Epidemiology of Cessation

Benefits of Smoking Cessation 

Quitting smoking reduces the relative risk of numerous smoking-related diseases and increases life expectancy for former adult smokers.

In a 2020 report by the U.S. Surgeon General, it was concluded that there was sufficient evidence to infer that smoking cessation reduces the relative risk of numerous cancers including lung, oral, oesophageal, liver, stomach, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, colorectal, cervical, and acute myeloid leukaemia.^[1]

Smoking cessation also improves cardiovascular outcomes. Levels of highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, sometimes called ‘good’ cholesterol) rapidly improve. Additionally, risks associated with disease and death from cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke are reduced over time when compared with those who continue to smoke.

For adult smokers already diagnosed with coronary heart disease, quitting smoking can reduce the risk of premature death, death from heart disease, and the risk of having a first or another heart attack. ^[1]