[ad_1]
The continued ban on the sale of cigarettes during closure appears to be a bone of considerable controversy. From a general health perspective, the message is pretty clear: Smoking is bad for you, and at Health24, we agree, the studies are clear, and we have a section on quitting smoking here.
This position will not change, but in relation to this unprecedented period in our history, we are still not clear on the relevance of this prohibition for the blockade.
From a business perspective, the Independent Fair Trade Tobacco Association (FITA), an agency representing cigarette manufacturers, recently said it will seek legal action to lift the ban during the shutdown.
“Our mere request is that the government authorize, at a minimum, the distribution and sale of cigarettes in retail stores, spaza stores and service stations where citizens are currently allowed to buy what has been classified as essential products,” he said. FITA President Sinenhlanhla Mnguni.
Earlier this month, Fin24 reported that tobacco manufacturer SA British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) warned that as many as 11 million smokers may decide to defy the ban. Since then, many people have been arrested and the police have confiscated cigarettes worth hundreds of thousands of rands.
In a column in News24 on April 21, Mandy Wiener also raised some very relevant points, among which, “… while the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize and the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele made public comments on the ban. of cigarettes, none have explicitly given an explanation for why this happens. “
And that’s what we also want to know: what is the reasoning behind the continued ban?
The word draconian appears regularly, to describe the ban: frankly, smoking warnings have been around for years, they are front and center in the packaging, but people still choose to smoke.
So why has this choice been removed? We contacted some medical experts for more information.
The Minister of Health takes up the habit of smoking amid the coronavirus crisis
But first, we look at the latest comments from the health minister, and we also get in touch with the health department.
On April 18, during a briefing, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize was asked about smoking and the coronavirus.
According to a News24 report, the minister said “It is something we do not advise. Once you have Covid-19 as an additional infection, we believe that those who smoke are vulnerable because Covid-19 affects the lung’s ability to process the normal daily exchange of gases in the lungs.
“I have yet to find a good beneficial action that tobacco has on an individual. Generally speaking, we discourage people from smoking and even more with this Covid-19, “Mkhize said, and further stated:” We have been talking about active smoking and passive smoking. It induces so many conditions and other conditions related to lung diseases or chest related symptoms.
“The problem with smoking is that it tends to affect the lining where people breathe and creates some reactions. In some cases, it can cause a reaction where someone’s lining is easily irritated and infected,” he said.
More and more studies show that Covid-19 appears to be worse in smokers who are infected with the virus, and the minister is certainly correct in referring to the general stance on smoking.
But we wanted to know more about the specific relevance of the block.
What the health department says about smoking and confinement
According to the National Department of Health, one of the main reasons behind maintaining these strict measures was decided after considering the culture of sharing cigarettes with others and, consequently, increasing the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus.
“In many poor communities, smoking is very prevalent. By doing so, the risk of spreading Covid-19 through cigarette sharing is very high,” Popo Maja, spokesperson for the Department of Health (DoH) told Health24. . He added: “Similarly, people share a bottle of beer or wine. There was careful consideration from a public health perspective when these steps were taken.”
So what do medical experts think?
Covid-19, smoking and confinement: what the experts say
Health24 contacted five of the top experts for their opinion on smoking, Covid-19 and the closing sales ban.
For Professor Keertan Dheda, Head of the Division of Pneumology at the University of Cape Town, the preliminary studies serve as sufficient evidence to reduce smoking during the pandemic:
“Preliminary studies indicate that smoking is associated with upregulation of the ACE-2 receptor, which is the human binding site for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the respiratory tract. Smoking, through subversion of protective immunity , increases susceptibility to many respiratory tract infections, including influenza, bacterial pneumonia, and tuberculosis (TB), and clinical outcomes in smokers with respiratory tract infections, including TB, are worse.
“Through the same mechanisms, smoking increases the burden of pneumonia and, therefore, would increase the use of hospital facilities and the need for respiratory assistance, especially in people with pre-existing lung disease such as COPD,” explains Dheda.
Dheda added that smoking is associated with chronic lung and heart disease, which are the main risk factors for worse outcomes in patients with Covid-19.
“On the nonmedical side of things, the need for large numbers of smokers to buy cigarettes would likely intensify the social mix in stores and the need for public transportation,” says Dheda.
Smoking is also characterized by repetitive hand-to-mouth movements that can facilitate the transmission of Covid-19.
Finally, it should be noted that with large numbers of smokers at home, there will be increased exposure of children and family members to secondhand smoke. If you’re thinking about doing it, this is probably a very good time to quit smoking. “
Associate Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, a consulting pulmonologist at the Groote Schuur Hospital at the University of Cape Town, shares the same view, and also points to the evidence: “There is no doubt that smoking is bad for your health; there is Strong evidence that smoking increases your risk of influenza by affecting your lungs’ defenses against viral infection.
“This, in addition to pneumococcal pneumonia and TB infection, which has been known for many years. There is emerging data that smoking is also a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection and Covid-19 respiratory disease. potentially serious. Not smoking this time or quitting is a very good option, always, but especially right now, “says van Zyl-Smit.
A small study of 78 patients with Covid-19 pneumonia in Wuhan this year listed smoking history as a contributing factor to worse patient outcomes, this Health24 article notes.
Another study, involving up to 1,099 patients with Covid-19 and published in March, linked smoking with negative progression and adverse Covid-19 outcomes.
Good intentions, bad idea?
Professor Sean Wasserman, Infectious Disease Specialist at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, added that applying strict bans on the sale and distribution of cigarettes during this time allows social and economic activities for essential purposes only, to continue .
“The benefits of this level of application are debatable. Local broadcast groups in supermarkets are very possible, and reducing physical interaction in these settings would be an important intervention, ”says Wasserman, although he does not ignore the consequences of such a decision.
“Smoking is probably a more serious risk factor for Covid-19, but I don’t know how soon any long-term smoking damage will be fixed. I guess it’s many months, if not years, not a few weeks.
“It may have to do with general health improvements or avoiding social gatherings and frequent outings to get more cigarettes. I suppose an argument would be that, in contrast to food, tobacco is not essential, but where to draw the line?
Professor Shaheen Mehtar, Infection Prevention and Control Specialist (IPC) at Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University, said that while smokers may be at increased risk for complications from Covid-19, banning the sale of cigarettes will not necessarily change that.
“Wouldn’t it be better to ask smokers to behave in a particular way during the outbreak, in the sense that they should be told not to share? If adults understand the risk of sharing cigarettes, I’m sure they will try to avoid becoming infected Mehtar told Health24.
The South African Drug Policy Initiative (SADPI) also called for the ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco to be lifted last month, saying authorities “have erred” in their decision to impose the ban, News24 reported.
In a statement, SADPI presented two reasons for its belief: that the sales ban will be detrimental to people suffering from substance use disorders, in the event that they need support, health services that do not have enough personnel do not will be available to assist you. Those who try to obtain their solution will also have to violate the law by obtaining them through illicit means and risking arrest, the second reason they argued in their statement.
But, despite all the expert input, and some very valid points, there still doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer related to the ban and the blockade.
READ MORE | Physical distancing may need to be practiced on and off until 2022 – study
READ MORE | Coronavirus: the chloroquine debate
READ MORE | Could a measles vaccine help fight Covid-19?
Image credit: Getty Images
Zakiyah Ebrahim and Bevan Lakay
[ad_2]
