News: Younger than 40? Quit smoking now to live as long as a non-smoker

Think it’s too late to quit smoking?

According to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, it’s not too late if you’re younger than 40.

‘Smokers lose at least one decade of life expectancy, as compared with those who have never smoked,’ the study’s authors wrote.

But you can get those precious years of life back, if you stop smoking before you turn 40.

‘Cessation before the age of 40 years reduces the risk of death associated with continued smoking by about 90%.’

Before you light up in celebration of your youth, consider this: The earlier you quit, the more years of life you’ll gain back.

‘Adults who had quit smoking at 25 to 34, 35 to 44, or 45 to 54 years of age gained about 10, 9, and 6 years of life, respectively, as compared with those who continued to smoke.’

In other words, the sooner you quit, the better’but it’s never too late.

‘The most important message,’ lead researcher Dr. Prabhat Jha told CTV News, “is that quitting works.’

Do you smoke? Does the thought of regaining 10 years of life make you want to quit?

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor

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