In this large-scale, population-based Australian study, death rates in current smokers were around three-fold those of people who had never smoked, in both men and women. On average, smokers died around 10 years earlier than non-smokers, over the ages examined. Mortality rates increased substantially with increasing intensity of smoking, with rates approximately doubling in those smoking around 10 cigarettes per day and four- to five-fold those of never-smokers in current smokers of 25 or more cigarettes per day. Cessation of smoking conferred large mortality benefits compared with continuing to smoke. These findings were adjusted for a range of potential confounding factors, including socioeconomic status, alcohol intake, and BMI.
