New research, commissioned by the UK’s Department for Health and Social Care, has found that smoking is more harmful than experts thought. In fact, just one cigarette steals an average of 20 minutes off a smoker’s life.
“This equates to nearly 7 hours of life lost when smoking an average pack of 20 cigarettes,” the press release states. “If a smoker quits on New Year’s Day, by 20 February they could get a week of their life back, and by the end of the year they could have avoided losing 50 days of life.”
That’s a pretty decent chunk of time earned back.
“People generally know that smoking is harmful but tend to underestimate just how much,” said Dr Sarah Jackson, a principal research fellow at UCL’s alcohol and tobacco research group, per the Guardian. “On average, smokers who don’t quit lose around a decade of life. That’s 10 years of precious time, life moments, and milestones with loved ones.”
Just How Bad is Smoking Cigarettes for Your Health?
While smoking every now and then might not seem like a huge deal, its impacts can add up—especially if you’re a more consistent smoker.
Not only that, but it can also cause poor health in later years. Meaning you might not be able to enjoy the last portion of your life as much as you would if you were healthy.
“Some people might think they don’t mind missing out on a few years of life, given that old age is often marked by chronic illness or disability. But smoking doesn’t cut short the unhealthy period at the end of life,” Jackson told the Guardian. “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.”
If you’re trying to cut back on your smoking habits in 2025, there’s no better time to start than right now.
“Smoking has an immediate impact on your lung and heart’s health as well as significantly increasing your chance of getting a chronic illness or disability and of dying young,” said Dr. Jeanelle de Gruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer. “Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do to improve your current and future health. This new year, start afresh and leave smoking in the past.”
The post Smoking Just One Cigarette Could Take 20 Minutes Off Your Life appeared first on VICE.
