theorem the average must be less than that number.
        recursive 6y ago
        > hell, even if it's 1 pound it's still a hell of a lot more than I ever assumed Hell, even if we get a 1% conversion rate, we'll be rich!
        markrages 6y ago
        I think that the two meanings of consumption, "to use up" and "to eat", are pretty freely conflated in this calculation.
  - beering 6y ago
    As someone who doesn't smoke, how is it possible to get the smoke into your mouth but not your lungs? Doesn't inhaling the smoke into your mouth involve your lungs expanding to create the negative pressure difference? That seems like it would suck air into the entire respiratory system.
    - BTinfinity 6y ago
      You draw it into your mouth similar to drawing liquid through a straw; once in your mouth you'd have to actively inhale through your mouth to draw it into your lungs
      - felipemnoa 6y ago
        We are talking about smoke, not liquid. We need to call mythbusters to verify if what you are saying is really true. I just don't see it.
        mypalmike 6y ago
        Why is it hard to understand? The cavity of your mouth can act as an air bladder independent of the lungs.
        deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
        function_seven 6y ago
        Smoke, liquid, doesn't matter. The same mechanism applies. You use your cheeks to draw in the smoke.
        jb775 6y ago
        I smoke cigars occasionally....I don't inhale any smoke. Before puffing I inhale a little air, close my throat, then pull the smoke into my mouth via suction on the cigar, then exhale to blow the smoke out of my mouth. The previous straw analogy is accurate. It's the same effect with water via straw and smoke via cigar.
  - aphextron 6y ago
    It's not just the inhalation of smoke into the lungs which causes damage. Nicotine itself causes cardiovascular disease.
    - mtgp1000 6y ago
      There's no proof of that. In fact there's still no proof to my knowledge that nicotine itself is harmful - to the contrary, it may have neuroprotective properties.
      - steffan 6y ago
        > there's still no proof to my knowledge that nicotine itself is harmful Nicotine itself is a deadly poison. MSDS: https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/96314.htm https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/96314.htm "May be fatal if absorbed through the skin"
        perl4ever 6y ago
        The LD50 in rats for caffeine is < 200mg/kg and this MSDS has a neat skull & crossbones under the words "toxic if swallowed": https://www.fishersci.com/shop/msdsproxy?productName=O1728500 https://www.fishersci.com/shop/msdsproxy?productName=O172850... ...also for reference caffeine seems to be more than an order of magnitude more toxic than pure ethyl alcohol by weight.
  - klyrs 6y ago
    > Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. But if you're sensitive to nicotine this will get you high in a jiffy. If you like cold sweats, nausea and dizziness, that is... don't judge me. Like GP, this only happens a couple times a year, mostly associated with high stress. And fwiw even "sipping" cigars causes oral cancer. Don't smoke, kids.
  - felipemnoa 6y ago
    >>Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. Most people inhale the cigar keep it in their mouth for a few seconds and then exhale. So I'm not a smoker, but this is the second time I read/hear something like this. It almost sounds like you are saying that you can keep from inhaling the smoke into your lungs. I don't really buy that. If you inhale, my intuition tells me that it is going straight to your lungs no mater what. Any smokers want to chime in?
    - thoughtpalette 6y ago
      You just kind of pull/draw on the cigar without inhaling to get the smoke in your mouth, then "exhale"/blow it out. You don't really inhale, if you're doing it "right"
    - bladegash 6y ago
      It’s kind of difficult to explain without you doing it yourself. The closest I can think of, is the ability to suck liquid from a straw but hold the liquid in your mouth instead of inhaling and/or swallowing it, I guess.
    - elif 6y ago
      keep your mouth shut and open your jaw all the way. feel that suction? that's the action that pulls smoke through a cigar. Your mouth acts as a sort of lung.
    - mhuffman 6y ago
      You "puff" it, not smoke it. It is akin to taking some water into your mouth through a straw and then spitting it out without swallowing. A lot of cigars have heavy amounts of nicotine to make up for the fact that most cigar smokers (that I know) do not inhale. Same fore pipe smokers usually.
    - elorant 6y ago
      I used to be a smoker and what I previously said holds true both for cigars and pipes. Off course no one's stopping you from swallowing the smoke if you so please, but the way of smoking cigars and pipes is to inhale without swallowing. The reason for doing that is because the amount of smoke produced from one cigar is at least ten times more than from one cigarette so if you swallow it's like smoking a pack of cigarettes. Plus the flavor is much much heavier. As for the technique it's quite easy. Inhale, keep it in your mouth for as long as you please then exhale. Swallowing is a conscious effort so you can easily avoid it. Not that this won't cause you health issues though, from mouth cancers to poorly teeth health and what not.
- himinlomax 6y ago
  The irony is that smokers appear to be strongly protected from Covid.
leafboi 6y ago
I wonder if the opposite is true. If your VO2 max is really high what does it say about the mortality risk of Covid?
- throwaway43234 6y ago
  Nicotine has also been said to help fight the disease. French doctors have been given patches. Some study apparently showing smokers are 80% less likely to develop severe symptoms. https://www.jpost.com/health-science/smoking-appears-to-protect-against-coronavirus-french-researchers-find-626999 https://www.jpost.com/health-science/smoking-appears-to-prot...
- wobbly_bush 6y ago
  There is also this study which says smoking in young adult increases the risk of Covid progression - https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/07/418081/1-3-young-adults-may-face-severe-covid-19-ucsf-study-shows https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/07/418081/1-3-young-adults-ma...
cutty 6y ago
Yup. I used to smoke 1-2 packs per week for many years (mostly in social settings), then went up to 1 pack per day due to general life stress pre-COVID19. When shelter in place began I freaked out, quit cold turkey, and immediately started running and lifting. The first few weeks were rough but I've been totally smoke free for about 4 months now and am in the best shape of my life!
- pen2l 6y ago
  Proud of you. :) Me, I ditched junk food (used to do taco bell drive-thru pretty regularly when coming home from work, stopped cold turkey too!). Doing a lot more salads now, I'm so happy that I'm developing a taste for healthy foods!
  - cutty 6y ago
    Thanks! Congrats on eating healthier as well! There are so many upsides to preparing your own meals, and you'll find that it can actually be a very therapeutic activity.
  - awinder 6y ago
    For years I had on/off tummy trouble and yesterday I had the realization that I couldn’t remember the last time I was seriously hurting in the gut. I haven’t done carryout since February. I never believed that modest dietary changes really could have that big of an effect but kinda a believer now.
    - peteretep 6y ago
      Having been deeply skeptical of “gluten intolerance” (as contrasted with coeliac) for many years, I eventually realised wheat was causing me chronic heartburn after I cut it out as part of a low-carb diet undertaken for other reasons. Having had much the same thing happen with eggs and eczema, and not having made the link before that, I guess I’m now an advocate of people trying exclusion diets
      - 6y ago
glouwbug 6y ago
A little too late, no? By then the damage is done
