Abstract
INTRODUCTIONChanges in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak differed by countries and little is known about changes in the use of specific tobacco products.METHODSWe analyzed data from four cross-sectional telephone/online surveys from April to June 2020 to investigate such changes since the 1st and 2nd wave outbreaks (February to April 2020) in Hong Kong. The respondents were 1595 adults (83.2% male) who used tobacco before the COVID-19 outbreak from our previous intervention study and surveys. We investigated the changes in tobacco use, intention to quit and quit attempts during the outbreak.RESULTSAbout two-thirds (65.3%) of respondents reported no change in overall tobacco use, while 23.1% used less (including cessation) and 11.6% used more, resulting in a net decrease of 11.5 percentage points. A greater net decrease was observed for cigarettes (14.3% points) than heated tobacco products (HTPs, 3.3% points) and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, 2.5% points). Decreased use was mainly due to the more extended stay at home (63.2%), health considerations (52.6%) and mask-wearing (47.4%), while increased use was for passing time (75.0%) and releasing stress (46.4%). Eight percent of cigarette, HTP and e-cigarette users reported a higher intention to quit since the pandemic outbreak. Nineteen percent of tobacco users (176/948) attempted to quit during the pandemic. Only 2.9% (46/1569) were abstinent at the time of the survey.CONCLUSIONSOverall tobacco use decreased after the first two waves of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. A greater proportion of cigarette users decreased use than HTP and e-cigarette users. Given the different methods used in the four surveys, future studies should aim for a large and representative sample.
Highlights
Changes in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak differed by countries and little is known about changes in the use of specific tobacco products
Some studies have examined the changes in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada and other countries[10-20]
The original sample resulted in 1561 current tobacco users (73.5% male)
Summary
Changes in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak differed by countries and little is known about changes in the use of specific tobacco products. Monitoring the impact of the pandemic on tobacco use behaviors is important for formulating future tobacco control policies. Some smokers have increased tobacco use during the pandemic to relieve mental distress[7]. Little is known about changes in the use of specific tobacco products. Some studies have examined the changes in tobacco use since the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada and other countries[10-20]. Among countries and regions with the lowest smoking prevalence, Hong Kong still has many daily smokers (691500; 10.2% of all persons aged >15 years)[21]. The changes in tobacco use in Hong Kong during the pandemic is unclear
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