Tobacco ultimately kills up to half of its users, which makes the tobacco use mortality rate 50%. So please don’t feel bad for the tobacco companies. There are already more than 7 million deaths every year as a direct result of tobacco use. Plus approximately 1.2 million additional people die each year as a result of smokers exposing them to harmful and ultimately deadly second-hand smoke.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic tobacco smokers and anyone  enabling them to continue  smoking will be responsible for killing many non-smokers. Plus they will also be killing complete strangers who will not be able to get the care they need because of the extra demand SARS-CoV-2 infected smokers will be placing on the healthcare system.

Based on data, tobacco use seems to greatly increase the chance of becoming infected, needing hospitalization, becoming critically ill, and dying from SARS-CoV-2. In my opinion, there is a significant enough concern to warrant banning any further tobacco sales, at least until the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has ended. Saving every additional life right now is far more important than tobacco company profits, or government tax revenues. Tobacco is a nonessential product. So there is no excuse for allowing tobacco companies to continue operating during the pandemic. Allowing tobacco to continue to be sold will increase the demand on health services. This will not only cause more deaths as a result of tobacco use and second hand smoke exposure… it will also result in others unnecessarily dying when they cannot receive care because of the additional tobacco related hospitalizations consuming already overstretched resources. If the tobacco companies attempt to use any influence over policy makers or try to confuse the public about the serious increased health risk a result of smoking during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, they should be fined and punished so heavily that they will be put out of business. Plus everyone reading this should also be ready to sue the bleep out of them for any SARS-CoV-2/Tobacco related deaths and injuries. If you are a smoker and you are reading this then for your own sake and for the sake of others who are exposed to tobacco smoke because of you, seriously this is a really good time for you to make the decision to quit smoking. This goes for those who are vaping also because almost for sure you will be found to be in the high risk group too as more data becomes available. Chewing tobacco, aside from the infectious spittle, will be less dangerous for the people immediately around you, but it will probably later be  toxic effects of the tobacco will still increases your risk of SARS-CoV-2 putting you in the hospital and possibly dying. Please share this if you agree so we can end any further tobacco sales during the pandemic as fast as possible.