Table 1

The cohort under study according to sex and smoking characteristics in 1963

		Women				Men
		Number	%			Number	%
Total number included in the study	25086			16458
Age (y)
18–29	4036	16.1		2861	17.4
30–39	3120	12.4		2051	12.5
40–49	3538	14.1		2397	14.6
50–59	8253	32.9		5421	32.9
60–69	6139	24.5		3724	22.6
Residence
Major towns	6593	26.3		4012	24.4
Other towns	9227	36.8		5609	34.1
Rural districts	9266	36.9		6839	41.6
Smoking status
Never smokers	19 355	72.2		8156	49.6
Former smokers	1155	4.6		3794	23.1
Current cigarette smokers	4576	18.2		4508	27.4
Number of daily cigarettes^1-150
1–7	2515	55.0		1650	36.6
8–15	1650	36.1		1652	36.7
16–25	390	8.5		1042	23.1
More than 25	21	0.5		164	3.6
Inhalation^1-150
Non-inhalers	448	9.8		285	6.3
Inhalers	4128	90.2		4223	93.7
Age when started smoking^1-150
<25	3076	67.2		4072	90.3
⩾25	1500	32.8		436	9.7