Quit Sooner, Live Longer

President-elect's struggle with nicotine could help others kick the habit

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is about to become the nation's smoker-in-chief, and anti-smoking advocates are hopeful he'll become a powerful example for other smokers if he finally manages to kick the habit. He has quit several times but so far has always gone back to smoking up to eight cigarettes a day, reports the New York Times. More»

Kicking the habit can double chances of surviving 5 years

(USER SUBMITTED) - Smokers diagnosed with lung cancer could double their chances of surviving for 5 years—if they quit smoking. The "dramatic" finding, based on analysis of 10 previous studies, applies only to early-stage cancer. "If you give up smoking, your body can still partially recover and your risk is reduced," the lead researcher tells the AP . More»

(NEWSER) - Cancer will surpass heart disease as the world’s preeminent killer by 2010, Reuters reports. A WHO study concluded that cancer cases will double between 2000 and 2020, and almost triple by 2030, largely because of increased tobacco use in developing countries. In men, who are more likely to contract the disease, lung cancer is most prevalent; in women, breast cancer is the most common form. More»

Rate drops, though 43M still light up; 443K die yearly as result

(NEWSER) - Smoking in the US is at its lowest since cigarettes became widespread after World War I, Reuters reports, with fewer than 20% of adults in the country lighting up—the lowest figure on record. Observers credit the gradual decline to awareness, bans on smoking in public places, and prohibitive taxation. Still, smoking is estimated to kill 443,000 people a year. More»

Study predicts 1 million will die annually from tobacco-related illnesses

(NEWSER) - Tobacco use is the smoking gun in 900,000 deaths annually in India, and the numbers are on the rise as the nation grapples with its epidemic-scale cigarette addiction, reports the BBC. At least 1 million Indians will die annually from smoking-related illnesses in the next decade unless the nation takes action soon, warns a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. More»