By Judith Mackay | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-12-22 09:15 Share CLOSE A Montecristo cigar is pictured in a tobacco store amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Brussels, Belgium, Oct 26, 2020. [Photo/Agencies] The new Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2020 shows aggressive tobacco industry lobbying in 2019 and exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic this year. The report was released by global tobacco industry watchdog Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products. It measures tobacco industry influence: The more influence the tobacco industry has, the less governments are able to reduce the 8 million deaths worldwide caused by tobacco each year. Moreover, reports have clarified that smoking increases suffering and risks of dying from COVID-19.