Smokers have often thought about cutting back on the number of cigarettes they smoke in an attempt to reduce the harm to their body. In theory, it sounds like a logical idea, but a new study suggests cutting back doesn’t improve your life span.
The study
According to the Washington Post, a study involving more than 5,000 smokers shows there is little difference in a person’s longevity when they decrease the number of cigarettes they smoke each day. There was one exception: the heaviest smokers (those who smoked more than 21 cigarettes day) did see an improved mortality rate.
Smokers that kicked that habit had the best odds. Smokers who quit were 25 to 35 percent less likely to die than those who continued the smoke, according to the study, which appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Other studies suggest similar results
In 2001, the Mayo Clinic conducted a study that also showed cutting back rather than quitting isn’t beneficial.
In the Mayo Clinic study, smokers who cut their cigarette intake in half didn’t have much fluctuation in toxicity levels.
”That’s very important because what it means to the lay public is that if you reduce (daily cigarettes), we’re still not sure how much benefit you’re going to get,” says John R. Hughes, a well-known University of Vermont smoking expert. ”So don’t fool yourself.”
Hughes says about 48 million Americans smoke and about 400,000 of those smokers will die from smoking-related conditions like heart disease.
So, Hughes says the goal should be to quit rather than subscribe to a “harm reduction” theory. This study shows cutting back will not lessen the damage you’re doing to your body. Quitting is the best way to improve your life span.
