NEW ORLEANS – As they prepare for World No Tobacco Day (May 31), anti-smoking activists say that COVID-19 has underscored the dangers of smoking.
“Throughout this pandemic, it’s the most vulnerable that have been severely impacted and have even died,” said Juan J. Gershanik, president of the Orleans Parish Medical Society. “Those less likely to survive coronavirus include the frail elderly and individuals with chronic diseases and compromised immune systems. We also know that smokers and vapers are more vulnerable to viruses, like COVID-19, that attack the lungs.”
According to the World Health Organization, smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19, as they may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity which would greatly increase risk of serious illness. So, in recognition of World No Tobacco Day 2020, and in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Smoking Cessation Trust is strongly encouraging Louisiana smokers, many of them young people who have been lured into vaping, to take this opportunity to eliminate tobacco from their lives.
“While observances like World No Tobacco Day are helpful in spreading our cessation messaging, we know that we still have a long way to go in convincing all smokers, young and older, to quit,” said Mike Rogers, CEO of Smoking Cessation Trust Management Services. “We continue to face cessation battles on several fronts, including Big Tobacco spending millions of dollars trying to convince older smokers that “switching” is somehow a healthier option than quitting; a Louisiana legislature that seems reluctant to raising the age of purchasing tobacco products to 21, which could help protect younger generations from getting hooked; and now, a global pandemic that is proving a threat to former and current smokers.”
The Trust said it has registered more than 110,000 eligible Louisiana citizens who are now on the path to quitting their nicotine addiction.
For more information, to apply for the free products and services provided by the Louisiana Smoking Cessation Trust, or to find a cessation provider, visit: www.smokefreela.org, call 504-529-5665 or toll-free at 855-259-6346.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, imposing a terrible toll in health, lives and dollars on families, businesses, and government. Tobacco kills 480,000 people annually – more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. And as the entire world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important for smokers to take care of their health, so that they can avoid the substantially higher risk of COVID-19 progression.