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HAMPSHIRE, England, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A study done during the UK's first lockdown, involving nearly 2000 respondents from around the UK has found that, contrary to some previous hopeful reports, COVID-19 may have dealt a serious blow to the UK's ambitions to become smokefree in the coming decade. In a paper published this week based on the study, the authors warn about worrying changes in smoking and smoking cessation behaviours.
We already know that a higher proportion of unemployed adults, those in manual occupations, and those with mental health conditions are likely to smoke compared to the general population in the UK. "Findings from our research study showed that smokers under 45 years of age, a higher proportion of those in managerial and professional occupations, and current dual users reported increased smoking in lockdown. It is concerning to see that a change in the smokers' and their healthcare advisers' routines during the COVID-19 pandemic are threatening to reverse the past few decades of gains in stubbing out smoking in the country. The broader aim of our Smokefree UK project is to identify the barriers and opportunities to help all the remaining smokers to quit sustainably", states Dr Sudhanshu Patwardhan, Medical Director of the Hampshire based Centre for Health Research and Education (CHRE) and study lead.