Smoking is not social and leads to increased loneliness, according to large Europe-wide study presented at European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The findings challenge long-held belief that smoking helps social bonding.
The study was presented by Dr Keir Philip, Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK. “Although we know smoking is bad for physical health, we don’t know what it does to social health,” Dr Philip told Congress. Previous research suggested loneliness leads to smoking, but little research asked if smoking leads to loneliness.
“Smoking has been considered social activity, but we regularly see people with smoking-related illnesses becoming increasingly socially isolated and lonely,” Philip explained.
England Study Hinted At Link, Now Europe Confirms
“Our first study in England suggested people who smoked became lonelier than those who didn’t smoke,” Philip said. However, results could have been influenced by culture and social norms in England.
“We wanted to investigate if we saw same relationship between smoking and loneliness across other countries too,” he added. Therefore, researchers expanded analysis to 15 European countries. Researchers analyzed data from over 50,000 people participating in Survey of Health and Ageing in Europe, SHARE. They measured loneliness using UCLA loneliness scale, which provides score based on how often person feels they lack companionship, feel left out, and feel isolated.
Researchers compared current smokers with non-current smokers and followed up with same questionnaire two years later. Average age of participants was 67, 22% were smokers at start, and 48.5% had more than two chronic illnesses.
Key Finding: Smokers Are Lonelier and Become Even Lonelier Over Time
Researchers found current smokers were lonelier compared to non-smokers, even after considering other influencing factors. They adjusted for age, gender, and other demographics that might affect results.
People who currently smoked also experienced larger increases in loneliness over time. This increase persisted after considering demographics and baseline loneliness levels. There was only slight variation between European regions, indicating consistent pattern across cultures. Therefore, smoking-loneliness link appears robust across different European social norms.
Analysis: How Does Smoking Actually Cause Loneliness? Two Mechanisms
Dr Philip believes one likely mechanism is progressive smoking-related illnesses limiting mobility. Limited mobility makes it more difficult for people to access and participate in social activities.
“Another potential mechanism relates to social norms around smoking around other people,” Philip adds. Smoking bans in public places and informal smoke-free environments in homes may make such places less appealing to smokers. This avoidance could limit potential for social interactions significantly. Moreover, stigma around smoking indoors may isolate smokers from family gatherings and social events.
Consequently, what begins as social habit may end in social isolation over time. Furthermore, health decline creates vicious cycle where illness reduces social contact further.
What Needs To Change: Public Narrative Must Shift
Dr Philip believes next steps are to change public narrative so it aligns with data. “Smoking is not social; our research shows it leads to increased social isolation and loneliness,” he emphasizes.
“Spreading word through various routes will be key, from pubs to public policy – psychosocial impacts of smoking need to be made clear,” Philip adds.
Q&A
Q: Does smoking cause loneliness according to new study?
A: Yes, Europe-wide study of 50,000 people found current smokers were lonelier and became lonelier over two years than non-smokers.
Q: How many people were in smoking loneliness study?
A: Researchers analyzed over 50,000 people across 15 countries in SHARE study, average age 67, presented at ERS Congress Barcelona.
Q: Why does smoking lead to loneliness?
A: Smoking-related illnesses limit mobility and smoking bans make social places less appealing, reducing social interactions and increasing isolation.
FAQ
1. Where was smoking loneliness study presented?
Study was presented at European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain, by Dr Keir Philip from Imperial College London.
2. How did researchers measure loneliness in smokers?
They used UCLA loneliness scale measuring how often people feel they lack companionship, feel left out, and feel isolated from others.
3. Was smoking loneliness link same across Europe?
Yes, researchers found only slight variation between European regions, suggesting consistent link across different cultural and social norms.
4. Did previous research show opposite direction?
Previous research suggested loneliness leads to smoking, but little research examined whether smoking leads to loneliness until this study.
5. What should change based on these findings?
Public narrative should challenge social smoking myth and emphasize psychosocial harms, while supporting smokers to quit without stigma.
Disclaimer; This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or psychological advice. We summarize research presented at European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona for educational purposes.
