We take a look at some stats... Researchers at 'Action on Smoking and Health' have reported that a 30-year-old smoker can expect to live about 35 more years, whereas a 30-year-old non-smoker can expect to live 53 more years.
Life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers. Quitting smoking before the age of 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%.
But with others making it to 100 despite their smoking and drinking, scientists have long suspected it could be something in the genes that decides who lives long and who dies young. New research in Japan has found such a genetic link.
Age 90 isn't some wild outlier. The SOA's data suggests that a 65-year-old male today, in average health, has a 35% chance of living to 90; for a woman the odds are 46%.
Study finds some individuals have genetic variants that allow them to have long-term exposure to a carcinogen without developing lung cancer.
Background: Heavy smokers (those who smoke greater than or equal to 25 or more cigarettes a day) are a subgroup who place themselves and others at risk for harmful health consequences and also are those least likely to achieve cessation.
In early May, Fredie Blom's celebrated his 114th birthday, a feat that may make him the world's oldest living man — although official verification is still needed. In a recent interview with the BBC, Blom shared no particular secrets to his longevity and instead confessed to still be a lifetime daily smoker.
It's never too late to get benefits from quitting smoking. Quitting, even in later life, can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer over time and reduce your risk of death.
The mystery of why some people appear to have healthy lungs despite a lifetime of smoking has been explained by UK scientists. The analysis of more than 50,000 people showed favourable mutations in people's DNA enhanced lung function and masked the deadly impact of smoking.
Conclusions Smoking only about one cigarette per day carries a risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke much greater than expected: around half that for people who smoke 20 per day. No safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease.
On average, respondents in this group considered that smoking can cause cancer only if one smokes at least 19.4 cigarettes per day (for an average reported consumption of 5.5 cigarettes per day), and that cancer risk becomes high for a smoking duration of 16.9 years or more (reported average duration: 16.7).
Quitting smoking before age 40 reduces the risk of death associated with continued smoking by 90 percent. Quitting before age 30 avoids more than 97 percent of the risk of death associated with continued smoking. Among smokers who quit at age 65, men gained 1.4 to 2 years of life and women gained 2.7 to 3.4 years.
Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles and other changes to the appearance of your face.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
34-year-old Clare Davison from Stockton-on-Tees had been a smoker since she was just 11-years-old, eventually working her way up to 80 to 100 cigarettes a day.
Smoking Rates by Industry/Occupation
Figure 1 reveals that accommodation and food service industry has the highest rate of smokers (30.3%), followed by construction (28.9%), transportation (26.1%), and water and waste management (25.90%) occupations.
Light smoker: a smoker who reports consuming between 1-10 cigarettes per day. Moderate smoker: a smoker who reports consuming between 11-19 cigarettes per day. Heavy smoker: a smoker who reports consuming 20 cigarettes or more per day.
More than 80% of all smokers now live in countries with low or middle incomes, and 60% in just 10 countries, a list headed by China. China is the world's most populated country, and is also the leading country in the cigarette industry.
He and his colleagues calculated that the risk from smoking about one cigarette per day is around “half that for people who smoke 20 per day.” The findings challenge a widely held view that smoking just a few cigarettes per day is “relatively safe.”
Jeanne Calment was already a minor national treasure in her native France when she passed away in Arles in 1997 at the age of 122 and 165 days. French TV news had been featuring her birthday for at least a decade before the end, noting her penchant for a daily cigarette and glass of wine.
Moreover, the benefits of dropping the habit extend deep into middle age. Smokers who quit between 45 and 54 gained back six otherwise lost years, and those who quit between 55 and 64 gained four years. Quitting young, before age 35, erased the entire decade of lost life expectancy.
The lungs begin healing right away after quitting smoking, which is why quitting sooner than later can lead to better overall health. Quitting smoking is one of the smartest things you can do to improve your overall health. Your lungs start healing immediately the moment you stop smoking.
Those who were able to stop smoking before age 35 had no excess cancer risk. But this doesn't mean you should throw in the towel if you're older than 45 and still smoking. The study found quitters of all ages reduced their cancer risk significantly.