Smokers are more susceptible to COVID-19 and experience more severe illness.

This is why, in 2021, the WHO chose the theme "Commitment to Quit Smoking" for World No Tobacco Day (May 31). Through this theme, the WHO calls on countries to strengthen the implementation of smoking cessation services.cigarette, encouraging smokers to access smoking cessation services.

The harmful effects of tobacco

Smoking is very harmful to health. (Illustrative image)

SuckcigaretteTobacco smoke is very harmful to health; the toxins in it affect most organs in the body. These harmful effects not only occur to the user but also significantly harm those around them.

Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 substances, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar. Hundreds of these are harmful to health, 69 are carcinogens, and the smoke contains addictive and toxic substances, including ammonia (a cleaning product), arsenic trioxide (an ant killer), and formaldehyde (a solution used in embalming). None of the substances in cigarettes are safe.

The link between tobacco and Covid-19

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking weakens lung function, making it harder for the body to fight off COVID-19. This is why smokers are at a higher risk of contracting the disease compared to non-smokers and those not regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.

Smoking, as well as passive smoking (people who directly inhale cigarette smoke), exacerbates underlying conditions, which puts people with Covid-19 at a higher risk of death.

A study by The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco surveyed 11,000 COVID-19 patients and found that approximately 30% of those with a history of smoking developed the disease with symptoms ranging from severe to critical. This rate was almost double that of the non-smoker group.

Smokers are more susceptible to COVID-19. (Illustrative image)

Another study published by researchers at the University of California showed that one-third of young people aged 18 to 25 are at risk of contracting Covid-19 with severe symptoms. And smoking is one of the main culprits behind this outcome.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that smokers were among the most vulnerable groups during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

The WHO also noted that bringing fingers to the mouth while smoking increases the risk of transmitting Covid-19 from the hands to the mouth. Sharing smoking paraphernalia, such as pipes and tobacco tubes, among smokers also increases the spread of Covid-19 in the community. Recent studies have shown a link between tobacco and Covid-19.

Given the serious harm that tobacco causes to human health, it is essential for each smoker to commit to quitting smoking now.