Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has uncovered some interesting stats on life expectancy and smoking.
- smoking has declined since the 1960’s from 40% to 20%
- modern cigarettes have less tar and the rate of death from vascular disease has declined
- more than 50% of people who ever smoked have quit
- women are no more protected from the consequences of smoking than men
- smokers have not benefited as much from advances in medicine
- quitting between 25-34 years old gains 10 years of life compared to those who continued to smoke
- quitting between 35-44 years old gains you 9 years
- quitting between 45-59 years old gains you 4 to 6 years of life expectancy
Can read the New York Times article here:
Well: Long Term Effects on Life Expectancy From Smoking
NYT > Health