STUDY FINDS EACH CIGARETTE MAY CUT LIFE EXPECTANCY BY 20 MINUTES – The UCL analysis highlights the significant cumulative impact of smoking
Each cigarette smoked may shorten a person’s life by an estimated 20 minutes, according to new research—an increase from earlier estimates of 11 minutes per cigarette.
The analysis, conducted by University College London (UCL) researchers and commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, highlights the significant cumulative impact of smoking.
For example, a smoker consuming 10 cigarettes daily who quits on January 1 could “prevent the loss of a full day of life” by January 8. By February 20, they could gain back an entire week, and by August 5, their life expectancy could extend by a full month compared to if they continued smoking.
The findings indicate that men lose an average of 17 minutes of life per cigarette, while women lose 22 minutes. Researchers emphasized that the harm from smoking is cumulative, urging individuals to quit as soon as possible to extend their life expectancy.
The study, set to be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: “Smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for every cigarette they smoke.”
