While more details are not yet available about Braugher’s medical history, it was revealed in a 2014 The New York Times Magazine profile that he was a former smoker having “stopped drinking alcohol and smoking years ago” at the time of the interview.
According to information from Johns Hopkins Medicine, former smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer than smokers; however, their risk of developing the disease is still higher than if they had never smoked. They advise that if you were a heavy smoker — especially if you smoked for a long time or began at a young age — you should obtain a lung cancer screening every year for a minimum of 15 years after quitting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that it is never too late to stop smoking. It can reduce your risk for cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and other illnesses caused by smoking. Their website provides a wide variety of smoking cessation resources.
