COVID-19: Risk of increase in smoking rates among England’s 6 million smokers and relapse among England’s 11 million ex-smokers

​Possible unintended consequences of social isolation and mental stress

As a practising GP, I am concerned about those who might get seriously unwell due to the respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2. As a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), I join hands with the public health and other healthcare communities to focus on acute measures in this time of national emergency to save lives from COVID-19. At the same time, I am also worried about those who may not currently be in the high-risk group for COVID-19 but will be self-isolating and maintaining social distance. As the world goes into lockdown, social distancing and self-isolation are likely to make the society very lonely and life more stressful.

We are already seeing patients in general practice who are understandably stressed in these extra-ordinary circumstances. With my experience of working in preventive medicine and smoking cessation, the uncertainty and the stress might push current smokers to smoke more cigarettes and ex-smokers to relapse back to smoking.

A perfect (bad) storm for relapsing and smoking more

There are many people really worried about the health of their ageing parents whom they cannot now visit, about the financial and health impact COVID-19 will have on their lives, and about all the other uncertainties around it. Staying at home, people are listening to all sorts of news — some true, some rumours — about what the future might have in store for them. The feeling of helplessness will be pronounced when the usual comfort of sharing their worries and the stresses …