Leading Welsh health experts are urging smokers to quit the habit in 2021 as growing evidence shows they are more at risk from Covid-19.
They say quitting should be top of every smoker’s New Year Resolutions list with smokers up to three times more likely to be infected by Covid-19 according to the latest research by American scientists.
Smoking is already the biggest cause of avoidable disease and early death in Wales, killing more than 5,000 people a year. It places a huge burden on an already overstretched NHS in Wales, costing the organisation around £302 million a year.
Research has shown that smokers are more likely to suffer more severe symptoms if they catch the virus. Meanwhile a study by the University of California in Los Angeles has shown that smokers could be 2 to 3 times more likely to be infected by Covid-19 due to the damage smoking causes to the body’s lung tissue defences.
Fears over the increased risks from the virus added to the motivation of thousands of smokers to quit in 2020. NHS Wales’ Help Me Quit service saw a rise in calls and has made sure that all smokers are supported by expert advice over the phone and free medication. Research carried out by ASH and University College London found that an estimated 33,000 Welsh smokers had quit smoking since the start of the Covid19 pandemic and that 41% of smokers surveyed across the UK cited Covid-19 as their main reason for giving up.
ASH Wales has launched its Any Age Any Stage campaign. ASH Wales CEO Suzanne Cass, said:
“Our message to smokers is that it really is never too late or too early to give up.
“No matter how long you’ve been smoking for the health benefits of quitting are huge. Within just 20 minutes of smoking your last cigarette, your body will start to recover and after a year you’re 50% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
“If you’re a young smoker you may think you’ll give up when you’re older. But the damage has already started with every 15 cigarettes you smoke leading to a mutation in your cells that could later cause cancer.
“This is not something you can delay. For every smoker out there, old and young, quitting should be an urgent priority.”
Ashley Gould Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Wales. He said: “
“New Year is a time when many people decide to quit smoking and with free NHS support smokers are four times more likely to quit for good compared to trying on their own.
“Covid-19 has brought about added risks to smokers and as a result, we have seen more and more smokers trying to quit. There really has never been a more important time to quit smoking, and the best way is to search ‘Help Me Quit’ or call 0800 085 2219 today. Let 2021 be the year you stop smoking for good.”
Keir Lewis who is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Swansea University and Respiratory Lead at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said:
“My experience in respiratory and general medicine has shown me first hand that smoking destroys so many lives directly and maims others. There has never been a more important time to quit smoking to protect and improve your health. Smokers certainly get worse COVID disease as well as so many other avoidable cancers, heart disease and lung problems.
“We know giving up this highly addictive drug isn’t easy. But there is free support available across Wales and if you work with a specialist, you will increase your chances of quitting long-term by 300%.”
Dr Brigitte Gomperts is Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at UCLA and co-author of the research claiming smokers are three times more likely to catch Covid-19 and that they are at higher risk of suffering more severe symptoms. She said:
“My message to smokers is that smoking puts you at increased risk for more severe COVID-19 and this is therefore a great time to stop smoking. There are many new products available to help you stop smoking and I would suggest that you contact your GP to find out more.”
Case study: Sarah Wray, a 45-year-old mum of three and support worker from Carmarthenshire, recently recovered from Covid-19. She gave up smoking in 2019. Here she describes her experience of quitting and her relief at having given up before contracting Covid-19.
She said: “I smoked for 20 years and finally decided to quit in November 2019 after suffering a chest infection.
“Once I decided to quit, I had one to one help from my GP and used Champix. To help with cravings I changed my mindset and used nicotine spray.
“Quitting made a big difference to my life. I feel more confident, I’m not coughing as much. I sleep better and I have more energy so I can walk further with my dog. My family being proud of me makes a big difference, especially my children as I did not realise the effect it had on them.
“I was recently diagnosed with Covid-19. I had mild symptoms the worst one being shortness of breath. In the end I was ill for 10 days. I’m just so glad I gave up smoking because I know it would have been much worse if I hadn’t and it would have taken a lot longer to get over.
“We all have different reasons for quitting but my message to smokers would be to please give it a go.”
