Most non-smoking campaigns are geared towards the young. It makes sense; if you can convince teenagers not to smoke, they likely will never light up for their entire lives. But there are countless seniors who smoke cigarettes, and they need a health alert to understand that they need to quit as soon as possible.

Many people think you cannot undue the damage decades of cigarettes have done your body. While that is partially true, you can decrease your chances of coming down with tobacco-related illnesses by quitting immediately. Easier said than done, we know, but this health alert will help you live a longer and healthier life.

For example, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says smoking has been proven to reduce bone density among postmenopausal women. That means if a female smoker suffers a fall, she is likely to sustain more serious injuries than a non-smoker.

The same study says hip fractures are “casually” related to smoking. We all know how serious hip fractures are for seniors, how they often lead to  downward spiral that ends tragically. Not smoking increases your odds of recovering from a hip fracture or not getting one at all.

Smoking is also related to nuclear cataracts, which is the most common cataract in the United States. Smokers have two to three times the risk of developing cataracts than non smokers. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness.

And of course, smoking contributes to the leading cause of death in the United States — heart disease, which is already high among seniors who do not even smoke. Not to mention a variety of cancers.

In short, you should never smoke. And if you are a senior who smokes, you are increasing your chances of a wide array of life altering — and life ending — ailments. You should not need a health alert to know that you should just quit, for the sake of your health and your family’s happiness.