Smokers who are under 50 years of age have a fivefold increased risk of having a heart disease or stroke. The risk of these chronic condition doubles for smokers who are over 60 years of age, says the European Society of Cardiology.
Preventing smoking among teens and young adults could help lower health complications associated with smoking.
Cigarette smoking causes more than 80 percent deaths due to lung cancer. Smoking is linked with cancers of the liver, bowel, pancreas, bladder, and ovary as well. Smoking affects not just the smokers but also those around them. Secondhand smoke can cause heart disease, breathing problems, lung cancer, dementia and respiratory tract infections.
Tobacco kills about 6 million people each year, 5 million of who die from the direct effects of tobacco, according to the World Health Organization.
Research has shown that quitting smoking at any time can lower health complications later in life. Both heart disease and stroke are among the top killers in European countries, causing close to 2 million deaths every year. Smoking is responsible for 28 percent of cardiovascular deaths among people aged between 35 and 69 years.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smokers are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers. Cigarette smoking narrows the blood vessels, reducing blood circulation.
"We know that the earlier one starts smoking, the more damage the smoke does. One reason is that there is a dose response relationship between how many years one smokes and the risk of cardiovascular disease, so the younger you are when you start, the higher dose you get altogether. In addition, the earlier you start smoking, the more addicted you may become and therefore the more difficult it will be to stop smoking later," said professor Grethe Tell, ESC prevention representative.
Banning characterizing flavors and introducing plain packaging on tobacco products could dissuade young people from trying smoking, the Society recommends. Also, age verification by the retailers and categorizing e-cigarettes as a tobacco and medical product could help prevent smoking among teenagers.
"Prevention of smoking is the most cost-effective way to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease. This is particularly important for children and adolescents who are susceptible to tobacco promotion and find it more difficult to quit smoking," said Tell in a news release.