Each cigarette shortens lifespan by 20 minutes, reveals new study
According to a recent study by University College London (UCL), smoking a single cigarette can shorten a person's life by an average of 20 minutes. The new finding nearly doubles the 11-minute estimate from 2000. The latest research also states that a pack of 20 cigarettes could shorten your life by nearly seven hours.
Quitting smoking can add years to life
Dr. Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow at UCL's alcohol and tobacco research group, emphasized the drastic effect of smoking on life expectancy. "On average, smokers who don't quit lose around a decade of life," Jackson said. She also emphasized that smoking is among the top preventable causes of disease and death globally, responsible for roughly 80,000 deaths every year in the UK alone and a quarter of all cancer deaths in England.
Gender differences in smoking-related harm noted
Using data from the British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study, the study highlighted gender differences in smoking-related harm. Men lose an average of 17 minutes per cigarette, while women lose 22 minutes. Jackson noted that smoking mainly impacts the relatively healthy midlife years. She said, "It primarily eats into the relatively healthy years in midlife, bringing forward the onset of ill-health. This means a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker."
Complete cessation necessary for full health benefits
The study also noted that smoking-related health outcomes can vary based on factors like cigarette type and how deeply one inhales. The authors stressed that only complete cessation can yield full health benefits, as even the slightest smoking is fraught with risks. Prof Sanjay Agrawal from the Royal College of Physicians spoke about the wider impact, saying, "Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life."
