Table 1 Cause specific mortality by smoking habit, standardised indirectly for age and study year, for all 34 439 men born in 19th or 20th century (1851-1930) and observed 1951-2001

Age standardised mortality rate per 1000 men/year Cigarette smokers (no other smoking habit previously reported) Standardised tests for trend (2 on 1 df)* No of deaths 1951-2001 Lifelong non-smokers Current (cigarettes/day) Other smokers Cause of death Former Current 1-14 15-24 25 Former Current N/X/C Amount Cancer of lung 1052 0.17 0.68 2.49 1.31 2.33 4.17 0.71 1.30 394 452 Cancers of mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus 340 0.09 0.26 0.60 0.36 0.47 1.06 0.30 0.47 68 83 All other neoplasms 3893 3.34 3.72 4.69 4.21 4.67 5.38 3.66 4.22 32 36 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 640 0.11 0.64 1.56 1.04 1.41 2.61 0.45 0.64 212 258 Other respiratory disease 1701 1.27 1.70 2.39 1.76 2.65 3.11 1.69 1.67 44 70 Ischaemic heart disease 7628 6.19 7.61 10.01 9.10 10.07 11.11 7.24 7.39 138 133 Cerebrovascular disease 3307 2.75 3.18 4.32 3.76 4.35 5.23 3.24 3.28 48 65 Other vascular (including respiratory heart) disease 3052 2.28 2.83 4.15 3.37 4.40 5.33 2.99 3.08 77 94 Other medical conditions 2565 2.26 2.47 3.49 2.94 3.33 4.60 2.49 2.44 34 54 External causes 891 0.71 0.75 1.13 1.08 0.79 1.76 0.89 0.92 17 27 Cause unknown 277 0.17 0.28 0.52 0.39 0.57 0.59 0.25 0.31 16 24 All cause (No of deaths) 25 346 19.38 (2917) 24.15 (5354) 35.40 (4680) 29.34 (1450) 34.79 (1725) 45.34 (1505) 23.96 (5713) 25.70 (6682) 699 869

^* Values of ² on one degree of freedom for trend between three or four groups: values 15 correspond to P<0.0001.

N/X/C compares three groups: lifelong non-smokers, former cigarette smokers, and current cigarette smokers. Amount compares four groups: never smoked regularly, and current cigarette smokers consuming 1-14, 15-24 or 25 cigarettes/day when last asked.