- happytoexplain 6y ago
  Ah yes, that common saying: It's too late.
- chc 6y ago
  Not really. It's not like there's a certain amount of smoking you can do and then you max out on the damage you can do to yourself, and any smoking after that point is "free" in terms of health consequences. It's cumulative.
- 1f60c 6y ago
  “The best time to cease smoking was 20 years ago...”
  - dwighttk 6y ago
    second best is today
- smabie 6y ago
  What are you saying?
- ojnabieoot 6y ago
  This comment is recklessly ignorant: within 24 hours after your last cigarette, there is already a significant difference in blood pressure, and within a month the lungs have already begun to heal. Within a year the lungs have healed substantially. After a year, a person's risk of having coronary artery disease is cut in half. Smoking causes permanent damage, but spreading misinformation about "the damage already being done" is really unhelpful.
- sdinsn 6y ago
  No.
rpastuszak 6y ago
That would make sense, today is exactly 4 months since the last time I smoked!
remote_phone 6y ago
Ironically it seems as though smokers are somehow protected from coronavirus. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.01.20118877v2 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.01.20118877v...
Mountain_Skies 6y ago
It's not addressed in the article but I wonder if it is having a similar impact on vaping.
- aksss 6y ago
  Considering UCL also released a study[0] saying eCigs helped smokers quit, I would assume transitioning off of traditional cigarettes to vaping counts as quitting for the purpose of this headline. [0] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/e-cigarettes-may-help-over-50000-smokers-quit-england-each-year https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/e-cigarettes-may-help-ov...
- analog31 6y ago
  Being stuck at home without access to peers might force a lot of teenagers to quit. When they closed the schools, I asked my spouse, now where are teenagers going to get their stuff? High schools are a "super spreader event" for chemical addictions.
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    Anecdotally, they're still getting it from the same places–you don't have to do it at school when you can just meet anywhere else.
    - throw_m239339 6y ago
      Harder to smoke at home when the parents are watching... and usually, kids aren't addicted yet. I know I wasn't when I started, I could quit any time, and I should have back then.
      - saagarjha 6y ago
        You can smoke outside, that’s where the kids from my neighborhood do it.
    - analog31 6y ago
      True, but like a communicable disease, spreading is not a binary number, but a function of the amount of contact.
kingkawn 6y ago
The article discusses the possibility that nicotine may block the coronavirus cell surface receptors but dismisses it. What I’ve read about this tho theorized that since the virus seems to preferentially infect endothelial tissue that longer term smokers with lung and esophageal endothelial dysplasia would be protected against infection because there was no mechanism for the virus to enter the lung tissues. Not saying it’s true, but the mechanism they report and dismiss here is not what I’d seen as the primary hypothesis about the protectiveness that smokers were demonstrating in the referenced studies
aksss 6y ago
EDIT: Jeez you downvoters: "Dr. Sarah Jackson, a senior research fellow at UCL’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, cautioned that the __findings relate only to quitting in the short term__. “Given that __the rate of long-term success in quitting tends to be low, this is very unlikely to translate to a million fewer smokers in the UK__, which would be a large decline in prevalence,” she said. "Other data sources are not yet showing evidence of a large drop in smoking prevalence," she said. Pardon for assuming people actually read more about the study beyond a headline or two. It is based on self-reporting with a relatively small sample size. Literally the study is only indicating a record number of people _trying_ to quit. Original Comment> "Smokers try to quit..." FTFY. I know two people that have quit heroin but still smoke despite many attempts to stop. I know people that couldn't quit cigs without antidepressants. All that to underscore that it's a seriously difficult addiction to overcome. It mystifies me that people quite a bit younger than me smoke considering we've known for a long time that not only is it unhealthy, but it's a terribly money suck, very difficult to stop, cosmetically damaging and borderline antisocial at this point. Ironically most young people I've asked about this started smoking for social reasons in a given environment (school, job) and unfortunately will carry that baggage likely for decades.
- SubiculumCode 6y ago
  I was pack a day smoker for five years in my twenties. I quit cold turkey 14 years ago. It can be done.
  - aksss 6y ago
    Yes, never said it can't be done. I'm saying that the success rate is ridiculously low, our anecdotes aside. EDIT: BTW, congrats, I don't mean to take anything away from you, doubly so because you did it cold turkey indicates some serious emotional willpower. But I think you're the exception. Here's some CDC numbers for you, seems like a little north of a ten percent success rate: In 2015, 68.0% of adult smokers (22.7 million) said that they wanted to quit smoking. In 2018, 55.1% of adult smokers (21.5 million) said that they had made a quit attempt in the past year. In 2018, 7.5% of adult smokers (2.9 million) successfully quit smoking in the past year In 2017, 2300 people per day started smoking (839k annually) https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/smoking-cessation-fast-facts/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cess... https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast...
ashtonkem 6y ago
I keep saying this: the tertiary effects of this pandemic are going to be weird. I’ve predicted that this is America’s bidet moment, but I didn’t have people not smoking on my bingo card!
- pmiller2 6y ago
  I doubt the bidet thing is going to happen. TP is back in stock now.
  - ashtonkem 6y ago
    The limiting factors for bidets were work toilets and the weirdness factor. We’re still working from home (for those who can), and the makers of washlets sold out. They’re going to stop being a weird niche thing, and now it’s going to be a question of what people prefer.
  - gburdell3 6y ago
    It did in my apartment, don't know how I lived without it
    - mixmastamyk 6y ago
      Did what exactly?
      - jmuguy 6y ago
        Probably got an inexpensive bidet attachment for the toilet. Which for 20-40 bucks is an awesome investment
  - mateo411 6y ago
    Perhaps it already happened, but people don't know because they aren't visiting each other's houses.
    - pmiller2 6y ago
whoisjuan 6y ago
I know this sounds like a joke but it's not. Didn't a study say that smokers where less likely to catch COVID or get affected by it for whatever reason. I swear I read that here in HN. Too lazy to Google it. Edit: I googled it, because someone downvoted it me so I guess they didn't appreciate me being lazy. https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/nicotine-could-stave-off-covid-19-should-i-start-smoking https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus... https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200430/smokers-hospitalized-less-often-for-covid-19 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200430/smokers-hospitalize... > "One hypothesis is that nicotine, which has anti-inflammatory properties, may interfere with the way that COVID-19 causes an overreaction of the immune system."
- cutty 6y ago
  I remember seeing similar articles. While I don't understand the science behind these findings, my understanding is that smokers are less likely to catch COVID, but if they do, then their symptoms are significantly more severe than those of nonsmokers.
