If every cell in your body is replaced roughly in 7 years, why do the affects of smoking and other bad habits still affect people who quit?

Question

If every cell in your body is replaced roughly in 7 years, why do the affects of smoking and other bad habits still affect people who quit?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The premise of your question is a bit off because the 7 year thing is a myth. A nerve cell may never be replaced. A red blood cell lives for just a couple months. Just as two examples