A comparison of the data available until 1 May 2020 shows that during its first six months the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in much less human life lost than smoking – both globally and in Bulgaria. However, the reactions in society, state institutions and healthcare to the two threats are surprisingly disproportionate.
The authors compare tobacco smoking to COVID-19 terminologically and in terms of mortality figures, policy responses, and enforcement. This happened in conditions of scarce scientific knowledge about COVID-19, and in conditions of lack of scientific consensus in various areas. We observe that, despite decades of evidence and international consensus on the deadly effects of smoking, the response is much more gradual, hesitant, of warning and advisory – both globally and on a national level in the case of Bulgaria.