How fear of Covid forced many to give up smoking

“The government-enforced confinement was an opportunity for many to quit smoking. During the pandemic, programmes at various hospitals also helped many stop smoking,” said Dr Rao, adding: “I have specifically seen how it caused smokers to lose access to cigarettes. However, I also noticed a small population of people, whose addiction to smoking grew because of isolation and boredom triggered by the lockdown.” Dr Sachin Kumar, senior consultant, pulmonology & critical care medicine, Sakra World Hospital, said some of the effects of smoking such as coughing created a positive impact on both light and heavy smokers, who quit the habit for good. “In April and May, we witnessed three or four such cases a week, where the patients complained of persistent cough due to smoking. About 50% of the patients we treated were ready to quit smoking following the symptoms,” he said. “In the second wave, 20% of smokers among the patients faced complications due to Covid-19. In third wave, every week we saw on average four cases of smokers facing Covid-related issues.”

1 Jan 1970