One in four middle-aged smokers, ie, between the ages of 35 and 69 years, will die from smoking. This percentage is increasing among women, while it is declining among men. Furthermore, smokers are affected by many diseases as a direct or indirect consequence of smoking.
Smoking cessation has a major impact on health.
As soon as a few years after quitting the smoking habit, ex-smokers are at a substantially lower risk for myocardial infarction or stroke. However, their risk for cancer declines at a slower rate. Less educated individuals smoke at a substantially higher rate than well educated individuals. During the 1980s, the number of adolescent smokers declined, but later increased again. Tobacco use among this group has not change noticeably during the 1990s.