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Quitting smoking at any age can add years to your life, study finds

A new study by researchers from the University of Toronto and the Center for Global Health Research has found that quitting smoking

By Ground Report Desk 16 Feb 2024

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Quitting smoking at any age can add years to your life, study finds

A new study by researchers from the University of Toronto and the Center for Global Health Research has found that quitting smoking can significantly increase your life expectancy, regardless of your age or how long you have smoked. The study, published in the journal NEJM Evidence, analyzed data from 1.5 million adults from the US, UK, Canada, and Norway, who were followed for 15 years.

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Quitting smoking boosts life expectancy

The study found that people who quit smoking before the age of 40 had a life expectancy similar to those who never smoked. People who quit smoking at any age had a life expectancy that was almost equal to never smokers after 10 years of quitting. Even people who quit smoking for less than three years gained up to six years of life expectancy.

The study also found that quitting smoking reduced the risk of death from various diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases. However, the risk of death from respiratory diseases was less reduced than other diseases, probably because smoking causes irreversible damage to the lungs.

Dr. Prabhat Jha, one of the authors of the study and the director of the Center for Global Health Research, said that quitting smoking is incredibly effective in lowering the risk of death. He said that people often think that it is too late to quit smoking, especially in middle age, but the findings of this study disprove this notion. He said that quitting smoking can have positive effects very soon, and can also reduce the risk of fatal diseases.

Tobacco causes millions of deaths

The study also highlighted the global burden of tobacco, which is responsible for 8.7 million deaths every year, or one death every four seconds. About 1.3 million of these deaths are among non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke. The study also revealed that about 90% of smokers become addicted before the age of 18, and that smoking reduces the life expectancy of smokers by 12 to 13 years on average.

The study suggested that stakeholders need to exert more efforts to prevent and control tobacco use, particularly in low and middle-income countries where 80% of the 1.3 billion global tobacco users reside. Additionally, the study recommended the implementation of more policies and programs like taxation, regulation, cessation services, and mass media campaigns to aid smokers in quitting.

The study concluded that quitting smoking is beneficial at any age and that it is never too late to quit. The study also stated that quitting smoking can lead to a longer and healthier life for smokers and their families.

Smoking is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the world, killing half of its users who do not quit. It also causes huge economic losses due to the healthcare costs and productivity losses associated with tobacco-related illnesses. However, a new study has shown that quitting smoking can reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, and increase the life expectancy and quality of life of smokers and their families.