More than a quarter of smokers smoked more during confinement linked to the epidemic of the new coronavirus, while nearly a quarter of alcohol users state to have drunk less, according to a survey by the health agency Health France.
“ Boredom, lack of activity, stress and pleasure are the main reasons mentioned by smokers or alcohol users having increased their consumption. We also note that the increase for both tobacco and alcohol is correlated with the risk of anxiety and depression ”according to Ms. Viêt Nguyen Thanh, head of the addictions unit in the prevention and promotion department of health at Public Health France (SpF).
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According to the survey published on Wednesday, 27% of smokers surveyed say they have increased their tobacco consumption since confinement, more than half (55%) consider it stable and for 19%, it has decreased. For daily smokers (94% of smokers surveyed), the average increase in the number of cigarettes smoked is 5 cigarettes per day. The 25-34 year olds (41%) and those working at home (37%) are the most likely to report more smoking.
More stable alcohol consumption
The alcohol side " seems less unfavorable, with approximately one in ten consumers declaring to have increased their consumption " but almost a quarter decreased it, according to the health agency SpF. Thus 11% declare an increase in their alcohol consumption since confinement, 65% say that it is stable, and 24% that it has decreased. Among those who declared having increased their consumption, half (51%) increased their frequency of consumption, 10% the number of drinks on the days of consumption and 23% both.
The increase in alcohol consumption is more frequently mentioned by people under 50 (between 14% and 17% depending on the age group), residents of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants (13% versus 9% of inhabitants of agglomerations with less than 100,000 inhabitants) and parents of children under the age of 16 (18% compared to 8% of respondents with no children under the age of 16). The survey was conducted online from March 30 to April 1, with a representative sample of 2003 people over 18 years of age.
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A staggering effect at the start of confinement could have led to a reduction in the use of assistive devices to combat alcohol and tobacco. For Tabac info Service, calls to 3989 fell by 19% between March 2019 and 2020 and by 15% between April 2019 and 2020, whereas they had increased by 14% in February. In total, the number of calls received in April amounted to 2,812, notes SpF which repeats a campaign on social networks to encourage people to use it. On the other hand, for Alcool info Service, after a 12% drop in requests (calls, chats and Q&A) between February and March, an increase of 27% was noted in April to return to a normal level.
