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Nicotine therapy for coronavirus: The evidence is weak and contradictory
Writing in The Conversation, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Departmental Lecturer and Deputy Director of Evidence-Based Healthcare DPhil programme, and Nicola Lindson, Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford discuss the evidence that nicotine has a preventative effect for coronavirus.
“At the outset of the pandemic, smoking was identified as a risk factor for COVID-19, with the expectation that the same pattern would be seen as with other respiratory illnesses, namely, that smoking would increase the chance of getting infected and of having worse outcomes once infected. But some studies have suggested that people who smoke may be at less risk from COVID-19.
“So far, no one is sure if this is true. Different studies find conflicting patterns. And in those that find less COVID-19 infection in people who smoke, it is unclear if this is because of a genuine effect or because of issues with analyses or reporting. We need better quality studies to investigate whether people who smoke are less likely to contract COVID-19.
“….Tobacco cigarettes are uniquely deadly, killing one in two regular users. This means it is much more likely that a person who smokes will die from smoking than from COVID-19.
“Even if smoking proves protective against COVID-19, no one will ever suggest starting smoking or continuing to smoke to reduce risk. But if something in cigarettes could be protecting people who smoke against COVID-19, there would be a reason to explore this further to see if the useful component could be delivered more safely. The most talked-about candidate so far is nicotine. ……The cell receptors that nicotine binds to are ones that SARS-CoV-2 is also thought to affect. Some scientists speculate these links mean nicotine would lead to worse COVID-19 outcomes. Others speculate the opposite. Until tests are done in humans, it is impossible to know for sure.
“Early studies in Wales and France are testing nicotine replacement therapy as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and more trials may soon be underway. France has put limits, prevented the stockpiling of nicotine replacement products and restricted buyers to a one-month supply of gums, patches and inhalers bought at pharmacies.
“If the evidence begins to suggest that nicotine replacement therapy does improve COVID-19 outcomes, there would be a reason to rejoice. But we are unlikely to know whether nicotine replacement has a role in COVID-19 any time soon.
“In the meantime, there is no value in people purchasing nicotine replacement to help protect themselves against COVID-19. Such a move could cause harm by reducing the availability of nicotine replacement therapy for people who wish to quit smoking. For now, nicotine supplies must be preserved for the people who need them.”
Source: The Conversation, 02 June 2020
See also: Quit for COVID FAQs
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Smokers across South East London are being encouraged to use the lockdown to quit smoking, not just for the usual health benefits but also to reduce their risk of potentially developing life-threatening complications from Covid-19. 'Quit for COVID' is a new national campaign being supported by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, and the stop smoking team is available to support smokers to make a positive change.
Matt Seal, Stop Smoking Team Lead, said: “The Stop Smoking team is here to support smokers to make a positive change, as we have lots of people calling us that they want to use this pandemic as an opportunity to break free from the addiction to cigarettes, so they can protect themselves, their families, and the NHS.”
Saf, a patient at Lewisham and Greenwich Trust, had tried several times to give up smoking before getting help from the service in February. But two weeks after officially quitting, she developed coronavirus symptoms.
Now, Saf is well and smoke free. Reflecting, she said: "To be honest, saving money was my main motivation for stopping smoking. However, waking up unable to breathe was really scary, and a turning point for me.
"My coronavirus symptoms made me feel terrible – like having sludge in your lungs. Taking the Champix and the support from Matt made a real difference this time, and has helped me quit, hopefully this time for good.”
Source: This is Local London, 03 June 2020
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Opinion: The fight against COVID-19 should also be the fight against tobacco
Kelly Henning, Director of Public Health at Bloomberg Philanthropies, writes in CNN on why the fight against COVID-19 should also be the fight against tobacco.
“Protecting people from the dangers of tobacco products and holding tobacco companies accountable for their global actions is a critical component in the fight against COVID-19.
“Smoking kills more than 8 million people a year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. These deaths are preventable and come mostly from cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease and diabetes—conditions that also contribute to high rates of COVID-19 mortality. The human price is exacerbated by the economic toll in health care costs and lost productivity costs that reach $1.4 trillion annually worldwide.
“Amidst this pandemic, it is never been more important for leaders in the United States and around the world to protect and improve the health of their citizens, and we can do that by scaling policies that work. For instance, research shows that increasing tobacco taxes is the most cost-effective intervention at our disposal to reduce tobacco use. Tax increases can be implemented quickly, and we know they work. For every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, demand is expected to decline by 4% to 5%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) …But as we work to reduce tobacco use, we have a formidable foe: Big Tobacco.
“The World Health Organization's 2020 World No Tobacco Day campaign highlights how companies have modernized their marketing playbook, continuing to target kids with traditional tobacco products and more novel delivery methods, heated tobacco products. Even with new tactics, the industry's goal has not changed: to attract young people as replacement customers for the millions killed by tobacco worldwide each year, as the WHO puts it.
“Tobacco companies are responding to COVID-19 with their usual profit motive and callous disregard for human life. They have tried to capitalize on government orders to stay at home by using the same social media hashtags to market new tobacco products and make themselves look like part of the solution to the pandemic by donating funds and equipment.
“But the evidence is clear: Reducing tobacco use can help us defeat COVID-19 and create healthier populations more resilient to future pandemics. We know what to do; the only question is whether we have the will to do it.”
Source: CNN, 03 June 2020
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Massachusetts is taking a historic step toward ending the tobacco industry's long and deadly history of targeting kids, African Americans and other groups by banning the sale of all flavoured tobacco products including menthol cigarettes.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids says the law will protect the health of children, address tobacco-related health disparities, help more smokers quit and save lives for generations to come. It comes at a critical time as health experts warn that smoking may worsen the effects of COVID-19.
Menthol cools and numbs the throat and masks the harshness of tobacco smoke, making it easier for kids to start smoking and harder for smokers to quit. Menthol smoking is particularly common among African American smokers and as a result, African Americans quit smoking at lower rates and suffer high rates of tobacco-related diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and diabetes.
Source: PRNewswire, 01 June 2020
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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