Social smokers who only light up occasionally might want to reconsider their habits, new research suggests.
Scientists have revealed that smoking as little as two cigarettes per day can have devastating health consequences, indicating that even light smoking is harmless.
A major new study from Johns Hopkins University warns that 'even low doses confer large risks,' meaning smokers who only light up occasionally face similar health dangers as people who smoke multiple packs per day.
To understand how different levels of smoking affect people's health, researchers tracked the smoking patterns of more than 300,000 men and women over nearly 20 years.
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The study classified people who smoke between two and five cigarettes daily - or one to two packs weekly - as 'low intensity' smokers.
It turns out that individuals smoking just two cigarettes per day increased their risk of premature death by 60 per cent, revealed by Dr Michael Blaha, Professor of Cardiology and Epidemiology, who led the research team.
That's a hefty health toll for what might seem like a minor habit.
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The study also discovered that these low-intensity smokers were 50 per cent more likely to end up with heart disease in comparison to those who have never smoked.
"The findings of our research underscore the assertion that no level of smoking is without risk," the researchers said. "Even occasional or low-intensity smoking significantly increases cardiovascular and mortality risks."
While many smokers assume that reducing their daily cigarette intake will dramatically lower health risks, the evidence tells a different story.
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Perhaps most surprising is that the study found people who'd given up smoking entirely still showed increased chances of developing heart disease two decades or more after quitting.
"It is remarkable how harmful smoking is, and even low doses confer large risks. It is imperative to quit smoking as early in life as possible," Dr. Blaha's team said. "The amount of time passed since complete cessation (stopping smoking) is more important than a lower quantity of cigarettes each day."
They added: "The main public health message for smokers should be early cessation, rather than reducing the amount of smoking."
Dr. Erfan Tasdighi, who co-authored the study, backed up the results, urging smokers to stop smoking completely instead of just cutting back.
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"We actually have the evidence to say that even less than one cigarette a day can increase different multiple cardiovascular outcomes, and it's not something that's clinically insignificant," Dr. Tasdighi told ABC News.
Although the research suggests smoking-related damage can last longer than experts previously thought, the medical expert pointed out that stopping still delivers instant health benefits.
"It's important that people know that when they stop smoking, their risk goes down immediately and significantly," he added.