The Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Smoking Behaviour: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

In the UK, the proportion of smokers increased significantly as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest that smoking behaviour may have been used as a mechanism to cope with depression, stress, and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To the extent to which smoking behaviour has been used as a coping mechanism to deal with job-related issues, targeted policy action to provide financial stability to those in worse economic situations may be have beneficial effects on smoking behaviour.