Social smoking ‘disproportionately harmful’, study suggests

Researchers followed those involved in the study for an average of 17 years (Sean Dempsey/PA)

People who smoke socially are more than twice as likely to die of lung disease and more than eight times as likely to die of lung cancer than non-smokers, a study suggests.

The research, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress, shows that the risk of lung cancer death for “social smokers” – those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes per day – is not substantially lower than those who smoke more than 20 a day.