In college, Clark smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, and he now wonders what the effects are on his body. For the past 53 years, a British organization has been researching that exact question. The study found that if you quit by age 30 your body would repair itself well. If you quit by age 40, you may lose a few years or so of your life, but you will live nine years longer than someone who never quits. Think about living nine extra years with your family. Wouldn’t that be great! People who smoke are dying from lung cancer, throat cancer, and a number of cardiovascular diseases. The good news is that another recent study found that high school students are smoking at the lowest level of this generation. The cigarette companies want kids to smoke because that’s when a lot of life-long smokers start, but great advertising by anti-smoking campaigns have really paid off. High taxes on cigarettes have also helped people quit and live longer.