A new study has found that smoking one cigarette cuts a man’s life expectancy by an average of 17 minutes and a woman’s by 22 minutes. The figure is far higher than the 11-minute estimate in a 2000 BMJ study.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) analyzed long-term data from the British Doctors Study and the Million Women Study, which tracked smoking habits and health outcomes over decades. Their findings revealed that smokers lose an average of 10 to 11 years of life expectancy compared to non-smokers.
In its words, it pointed out: “Smoking reduces smokers’ life expectancy, on average by 10 years. This would be about ten years of living experiences, the sharing of sweet moments with children and their graduations and more with spouses.
It was still on these losses that researchers now put an imaginary pack of twenty cigarettes for any smoker who uses a cigarette. In reality, smoking decreases your lifespan by just nearly seven hours if one buys 20 sticks; quitting becomes as important.
The study provided optimistic insights into the gains of cessation. A smoker consuming 10 cigarettes daily could reclaim a full day of life by quitting for just one week and a month by abstaining for eight months. By the end of a year, this person could avoid losing up to 50 days of life expectancy.
Dr. Jackson pointed out that smoking mainly impacts middle-aged years, not only the elderly. For example, a 60-year-old smoker often has the health profile of a 70-year-old nonsmoker, accelerating the onset of illnesses.
Modern Smoking Trends
Global tobacco consumption has gone down, yet the study advises that the same smokers today inhale more than ever to replace the lost puff of the cigarettes consumed. This dangerous behavior could accentuate the injury caused by smoking. The study emphasizes that it is still an absolute quit or nothing, while partial reductions yield little benefit. There is, therefore, a call to urgently act on cessation programs.
The study gives a wake-up call on campaigns and support system for cessation but with stronger messages. Quit smoking, and enjoy life while elongating it in the process of living.
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