  - numpad0 6y ago
    Makes me wonder if tobacco in eras of tuberculosis improved chances of individual survival...
    - sudosysgen 6y ago
      Almost certainly not. Nicotine is known to downregulate the recptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses for entry.
  - metrokoi 6y ago
    Smoking decreases the amount of certain enzymes that COVID binds to in order to infect the lungs. Less enzymes means a lesser chance of catching the virus, but if caught, the person will likely have a more severe case due to the decreased lung capability.[0][1] The figures that I have seen previously did show a very significantly decreased risk of catching COVID, and I'm surprised it hasn't been investigated far more. Edit: I had that wrong, it seems nicotine increases ACE2, but also binds with ACE2 decreasing the amount of available enzymes overall that COVID could bind to.[2] [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiotensin-converting_enzyme_2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiotensin-converting_enzyme_... [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191112/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191112/ [2]https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.14943 https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.14943
smoe 6y ago
For me it was for different reasons. Third day of cuarantine (Colombia, still ongoing 15 weeks in) I thought this might well be the easiest time to change habits – for the good or bad – for the rest of my life, so I made a couple of drastic changes. Extremly stressful work wise in the beginning in the midst of the lock down chaos, but worked out. So I'm very curious what long term impact on society we are going to see with that many people having had that extreme and sudden of a change in their lifes. Whether the changes come from fear, protest, boredom, opportunism, etc.
strifey 6y ago
I quit smoking a few years ago after getting pneumonia in my 20s. Definitely even more glad I did now.
amachefe 6y ago
An irony, because smokers are said to be more immune.
kitteh 6y ago
I quit (10 year smoker) first week of March. Within a week several coworkers which I was in close proximity to got Covid (pcr confirmed). Dealing with allergies plus the stress of quitting and being paranoid about chest issues and other symptoms made it really rough. But nothing like the fear of dying to get you motivated and cold turkey.
toomanybeersies 6y ago
On the other hand, I've increased the amount I smoke, from less than a pack a week to rolling over 50 grams (weighed the one I just rolled and there's 0.5 g of tobacco in it). I can smoke inside at home, which is one of the main drivers, I'm on smoko 8 hours a day now. I feel like Boris in GoldenEye bashing away at code while sucking down cancer sticks. My doctor said that everybody has been one way or the other, either significantly decreasing or increasing the amount they smoke.
- keymon-o 6y ago
  I find it more funny that many people quit smoking during the quarantine in my country, because they stayed in their comfy homes without stress. However, once everything got back to normal, their habits did too. Of course, I am not laughing at their failure, but how these conclusions about smoking and quitting always seem very superficial. I don't doubt the same result globally after things change a bit. It always finds a way back for many, unfortunately.
harry8 6y ago
Aside but relevant: If you want to give up, tried and failed, keep trying. Every time you make a serious attempt you are more likely to make it stick than the last time you tried. Pick a day a week out, prepare for it do it. Doesn't stick. Repeat. It's one of the great myths that you can't because you didn't. You can and you're better placed to succeed at it. Do it for some people who love you. Good luck!
- ortuna 6y ago
  I must have tried ~15 or 20 times to quit. I mean really, going at least a week without smoking. I was ~1 pack a day. It stuck the last time, and it's been 5 years I think? People said you'd never stop craving it, which was true for a while. Today, I really don't think about it at all.
  - praptak 6y ago
    I have anecdotal evidence against the craving hypothesis. My mom quit after she broke her leg. When she got back from the hospital, she didn't throw out the last pack of cigarettes. It was sitting on a shelf in plain sight for like several months. She didn't go back to smoking.
    - keymon-o 6y ago
      Good for her. I'd compare quiting cigarettes to losing weight, since I have some experience in both. Quitting is not a result, it is an effort you make through your life. It can be pretty easy for some, others need to focus a bit more. Build a strong determination to quit and have a positive outlook on life and your decision. The latter drastically affects how you experience cravings. It becomes natural after a while, but if one can start smoking out of nowhere, starting this habit again is not less probable. Quitting is a continuous effort, but it is worth it.
    - pessimizer 6y ago
      I kept a pack of cigarettes around when I quit, too. It kept me from ideating about leaving the house and going to the store to buy cigarettes (which for me, had previously, had functioned like loading up a spring.)
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
deeteecee 6y ago
that's good to hear. a bunch of smokers still smokin straight up in my face in sf
randiantech 6y ago
This is my case, although with a little caveat. I used to smoke 1 pack (20 cigars) per day, but right at the same time that I read that COVID-19 was more dangerous for smokers, my preferred brand (Gold Leaf) got discontinued. Im not superstitious, but this was kind of "Yeah, this is the moment". Was smoker for more than 15 years.
S-E-P 6y ago
Glad they stopped, but it probably wasn’t necessary Good regardless, I’ve been thinking about quitting
Proven 6y ago
That's one of the reasons why busybodies in leftist media outlets continue to spread FUD about Covid-19.
humanfromearth 6y ago
My money is on the social smoking as the main reason for the drop. Social distancing leads to less smokers.
djsumdog 6y ago
I've started smoking cigarettes due to the stress of this lockdown. I very rarely smoked tobacco before.
gigatexal 6y ago
Not in Germany. People smoke here like it’s the magic cure for everything. I feel as though I am living in the ashtray of Europe.
- wirrbel 6y ago
  I think that depends a lot on your social circles and region.
  - gigatexal 6y ago
    I live in the city and it’s rather prevalent: outside of shops on the streets, at restaurants, especially bad at train stations, etc. We moved from Hamburg and it’s bad there too. Everyone seemingly smoked.
standardUser 6y ago
I don't buy it. I was a very heavy smoker for 20 years. Having discussed the topic with many people, I firmly believe that nicotine addiction varies dramatically from person to person. Some people can smoke a few cigarettes a week for years on end without any major symptoms of addiction. Others, like me, can't even imagine going more than an hour without a cigarette. Sick? Who cares, I'll still smoke a pack and a half a day. So ill that every single drag of a cigarette burns my throat like fire? I'll take pain meds and use chloraseptic spray, but no way I'm going without my cigarettes. It's not even up for debate. When I finally quit 3 years ago, cold turkey after some failed attempts years prior, it was a living hell. It wasn't until month six in that I finally felt the irritability and constant mental distractions finally fade. It was brutal. Longer and more depressing than even the worst case scenarios I had formulated in my head after heavy research. These days, you'd have to beat me bloody before I'd concede to consume nicotine. Within inches of my life. I'd rather face a dozen novel hells before facing that well-trod hellscape another time. Quitting smoking for heavy smokers is a big deal. Not a "14% more likely" to developed generic symptoms big