Quit smoking if possible before age 35

Why stop smoking before age 35?

A recent US study confirmed that smoking was associated with earlier death overall and increased mortality from cancer, heart disease, and lower respiratory disease. In this study, the excess mortality associated with smoking was higher in women than in men.

The results also confirm the importance of lifetime exposure to smoking in determining the level of health risk and serve as a reminder that the benefits of successful smoking cessation can accrue to all smokers, regardless of age. In this study, among participants who had ever smoked, 54% reported ever quitting, and the average age of quitting was 38 years. Smoking cessation before age 44 years was associated with a 21% greater reduction in mortality than that associated with never smoking across all sociodemographic groups studied. Among smokers who quit between the ages of 45 and 54, the mortality rate associated with smoking was 47% higher than among never smokers. Smoking cessation at these ages was associated with a substantial advantage over continued smoking.

Quitting Smoking by Age 35 Years – A Goal for Reducing Mortality. JP Pierce. Octobre 2022. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2231487. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.31487