Surge in smoking among young adults during lockdown

Smoking surged among young people in England during the first coronavirus lockdown, new research suggests.

There was a 25 per cent increase in 18 to 34-year-olds with the habit in March to July 2020 as the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit, according to a study funded by Cancer Research UK.

This translates to a rise of more than 652,000 young adults who smoke, which researchers have linked to the stress and uncertainty over the period.

The study, undertaken by academics at University College London and the University of Sheffield, also tracked a rise in high-risk drinking among all groups.

The increase, which was 40 per cent overall, was particularly high among women (55 per cent) and people from less advantaged backgrounds (64 per cent).

Researchers also noted in the study, published in the journal Addiction, that attempts to reduce alcohol intake only increased among “the more advanced social grades”.

There was, however, a significant rise in people across all groups successfully quitting smoking during lockdown, of 99 per cent.

Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author and principal research fellow at UCL, described this trend as “fantastic”.

“The first lockdown was unprecedented in the way it changed people’s day-to-day lives. We found that many smokers took this opportunity to stop smoking, which is fantastic,” she said.

“However, the first lockdown was also a period of great stress for many people, and we saw rates of smoking and risky drinking increase among groups hardest hit by the pandemic.

“It will be important to keep a close eye on how these increases in smoking and drinking develop over time to ensure appropriate support is made accessible for anyone who needs it.”

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Public health campaigns and prevention services have a vital role to play in helping people to quit and also maintaining the motivation of those who have already made positive changes.

“The upcoming tobacco control plan for England is a key opportunity for the government to reduce smoking rates, but this can only be achieved with sufficient investment.

“A Smokefree Fund, using tobacco industry funds, but without industry interference, could pay for the comprehensive measures needed to prevent people from starting to smoke and helping those who do, to quit.”