Long periods of loneliness, such as those experienced during the current coronavirus lockdown, makes smoking habits worse, according to a new study. Being alone increases both the likelihood of starting smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day, while decreasing the likelihood of successfully quitting, UK researchers say. The team at the University of … Read more
The tobacco firm that is still making a mint from menthol cigarettes: Bosses are accused of sidestepping ban aimed at stopping children smoking Mint flavour menthol cigarettes were banned in Britain just last Wednesday But the UK’s best-selling tobacco company put out product range on same day The new cigarettes are being advertised under the … Read more
Smoking does increase the risk of getting coronavirus, according to a major British study that disputes growing evidence that the habit is protective. A team at Imperial College London, King’s College London and Zoe – the developer of a symptom-tracking app – looked at 2.4million Britons, of which 11 per cent reported smoking. All participants were … Read more
A bitter row over alleged censorship at The Guardian grew last night as it emerged a piece written by David Hockney was discussed at the highest level before being refused by the paper. The artist became embroiled in a row with the newspaper after it refused to publish his controversial opinion that smoking could protect … Read more
Britons are ditching smoking in their thousands during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a recent YouGov survey. A total of 1,004 people in Britain were quizzed and two per cent of smokers say they had given up the habit. Scaled up to match the entire UK population, YouGov says this means up to 300,000 Britons … Read more
Smoking trendy hookah pipes may increase your risk of a heart attack or strokes by causing deadly blood clots, scientists fear. The tabletop pipes are considered to be ‘healthier’ because the smoke goes through water before inhalation. But for the first time, research on mice has shown hookah smoke causes blood cells to become ‘hyperactive’. Experiments … Read more
When world-famous artist David Hockney wrote a letter to the Daily Mail saying he believes smoking could protect people against the coronavirus many scoffed. Mr Hockney wrote: ‘Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, it’s beginning to look like that to me.’ … Read more
Smoking marijuana even just occasionally could increase your risk of suffering complications from the novel coronavirus. The virus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that can progress from mild illness to viral pneumonia and organ failure. Doctors say cannabis leads to inflammation in the lungs, which affects the body’s ability to fight off the virus. They … Read more