obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory illness; compared to never-smokers, RRs of mortality were 2.76 (2.42–3.14) and 2.95 (2.50–3.49) in male and female current smokers, respectively, with corresponding RRs in past smokers of 1.27 (1.17–1.37) and 1.39 (1.25–1.55). RRs did not change materially when further adjusted for physical activity and when data among past smokers were restricted to individuals aged 55 and over who had the opportunity to cease smoking from age 45–54 (data not shown). Nor did the RRs for mortality in current and former versus never-smokers change substantially when current smokers were defined as individuals reporting current smoking at baseline or within 3 years prior to baseline (for men RR (95% CI) using the new definitions of current/recent versus never-smokers: 2.65 (2.36–2.96) and former versus never-smokers: 1.34 (1.24–1.44); the corresponding figures for women were 3.26 (2.84–3.75) and 1.47 (1.33–1.62)).