deal, as the article suggest. In fact, I've read before that smokers are less likely to suffer severely from COVID-19, a fact that, true or not, is precisely the kind of fact an addict's brain is wired to cling on to. Even if smokers are "1.8 times more likely to die", do you have any idea how easy it is for an addict's mind to explain that away? Addicts do - it's insanely fucking easy! Point being, I don't think the threat of COVID-19 can fully explain why so many people quit smoking in the UK. I'm sure it helped push a few people over the edge, and that's great. But my own intimate knowledge with addiction makes me wonder what else might be at play. Perhaps the lockdowns elicited a powerful and much-needed jolt to the otherwise routine lives most of us live? Perhaps the time all alone, or in constant contact with loved ones, changed perspectives in a way that everyday life could not? Maybe some people who smoked only when away from the home, like many smokers I have known, were forced to more fully confront their addiction? I can imagine a thousand reasons why our disrupted lives in 2020 might compel addicts to take on and succeed at the terrifying task of quitting. But the old excuse of "it is bad for your health" is very, very low on the list. That's the reason addicts are most skilled at ignoring! I find the other possibilities, specifically the wide-scale and unprecedented disruption of routine, much more plausible. (NOTE: I wholeheartedly recommend he book 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking' by the late Allen Carr. It was a very helpful motivator when I quit smoking.)
PeterStuer 6y ago
What happened as I distinctly remember figures from February and March showing smokers were remarkably underrepresented in covid cases?
- iso1210 6y ago
  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/23/smokers-four-times-less-likely-contract-covid-19-prompting-nicotine/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/23/smokers-four-tim... > The institute tested almost 700 teachers and pupils of a school in Crépy-en-Valois in one of the hardest-hit areas in France, as well as their families. The “highly accurate” tests found that only 7.2 per cent of smokers from among the adults tested were infected while four times as many non-smokers, some 28 per cent, were infected. > “Thus, current smoking status appears to be a protective factor against the infection by SARS-CoV-2.”
handelaar 6y ago
Wilfully obtuse of the increasingly-shit BBC News to attribute this to CoViD and completely ignore the fact that a gigantic swathe of cigarette types were outright banned a month ago
Sree_988711 6y ago
Yea I quited too. Due to unavailability
Accacin 6y ago
I used to smoke, about 4 years ago gave up almost completely. I never smoke (or drink) 99% of the time, but when I'm on holiday I always buy a pack of cigarettes and also I'll generally have a smoke and chat with my brother when he's over. Of course it's better if I never smoke, but I don't personally have a problem with having cigarettes occasionally. I'm lucky in that I can smoke for a week and then get home from holiday and not be interested in smoking at all.
cosmodisk 6y ago
In February this year I had a flue with complications,which was followed by a bacterial infection. It was so bad that every time I was caughing, I thought my ribcage will explode and my head will pop. I was caughing so much that for a few days I was going through a box of tissues each night. It took 2 weeks to pull out of it. Then I thought for myself that next time I may not be that lucky with my lungs and stopped smoking immediately. I feel so much better now.
menybuvico 6y ago
The recent ban on sales of menthol cigarettes might also be a contributing factor. Good news no matter what.
stunt 6y ago
I didn't had daily exercise but I have it now only because I don't waste time commuting to work. Otherwise I'm concerned about my health as much as I was before 2020. I don't smoke and I really don't know what drives smokers. But it's hard to believe that they are only concerned about their health now because of COVID-19 after all these years of pushing awareness about how smoking can damage your health and increase risk of cancer! I know a few colleagues who could easily quit smoking if there were not sitting close to a heavy smoker friend. They just couldn't say no every time someone asked them to go out for smoking. I think lack of smoking socially is a big driver here.
- emptyfile 6y ago
  Disagree. I stopped smoking real cigarettes 2 years ago when I started running but I continued to vape tobacco heating products (I don't think you even have them in USA, like IQOS). They are much less toxic and if COVID didn't happen I could've easily continued smoking them for the rest of my life, since the negative effects are much much less then real cigarettes. Only when I quit for COVID health reasons did I finally understand how addicted I was to nicotine for the last 13 years, since I was a teenager. > know a few colleagues who could easily quit smoking if there were not sitting close to a heavy smoker friend. They just couldn't say no every time someone asked them to go out for smoking. I think lack of smoking socially is a big driver here. Yeah, no, nope, no way. Nicotine addiction is the big driver, social smoking is just how you get hooked.
irrational 6y ago
I wonder what the ultimate lasting results of the pandemic will be? Less people smoking? More people working from home? Masks are commonly worn (will they become an outward marker of a person's inward beliefs?) More online schooling? More home cooking? More bread from starter baking? More at home exercising instead of going to a gym?
fab1an 6y ago
Alas, the data pretty clearly shows that smoking has a surprisingly large protective effect against infection with Sars-CoV-2 - on the order of how well the flu vaccine protects against the flu! This understandably has not been widely reported (it is a nightmare result for public health officials), but there are now dozens of studies showing the same effect and virtually every investigated country. On the other hand, it appears that former smokers are at a slightly higher risk of developing severe symptoms (though that seems less clear than the protective effect of active daily smoking) This means that if you are a somewhat older smoker (i. e. over 30 or so) you should probably hold off the quitting until a vaccine becomes available.
totaldude87 6y ago
i was a soft core smoker , smoked about 5-6 cigs a day.. But all changed 5 years back. All of a sudden i realized that smoking is not fun anymore, not sure what has gotten into me , but I luckily stopped smoking that day and my lungs (as per various researches) should be okish now.. Smoking Kills..
koynoyno 6y ago
I was heavy weed smoker for 4 years. After (supposedly) getting COVID-19 about 2 months ago, I stopped smoking, and 2 weeks after recovery started to smoke again. However, something have changed and I feel like I'm going to die while I'm high, it's hard to breathe and feel my body isn't as healthy as it was before. I feel more or less ok while I'm sober, though. Decided to quit yesterday and today I see this article. "Yeah, this is the moment". So I think some people stopped smoking not because they're afraid of COVID, but because they feel worse now.
dusted 6y ago
Tobacco industry bailout incoming?
PHGamer 6y ago
didn't covid smokers actually do better in the early studies lol.
tim333 6y ago
Glancing at the numbers there may, ironically, be less life years lost through covid than life years saved through stopping smoking Covid: Maybe 70k deaths, 11 years lost on average = 770k years Smoking 1 million, say 5 years saved = 5000k years (the 5 years is a guess, I think the real figure is nearer 10, the 11 years is from https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/05/02/would-most-covid-19-victims-have-died-soon-without-the-virus https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/05/02/would-mo...)

