I have worked out mine as 6 pack years, but that is a conservative estimate since some years, I started at 15, but I only smoked one to three cigarettes a day, and most days none at all. Then around college, i started smoking more like 8-10 a day, and it fluctuated. I read on some website (forgot which one) that if you started in your teens (like me) that the chance for genetic damage is high, but reversible. Also, if you quit around the age of 30 (I am 31) there is a less likely chance of developing lung cancer than someone who quit later on in life. So after 15 years, my chance of lung cancer should be 1.8% as opposed to someone who never smoked at 0.5%, however my lung function should be equal to that of a never smoker, and no physical signs that I ever smoked present. Do you guys think this is accurate, is there a concrete way to estimate risks?
What was your pack year, and what are the risks associated with it?
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I think it makes sense generally, but there's way to many factors that effect risk, so no I don't think it's accurate. That being said, I started in mid teens like you, and quit around the same age as you (late 28).
Don't rly think that's the case, everyone's diff't - my great aunt for ex smoked 2 packs a day since she was a teen and died at 91 yrs old... altho I have heard the same thing about quitting before ur 30 but who knows...everyone's body reacts differently so I don't really think a formula like that can be all that accurate./
Personally speaking i start vaping and kick analogs not because of cancer.
From my personal view , i see people who lives up to a old age still smoking analogs and also there are those who passed away at a young age from cancer too.
Most people quit because they don`t want to affect the people around them. Exposing their family members , kids etc to harmful smoke especially when they are non smokers.
From my personal view , i see people who lives up to a old age still smoking analogs and also there are those who passed away at a young age from cancer too.
Most people quit because they don`t want to affect the people around them. Exposing their family members , kids etc to harmful smoke especially when they are non smokers.
I have no idea what the math is behind it, but I use the My Last Cigarette app.
It's a freebie app for iOS and it shows you your (supposed) decreasing health risks. Definitely nothing official, but I find it to be encouraging. It says my lung cancer risk is currently 99.48%. (This is compared to when I was smoking, meaning my risk is now 99.48% of what it was when I was smoking. This doesn't mean I have a 99% chance overall of developing cancer. That would be frightening.)
It's a freebie app for iOS and it shows you your (supposed) decreasing health risks. Definitely nothing official, but I find it to be encouraging. It says my lung cancer risk is currently 99.48%. (This is compared to when I was smoking, meaning my risk is now 99.48% of what it was when I was smoking. This doesn't mean I have a 99% chance overall of developing cancer. That would be frightening.)
I heard a study on a talk radio show that was quite interesting.
Basically summed up, smokers on average die 10 years younger than non-smokers.
However, if you quit by the age of 44, your chances of living to the same age as a non-smoker were almost as good as being a non-smoker. The study was very specific about the age of 44 but the hosts didn't go into the specifics. Just that it was about as good a news as a smoker could expect to get about living longer via quitting.
As for me I'm about to turn 35, so I'm still ahead of the game and you're even farther ahead of me.
My old man, on the other hand, has persistent smoker's coughing fits and circulation problems and diabetes and a few other issues. I'm hoping that he'll see me vaping and get curious enough and with a few nudges, might decide it's worth enough of a go. Since reading this forum it was pretty inspiring to hear about people who had smoked 50 odd years and found that their COPD and morning coughs mostly went away after a while. I really hope I can turn him onto this, but he's pretty stubborn and has a lot of faith in Big Pharma...
Basically summed up, smokers on average die 10 years younger than non-smokers.
However, if you quit by the age of 44, your chances of living to the same age as a non-smoker were almost as good as being a non-smoker. The study was very specific about the age of 44 but the hosts didn't go into the specifics. Just that it was about as good a news as a smoker could expect to get about living longer via quitting.
As for me I'm about to turn 35, so I'm still ahead of the game and you're even farther ahead of me.
My old man, on the other hand, has persistent smoker's coughing fits and circulation problems and diabetes and a few other issues. I'm hoping that he'll see me vaping and get curious enough and with a few nudges, might decide it's worth enough of a go. Since reading this forum it was pretty inspiring to hear about people who had smoked 50 odd years and found that their COPD and morning coughs mostly went away after a while. I really hope I can turn him onto this, but he's pretty stubborn and has a lot of faith in Big Pharma...I have an app like that when I started vaping 2 weeks ago. It says, 100% of nicotine has been eliminated from my body, and my dependence on nicotine has been eliminated, and 60% of my withdrawal symptoms have subsided. Funny, I dint get any nic withdrawal while vaping 24mg LOL
Just googled pack years and figured it out. 21 pack years, but still young. I'm not too worried about it. Even with statistics, you just never know. I definitely have plenty of time to reverse any damage I did, assuming I don't die tomorrow!
One pack year = 365 packs. So multiply the number of packs you smoked per day times 365 for the years that you smoked, making adjustments for years when you smoked more or less, then divide the final result by 365. Is that right?
One pack year = 365 packs. So multiply the number of packs you smoked per day times 365 for the years that you smoked, making adjustments for years when you smoked more or less, then divide the final result by 365. Is that right?
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