DO NOT PUBLISH: Women smokers who quit before 40 gain nine years in lifespan : Study

PARIS (AFP) - Women can add nine years to their lives by quitting smoking before the age of 40 but still face a 20-per cent higher death rate than those who never smoked, a study has found.

Published in medical journal The Lancet on Saturday, a survey of nearly 1.2 million women in Britain showed that smoking throughout adulthood chopped on average 11 years off lifespan. These results echoed the findings of earlier research conducted on men.

Among women who kicked the habit before the age of 40, the researchers measured an average lifespan gain of more than nine years compared with those who never stopped.

For those who quit before 30 the gains were even bigger - about 10 years.