474 points by elorant 6y ago

I know how they feel. I have two cigars a year. Got stressed. Wanted a cigar. Half way through it I thought, “This diseases affects lungs.” Then I put out the cigar and continued my walk.

elorant 6y ago
Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. Most people inhale the cigar keep it in their mouth for a few seconds and then exhale. Either way good for you that you quit, even if it's just two cigars a year.
- aksss 6y ago
  Some people inhale, most don't. People shouldn't, but you know an interesting factoid is that the average US woman will consume (eat) 4lbs of lipstick in her lifetime without intentionally doing so. So too, cigar smokers invariably will be inhaling more cigar smoke by virtue of being around it and having it in their mouth than someone not smoking a cigar. Is the amount material to your health? That's the gamble you get to decide on.
  - markrages 6y ago
    > the average US woman will consume (eat) 4lbs of lipstick in her lifetime That is an astonishing amount of lipstick. Do you have a citation for this number?
    - jaquers 6y ago
      https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actually-eat-7-pounds-of-lipstick-in-their-lifetimes/ https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actu... :shrug:
    - GranPC 6y ago
      It doesn't seem to be true. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/smax-factor/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/smax-factor/
    - aksss 6y ago
      Not the greatest, but a quick one: https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actually-eat-7-pounds-of-lipstick-in-their-lifetimes/ https://www.futurederm.com/beauty-myth-busting-do-women-actu... This article talks about how it's not 7lbs, it's only 3.7 pounds of exposure (risk of ingestion and absorption) based on estimates and shows their math. I'm guilty of forwarding a tenuous idea by repeating the 4 pound statement and not explaining the assumptions, but hell, even if it's 1 pound it's still a hell of a lot more than I ever assumed, though keep in mind it's over a lifetime (seven-eight decades). Point was simply that exposure == some fractional consumption. Smoking a cigar certainly is not healthier for your lungs than abstinence even if you don't deliberately inhale.
      - markrages 6y ago
        That's an upper bound number, relying on some dubious assumptions. Some women don't wear lipstick at all, so by the mean value theorem the average must be less than that number.
      - recursive 6y ago
        > hell, even if it's 1 pound it's still a hell of a lot more than I ever assumed Hell, even if we get a 1% conversion rate, we'll be rich!
      - markrages 6y ago
        I think that the two meanings of consumption, "to use up" and "to eat", are pretty freely conflated in this calculation.
- beering 6y ago
  As someone who doesn't smoke, how is it possible to get the smoke into your mouth but not your lungs? Doesn't inhaling the smoke into your mouth involve your lungs expanding to create the negative pressure difference? That seems like it would suck air into the entire respiratory system.
  - BTinfinity 6y ago
    You draw it into your mouth similar to drawing liquid through a straw; once in your mouth you'd have to actively inhale through your mouth to draw it into your lungs
    - felipemnoa 6y ago
      We are talking about smoke, not liquid. We need to call mythbusters to verify if what you are saying is really true. I just don't see it.
      - mypalmike 6y ago
        Why is it hard to understand? The cavity of your mouth can act as an air bladder independent of the lungs.
        deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
      - function_seven 6y ago
        Smoke, liquid, doesn't matter. The same mechanism applies. You use your cheeks to draw in the smoke.
      - jb775 6y ago
        I smoke cigars occasionally....I don't inhale any smoke. Before puffing I inhale a little air, close my throat, then pull the smoke into my mouth via suction on the cigar, then exhale to blow the smoke out of my mouth. The previous straw analogy is accurate. It's the same effect with water via straw and smoke via cigar.
- aphextron 6y ago
  It's not just the inhalation of smoke into the lungs which causes damage. Nicotine itself causes cardiovascular disease.
  - mtgp1000 6y ago
    There's no proof of that. In fact there's still no proof to my knowledge that nicotine itself is harmful - to the contrary, it may have neuroprotective properties.
    - steffan 6y ago
      > there's still no proof to my knowledge that nicotine itself is harmful Nicotine itself is a deadly poison. MSDS: https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/96314.htm https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/96314.htm "May be fatal if absorbed through the skin"
      - perl4ever 6y ago
        The LD50 in rats for caffeine is < 200mg/kg and this MSDS has a neat skull & crossbones under the words "toxic if swallowed": https://www.fishersci.com/shop/msdsproxy?productName=O1728500 https://www.fishersci.com/shop/msdsproxy?productName=O172850... ...also for reference caffeine seems to be more than an order of magnitude more toxic than pure ethyl alcohol by weight.
- klyrs 6y ago
  > Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. But if you're sensitive to nicotine this will get you high in a jiffy. If you like cold sweats, nausea and dizziness, that is... don't judge me. Like GP, this only happens a couple times a year, mostly associated with high stress. And fwiw even "sipping" cigars causes oral cancer. Don't smoke, kids.
- felipemnoa 6y ago
  >>Cigar smoke isn't meant to be swallowed like in cigarettes. Most people inhale the cigar keep it in their mouth for a few seconds and then exhale. So I'm not a smoker, but this is the second time I read/hear something like this. It almost sounds like you are saying that you can keep from inhaling the smoke into your lungs. I don't really buy that. If you inhale, my intuition tells me that it is going straight to your lungs no mater what. Any smokers want to chime in?
  - thoughtpalette 6y ago
    You just kind of pull/draw on the cigar without inhaling to get the smoke in your mouth, then "exhale"/blow it out. You don't really inhale, if you're doing it "right"
  - bladegash 6y ago
    It’s kind of difficult to explain without you doing it yourself. The closest I can think of, is the ability to suck liquid from a straw but hold the liquid in your mouth instead of inhaling and/or swallowing it, I guess.
  - elif 6y ago
    keep your mouth shut and open your jaw all the way. feel that suction? that's the action that pulls smoke through a cigar. Your mouth acts as a sort of lung.
  - mhuffman 6y ago
    You "puff" it, not smoke it. It is akin to taking some water into your mouth through a straw and then spitting it out without swallowing. A lot of cigars have heavy amounts of nicotine to make up for the fact that most cigar smokers (that I know) do not inhale. Same fore pipe smokers usually.
  - elorant 6y ago
    I used to be a smoker and what I previously said holds true both for cigars and pipes. Off course no one's stopping you from swallowing the smoke if you so please, but the way of smoking cigars and pipes is to inhale without swallowing. The reason for doing that is because the amount of smoke produced from one cigar is at least ten times more than from one cigarette so if you swallow it's like smoking a pack of cigarettes. Plus the flavor is much much heavier. As for the technique it's quite easy. Inhale, keep it in your mouth for as long as you please then exhale. Swallowing is a conscious effort so you can easily avoid it. Not that this won't cause you health issues though, from mouth cancers to poorly teeth health and what not.
himinlomax 6y ago
The irony is that smokers appear to be strongly protected from Covid.

leafboi 6y ago

I wonder if the opposite is true. If your VO2 max is really high what does it say about the mortality risk of Covid?

throwaway43234 6y ago
Nicotine has also been said to help fight the disease. French doctors have been given patches. Some study apparently showing smokers are 80% less likely to develop severe symptoms. https://www.jpost.com/health-science/smoking-appears-to-protect-against-coronavirus-french-researchers-find-626999 https://www.jpost.com/health-science/smoking-appears-to-prot...
wobbly_bush 6y ago
There is also this study which says smoking in young adult increases the risk of Covid progression - https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/07/418081/1-3-young-adults-may-face-severe-covid-19-ucsf-study-shows https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/07/418081/1-3-young-adults-ma...

cutty 6y ago

Yup. I used to smoke 1-2 packs per week for many years (mostly in social settings), then went up to 1 pack per day due to general life stress pre-COVID19. When shelter in place began I freaked out, quit cold turkey, and immediately started running and lifting. The first few weeks were rough but I've been totally smoke free for about 4 months now and am in the best shape of my life!

