Here’s How Much Life You Lose With Every Cigarette You Smoke | Current technology

According to new research, each cigarette you smoke reduces your life expectancy by about 20 minutes.

Men’s lives are reduced by approximately 17 minutes for each cigarette smoked, while women’s lives are reduced by approximately 22 minutes.

That’s more than previous estimates, which suggested each cigarette shortened a smoker’s life by 11 minutes.

The new estimates are based on more recent figures from long-term population health studies.

Researchers from University College London said the damage caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner a person stops smoking and the more they avoid smoking, the longer they live.

The new analysis, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarette-a-day smoker quits on January 1, then they could “avoid the loss of a full day of life” by January 8.

By February 20, their lives could be extended by an entire week.

And if they manage to quit smoking by August 5, they will probably live a month longer than if they had continued smoking.

The authors added: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as their total life years.

“Thus, smoking primarily eats away at the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the late-life period, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability.

“So a 60-year-old smoker will generally have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.”

The analysis, which will be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: ‘We estimate that on average, UK smokers who don’t quit lose around 20 minutes of life expectancy for every cigarette they smoke.’

“That’s time that probably would have been spent in relatively good health.

“Quitting smoking at any age is beneficial, but the sooner smokers move away from this escalating death, the longer and healthier they can expect to live.”

Dr Sarah Jackson, lead researcher at UCL’s Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said: “It is vital that people understand how harmful smoking is and how quitting can improve their health and life expectancy.

“Data suggests that people lose on average about 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke.”

“The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live.

“Stopping smoking at any age significantly improves health and the benefits begin almost immediately.

“It’s never too late to make a positive change in your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit smoking for good.”

Health officials said smokers can find advice, support and resources through the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the Personal Quit Smoking Plan online.

Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is a costly and deadly habit and these results reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit.

“The new year provides a perfect opportunity for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.”

Commenting on the article, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special advisor on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our health system and economy.

“This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to tackle smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and illness in the UK.”

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