The first ever long-term Australian study suggested that even light smokers, who consume ten or fewer cigarettes a day, are at double the risk of dying, DECCAN Chronicle reported.
The study of the 200,000 Australians aged over 45 by Sax Institute found that two thirds of deaths in current smokers can be directly attributed to smoking.
The study by Professor Emily Banks, found that current smokers were three times more likely to die than people who had never smoked.
Around eight percent of the study's participants were current smokers,
while just over a third were past smokers.
