Smoking in the morning ups your cancer risk, experts say

(delihayat/shutterstock.com)

If you light up a cigarette within the first half hour of waking up, you could be putting yourself at higher risk for cancer, new evidence suggests.

Two studies published August 8 in the journal Cancer tracked smoking habits of thousands of smokers to see if their smoking routines impacted their risks of getting certain types of cancers.

In one study, smokers who reached for a cigarette within the first 30 minutes of the day were 79 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than those who waited at least an hour, the BBC reported.

A second study found that people who smoked in the first half hour of the day were 59 percent more likely to develop head and neck cancer than those who waited an hour.

Cancer Research UK suggested early-morning smokers were more likely to smoke intensively and inhale more smoke into their lungs.

Prior research from 2009 also found that morning smokers had higher levels of nicotine in their bodies than those who waited, regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked. Waiting until after breakfast reduced the amount of the chemical, the researchers noted.

Ready to take your last few puffs? Here is a good start:
http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/givingup
http://smokefree.nhs.uk