Smoking Poses Heightened Health Risks for HIV Patients, Studies Show
- Recent studies reveal that people living with HIV who smoke lose more years of life from smoking than from HIV itself, with 50-70% of HIV-positive individuals being smokers.
- Smoking significantly increases HIV patients' risk of opportunistic infections, cardiovascular disease, and medication complications, with up to 60% higher mortality rates observed in smokers.
- Public health initiatives like Stoptober and e-cigarette adoption are being promoted as harm reduction strategies, with evidence showing e-cigarettes carry only 5% of tobacco's health risks.