For a longer life: quit smoking before 35

A new study has found that people who quit smoking before the age of 35 can eventually live as long and healthy lives as people who never smoked, CRIENGLISH.com reported Saturday.

A new study has found that people who quit smoking before the age of 35 can eventually live as long and healthy lives as people who never smoked, CRIENGLISH.com reported Saturday. Researchers say if people quit by the age of 35, they can avoid nearly all of the harm smoking has on lifespan and quality of life. They reviewed interviews collected from more than 20,000 middle-aged and older people over several years and found that people who were smokers tended to lose more years of healthy life than non-smokers. However, people who had quit smoking at least 15 years before the first interview, between the ages of 35 and 45, tended to live as many years in good health as people who had never smoked. Scientists also caution that people should not believe that it’s okay to smoke until they are 35. The problem is that once a person starts smoking, it is hard to quit. (Source: Xinhua Health News, June 2004)