Smoking is sold as sociable. A study of 50,000 people found the opposite
What happened
Smoking has always carried a social image. The cigarette break. The huddle outside the pub. The idea that it is something people do together. A study presented on 6 September 2026 at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona suggests the reality runs the other way. The research was led by Dr Keir Philip, a clinical lecturer in respiratory medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London. His team used the Survey of Health and Ageing in Europe, known as SHARE. This is a long-running study that follows the same people over time. They looked at more than 50,000 people across 15 European countries, with an average age of 67. At the start, 22% were current smokers, and 48.5% had more than two long-term illnesses. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA loneliness scale, which asks about feeling a lack of companionship, feeling left out, and feeling isolated. Current smokers reported noticeably higher loneliness than non-smokers. Over the following two years, smokers' loneliness scores rose more than non-smokers', even after allowing for differences in age, background and how lonely people were to begin with. The pattern was similar across European regions. Dr Philip summed it up bluntly: 'Smoking is not social; our research shows it leads to increased social isolation.'
Why this matters
Loneliness is not just an unpleasant feeling. It is now widely treated as a health issue in its own right, linked to poorer physical and mental health in older adults. So if smoking makes loneliness worse, that is a harm on top of the ones everybody already knows about. It also matters because of how people decide to stop, or not to stop. Plenty of smokers know the lung and heart risks perfectly well and carry on anyway. Those risks feel distant and statistical. 'You will feel less lonely' is a different kind of argument, and for some people it may land harder. There is a fairness point too. The people most likely to be smoking in later life are often those with the least support around them. If smoking then deepens isolation, it becomes a loop that is hard to break out of alone.
What the evidence actually says
This is a large, long-running study, which is a genuine strength. Following the same people over two years is much more informative than a single snapshot, and the researchers adjusted for baseline loneliness and demographics. But it is still observational. It shows that smoking and rising loneliness travel together. It does not prove that one causes the other. The honest alternative explanations are easy to see. Lonely people may be more likely to smoke, rather than the other way round. Both may be driven by something else: poor health, low income, bereavement, or living alone. Dr Philip offered plausible mechanisms rather than proven ones. Smoking-related illness limits mobility, which reduces how much people get out and see others. And smoking bans in indoor public places may make pubs, cafés and clubs feel less welcoming to smokers, so they go less often. Those are reasonable ideas. They are not established facts. The study also focused on older Europeans, average age 67. The researchers note that whether the same applies to younger people, or in other parts of the world, needs further work. So the fair reading is this: the sociable image of smoking does not match what happens to older smokers over time. Whether stopping would reverse it is a question this study cannot answer.
Practical advice
If you want to stop smoking, the single most useful fact is that support works better than willpower alone. In England, local NHS stop smoking services are free, and people who use them are substantially more likely to succeed than people who go it alone. Your GP surgery or pharmacy can point you to your local service. Many pharmacies run stop smoking support themselves. Combining behavioural support with a stop smoking aid works better than either on its own. Aids include nicotine replacement such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays, and prescribed medicines. A pharmacist can talk you through which might suit you. Using two forms of nicotine replacement together, such as a patch plus gum, is often more effective than one alone. Ask about it. If you have tried before and it did not stick, that is normal. Most people who stop for good have made several attempts. Each one teaches you something about your triggers. On the loneliness side, do not wait for it to fix itself. Ask your GP surgery about social prescribing, where a link worker helps connect you with local groups and activities. Singing groups, walking groups and befriending schemes exist in most areas, and many are free. Age UK runs a free advice line on 0800 678 1602, open every day.
What to know
A study of more than 50,000 people across 15 European countries, presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress on 6 September 2026, found that current smokers were lonelier than non-smokers, and that their loneliness increased more over two years. The average age was 67. The finding held after adjusting for demographics and starting loneliness levels. It is observational research, so it cannot prove smoking causes loneliness. Reduced mobility from smoking-related illness and the effect of indoor smoking bans were suggested as possible explanations. If you smoke, free NHS stop smoking services and pharmacy support markedly improve your chances. If loneliness is the bigger problem, ask your GP surgery about social prescribing. Sources: News-Medical, 'Smoking linked to increased loneliness, study shows', 6 September 2026, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260906/Smoking-linked-to-increased-loneliness-study-shows.aspx ; European Respiratory Society Congress 2026, Barcelona, 5-9 September 2026, https://www.ersnet.org/events/ers-congress-2026/ ; NHS, 'Stop smoking', accessed 7 September 2026, https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. If you are struggling with loneliness or low mood, please speak to your GP.
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