The impact of the decreased prevalence of smoking in Canada.

Using data on the prevalence of smoking among different age and gender groups, we estimated the impact of the prevalence of smoking on the present and future mortality of Canadians. In 1989, the life expectancy of male smokers at the age of 45 was 7 years less than non-smokers, among female smokers life expectancy was 4 years less than non-smokers. The total number of smoking-attributable deaths from all causes was estimated for every decade from 1969 to 2019. A decrease in smoking prevalence from 1989 levels to 10% overall in 1999 would result in 15,000 and 6,000 fewer smoking-attributable deaths among women and men, respectively. Continuing the existing pattern of smoking among men and women will result in an increase in the total number of smoking-attributable deaths among women and an increase in the smoking-attributable deaths from lung cancer in both sexes.