Cigarette sales remain strong as more look to light up in lockdown

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Cigarette sales remain strong as more look to light up in lockdown

The number of Americans giving up smoking appears to have fallen to its lowest level in years – and COVID-19 lockdowns could be the reason why.

On Tuesday, tobacco giant Altria revealed that they are expecting cigarette sales to fall by just 2 percent this year, down for an initial prediction of 6 percent. 

Altria manufactures Marlboro, a brand which accounts for more than 40 percent of all cigarette sales across the United States. 

Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Altria Chief Executive Billy Gifford said he believes stay-at-home orders are helping to keep people puffing away.  

‘Fewer social engagements allow for more tobacco-use occasions,’ he stated. 

He also claimed that pandemic, stimulus checks and a $600/ week jobless benefit have likely helped smokers stay stocked up on cigarettes even if they’ve lost their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

Locked down, but lighting up! The number of Americans giving up smoking appears to have fallen to its lowest level in years – and COVID-19 lockdowns could be the reason why

Additionally, a flurry of bad publicly around e-cigarettes means some smokers are switching back to tobacco.

Gifford told the Wall Street Journal that e-cigarette sales were down a whopping 14 percent in the second quarter of 2020 when compared with the same time last year. 

Those numbers could get even worse, according to the Journal, as ‘the FDA is requiring e-cigarette manufacturers to submit all products for agency review by September or they will take them off the US market’.  

Meanwhile, many smokers say cigarettes help relieve their stress. 

Millions may be less inclined to try and kick the habit given widespread anxiety around COVID-19 and subsequent societal changes.

It comes despite the fact doctors have claimed smokers face an increased risk of serious illness should they contract the coronavirus. 

On Tuesday, Marlboro manufacturer Altria revealed that they are expecting cigarette sales to fall by just 2 percent this year, down for an initial prediction of 6 percent

The number of American adults who smoke has been steadily falling since the 1960s. 

In that decade, more than 40 percent of the country were smokers, with 523 billion cigarettes smoked in 1963 alone. 

In recent years, smoking rates have dropped even more dramatically. 

Last year, the CDC reported that 14 percent of American adults are regular smokers. 

In 2005, 21 percent of Americans over the age of 18 lit up frequently. 

Data shows that smokers are most likely to be less educated and have a lower-than average incomes. 

More than 36 percent of those who did not complete high school are smokers. 

Meanwhile, 21 percent of all American adults who make less than $35,000 a year say they smoke on a regular basis.  

Last year, the CDC reported that 14 percent of American adults are regular smokers

Source: Daily Mail |NewsColony

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