Smoking Habits in the Midst of a Pandemic Remains High

The results of a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that smokers are 50 percent more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms than patients who do not smoke.

The nicotine in cigarettes is known to lower the immune system. In addition, in terms of handling, smokers who are positive for Covid-19 are twice as likely to need a ventilator and an ICU room. In fact, the risk of death also increased much greater. The dire situation of the pandemic that creates an increased risk of fatal health risks does not seem to easily shift the habit of smoking for addicts. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that consumption expenditures for cigarettes in 2020-2021 remained relatively high. In 2020, the average monthly per capita expenditure for cigarette and tobacco commodity groups reached Rp. 73,442. Then it will increase to Rp 76,583 for 2021. This amount puts the average expenditure on cigarettes and tobacco for Indonesians in second place after basic needs, namely the ready-to-eat food and beverage group. The amount of this expenditure is even greater than the purchase of protein needs such as fish, eggs and milk, meat and even vegetables and fruit. In proportion, consumption of cigarettes and tobacco in the two years of the pandemic reached 6 percent of the average per capita expenditure in a month. Although it tends to be stagnant since 2015, there has been a slight increase in the last three years. The existence of strict rules for limiting activities that require people to stay at home more makes smoking a powerful escape option to overcome boredom and anxiety.

|•SOURCE•| Articles :KOMPAS | Image :PIKIRAN RAKYAT |

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