journal · Public research summary
21st-century hazards of smoking and benefits of cessation in the United States
Quitting at ages 25–34, 35–44 or 45–54 was associated with about 10, 9 or 6 more years, respectively, versus continuing to smoke.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Jha P et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2013 · DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1211128
Study design
Prospective mortality follow-up
Population
113,752 women and 88,496 men in the US National Health Interview Survey.
Measured outcome
Life expectancy by smoking and cessation history
Finding
Quitting at ages 25–34, 35–44 or 45–54 was associated with about 10, 9 or 6 more years, respectively, versus continuing to smoke.
Limitations
These contrasts apply to people who smoked, not additional years for never-smokers. Observational population estimates depend on smoking history and cessation age.
Habit topics
Stay smoke-free; get support to quit
Interpretation
Research comparisons are not personal lifespan predictions. Years from different studies, habits, populations and outcomes cannot be added. Supporting studies do not validate the numeric estimate of another study.