UK Gov Advice For Smokers – Vapers and COVID-19
It’s a bit late but the UK Government has finally released COVID-19 advice for vapers and smokers.
And to be honest, there’s not a lot in the release from Public Health England that we didn’t already know or had figured out for ourselves.
There’s no real evidence on how smoking or vaping affects the likelihood of contracting the virus or how bad it may be if you do one of the two.
However PHE once again says – rightly – that smokers would fair better by quitting completely or making the switch.
The main points are:
- If you smoke, you generally have an increased risk of contracting respiratory infection and of more severe symptoms once infected. COVID-19 symptoms may, therefore, be more severe if you smoke
- Stopping smoking will bring immediate benefits to your health, including if you have an existing smoking-related disease. This is particularly important for both you and for our NHS at a time of intense pressure on the health service
- E-cigarettes (vapes) can be an effective aid to stopping smoking and staying smokefree
- It is currently unknown what effect vaping may have on susceptibility to severe disease if you are infected with COVID-19
- for most people vaping remains significantly less harmful than smoking and it is very important that you avoid returning to smoking
- Visit Smokefree for information and advice on stopping smoking
As far as advice for vapers goes, PHE says:
Vaping involves repetitive hand-to-face movements, which provide greater risk of a route of entry into the body for viruses. To reduce the risk of contact with COVID-19, you should:
- wash your hands more frequently than usual, for 20 seconds, with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer if soap is not available)
- clean your e-cigarette regularly
Public Health England (PHE) strongly advises against sharing any vaping devices.
PHE’s 2018 independent e-cigarette evidence review found that, to date, there have been no identified health risks of passive vaping to bystanders.
There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 can be caught from passive exposure to e-cigarette vapour, but in the absence of evidence, we recommend that vapers avoid exhaling clouds of vapour in the presence of others.
The part I’ve highlighted may be useful if you’re ‘challenged‘ whilst out in public…
Banning Flavours Means More Smokers
It’s not rocket science but a new study proves that banning e-liquid flavours means more smokers.
The research comes from the National Library of Medicine, and is titled “The Impact of a Comprehensive Tobacco Flavour Ban in San Francisco Among Young Adults.”
The results were pretty startling showing any form of flavour ban results in less use of e-cigarettes and cigars, whilst smoking rates increased significantly.
It’s yet another nail in the coffin of the ridiculous suggestion that flavours attract children – with even a recent report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] proving as much.
I wrote about that study back in May – Flavours Are NOT the Reason Kids Turn To Vaping!
Yet still the politicians and anti-vape activists keep droning on about ‘protecting the kids’ from e-liquid…
Maybe turn your attention to the opioid crisis that has killed thousands of kids across the pond…
But hey – there’s no headlines or soundbites in that very real issue…Big Pharma money and donations..?
*coughs*
‘Poorer’ Smokers More Likely To Vape Longer
It’s us ‘poor folk‘ that’s keeping the vape industry alive and growing according to new research