Study Reveals Each Cigarette Shortens Life Expectancy by 20 Minutes

Here’s a powerful perspective to motivate yourself or others to quit smoking: each cigarette smoked reduces life expectancy by an estimated 20 minutes, according to researchers. Quitting for just a week could extend your life by an entire day.

This updated metric, calculated by researchers from University College London (UCL), builds on a 2000 study that estimated each cigarette reduced life by 11 minutes. With access to more recent mortality data from a broader population of smokers, researchers now provide a more precise prediction of the impact smoking has on life expectancy.

The team aimed to update these figures to provide smokers with a clear and impactful understanding of the habit’s dangers, which include significantly increased risks of lung cancer, brain damage, and other severe health conditions.

“Effectively communicating the harms of smoking in a way that resonates with smokers is challenging,” the researchers explain in their study. “One impactful approach is to calculate the average loss of life expectancy for each cigarette smoked.”

A Powerful Reminder of Smoking’s Impact and the Compounding Benefits of Quitting

While the 20-minute estimate is a generalization—since factors like inhalation depth and existing medical conditions vary among individuals—it offers a compelling shorthand for understanding how each cigarette harms the body. Moreover, the benefits of quitting compound over time.

“Epidemiological data show that the damage caused by smoking accumulates, but quitting at any time and reducing the number of cigarettes smoked will increase life expectancy,” the researchers note.

For example, someone who smokes 10 cigarettes a day and quits on January 1, 2025, could save one day of life by January 8, a week by February 20, and a month by August 5. By the end of the year, they could avoid losing 50 days of life.

Smoking in the UK: A Leading Cause of Preventable Death and Decade-Long Lifespan Reduction

In the UK, where the study data originates, smoking shortens lifespan by an average of 10 years for men and 11 years for women. It remains the leading preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health, as it is in many other countries.

The researchers stress that cutting back is not enough; quitting entirely is the only way to eliminate the increased health risks associated with smoking. The benefits of quitting extend to smokers of all ages and durations.

“Stopping smoking at any age is beneficial, but the sooner smokers step off this escalator of death, the longer and healthier their lives can be,” the researchers conclude.

Read Original Article: Science Alert

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