Women lose 22 minutes of their life with each cigarette they smoke while one shortens a man’s life by 17 minutes, experts have estimated.
New predictions by researchers are higher than previous estimates which suggested that each cigarette shortens a smoker's life by 11 minutes.
The latest findings, which claim that each cigarette leads to a 20-minute loss of life on average across both genders, are based on more up-to-date figures from long-term studies tracking the health of the population.
Researchers from University College London said that the harm caused by smoking is “cumulative” and the sooner a person stops smoking, and the more cigarettes they avoid smoking, the longer they live.
The new research, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on 1 January, then by 8 January they could “prevent loss of a full day of life”.
Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy
By 20 February, their lives could be extended by a whole week. And if their quitting is successful until 5 August, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke.
The authors said: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life.
“Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability.
“So a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.”
The analysis, which will be published in the Journal of Addiction, states the average of 20 minutes of life expectancy lost for each cigarette “is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health”.
It adds: “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 is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy.”
The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step
She added: “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately.
“It's never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.”
Health officials say smokers can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan.
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.”
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, added: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy.
“This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address cigarette smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK.”