pen2l 6y ago
Proud of you. :) Me, I ditched junk food (used to do taco bell drive-thru pretty regularly when coming home from work, stopped cold turkey too!). Doing a lot more salads now, I'm so happy that I'm developing a taste for healthy foods!
- cutty 6y ago
  Thanks! Congrats on eating healthier as well! There are so many upsides to preparing your own meals, and you'll find that it can actually be a very therapeutic activity.
- awinder 6y ago
  For years I had on/off tummy trouble and yesterday I had the realization that I couldn’t remember the last time I was seriously hurting in the gut. I haven’t done carryout since February. I never believed that modest dietary changes really could have that big of an effect but kinda a believer now.
  - peteretep 6y ago
    Having been deeply skeptical of “gluten intolerance” (as contrasted with coeliac) for many years, I eventually realised wheat was causing me chronic heartburn after I cut it out as part of a low-carb diet undertaken for other reasons. Having had much the same thing happen with eggs and eczema, and not having made the link before that, I guess I’m now an advocate of people trying exclusion diets
    - 6y ago

glouwbug 6y ago

A little too late, no? By then the damage is done

happytoexplain 6y ago
Ah yes, that common saying: It's too late.
chc 6y ago
Not really. It's not like there's a certain amount of smoking you can do and then you max out on the damage you can do to yourself, and any smoking after that point is "free" in terms of health consequences. It's cumulative.
1f60c 6y ago
“The best time to cease smoking was 20 years ago...”
- dwighttk 6y ago
  second best is today
smabie 6y ago
What are you saying?
ojnabieoot 6y ago
This comment is recklessly ignorant: within 24 hours after your last cigarette, there is already a significant difference in blood pressure, and within a month the lungs have already begun to heal. Within a year the lungs have healed substantially. After a year, a person's risk of having coronary artery disease is cut in half. Smoking causes permanent damage, but spreading misinformation about "the damage already being done" is really unhelpful.
sdinsn 6y ago
No.

rpastuszak 6y ago

That would make sense, today is exactly 4 months since the last time I smoked!

remote_phone 6y ago

Ironically it seems as though smokers are somehow protected from coronavirus. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.01.20118877v2 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.01.20118877v...

Mountain_Skies 6y ago

It's not addressed in the article but I wonder if it is having a similar impact on vaping.

aksss 6y ago
Considering UCL also released a study[0] saying eCigs helped smokers quit, I would assume transitioning off of traditional cigarettes to vaping counts as quitting for the purpose of this headline. [0] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/e-cigarettes-may-help-over-50000-smokers-quit-england-each-year https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/e-cigarettes-may-help-ov...
analog31 6y ago
Being stuck at home without access to peers might force a lot of teenagers to quit. When they closed the schools, I asked my spouse, now where are teenagers going to get their stuff? High schools are a "super spreader event" for chemical addictions.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  Anecdotally, they're still getting it from the same places–you don't have to do it at school when you can just meet anywhere else.
  - throw_m239339 6y ago
    Harder to smoke at home when the parents are watching... and usually, kids aren't addicted yet. I know I wasn't when I started, I could quit any time, and I should have back then.
    - saagarjha 6y ago
      You can smoke outside, that’s where the kids from my neighborhood do it.
  - analog31 6y ago
    True, but like a communicable disease, spreading is not a binary number, but a function of the amount of contact.

kingkawn 6y ago

The article discusses the possibility that nicotine may block the coronavirus cell surface receptors but dismisses it. What I’ve read about this tho theorized that since the virus seems to preferentially infect endothelial tissue that longer term smokers with lung and esophageal endothelial dysplasia would be protected against infection because there was no mechanism for the virus to enter the lung tissues. Not saying it’s true, but the mechanism they report and dismiss here is not what I’d seen as the primary hypothesis about the protectiveness that smokers were demonstrating in the referenced studies

aksss 6y ago

EDIT: Jeez you downvoters: "Dr. Sarah Jackson, a senior research fellow at UCL’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, cautioned that the __findings relate only to quitting in the short term__. “Given that __the rate of long-term success in quitting tends to be low, this is very unlikely to translate to a million fewer smokers in the UK__, which would be a large decline in prevalence,” she said. "Other data sources are not yet showing evidence of a large drop in smoking prevalence," she said. Pardon for assuming people actually read more about the study beyond a headline or two. It is based on self-reporting with a relatively small sample size. Literally the study is only indicating a record number of people _trying_ to quit. Original Comment> "Smokers try to quit..." FTFY. I know two people that have quit heroin but still smoke despite many attempts to stop. I know people that couldn't quit cigs without antidepressants. All that to underscore that it's a seriously difficult addiction to overcome. It mystifies me that people quite a bit younger than me smoke considering we've known for a long time that not only is it unhealthy, but it's a terribly money suck, very difficult to stop, cosmetically damaging and borderline antisocial at this point. Ironically most young people I've asked about this started smoking for social reasons in a given environment (school, job) and unfortunately will carry that baggage likely for decades.

SubiculumCode 6y ago
I was pack a day smoker for five years in my twenties. I quit cold turkey 14 years ago. It can be done.
- aksss 6y ago
  Yes, never said it can't be done. I'm saying that the success rate is ridiculously low, our anecdotes aside. EDIT: BTW, congrats, I don't mean to take anything away from you, doubly so because you did it cold turkey indicates some serious emotional willpower. But I think you're the exception. Here's some CDC numbers for you, seems like a little north of a ten percent success rate: In 2015, 68.0% of adult smokers (22.7 million) said that they wanted to quit smoking. In 2018, 55.1% of adult smokers (21.5 million) said that they had made a quit attempt in the past year. In 2018, 7.5% of adult smokers (2.9 million) successfully quit smoking in the past year In 2017, 2300 people per day started smoking (839k annually) https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/smoking-cessation-fast-facts/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cess... https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast...

ashtonkem 6y ago

I keep saying this: the tertiary effects of this pandemic are going to be weird. I’ve predicted that this is America’s bidet moment, but I didn’t have people not smoking on my bingo card!

pmiller2 6y ago
I doubt the bidet thing is going to happen. TP is back in stock now.
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  The limiting factors for bidets were work toilets and the weirdness factor. We’re still working from home (for those who can), and the makers of washlets sold out. They’re going to stop being a weird niche thing, and now it’s going to be a question of what people prefer.
- gburdell3 6y ago
  It did in my apartment, don't know how I lived without it
  - mixmastamyk 6y ago
    Did what exactly?
    - jmuguy 6y ago
      Probably got an inexpensive bidet attachment for the toilet. Which for 20-40 bucks is an awesome investment
- mateo411 6y ago
  Perhaps it already happened, but people don't know because they aren't visiting each other's houses.
  - pmiller2 6y ago

whoisjuan 6y ago

I know this sounds like a joke but it's not. Didn't a study say that smokers where less likely to catch COVID or get affected by it for whatever reason. I swear I read that here in HN. Too lazy to Google it. Edit: I googled it, because someone downvoted it me so I guess they didn't appreciate me being lazy. https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/nicotine-could-stave-off-covid-19-should-i-start-smoking https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus... https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200430/smokers-hospitalized-less-often-for-covid-19 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200430/smokers-hospitalize... > "One hypothesis is that nicotine, which has anti-inflammatory properties, may interfere with the way that COVID-19 causes an overreaction of the immune system."

