Merely reducing cigarettes puffed holds no health benefits
Cutting down on smoking does not improve health, a recent survey showed: only breaking the habit altogether will bring any benefit. According to a survey published in the latest issue of British magazine Tobacco Control, reducing one's cigarette use does not necessarily reduce the risk of developing such smoking-related ailments as heart disease and lung cancer. The survey was conducted over the past 20 years on a total of 5,100 smokers aged 20-34 at the start of the survey. The results were the same for both males and females, the survey showed. However, those who stopped smoking showed significantly lower death rates than those that merely slowed down, proving that the only way to avoid risks associated with smoking is to break the habit completely. It would therefore be misleading for medical professionals to recommend people to cut down on smoking for their health, according to a chief researcher that led the survey.Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
