In this issue, we will discuss COVID-19 and the ban on cigarettes.
While the spread of COVID-19 is being sought, people are smoking cigarettes.
Some people continue to smoke despite the fact that tobacco is known to be a factor that can harm their health and even affect their symptoms after COVID-19 infection.
Some people continue to smoke despite the fact that smoking is not a means of relieving stress or improving their health, and they know the effects it has on themselves and those around them.
I found out about a movement on smoking, and here is a summary of the review.
Activities in India
There are more than 700,000 cases of COVID-19 in India, resulting in more than 56,000 deaths. (As of August 23, 2020)
The infection rate in India is gradually increasing, making it one of the most affected countries globally.
To prevent the spread of infection, the Indian government implemented an initial 21-day lockdown on March 24, which was further extended until May 31.
This was followed by a phased resumption of gradual activities across the country.
The national directive on COVID-19 control completely banned the sale of alcohol and all forms of tobacco during the blockade as a precautionary measure.
As a result, data shows that more than 267 million people have abstained from tobacco use. (28.6% of the population)
The directive declared and banned spitting in public places as a punishable offense, and the Indian Council of Medical Research also supported this effort through a public appeal.
The elimination of the opportunity to smoke is considered to be a good opportunity for existing smokers.
The 2016 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) in India reports that nearly 55% of smokers and 50% of SLT users plan or are thinking of quitting.
These smokers were forced to live without cigarettes for more than 40 days, and were isolated from social communities where smoking itself was common, making it easier for those who were committed to smoking to quit.
Furthermore, the pandemic is expected to result in some decline in the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking.
The pandemic of COVID-19 will require a major effort to promote smoking cessation efforts and potentially eliminate the tobacco habit from the country permanently.
For this purpose, it is desired to designate mental health support and smoking cessation support as "essential services", strengthen tele-consultation/telemedicine facilities, use customized internet-based and app-based (Aarogya Setu) interventions, subsidize nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, and implement other measures.
In addition, intensified smoking cessation activities may contribute to a reduction in the deterioration of health conditions not associated with non-COVID-19, which may prove to be an indirect and beneficial effect of social closure.
In addition to this, evidence-based smoking cessation advice, along with professional details, should be disseminated via mass media.
Successful implementation of mHealth interventions can further reduce the burden of comorbidities in the country.
Celebrities and others can deliver such messages to motivate people to continue quitting smoking.
Such interventions have played an important role in other disease control programs in India, such as tuberculosis and polio.
In addition, professionals from recognized health institutions can conduct capacity building exercises and online training sessions.
As a general population model, such activities would prove beneficial for smoking cessation.
However, it is important to recognize that effective cessation will be difficult for vulnerable populations during this pandemic, such as mental health patients, the elderly, and drug and alcohol addicts, due to non-contact, limited mobility, and lower levels of health literacy.
To ensure that tobacco cessation efforts are sustained, it is hoped that the newly imposed ban on the sale of SLT products and enhanced domestic anti-spitting measures will continue indefinitely.We must also recognize the importance of "peace of mind" as this is the perfect opportunity to eliminate tobacco from general retail sales and strategize the implementation of an approved vendor system.
People are convinced that stressful times will soon be over, and there are challenges that must be addressed to find ways to reduce stress and anxiety.
Grover S, Mohanty V, Jain S, Anand T, Aghi MB. "YES it's the Perfect Time to Quit": Fueling Tobacco Cessation in India during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Tob Use Insights. 2020;13:1179173X20960447. Published 2020 Sep 25. doi:10.1177/1179173X20960447
Comments
Since this paper was not funded, I read it with a strong message from the author.
In my opinion, it would be good if the anti-smoking activities continue to spread and be sustained.
Smoking, which is done for temporary pleasure without any benefit, can only cause trouble to the people around us depending on the literacy of the individual.
Nowadays, with the rise of smoke-free activities, people who smoke are losing their places, and the price of smoking itself is going up, so more and more people are deciding to stop.
However, people often have a bad image of smokers due to the influence of people who are not literate, such as second-hand smoke drifting in the street, which has nothing to do with smoking areas.
They think that if you want to smoke, you can, but don't bother me, and due to environmental issues, it's hard to imagine that the effects of second-hand smoke alone can be harmful to your health.
It may be difficult to completely eliminate smoking in Japan from various perspectives, but it would be good if this pandemic could be a trigger for people to work on their awareness.
Still, it is unfortunate that the media does not pay much attention to smoking cessation due to the low frequency of presenting the risks associated with smoking.
So, I thought it was a good paper and introduced it here.