cutty 6y ago
I remember seeing similar articles. While I don't understand the science behind these findings, my understanding is that smokers are less likely to catch COVID, but if they do, then their symptoms are significantly more severe than those of nonsmokers.
- numpad0 6y ago
  Makes me wonder if tobacco in eras of tuberculosis improved chances of individual survival...
  - sudosysgen 6y ago
    Almost certainly not. Nicotine is known to downregulate the recptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses for entry.
- metrokoi 6y ago
  Smoking decreases the amount of certain enzymes that COVID binds to in order to infect the lungs. Less enzymes means a lesser chance of catching the virus, but if caught, the person will likely have a more severe case due to the decreased lung capability.[0][1] The figures that I have seen previously did show a very significantly decreased risk of catching COVID, and I'm surprised it hasn't been investigated far more. Edit: I had that wrong, it seems nicotine increases ACE2, but also binds with ACE2 decreasing the amount of available enzymes overall that COVID could bind to.[2] [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiotensin-converting_enzyme_2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiotensin-converting_enzyme_... [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191112/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191112/ [2]https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.14943 https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.14943

smoe 6y ago

For me it was for different reasons. Third day of cuarantine (Colombia, still ongoing 15 weeks in) I thought this might well be the easiest time to change habits – for the good or bad – for the rest of my life, so I made a couple of drastic changes. Extremly stressful work wise in the beginning in the midst of the lock down chaos, but worked out. So I'm very curious what long term impact on society we are going to see with that many people having had that extreme and sudden of a change in their lifes. Whether the changes come from fear, protest, boredom, opportunism, etc.

strifey 6y ago

I quit smoking a few years ago after getting pneumonia in my 20s. Definitely even more glad I did now.

amachefe 6y ago

An irony, because smokers are said to be more immune.

kitteh 6y ago

I quit (10 year smoker) first week of March. Within a week several coworkers which I was in close proximity to got Covid (pcr confirmed). Dealing with allergies plus the stress of quitting and being paranoid about chest issues and other symptoms made it really rough. But nothing like the fear of dying to get you motivated and cold turkey.

toomanybeersies 6y ago

On the other hand, I've increased the amount I smoke, from less than a pack a week to rolling over 50 grams (weighed the one I just rolled and there's 0.5 g of tobacco in it). I can smoke inside at home, which is one of the main drivers, I'm on smoko 8 hours a day now. I feel like Boris in GoldenEye bashing away at code while sucking down cancer sticks. My doctor said that everybody has been one way or the other, either significantly decreasing or increasing the amount they smoke.

keymon-o 6y ago
I find it more funny that many people quit smoking during the quarantine in my country, because they stayed in their comfy homes without stress. However, once everything got back to normal, their habits did too. Of course, I am not laughing at their failure, but how these conclusions about smoking and quitting always seem very superficial. I don't doubt the same result globally after things change a bit. It always finds a way back for many, unfortunately.

harry8 6y ago

Aside but relevant: If you want to give up, tried and failed, keep trying. Every time you make a serious attempt you are more likely to make it stick than the last time you tried. Pick a day a week out, prepare for it do it. Doesn't stick. Repeat. It's one of the great myths that you can't because you didn't. You can and you're better placed to succeed at it. Do it for some people who love you. Good luck!

ortuna 6y ago
I must have tried ~15 or 20 times to quit. I mean really, going at least a week without smoking. I was ~1 pack a day. It stuck the last time, and it's been 5 years I think? People said you'd never stop craving it, which was true for a while. Today, I really don't think about it at all.
- praptak 6y ago
  I have anecdotal evidence against the craving hypothesis. My mom quit after she broke her leg. When she got back from the hospital, she didn't throw out the last pack of cigarettes. It was sitting on a shelf in plain sight for like several months. She didn't go back to smoking.
  - keymon-o 6y ago
    Good for her. I'd compare quiting cigarettes to losing weight, since I have some experience in both. Quitting is not a result, it is an effort you make through your life. It can be pretty easy for some, others need to focus a bit more. Build a strong determination to quit and have a positive outlook on life and your decision. The latter drastically affects how you experience cravings. It becomes natural after a while, but if one can start smoking out of nowhere, starting this habit again is not less probable. Quitting is a continuous effort, but it is worth it.
  - pessimizer 6y ago
    I kept a pack of cigarettes around when I quit, too. It kept me from ideating about leaving the house and going to the store to buy cigarettes (which for me, had previously, had functioned like loading up a spring.)

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

deeteecee 6y ago

that's good to hear. a bunch of smokers still smokin straight up in my face in sf

randiantech 6y ago

This is my case, although with a little caveat. I used to smoke 1 pack (20 cigars) per day, but right at the same time that I read that COVID-19 was more dangerous for smokers, my preferred brand (Gold Leaf) got discontinued. Im not superstitious, but this was kind of "Yeah, this is the moment". Was smoker for more than 15 years.

S-E-P 6y ago

Glad they stopped, but it probably wasn’t necessary Good regardless, I’ve been thinking about quitting

Proven 6y ago

That's one of the reasons why busybodies in leftist media outlets continue to spread FUD about Covid-19.

humanfromearth 6y ago

My money is on the social smoking as the main reason for the drop. Social distancing leads to less smokers.

djsumdog 6y ago

I've started smoking cigarettes due to the stress of this lockdown. I very rarely smoked tobacco before.

gigatexal 6y ago

Not in Germany. People smoke here like it’s the magic cure for everything. I feel as though I am living in the ashtray of Europe.

wirrbel 6y ago
I think that depends a lot on your social circles and region.
- gigatexal 6y ago
  I live in the city and it’s rather prevalent: outside of shops on the streets, at restaurants, especially bad at train stations, etc. We moved from Hamburg and it’s bad there too. Everyone seemingly smoked.

