Stress related to the coronavirus pandemic, combined with an uptake in alcohol consumption, has led to an increased rate of smoking.
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All Australian states except South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory showed more people taking up the habit, including Tasmania.
It is concerning news for a state that was already had the worst smoking rates in the country.
The latest rates were collected from Sisu, which collects the data via medical-grade health machines that are situated in pharmacies and corporate settings, and released for World Heart Day.
The data showed that one in five Tasmanians are regular smokers, that smoking rates of the 65 to 74 year age groups had nearly doubled since before the pandemic, and that regional areas were hardest hit
SiSU health managing director Noel Duncan said smoking led to cardiovascular disease, which is a number one killer.
"But many of the risk factors, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity, are within our control to change," he said.
"We detected a sharp jump in our users' smoking rates at the very onset of the pandemic. These rates have
tapered only slightly in 2021 and remain more than two percentage points higher than in the period prior to COVID."
He said the reasons for the uptake a complex.
"Stress and anxiety associated with lockdowns, often in combination with more frequent alcohol consumption at home, are likely to be contributing factors."
He said the rising rates of stress, high blood pressure, weight gain, BMI and diabetes risks were also gathered in the data.
"Research suggests at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided," he said.
"World Heart Day is a great occasion to reflect on the importance of health and, for many people, to begin a healthier life after the COVID period."
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