Rome, May 31 (beraking latest news Salute) – The pandemic has significantly changed the habits of Italians with respect to smoking: after a reduction in April 2020 compared to January 2020 (pre lockdown), there was an increase in smokers in May 2021, with a prevalence of 26 , 2% (about 11.3 million) compared to November 2020 (24%), more than one million more smokers (1.2 million). The new data from a longitudinal study by the Higher Institute of Health (ISS), in collaboration with the Mario Negri Pharmacological Institute, presented today on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, say so.
In detail, 3 surveys were carried out on a sample (3,000) aged 18-74 representative of the Italian population in the following times: January 2020 (pre lockdown), April 2020 (full lockdown), November 2020 (partial lockdown), May 2021 (partial reopening). “A key role in the increase in smokers – comments Roberta Pacifici, director of the National Center for Addiction and Doping of the ISS – was played by the new tobacco products (heated tobacco cigarettes, Htp) and e-cigarettes. use in Italy contributes to the initiation and relapse of the consumption of traditional cigarettes and hinders its cessation, fueling the tobacco epidemic “.
Compared to initiation, the study finds that in November 2020 4.7% of never smokers of traditional cigarettes in April (during the hard lockdown) became smokers. In fact, while 2.1% of those who have never used e-cigs have become smokers of traditional cigarettes, 10 times more, 19.6% of those who are e-cig users have also become smokers. . Similarly, while 3.2% of those who have never used Htp have become smokers, 19.3% of those who are Htp users have also become smokers of traditional cigarettes.
With respect to relapses, it should be noted that 17.2% of those who were former smokers of traditional cigarettes in April during the hard lockdown, returned to consuming traditional cigarettes in November. Also in this case, the consumption of heated tobacco cigarettes and e-cigs played an important role as a risk factor. In fact, while 7.7% of those who have never used e-cig have returned to smoking, as many as 39.1% of those who are e-cig consumers have relapsed into the consumption of traditional cigarettes. Similarly, while 11.2% of those who have never used HTP have returned to smoking, 58.3% of those who use HTP have also returned to consuming traditional cigarettes.
With respect to cessation, the survey finds that in November 14.6% of traditional cigarette smokers, in April, during the hard lockdown, managed to quit and become former smokers. Again the use of new generation products such as Htp and e-cig have played a negative role on the cessation. In fact, 15.4% of those who have never used e-cig have managed to quit smoking, while only 6.7% of those who are e-cig users have succeeded in this intent. Similarly, 15.5% of those who have never used HTP have managed to become an ex-smoker, while none of those who use heated tobacco cigarettes have managed to become an ex-smoker.
One more fact: the sale of cigarettes in 2020 compared to the previous year decreased by 4.5 percentage points. On the other hand, the sale of shredded products continues to grow (up 6.8%). Sales of heated tobacco cigarettes are growing strongly (+ 1,089% since 2017, the date of their appearance on the market). Sales of e-cigs have also increased by 616% since 2017. Finally, the ISS remembers the anonymous and free-of-charge telephone number (800554088), which since the beginning of its activity (in 2000) has managed about 89,300 telephone calls. 8,000 of which in the last year of activity. Smokers of ‘traditional’ cigarettes remain the main users of the service (94%) – recalls the Institute – and the number of young people who contact it increases. The freephone offers solutions according to the different needs of users such as sending to anti-smoking centers (71%), self-help materials to quit independently (28%), telephone termination path (6%).