A Complex Interplay: Navigating the Crossroads of Tobacco Use, Cardiovascular Disease, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A WHF Policy Brief

To generate robust data for measuring the association and impact of tobacco on specific diseases.

To inform the public, health authorities, and governments of potential additional risks.

To implement timely and responsive tobacco control policies that further protect the public, including smokers, from emerging variants of interest or concern.

To reduce the impact of tobacco on noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease), communicable diseases (e.g., COVID-19), and potential future pandemics.

To support individuals seeking to quit tobacco, including during health emergencies.

To improve and ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of tobacco cessation services at all times.

To capitalise on the momentum and political will to enact tobacco control regulations.

To minimise the impact of tobacco on future pandemics.

To sustain progress made to protect public health, even beyond health emergencies.

To promote health equity for marginalised and/or vulnerable populations during health emergencies.

To promote healthy lifestyles in stressful situations, such as pandemics.

To address the social determinants of health in national emergency preparedness and response plans.

To prevent tobacco industry interference in national pandemic responses, including through so-called corporate social responsibility activities.

To protect tobacco control laws, including pandemic-specific policies, from vested and commercial interest of the tobacco industry.

To prevent the dissemination of unsubstantiated information that may lead to avoidable health complications and deaths.

To prevent the tobacco industry from undermining tobacco control during national pandemic responses.

To reduce affordability and thereby discourage the consumption of tobacco and nicotine products in the population.

To generate revenue for government to allocate towards pandemic recovery initiatives.

To protect the population from second-hand smoke.

To prevent the potential transmission of airborne infectious agents.

To raise awareness on the interplays between tobacco, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19 or other infectious pathogens.

To educate and protect the general population from misinformation.

To reduce the impact of tobacco on noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease), communicable diseases (e.g., COVID-19), and potential future pandemics.

To support individuals seeking to quit tobacco, including during health emergencies.