Americans unfortunately are picking up cigarettes more than ever during the pandemic

In an unfortunate turn of events the last person(s) profiting from the pandemic should be the makers of cigarettes in the United States. But according to the American Lung Association, Americans are picking up cigs for the first time in record numbers after years of steady declines.

“COVID-19 has created a drastic change in daily life, including increased stress and anxiety,” that may be spurring people to scoop up smokes, an FDA spokeswoman tells the Wall Street Journal (we don’t link to the journal here.)