Smoking explains why Americans don’t live longer | Reuters

Posted On February 17, 2011

(Reuters) – Smoking and, to a smaller degree, obesity explain why Americans do not live as long as the French or Japanese, U.S. experts reported on Tuesday.

Even though just 20 percent of Americans smoke now, more than 40 percent of U.S. adults smoked in 1960 and the population is still paying the price, the report from the National Research Council found.

“Other factors, such as obesity, diet, exercise, and economic inequality, also have likely played a role in the current gap and divergence between the United States and other countries,” the panel of experts appointed by the council wrote.

Many experts have tried to explain why the United States, which spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country and which has a relatively wealthy and well-nourished population, should rank so poorly against … Click here for the rest of the article. 

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I don’t get this article at all. The Japanese smoke MORE than we do. So how is it that the lack of smoking in Japan is responsible for the fact that they live longer than anyone on Earth? 


Here are the data that this article didn’t give you. 

  • As of 2010, the total smoking rate in Japan is 24%. In the mid 1960s it was around 50% of people. 
  • As of 2010, only 20% of Americans smoke. In 1960, over 40% smoked.

So, they smoke more than we do now, and have always smoked more than us. There are tons of reasons why our longevity is less than that of the Japanese, and cigarette smoking is certainly one of the factors. 


All that said, the title of the article: “Smoking explains why Americans don’t live longer” is a drastic over-simplification. 

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