standardUser 6y ago

I don't buy it. I was a very heavy smoker for 20 years. Having discussed the topic with many people, I firmly believe that nicotine addiction varies dramatically from person to person. Some people can smoke a few cigarettes a week for years on end without any major symptoms of addiction. Others, like me, can't even imagine going more than an hour without a cigarette. Sick? Who cares, I'll still smoke a pack and a half a day. So ill that every single drag of a cigarette burns my throat like fire? I'll take pain meds and use chloraseptic spray, but no way I'm going without my cigarettes. It's not even up for debate. When I finally quit 3 years ago, cold turkey after some failed attempts years prior, it was a living hell. It wasn't until month six in that I finally felt the irritability and constant mental distractions finally fade. It was brutal. Longer and more depressing than even the worst case scenarios I had formulated in my head after heavy research. These days, you'd have to beat me bloody before I'd concede to consume nicotine. Within inches of my life. I'd rather face a dozen novel hells before facing that well-trod hellscape another time. Quitting smoking for heavy smokers is a big deal. Not a "14% more likely" to developed generic symptoms big deal, as the article suggest. In fact, I've read before that smokers are less likely to suffer severely from COVID-19, a fact that, true or not, is precisely the kind of fact an addict's brain is wired to cling on to. Even if smokers are "1.8 times more likely to die", do you have any idea how easy it is for an addict's mind to explain that away? Addicts do - it's insanely fucking easy! Point being, I don't think the threat of COVID-19 can fully explain why so many people quit smoking in the UK. I'm sure it helped push a few people over the edge, and that's great. But my own intimate knowledge with addiction makes me wonder what else might be at play. Perhaps the lockdowns elicited a powerful and much-needed jolt to the otherwise routine lives most of us live? Perhaps the time all alone, or in constant contact with loved ones, changed perspectives in a way that everyday life could not? Maybe some people who smoked only when away from the home, like many smokers I have known, were forced to more fully confront their addiction? I can imagine a thousand reasons why our disrupted lives in 2020 might compel addicts to take on and succeed at the terrifying task of quitting. But the old excuse of "it is bad for your health" is very, very low on the list. That's the reason addicts are most skilled at ignoring! I find the other possibilities, specifically the wide-scale and unprecedented disruption of routine, much more plausible. (NOTE: I wholeheartedly recommend he book 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking' by the late Allen Carr. It was a very helpful motivator when I quit smoking.)

PeterStuer 6y ago

What happened as I distinctly remember figures from February and March showing smokers were remarkably underrepresented in covid cases?

iso1210 6y ago
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/23/smokers-four-times-less-likely-contract-covid-19-prompting-nicotine/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/23/smokers-four-tim... > The institute tested almost 700 teachers and pupils of a school in Crépy-en-Valois in one of the hardest-hit areas in France, as well as their families. The “highly accurate” tests found that only 7.2 per cent of smokers from among the adults tested were infected while four times as many non-smokers, some 28 per cent, were infected. > “Thus, current smoking status appears to be a protective factor against the infection by SARS-CoV-2.”

handelaar 6y ago

Wilfully obtuse of the increasingly-shit BBC News to attribute this to CoViD and completely ignore the fact that a gigantic swathe of cigarette types were outright banned a month ago

Sree_988711 6y ago

Yea I quited too. Due to unavailability

Accacin 6y ago

I used to smoke, about 4 years ago gave up almost completely. I never smoke (or drink) 99% of the time, but when I'm on holiday I always buy a pack of cigarettes and also I'll generally have a smoke and chat with my brother when he's over. Of course it's better if I never smoke, but I don't personally have a problem with having cigarettes occasionally. I'm lucky in that I can smoke for a week and then get home from holiday and not be interested in smoking at all.

cosmodisk 6y ago

In February this year I had a flue with complications,which was followed by a bacterial infection. It was so bad that every time I was caughing, I thought my ribcage will explode and my head will pop. I was caughing so much that for a few days I was going through a box of tissues each night. It took 2 weeks to pull out of it. Then I thought for myself that next time I may not be that lucky with my lungs and stopped smoking immediately. I feel so much better now.

menybuvico 6y ago

The recent ban on sales of menthol cigarettes might also be a contributing factor. Good news no matter what.

stunt 6y ago

I didn't had daily exercise but I have it now only because I don't waste time commuting to work. Otherwise I'm concerned about my health as much as I was before 2020. I don't smoke and I really don't know what drives smokers. But it's hard to believe that they are only concerned about their health now because of COVID-19 after all these years of pushing awareness about how smoking can damage your health and increase risk of cancer! I know a few colleagues who could easily quit smoking if there were not sitting close to a heavy smoker friend. They just couldn't say no every time someone asked them to go out for smoking. I think lack of smoking socially is a big driver here.

emptyfile 6y ago
Disagree. I stopped smoking real cigarettes 2 years ago when I started running but I continued to vape tobacco heating products (I don't think you even have them in USA, like IQOS). They are much less toxic and if COVID didn't happen I could've easily continued smoking them for the rest of my life, since the negative effects are much much less then real cigarettes. Only when I quit for COVID health reasons did I finally understand how addicted I was to nicotine for the last 13 years, since I was a teenager. > know a few colleagues who could easily quit smoking if there were not sitting close to a heavy smoker friend. They just couldn't say no every time someone asked them to go out for smoking. I think lack of smoking socially is a big driver here. Yeah, no, nope, no way. Nicotine addiction is the big driver, social smoking is just how you get hooked.

irrational 6y ago

I wonder what the ultimate lasting results of the pandemic will be? Less people smoking? More people working from home? Masks are commonly worn (will they become an outward marker of a person's inward beliefs?) More online schooling? More home cooking? More bread from starter baking? More at home exercising instead of going to a gym?

fab1an 6y ago

Alas, the data pretty clearly shows that smoking has a surprisingly large protective effect against infection with Sars-CoV-2 - on the order of how well the flu vaccine protects against the flu! This understandably has not been widely reported (it is a nightmare result for public health officials), but there are now dozens of studies showing the same effect and virtually every investigated country. On the other hand, it appears that former smokers are at a slightly higher risk of developing severe symptoms (though that seems less clear than the protective effect of active daily smoking) This means that if you are a somewhat older smoker (i. e. over 30 or so) you should probably hold off the quitting until a vaccine becomes available.

totaldude87 6y ago

i was a soft core smoker , smoked about 5-6 cigs a day.. But all changed 5 years back. All of a sudden i realized that smoking is not fun anymore, not sure what has gotten into me , but I luckily stopped smoking that day and my lungs (as per various researches) should be okish now.. Smoking Kills..

koynoyno 6y ago

I was heavy weed smoker for 4 years. After (supposedly) getting COVID-19 about 2 months ago, I stopped smoking, and 2 weeks after recovery started to smoke again. However, something have changed and I feel like I'm going to die while I'm high, it's hard to breathe and feel my body isn't as healthy as it was before. I feel more or less ok while I'm sober, though. Decided to quit yesterday and today I see this article. "Yeah, this is the moment". So I think some people stopped smoking not because they're afraid of COVID, but because they feel worse now.

dusted 6y ago

Tobacco industry bailout incoming?

PHGamer 6y ago

didn't covid smokers actually do better in the early studies lol.

tim333 6y ago

Glancing at the numbers there may, ironically, be less life years lost through covid than life years saved through stopping smoking Covid: Maybe 70k deaths, 11 years lost on average = 770k years Smoking 1 million, say 5 years saved = 5000k years (the 5 years is a guess, I think the real figure is nearer 10, the 11 years is from https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/05/02/would-most-covid-19-victims-have-died-soon-without-the-virus https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/05/02/would-mo...)