Call for Papers: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nicotine and Tobacco Use

Nicotine & Tobacco Research intends to publish a themed issue on the COVID-19 pandemic and nicotine and tobacco use. The guest editors will be Jessica Barrington-Trimis, Melissa Harrell, Elias Klemperer, and Anuja Majmundar.

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed the world as we know it. From school and work closures to layoffs and furloughs to mandated social distancing and social isolation policies, nearly every life has been substantively impacted by COVID-19. The short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of individuals across the world are not fully known, but it is clear that the pandemic has already exerted a long-lasting effect on the way we interact with one another and the ways in which we engage with society. Understanding whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic affects nicotine and tobacco use is critical for informing interventions and policies that attenuate the public health burden of the pandemic.

This themed issue will include a collection of original articles addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nicotine and tobacco use. Such articles could address the role of the pandemic (including pandemic-related stressors) on changes in behaviour, with a focus on findings applicable to the long-term impact of the pandemic. Articles that specifically address health disparities are particularly encouraged.

Examples of possible manuscript topics include, but are not limited to:

• How nicotine and tobacco use has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Whether the pandemic has disproportionately impacted specific groups
• Whether the pandemic has exacerbated or reduced disparities in nicotine and tobacco use
• The effect of COVID-19 diagnosis on nicotine and tobacco use behaviour
• The role of nicotine and tobacco use on the diagnosis of COVID-19