Running away from the smoke, the role of physical activity in tobacco dependency treatment

The tobacco epidemic is far from over. Tobacco smoking still causes an estimated eight million deaths a year and is the largest preventative healthcare issue we face worldwide.1 Tobacco smoking is responsible for a multitude of chronic diseases and cancers, and a main factor driving health inequalities,2 making smoking cessation a vital intervention across physical, mental and social health.3 Smoking cessation programmes traditionally combine behavioural support with pharmacological tools to reduce withdrawal symptoms, including alternative sources of nicotine such as dual nicotine replacement therapy and nicotine analogues like varenicline or cytisine, delivered in an outpatient setting.4 However, researchers have investigated novel deviations from this model, via embedding services into clinical lung cancer screening, using digital tools and physical activity interventions.5 6