New study reveals each cigarette shortens life by 20 minutes; women are at greater risk

A fresh study indicates that each cigarette smoked reduces life by 20 minutes, with men losing 17 and women 22 minutes.

While people are aware that smoking cigarettes can be harmful, they often underestimate the impact of each cigarette on their lives. A new study warns that a single cigarette takes about 20 minutes off a person's life, meaning that a pack of 20 cigarettes shortens a person's life by nearly seven hours.

Smokers lose 20 minutes of life with a single cigarette.(Shutterstock)

Men Lose 17 Minutes of Life Per Cigarette While Women Lose 22 Minutes

According to a new study by researchers from University College London (UCL), men lose 17 minutes from their lives per cigarette, while women lose 22 minutes. "Women in 1996 smoked an average of 13.6 cigarettes per day. Therefore, other things being equal, this would lead to an increase in the estimated loss of life expectancy per cigarette to 20 minutes overall: 17 minutes for men (1110/6.5) and 22 minutes for women ((1111/6.5)*(15.8/13.6))," the study stated.

"A person smoking 10 cigarettes per day who quits smoking on the 1st of January 2025 could prevent the loss of a full day of life by the 8th of January, a week of life by the 20th of February, and a month by the 5th of August. By the end of the year, they could have avoided losing 50 days of life," the authors wrote.

Effect of Quitting Smoking on New Year

The study further claimed that the sooner smokers quit cigarettes, the longer and healthier their lives can be. It highlighted that if a smoker quits smoking on January 1, they could gain an extra week of life by February, a month by August, and could avoid losing 50 days of life by the end of the year.

The study also pointed out that smoking primarily affects the relatively healthy middle years of life, rather than shortening the end-of-life period marked by chronic illness. It emphasized that quitting smoking at any age brings immediate and long-term health benefits.