The purpose of this notice is to communicate NIDA’s interest in supporting research on the effects of smoking or vaping tobacco or marijuana on the risk of acquiring COVID-19 and the clinical course of the infection. This Notice is a reissuance of NOT-DA-20-084.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is causing devastating effects throughout the world, particularly in the US where an ominous record of over 200,000 deaths is being recorded seven months after the first case. Terrible health, social and financial consequences of the pandemic have gravely impacted our society. COVID-19, notorious for attacking the upper airways and the lungs, is highly contagious and carries extreme morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly and in individuals with co-morbid conditions such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, asthma, cancer, and chronic HIV and immunosuppressive conditions.

During this pandemic, requirements of “Stay-at-Home” to reduce exposure, social isolation, lack of employment and lost incomes have raised the level of anxiety among individuals and may have led to increased use of tobacco and marijuana. Therefore, it is scientifically relevant to explore the medical consequences of smoking and vaping and the effects of tobacco and marijuana exposure in relation to COVID-19. Of relevance are studies in individuals at the forefront of indispensable jobs, in individuals with substance-use disorders (SUD) (narcotics, stimulants, sedatives, etc.), in individuals with HIV and other immunocompromised populations, in disenfranchised minorities, and in adolescents whose lives have been distorted by the pandemic. Remarkably, vaping nicotine and marijuana have risen sharply in the past 3 years among adolescents and young adults, a phenomenon that may increase vulnerability of these individuals to COVID-19 infection. Whereas mortality appears lower in adolescents and young adults, they can suffer from respiratory or cardiovascular long-term morbidity at a time they can be significant transmitters of infection.

This notice applies to due dates on or after June 5, 2021 and subsequent receipt dates through September 7, 2024. 

NOT-DA-21-011