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With a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 patients, Turkey recently implemented a number of measures to stem the spread of the virus, including a nationwide smoking ban in public spaces. Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the chair of the anti-addiction group, the Turkish Green Crescent, welcomed the ban but warned smokers of the likelihood of experiencing more severe symptoms from the deadly virus than non-smokers. smokers.
In a circular to the governors of the nation’s 81 provinces, the Interior Ministry announced on November 11 that a smoking ban would be introduced in “areas such as boulevards, streets and bus stops where citizens gather in crowds.”
The head of the WHO European Center for Humanitarian and Health Emergency Preparedness, Irshad Ali Shaikh, said that “action is unpopular, but inaction is deadly”. The doctor told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that “it is only prudent to consider those factors” that can potentially slow the rate of spread of the virus.
With masks, personal hygiene and social distancing already implemented globally and in Turkey, Shaikh said experts are now “looking into any plausible factors that could contribute to further spread.” While explaining that smoking research and the COVID-19 relationship is ongoing, he said viral particles can travel further through the exhaled air of smokers.
He cited a case in the United States where a choir member in early March unknowingly infected more than 55 people in the group. He said the “laws of physics” could explain the super diffusion during choir practice. Similar to the choir incident, smokers exhale with extra force compared to regular breathing.
“So looking at the physics, you’d assume that when smokers exhale, the particles / droplets (viruses) will come out and with any additional force, they would travel a lot more than normal breathing,” he said. He noted that there is “an etiological and physiological pathway that links smoking with many respiratory viruses in the past.” Noting that doctors have seen the number of Middle East flu and respiratory syndrome (MERS), a viral respiratory disease, double. in smokers, Shaikh said the process affects the immune capacity of lung tissue. Noting that general population research is piling up, he said WHO evidence suggests that in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, “smokers are more likely to get serious illness and the likelihood of dying was also higher in smokers. than non-smokers “. He praised Turkey’s efforts in tackling the virus and said the country “is doing good at the population level”. With Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca continually urging everyone to respect the measures and be accountable, Shaikh said: “The repeated and regular emphasis by ministers shows leadership from the front.”
“The continued emphasis on the part of the health minister and the president talking about precautionary measures shows that they don’t want us to let our guard down,” he said. “The virus is waiting for more opportunities to infect.” He applauded the level of public respect for wearing the mask and said that wearing masks at home even with close family members and having fresh air circulation at home will further reduce the spread of the virus, especially as the holiday season approaches in many. parts of the world. .
Echoing Shaikh, WHO Noncommunicable Diseases and Life Course Manager Toker Ergüder said: “When you blow cigarette smoke, your lungs blow with a little more pressure.” “In other words, due to such a murmur, it is possible to spread viral particles further than the required social distance of 1-2 meters (3-6 feet). Another person could be infected as soon as they detect this smoke,” he added .
MORE SERIOUS SYMPTOMS
Reiterating that there is no hard evidence for this theory, Ergüder said the smoking ban was “a valid decision” by Turkish officials. He said another reason the ban is wise is due to people pulling their masks down. “Masks under their chins. They are also infecting their masks. They would touch the pack of cigarettes, pull out the lighter if they have one or they will ask someone else and ultimately ruin the usability of the mask, “he said.
Ergüder said smokers experience COVID-19 symptoms 14 times more severe than non-smokers, and second-hand smokers also experience lung damage and a deterioration of the immune system. “A total of 8 million people die each year from tobacco use. More than 7 million of these deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while nearly 1.2 million are the result of exposure to secondhand smoke. “he said. With COVID-19 measures, Ergüder said people who wear masks all day would be exposed to less tobacco and possibly quit smoking and stressed that it is important to inspect the measures as much as to enforce them.
Turkish Green Crescent President Mücahit Öztürk also told AA that the smoking ban is “a valid decision” and stressed the risks of passive smoking. “At this point, every decision made and every step taken to fight the virus is very important. Decisions that would reduce the risk of contamination should also be taken by citizens, and everyone should play their part in this fight,” he said. While the ban could potentially raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use, Özturk believes such a move could also “motivate” people to quit smoking.
Similarly to Shaikh and Ergüder, the head of the Turkish Green Crescent said: “Smoking and the coronavirus are linked both in terms of their influence on the spread of the virus and the difficulty in the treatment process.” With smokers letting their guard down by lowering their masks, Öztürk said such action also prevents proper use of masks. “While tobacco and tobacco products negatively affect the overall health and function of all of our organs, tobacco smoke suppresses the immune system and impairs its function,” he said.
“Furthermore, smoking blocks the cough reflex in the lungs, making it easier for viruses and bacteria, which could cause serious infections, to remain in the respiratory tract and lungs,” Öztürk said. Urging all smokers to use the measure as a chance to quit smoking, he said doctors believe the ban would create motivation to quit and expects it to become more widespread globally.
According to recent research from the anti-addiction group, COVID-19 has increased motivation to quit smoking while one in 10 people have quit smoking due to the pandemic in the past six months. The study involved approximately 2,500 people aged 15 and over from 26 provinces in Turkey. A total of 62% were men and 38% were women. In the study, 95% were active smokers and 5% had quit.
“In a study conducted in 2017, the rate of those who wanted to quit smoking was around 37%, while in this study the rate had increased to 58%,” Öztürk said.
Smoking rates are falling across Turkey, but deadly addiction still takes a heavy toll. The country spends a whopping $ 25 billion (TL 190.90 billion) annually on smoking, both in terms of tobacco itself and on treating the diseases it causes. According to the Fight Against Smoking Association, the public spends $ 15 billion annually on cigarettes, while the government spends $ 10 billion on smoking-related diseases.
The country introduced a nationwide indoor smoking ban in 2009 in restaurants, bars and similar establishments and has gradually extended its reach to other enclosed spaces over the years, as well as a total smoking ban in schoolyards and the sale of tobacco products in educational facilities.
Meanwhile, Shaikh and Ergüder expect the virus to be with us until the second or third quarter of next year. Despite the number of vaccine candidates introduced, Shaikh said: “Even when the vaccine is available, there will be a severe shortage between supply and demand.” But there is still light at the end of the tunnel, he said. “We may be tired of the virus, but it’s not tired of infecting us.”
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