Retirement is the best time to quit smoking

Washington, Mar 7 : For people struggling to kick the butt, a new study at the Peninsula Medical School in South West England suggests that retirement is the most effective times to try to quit smoking.

The research led by Dr. Iain Lang studied 1712 smokers of 50 years and above, taking into account their work status (whether an individual was working or retired) and smoking status (whether a non-smoker or smoker)

The findings of the six-year long study revealed that 42.5 per cent of those who had recently retired had quit smoking, compared with 29.3 per cent of those in employment and 30.2 per cent for those who were already retired.

The results indicate those who undergo the transition into retirement are more likely to quit smoking than those who do not.

"Retirement is one of the great transitions in life, which is why a greater proportion of people may find it easier to make significant changes elsewhere in their lives at this time," said Lang.

"However, anyone who isn't planning to retire just yet shouldn't put off quitting. The sooner you quit the sooner you will experience the benefits - when it comes to stopping smoking there's no time like the present!" he added.

ANI