No smoking sign pictogram illustration. Quitting smoking is recommended to prevent cardiovascular disease. (Photo by BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Universal Image Group via Getty Images
Sustained smoking cessation is associated with a reduced risk of many cancers, especially if people quit before age 50, according to a large population-based study published in JAMA Network Open.
The study followed more than 2 million participants in South Korea for over 13 years to examine changes in cancer risk over time with time since quitting smoking. The study found that smokers who quit smoking completely had a 17% lower risk of any cancer compared with smokers who continued to smoke. A reduction in cancer risk was observed for several cancers, including lung, liver, stomach, and colorectal cancer, in smokers who quit smoking completely.
The researchers reported that although quitting smoking by age 50 significantly reduced cancer risk, quitting smoking at any age was associated with a reduced cancer risk.
Smoking remains a serious threat to global health, being linked to more than a dozen types of cancer, including lung cancer, which causes more deaths than any other cancer worldwide, according to the National Cancer Institute. Nearly 9 in 10 lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the CDC.
Smoking can cause cancer in almost any part of the body. Smoking-related cancers include lung, colon, cervical, blood, kidney, and pancreatic cancer.
The harmful effects of smoking aren't limited to cancer. According to the CDC, smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by two to four times. Smoking and the toxins that come with it damage blood vessels, narrowing them and ultimately leading to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
The harmful effects of smoking aren't just limited to those who smoke packs of cigarettes every day: according to the CDC, even smoking fewer than five cigarettes a day can cause cardiovascular disease.
Smoking also damages the airways, which can lead to breathing difficulties and many lung diseases. Examples of lung diseases that are or can be caused by smoking include emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. According to the CDC, smokers are 13 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than non-smokers. Quitting smoking can slow and in some cases reverse the progression of these diseases and improve your quality of life.
Quitting smoking can also improve your mental health. The nicotine addiction caused by smoking cigarettes often leads to stress and anxiety in those who try to quit. Quitting smoking can improve your self-esteem as you are freed from the shackles of addiction and feel more in control of your overall health.
Smoking takes a huge financial toll on individuals and the general public. The average price of a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $8, but in some states it can be closer to $12 per pack. This can quickly drain your finances, especially for regular smokers. Quitting smoking not only saves you money, but it also cuts down on medical costs for smoking-related illnesses.
According to the CDC, smoking cost the United States more than $600 billion in 2018, including more than $240 billion in health care costs and nearly $372 billion in lost productivity. With more than 28 million U.S. adults currently smoking, the cost savings would be enormous if more Americans quit.
Quitting smoking is truly the key to unlocking a healthier future: it reduces the risk of many cancers, improves cardiovascular and respiratory health, boosts mental wellbeing and may even benefit your bank account.
