First Report on Smoking and Infection Control Behaviours at Outdoor Hotspots during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unobtrusive Observational Study

Yuying Sun, Tai Hing Lam, Yee Tak Derek Cheung, Man Ping Wang, Yongda Wu, Jianjiu Chen, Xiaoyu Zhang, William H. C. Li and Sai Yin Ho
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Yuying Sun: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Tai Hing Lam: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Yee Tak Derek Cheung: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Man Ping Wang: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Yongda Wu: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Jianjiu Chen: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Xiaoyu Zhang: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
William H. C. Li: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Sai Yin Ho: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: This study was to observe smoking behaviours and infection control behaviours in smokers at outdoor smoking hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. We conducted unobtrusive observations at nine hotspots during 1 July 2019–31 January 2020 (pre-outbreak, 39 observations), 1 February–30 April 2020 (outbreak, eight observations), and 1 May–11 June 2020 (since-outbreak, 20 observations). Sex, age group, type of tobacco products used, duration of stay, group smoking behaviours, face mask wearing and infection control behaviours of smokers, and mask wearing of non-smoking pedestrians were observed. Compared with pre-outbreak, lower volumes of smokers were observed during outbreak and since-outbreak. Smokers gathered more in a group (24.5% and 25.8% vs. 13.4%, respectively) and stayed longer (91.5% and 83.6% vs. 80.6% stayed ≥1 min) during outbreak and since-outbreak than pre-outbreak. Ninety-six percent smokers possessed a face mask. While smoking, 81.6% of smokers put the mask under the chin and 13.8% carried it in the hand, 32.4% did not wear a mask immediately after smoking, 98.0% did not sanitize hands, and 74.3% did not keep a distance of at least one metre. During the COVID-19 pandemic, smokers gathered closely and stayed longer at the hotspots, and few practised hand hygiene, all of which may increase the risk of infection.

Keywords: smoker; smoking; COVID-19; infection control behaviours; face mask (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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