Number of young smokers rose by a quarter in first lockdown, England study shows
The number of young adults who smoke in England rose by about a quarter in the first lockdown, research has suggested.
Nevertheless, the number of people who stopped smoking altogether increased, with the number across all age groups almost doubling during the first national lockdown when compared with the period immediately prior, researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Sheffield said.
“The first lockdown was unprecedented in the way it changed people’s day-to-day lives. We found that many smokers took this opportunity to stop smoking, which is fantastic,” said Dr Sarah Jackson, the lead author and a principal research fellow at UCL.
“However, the first lockdown was also a period of great stress for many people, and we saw rates of smoking and risky drinking increase among groups hardest hit by the pandemic.
“It will be important to keep a close eye on how these increases in smoking and drinking develop over time to ensure appropriate support is made accessible for anyone who needs it.”
While they said the widespread belief that smoking and drinking relieved stress could be a factor in the apparent increased prevalence among people aged 18 to 34 years, the researchers pointed out that their data did not indicate what the causes may be.
Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said smoking was the biggest preventable cause of cancer, known to cause at least 15 different types of the disease. Drinking just small amounts of alcohol increased the risk of seven different types of cancer, the charity added.
Michelle Mitchell, its chief executive, said: “Public health campaigns and prevention services have a vital role to play in helping people to quit and also maintaining the motivation of those who have already made positive changes.
“The upcoming tobacco control plan for England is a key opportunity for the government to reduce smoking rates, but this can only be achieved with sufficient investment.
“A Smokefree Fund, using tobacco industry funds, but without industry interference, could pay for the comprehensive measures needed to prevent people from starting to smoke and helping those who do, to quit.”
The paper, published in the journal Addiction, said: “The first Covid-19 lockdown in England in March-July 2020 was associated with increased smoking prevalence among younger adults and an increased prevalence of high-risk drinking among all socio-demographic groups.
“Smoking cessation activity also increased: more younger smokers made quit attempts during lockdown and more smokers quit successfully.
“However, socio-economic disparities in patterns of drinking behaviour were evident: high-risk drinking increased by more among women and those from less advantaged social grades, but the rate of alcohol reduction attempts increased only among the more advantaged social grades.”