Smoking Kills, Even When One Smokes At Minimum

People have seen it in cigarette packs: Smoking Kills. Still, there are many smokers around the world who cannot seem to quit the habit. If it is any indication, one can never be too old to stop smoking, according to a study.

Lead researcher Sarah Nash, who conducted a study at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, shared that "participants who quit smoking as recently as in their 60s were 23 percent less likely to die during follow-up than those who continued to smoke into their 70s."

Not only that but the age that a person started smoking can also have an impact on the longevity of his or her lifespan. This emphasizes the importance of preventing people from starting the habit in the first place. The Chicago Tribune noted that Nash's team found smoking, which is already known to be a predictor of early death, is also strongly related to early death from smoking-related causes for those over the age of 70.

People who smoked upon reaching the age of 70 and older are three times more likely to die in the next six years, as pointed in their study period. In addition, the age at which a person starts smoking is linked to an increased risk of smoking-related death.

As Fox News explained, lung cancer deaths are more likely among light smokers than non-smokers. In fact, death from lung cancer were more than nine times higher for people who smoke even one cigarette a day, while those who smoke up to 10 cigarettes a day could have up to 12 times the risk of the disease compared to a non-smoker.

But what about those who cut their habits? The study showed that little benefit is given for those who cut back from two packs a day to half a pack a day -- when it comes to cigarette smoking, there is no such thing as "low risk."

In the end, the sooner individuals quit smoking, the greater the health benefits and the longer their lifespan becomes.