Children whose fathers smoked as teenagers may age faster

People whose fathers started smoking during puberty show signs of accelerated biological aging compared to their actual age, according to a study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) congress in Amsterdam.[1]The analysis involved 892 participants aged 7 to 50 from European countries or Australia, who provided blood samples as part of the RHINESSA study. The researchers used "epigenetic clocks," a tool for assessing biological aging based on molecular changes in DNA.

A link between early smoking in fathers and biological aging in children

The blood samples were analyzed by the scientists for epigenetic changes, who then applied three different scores based on genetic age. Respondents were also asked a series of questions about their smoking habits and periods and those of their parents.

The results show that children of fathers who started smoking at age 15 or younger experience an average of 9 to 12 months of additional biological aging. This difference increased to 14 to 15 months when the participants themselves smoked.

In contrast, the effect was much smaller when fathers started smoking later, and no clear link was observed for maternal smoking before pregnancy.

Implications for public health and future generations

Dr. Juan Pablo López-Cervantes of the University of Bergen, Norway, points out that this accelerated aging is associated with an increased risk of age-related diseases, such as cancer, arthritis, and dementia.

Researchers believe that smoking during puberty could alter the epigenetic material of male reproductive cells, thereby passing these effects on to children.

Experts say the findings reinforce the need to prevent or help adolescents quit smoking, expand research to other tobacco and nicotine products, and provide educational prevention to young men going through puberty.

For Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Asthma and Lung UK, " Adequately funding smoking cessation services is essential. You are three times more likely to successfully quit smoking if you receive both counseling and treatment to help you relieve your cravings and break your dependence on tobacco. […] Smoking cessation services actually save money for the UK's National Health Service (NHS), but they should be funded by a "polluter pays" tax on the tobacco industry, which continues to make huge profits by harming people's health, without any penalties. »[2].

Dr. Stamatoula Tsikrika, chair of the ERS Expert Group on Tobacco, points out that tobacco can cause asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer, and that smokers aged 15 or younger can pass the harmful effects of tobacco on to future generations. She also points out that, despite a decline in smoking among young people, vaping is on the rise, although its long-term effects are not yet known.

According to the WHO, Children whose parents smoke are also at higher risk of stunted growthBy 2024, more than 150 million children under 5 were too short for their age, or suffered from stunted growth.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AD

[1]ERS, People may age faster if their dad smoked during puberty, published on September 29, 2025, consulted the same day

[2]Ella Pickover, New study finds person may age faster if father smoked as a teen, Independent, published September 28, 2025, accessed September 29, 2025

National Committee Against Smoking |