According to new estimates, each cigarette a person smokes could shorten their life by 20 minutes. This figure is higher than previous estimates, which suggested that one cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by 11 minutes. The data indicates that if a person who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, they could prevent the loss of a full day of life by January 8.
By February 20, their lives could be extended by a whole week. If their quitting is successful until August 5, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke. The figures come from an analysis commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care and carried out by researchers from University College London (UCL).
Recent estimates indicate that on average, men lose 17 minutes of life for every cigarette they smoke, while women lose 22 minutes per cigarette. Researchers analyzed up-to-date data from long-term studies monitoring population health. They emphasized that the damage caused by smoking is “cumulative,” meaning that the earlier a person quits smoking and the more cigarettes they refrain from smoking, the longer they are likely to live. The authors also noted that studies suggest smokers generally lose a similar number of healthy years as they do total years of life.
Smoking primarily diminishes the relatively healthy middle years of life rather than significantly reducing the time at the end of life, which is often characterized by chronic illness or disability. For instance, a 60-year-old smoker typically exhibits the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.
An analysis set to be published in the Journal of Addiction concludes that, on average, smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette they smoke. This lost time is likely to be spent in relatively good health. “Stopping smoking at every age is beneficial but the sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.” Dr Sarah Jackson, principal research fellow from the UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, said it was “vital that people understand how much quitting can improve their life expectancy”.
“The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately.” Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit.
“The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.”
By: news.sky.com
