The negative impact of smoking on health inequalities across countries means that even if smoking were to stop tomorrow, the full health benefits would not be seen until 40 years from now.

New research shows that the maximum improvement one would expect from quitting completely is only about 2.5 years, not the full 6.3 years that separates smokers from never-smokers.. The information was shared by the publication MedicalXpress.

A study by the International Longevity Center (ILC) and Bayes Business School titled Leveling is the Great Health Issue shows how health inequalities, especially smoking, affect the health of the UK and its working future. The study results show that the UK government's goal of increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 is unattainable and can only be achieved if much bolder policies are adopted..

The findings come ahead of the government's white paper on health inequalities and the Tobacco Control Plan 2017-2022, due this year, which aims to make England 'smoke-free' by 2030.. Most worryingly, the report says that even if all smoking stops tomorrow, this impact could take 40 years..

A report led by Professor Les Mayhew of Bayes Business School highlights that life expectancy has increased by more years than healthy years since 2001, and as a result, more time spent in ill health has increased.. Factors contributing to this include an aging population, negative health behaviors such as smoking, and the success of the NHS in keeping people alive..

Putting this study into perspective, smoking is the leading cause of death and ill health in the UK. It is associated with deaths from cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, which account for about 75,000 deaths per year in England and half a million hospitalizations (92,000 deaths across the UK). This affects all ages: for example, a 34-year-old smoker has the same health as a 40-year-old who has never smoked..

Professor Mayhew, Head of Global Research at ILC and Professor of Statistics at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), said: “The challenges associated with increasing healthy life expectancy include interlinked risk factors associated with smoking, such as combating mental illness, drug addiction,. This means that while head-on smoking cessation is a welcome and necessary step, it is just the beginning of a much larger journey towards alignment.”.

medical-heal. en.