Smoking tobacco or cannabis could increase the risk of hospitalisation from COVID-19

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-06-22 01:00

International

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Smoking cannabis or tobacco may increase your risk of ending up in hospital or intensive care due to COVID-19, according to international research. The researchers looked at data for more than 72,500 people from 2020 to 2022, finding that people who smoked had a higher risk of hospitalisation and admission to intensive care than non-smokers. They also found that cannabis smokers were more likely to end up in hospital than non-smokers, regardless of whether they also smoked tobacco.

Media release

From: JAMA

Cannabis, Tobacco Use, and COVID-19 Outcomes

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19–related complications, even after considering cigarette smoking, vaccination status, comorbidities, and other risk factors.

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Washington University School of Medicine, USA

Funder: This study was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute (CRDF Award No. 66590), the National Institutes of Health (grant Nos. 5T32HL007776-25, R01 DA056050, R01 CA268030, P30CA091842- 19S5, P30CA091842-16S2, and P50 CA244431), and the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center’s Investment Program 5129–Barnard Trust and The Foundation of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

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