Smoking is estimated to kill more than 24,000 Australians every year, or more than 66 people a day - more than previously thought - according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).
The study followed 178,000 people over time and provides the first detailed evidence to date on smoking and cause of death in Australia, finding that smoking increases the risk of dying from 23 common causes.
Lead author Associate Professor Grace Joshy said people who smoke currently are 36 times more likely to die of chronic lung disease, 18 times more likely to die of lung cancer and 60 per cent more likely to die of dementia, compared to people who have never smoked.
"As well as having a higher risk of cancer death, people who smoke have double the risk of dying from stroke and heart disease. Smoking causes around a quarter of deaths at ages 45-74 in Australia," Associate Professor Joshy said.
Senior author Professor Emily Banks added: "For 1.8 million people in Australia, one of the first things they do every day is light up a cigarette. This habit is costing 66 lives a day - deaths that are entirely preventable - the number should be zero. Smoking means lives cut short, families devastated and bad outcomes for communities, the economy and the environment."
Professor Banks said many people underestimate the health impacts of smoking, including so-called "light smoking"-smoking a couple of cigarettes per day.
"Smoking any amount is extremely harmful, especially for people's lungs. Smoking one to 14 cigarettes per day increases the risk of dying from chronic lung disease more than twenty-fold and the risk of dying from lung cancer more than ten-fold," she said.
"If you smoke, now would be a good time to quit, including if you are smoking a few cigarettes a day. Our findings show that quitting at any age is good for health - the earlier you quit the better."
The study analysed data from people aged 45 years and older. The participants completed a questionnaire for the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study between 2005 and 2009 and were followed until 2017.
Associate Professor Joshy added that action to stamp out tobacco use doesn't reflect the harm it causes.
"Australia has been a world leader in tobacco control but is at risk of lagging behind. It's difficult to imagine the community accepting 24,000 preventable deaths a year from just about anything else. Our findings on the terrible effects of smoking on individuals, families and communities show how important it is that we take every action possible to support quitting and prevent young people taking it up," Associate Professor Joshy said.
"Keeping the pressure up, using established and new measures, like hard-hitting mass media campaigns and health warnings on individual cigarettes, is needed to better tackle Australia's biggest killer.
"Support for priority populations, through initiatives like the Tackling Indigenous Smoking program, is also critical."
Quit Director Rachael Andersen said this new research provides further evidence of the risks of tobacco use for Australians and underscores the urgent need for individuals to prioritise quitting to protect their health.
"With this first-hand new evidence from Australia showing smoking causing such devastating harm to people's lungs, hearts and brains it is important people put quitting at the top of their to do list, and now people need not go it alone," Ms Andersen said.
"There are many ways to get support. Visit quit.org.au for tips and tools on the best strategies for you. Speak to a Quitline counsellor on 13 7848 for free, non-judgemental support. Download the My Quit Buddy app and set a quitting goal. Importantly just keep trying to quit. The sooner you do, the better your health outcome will be."
The research has been published in BMC Medicine .
