Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Vaping in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: Findings from Baseline and 12-Month Follow up of HEBECO Study

Dimitra Kale, Olga Perski, Aleksandra Herbec, Emma Beard and Lion Shahab
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Dimitra Kale: Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Olga Perski: Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Aleksandra Herbec: Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Emma Beard: Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Lion Shahab: Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: This study investigated UK adults’ changes in cigarette smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic and factors associated with any changes. Data were from an online longitudinal study. A self-selected sample (n = 332) of 228 smokers and 155 vapers (51 participants were both smokers and vapers) completed 5 surveys between April 2020 and June 2021. Participants self-reported data on sociodemographics, COVID-19-related, and smoking/vaping characteristics. During the 12 months of observations, among smokers, 45% self-reported a quit attempt (27.5% due to COVID-19-related reasons) since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and the quit rate was 17.5%. At 12 months, 35.1% of continuing smokers (n = 174) reported smoking less and 37.9% the same, while 27.0% reported an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked/day. Among vapers, 25.0% self-reported a quit attempt (16.1% due to COVID-19-related reasons) and the quit rate was 18.1%. At 12 months, 47.7% of continuing vapers (n = 109) reported no change in the frequency of vaping/hour, while a similar proportion reported vaping less (27.5%) and more (24.8%). Motivation to quit smoking and being younger were associated with making a smoking quit attempt and smoking cessation. Being a cigarette smoker was associated with vaping cessation. Among a self-selected sample, COVID-19 stimulated more interest in reducing or quitting cigarette smoking than vaping.

Keywords: smoking; vaping; cessation; COVID-19; UK; cohort study; socioeconomic factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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