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By Edward West 
3h ago
CAPE TOWN
Two Human Science Research Council (HSRC) surveys showed that 88 percent of smokers are unable to purchase cigarettes during closure, suggesting that the ban is efficient in reducing cigarette access and use.
The HSRC conducted online surveys of more than 50,000 people between March 27 and April 2 and 19,330 people from April 8 to 24.
The survey showed that overall, only 11.8 percent of smokers were able to buy cigarettes during the shutdown.
Almost a quarter (23.5 percent) of smokers in informal settlements and 16 percent of those in municipalities were able to buy cigarettes.
This was much higher than the corresponding rates for smokers in cities (9.9 percent), suburbs (8.2 percent), and farming communities (7.3 percent).
The purchase of cigarettes was higher in people who were less confident in protecting themselves and their families from Covid-19 infection.
It was also discovered that the purchase of cigarettes is more frequent among those who were able to buy alcohol than those who were unable to buy alcohol:
Seventy-two percent of people who bought alcohol also bought cigarettes.
The purchase of cigarettes was also more frequent among those who were able to drink alcohol with friends: 26 percent of people who drank alcohol with friends during the closure, also bought cigarettes.
The percentage of participants who came into close contact with someone outside the home, shaking hands, hugging or kissing, was significantly higher for those who were able to buy cigarettes during the confinement (26.2 percent) than those who were not (9.8 percent). ).
More than 40 percent of those who were able to buy cigarettes came into close contact (within 2 meters) with more than 10 people when they were away from home, compared to 26.4 percent of smokers who did not buy cigarettes during closing.
The data therefore indicated that smokers did not practice appropriate social distancing. Sharing tobacco products such as cigarettes or hookah pipes may also increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission in community and social settings, the HSRC said.
During confinement, non-smokers, including children, the elderly, and non-smoking women, were at increased risk of exposure to secondhand smoke due to the increased number of people in small spaces.
More than half of smokers reported living in a home with children going to school.
A third said that if self-isolation was necessary, their homes did not have enough space to separate family members from the rest of the family.
South Africa had an estimated population of approximately 41 million people age 15 and over in 2019. The 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey found that approximately 20 percent of the South African population age 15 and older smoked tobacco.
The survey showed that the prevalence of daily or occasional smoking increased with age, reaching 11 percent among women ages 45 to 54 and 45 percent among men ages 45 to 54.
“This translates to approximately 8 million people who smoke across the country. If only 1 percent of the 8 million smokers hired Covid-19, this means that 80,000 smokers would become infected. If it is estimated that 5 percent would need an ICU, this would translate to approximately 4,000 people who would need hospital beds and ventilators in the ICU. According to current calculations, this would exceed the availability of ventilators and put health workers at risk, “said the HSRC.
The HSRC said that people who used tobacco products were more likely to experience severe Covid-19 results. Smokers were more likely to be admitted to intensive care, need mechanical ventilation, or die compared to nonsmokers, “said the HSRC.
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