Smoking rates surge during COVID-19: University of Queensland researchers have found nicotine consumption in Australia increased by 30 per cent during the early stages of COVID-19. Associate Professor Phong Thai from UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) led the research, which analysed data from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. “Tobacco and nicotine consumption have been decreasing in Australia, however the COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily disrupted this trend,” Dr Thai said. “Our findings estimate nicotine consumption in the first half of 2020 was significantly higher than the second half of 2019. “The increase coincides with Australia’s first
Smoking rates surge during COVID-19 as seen on The Hippocratic Post.