Two in three smokers die of smoke-related diseases

A new study claims that about 67 percent of smokers die from the effects of a smoking-related disease; a much higher figure than the 50 percent indicated by a number of previous studies, according to a story by Lamiat Sabin for The Independent (UK).

The new study involved about 200,000 people in New South Wales, Australia – smokers and non-smokers over the age of 45 who joined the ‘45 and Up Study’.

The lead epidemiologist was Professor Emily Banks and the study was published in BMC Medicine (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/13/38).

The study found that smoking 10 cigarettes a day doubled the risk of a premature death and that a 20-a-day habit would increase the threat of a premature death by four or five times.

“Even with the very low rates of smoking that we have in Australia, we found that smokers have around threefold the risk of premature death of those who have never smoked,” Banks was quoted as saying.

“We also found smokers will die an estimated 10 years earlier than non-smokers.”

The Independent story is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/more-than-two-thirds-of-smokers-are-killed-by-diseases-caused-by-tobacco-use-says-study-10077802.html#.