Covid 19: How harm reduction advocates and the tobacco industry capitalised on the pandemic to promote nicotine

Horel, Stéphane; Keyzer, Ties

doi:10.1136/bmj.n1303

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…For now, the 'take home message' of this review is to mitigate risk of developing health conditions known to predispose to COVID-19 and to minimize chances of having severe symptoms and poor prognosis if/when infected with COVID-19, smokers and possibly vapers should seriously consider quitting or, at least, reduce their tobacco product use. Lastly, we should be aware of the conflicts of interest and the role of the tobacco industry in claims surrounding COVID-19 and smoking (28), which create the illusion that there is more controversy on some points than there actually is in the non-conflicted literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a 'Feature' article, Horel et al (28) have drawn attention to the issue of conflict of interest impacting the published research on COVID-19 and tobacco products use. The authors have argued that the tobacco/vaping industry, its affiliated researchers and harm reduction advocates have capitalized on the pandemic to promote the use of nicotine and alternative tobacco products.…”

Section: Covid-19: Disease Course and Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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COVID-19: a pandemic converged with global tobacco epidemic and widespread vaping—state of the evidence

Besaratinia

2021

Carcinogenesis

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This review highlights the convergence of three global health challenges at a crossroad where the pandemic of COVID-19 meets the tobacco epidemic and vaping. It begins with an overview of the current knowledge on the biology, pathophysiology, and epidemiology of COVID-19. It then presents the state of smoking and vaping during the pandemic by summarizing the published data on prevalence, use patterns, product availability/accessibility, sales records, and motivation to quit before- and after the start of the pandemic. It highlights the state of evidence on the association of tobacco product use with COVID-19 infection and transmission rates, symptom severity, and clinical outcomes. Also discussed are proposed biological mechanisms and behavioral factors that may modulate COVID-19 risk in tobacco product users. Furthermore, competing hypotheses on the protective effect of nicotine against COVID-19 as well as the claimed “smokers’ paradox” are discussed. Considerations and challenges of COVID-19 vaccination in tobacco product users are underscored. Collectively, the present data show an ‘incomplete’ but rapidly-shaping picture on the association of tobacco product use and COVID-19 infection, disease course, and clinical outcomes. Evidence is also growing on the mechanisms by which tobacco product use may contribute to COVID-19 pathophysiology. While we await definitive conclusions on the relative risk of COVID-19 infection in tobacco product users, compelling data confirm that many comorbidities associated with/caused by smoking predispose to COVID-19 infection, severe disease, and poor prognosis. Additionally, it is becoming increasing clear that should smokers get the disease, they are more likely to have serious health consequences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Covid-19: Disease Course and Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19: a pandemic converged with global tobacco epidemic and widespread vaping—state of the evidence

Besaratinia

2021

Carcinogenesis

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“…However, as cumulative data have been assimilated, smoking is presently discerned as a substantial risk factor for potentially life-threatening consequences following infection [5,[7][8][9][10][11]. Also, the authors of the mentioned studies had severe non-declared conflicts of interest with the tobacco industry [12]. Hence, in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, smoking as a modifiable risk factor has re-emerged as a focal point within public health concerns.…”

Section: Smoking Is a Covid-19 Risk Factormentioning

confidence: 99%

Google Trends analysis of keywords related to smoking and smoking cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic in four European countries (Preprint)

Jagomast,

Finck,

Tangemann-Münstedt

et al. 2024

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics

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Background: Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evidence of smoking behavior during the pandemic is ambiguous. Most investigations report an increase in smoking. In this context, Google Trends data monitors realtime public information-seeking behavior and is therefore useful to characterize smoking-related interest over the trajectory of the pandemic.Objective: Google Trends data was used to evaluate the transition into the pandemic on public interest regarding smoking and cessation. Special attention was paid to the influence of lockdowns, vaccinations, and incidence. Intensification of cessation aid might be crucial in times of pandemic to improve public health. Methods:The weekly relative search volume was retrieved from Google Trends for England, Germany, Italy, and Spain during the period from 31-12-2017 to 18-4-2021. Data was collected for keywords concerning cessation, treatment, and consumption. Trend curves were generated, and the relative search volume of keywords before and during the pandemic was compared. To address short-term changes linked to lockdowns or vaccination campaigns flexible scan statistics were used to identify clusters. Subsequently, the numbers of clusters after the onset of the pandemic were compared.Results: Country-wise minor differences were observed while overarching tendencies prevailed. Overall trend curves and statistical comparison revealed a decline in interest in cessation. Also, e-cigarettes and most consumption-related keywords showed decreased relative search volume during the pandemic. Substantial clusters of increased interest were sparsely linked to lockdowns, vaccination campaigns, or incidence. Generally, fewer clusters for cessation were present during the pandemic. Conclusions:This study reports a substantial decline in overall relative search volume and clusters for cessation interest. These results underline the importance of intensifying cessation aid during times of crisis. Lockdowns, vaccination, and incidence had less impact on information-seeking behavior. Other public measures that positively affect smoking behavior remain to be determined. Clinical Trial: n.a.

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“…2 This column is not the forum for an in-depth analysis of the science; however, a recent article from The BMJ evaluates conflicts of interest through tobacco industry links that challenge the credibility of many publications. 3 In this article, the authors (who have backgrounds in investigative reporting and who provide conflict of interest information) identify industry involvement by several researchers who have published work suggesting nicotine and smoking may be protective against coronavirus disease 2019. They write that financial links between the various researchers and industry have been undisclosed, that identification of these links has led to retraction of publications, 4 and that such links include receipt of research funding from tobacco industry groups, speaker roles at industry conferences, membership of tobacco industry advisory boards, and acceptance of paid consultancy funding.…”

Section: Tobacco News Updatementioning

confidence: 99%

From the IASLC Tobacco Control Committee

2021

Journal of Thoracic Oncology

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Covid 19: How harm reduction advocates and the tobacco industry capitalised on the pandemic to promote nicotine

Abstract: Scientific papers suggesting that smokers are less likely to fall ill with covid-19 are being discredited as links to the tobacco industry are revealed, report Stéphane Horel and Ties Keyzer

Cited by 11 publications

References 17 publications

COVID-19: a pandemic converged with global tobacco epidemic and widespread vaping—state of the evidence

COVID-19: a pandemic converged with global tobacco epidemic and widespread vaping—state of the evidence

Google Trends analysis of keywords related to smoking and smoking cessation during the COVID-19 pandemic in four European countries (Preprint)

From the IASLC Tobacco Control Committee

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