Smoking causes over 8 million deaths yearly, including 1.35 lakh in India. A new PLOS Medicine study shows reducing cigarettes doesn’t protect heart. Even 1–5 cigarettes/day sharply raise risks of heart failure, stroke and death. Tracking 3.2 lakh adults for 50 years, study found quitting—not cutting down—reduces danger. Two decades after quitting, CVD and mortality risks drop by nearly 80%.