As the Government again highlights the risks to smokers
from COVID-19, Action on Smoking and
Health (ASH) is joining health professionals in calling on
smokers to #QuitforCovid.
Speaking in the Commons
yesterday, in response to a question from
Chair of the APPG on Smoking and Health, Secretary of
State for Health said:
“It is abundantly clear from the research into previous
coronaviruses that smoking makes the impact of a coronavirus
worse.”
This echoes the advice of the Chief Medical Officer from
last week’s Health Select Committee who said:
“If you are going to give up smoking, this is a very
good moment to do it.”
GP Dr Charlie Kenward from Bristol is urging his patients
to #QuitforCovid:
“I was in surgery talking to a Mother with her
9-year-old son. She works as a carer so I asked if she was
worried about the virus. She said she was worried about catching
it because she is a smoker. I asked her why not quit? She looked
at her son who looked back at her and nodded. This is something
all smokers can do now so that’s why I’m asking smokers to
#QuitforCovid.”
The son and his sister are working on a logo to promote the
campaign and support more smokers to quit.
Dr Kenward is also part of the team helping to plan the
COVID-19 response for Bristol, North Somerset and South
Gloucestershire and he added:
“We are doing everything we can to keep people as safe
and healthy as possible through this crisis. Stopping smoking
also helps improve heart and lung conditions, wound healing and
many other health conditions which will all carry on at the same
time as Covid-19. Stopping smoking remains the single most
effective thing people can do to improve their and their family’s
health both now and in the future.”
E-cigarettes
Some media are also reporting that vapers face additional
risks from coronavirus. The evidence for this is far less clear.
Smokers who have switched to vaping should be reassured that this
is better for them than smoking.
Secondhand smoke
Exposure to secondhand smoke is also likely to exacerbate
the risks from coronavirus, alongside the other harms it causes.
Therefore, smokers who are self-isolating and are not able to go
outside to smoke should seek alternatives such as Nicotine
Replacement Therapy (NRT) or e-cigarettes to protect the people
around them from harm.
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and
Health (ASH) said:
“This is a worrying time for all of us and people are
looking for what they can do to protect themselves and protect
others. For smokers, quitting or temporarily stopping during this
outbreak is one of the best things they could do right now. Many
stop smoking services are looking at how they can support people
remotely and I urge people to also use other sources of nicotine
such as NRT to help them with the cravings.”
Smokers and healthcare professionals can also get further
advice and support about quitting from www.todayistheday.co.uk
