THE NUMBER of young people smoking jumped by more than a quarter during the first coronavirus lockdown, according to a new study.

The report, funded by Cancer Research UK, found that more than 652,000 people aged 18 to 34 took up smoking when the first lockdown was enforced from March to July last year.

The first lockdown also saw an increase of 40 per cent in the number of high-risk drinkers, bringing the total to over 4.5 million during the first lockdown, according to the report’s findings. The rise was greatest among women and people from less advantaged backgrounds, at 55 and 64 per cent respectively.

While the study does not explain the reasons behind the increase, researchers suggest the possibility that some may have taken up smoking for the first time or relapsed to cope with the stress of the pandemic.

Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author of the report and principal research fellow at University College London, said: “The first lockdown was unprecedented in the way it changed people’s day-to-day lives.

“It was a period of great stress for many people, and we saw rates of smoking and risky drinking increase among groups hardest hit by the pandemic.”

However, the study also discovered that numbers of people successfully quitting smoking almost doubled during the start of the pandemic.

While Dr Jackson said that it is “fantastic” that more people chose to quit, attention will need to be paid to current trends and provide appropriate support where required.

The latest figures come ahead of the publication of a government plan to reach the goal of making England “smoke-free” by the end of the decade - a target that would require smokers to quit at a rate 40 per cent faster than predicted.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Michelle Mitchell said such a goal can only be realistically achieved with sufficient investment.

She said: “Public health campaigns and prevention services have a vital role to play in helping people to quit and also maintaining the motivation of those who have already made positive changes.”

“A smokefree fund – using tobacco industry funds, but without industry interference – could pay for the comprehensive measures needed to prevent people from starting to smoke and helping those who do, to quit.”

Smokers looking to quit can call NHS England’s Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044.

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